Untold Stories of Northeast India: Exploring the Region's Hidden Myths and Legends

Most part of Northeast India remains hidden from travelers, with an exception of some who really choose to go off the beaten path and find themselves exploring obscure villages, completely on their own.

Now that’s the kind of travel that’s tremendously exciting and memorable. We like to call them extreme exploration. While most of us would want to do just that, there are factors like time crunch and general hesitance to explore frontiers you know nothing about.

So, before going deep into extreme exploration, let’s explore the relatively easier, but lesser-talked-about, destinations in Northeast India. We’ll pick one from each of the eight states that comprise the northeastern flank.

Haflong in Assam

The only hill station in Assam, Haflong is the headquarters of Dima Hasao district. You must have read about the famous and “mysterious” bird suicides of Jatinga. Haflong is about 6 km from this place also The serene beauty of Jhum Cultivation in Halflong, Dima Hasao, Assam. This Jhum cultivation is mainly practiced by the hilly tribes in different hill stations of North East India. While the ridiculously bogus mystery of bird suicides continues to exist, somehow the very pretty (and cold) hill station of Haflong remained sidelined. The blue mountains of the Barail and Jaintia ranges keep Haflong pleasant throughout the year. Haflong is surrounded by dense forest, giving it gorgeous shades of green throughout the year. Fog and mist are permanent features of the town. You must visit the town to experience the stunning Barak River valley.

Anini in Arunachal Pradesh

Anini is the headquarters of the Dibang Valley district. The place stays covered in mist for the most part of the year. This is, for sure, one of the least visited places in Arunachal Pradesh. Most visitors to Arunachal Pradesh either head to Tawang, Itanagar, Ziro or go explore the wildlife parks. The quaint town of Anini is definitely on a path less trodden. Home to the Idu Mishmi tribe, Anini’s natural beauty will stun you. How can it not, when three rivers – Dibang, Dri and Mathun – give the landscape such dramatic touches?

Andro in Manipur

Andro is not an obscure village, but it definitely gets skipped for reasons unknown. The destination shouldn’t be skipped. And here’s why: the quaint village of Andro is where you can watch the women potters create pottery. Here, only the married women folks make pottery. Mutua Museum, also known as Doll Museum, is where you will find traditional dolls of all hill tribes of Manipur. It’s an amazing destination to explore and learn about indigenous tribal communities and their culture.

Tuophema in Nagaland

Both destination and stay, Tuophema Tourist Village is an experience you must travel for. And the annual Hornbill Festival sounds like a good time to visit the state and also experience the heritage tourist village of Tuophema. These days, when tradition often gets sidelined by the modern, Tuophema still preserves the rich traditional Naga culture and practices. Stay in one of the morungs (traditional Naga huts/dormitories) and see for yourself how the locals must have lived several decades ago before turning to brick and mortar.

Champhai in Mizoram

Located close to the Indo-Myanmar border, Champhai is a small but picturesque town in Mizoram that has managed to stay off the tourist radar. Rolling hills and vast fields are the first things you will notice about Champhai. A mix of hills and plains, Champhai enjoys the best of both worlds – chill and meadows.

Jampui Hills in Tripura

Jampui Hills, located on the Mizo Hills range, North Tripura district, has perfect undisturbed nature. Virgin forests and mountains of Jampui Hills reflect the rich culture of the indigenous tribal communities living there. You can hike the forest or interact with the locals; either way, you are going to learn plenty from your trip to Jampui Hills.

Yuksom in Sikkim

Located in West Sikkim, Yuksom is as pretty and bucolic as they come. The historical town of Yuksom is known mostly to those doing the Buddhist pilgrimage in Sikkim. For the rest of us, Yuksom remains lesser-explored. Did you know that Yuksom was the first capital of the Kingdom of Sikkim? Now you know. Yuksom was established in 1642 AD by Phuntsog Namgyal, the first Chogyal (Dharma king) of Sikkim.