Unlock That Mystery Called the Northeast

There was a time not too long ago, when tourists wouldn’t go beyond Assam’s famed Kazirangza Wildlife Sanctuary.

It was as if the Northeast had nothing beyond the one-horned rhino or the mighty Brahmaputra River.

Somehow, the region that comprises eight states: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim seldom featured in most people’s itineraries.

There are many reasons for that. Some of them are general perceptions of safety; or the lack of good hotels or, bankable infrastructure or, even of connectivity, among others.

While the truth remains that some states continue to be mired under the veil of turmoil due to decades-old militancy, life goes on.

Be that as it may, perceptions are changing today as deep curiosity is building around the people, places, and cultures of the Northeast.

It is being looked at with such fresh eyes that the Northeast is really the new discovery of India and beyond.

This has a lot to do with the government’s renewed interest in the region, positioning it as the ‘Gateway to South East Asia’.

Geographically, of course, the region’s physical and cultural proximity with South East Asia qualifies it as that gateway.

On a very positive note, if we focus on the tourism sector alone, there is a lot that’s brewing.

There are serious intentions to develop it as a hub for tourism especially in the area of adventure sports, given its topography.

Indeed, the road to the Northeast was paved long ago and is now poised to receive more visitors.

Visitors, especially from overseas, have made their quiet trysts with the region.

If the figures of 2014 are any indication, things will only get better with time.

Apparently, there was a 40 per cent jump in the number of overseas tourists’ arrival at 1,18,552 in 2014, as compared to 84,820 in 2013, as per the Union Ministry of Tourism.

Better accessibility to the states with India’s major airlines flying back and forth is making sure the region is no longer off the radar as it was earlier.

Some of the best-kept secrets of the region are the beautiful hotels/homestays of heritage value: run by people with passion.

The sprawling tea bungalows tucked away in the lush green tea gardens of Assam are but the best in their league.

Hospitable hosts are opening their homes and going that extra mile to pamper their guests in true Northeastern warmth and love.

No wonder, international chain hotels are vying to make their presence felt there.

A green-field project of the Marriott chain, the Marriott Courtyard Shillong, is in progress in the heart of Shillong.

The Radisson and Taj have already opened their doors to a new audience in Guwahati much to the delight of eager residents who have the paying and buying capacity.

This, in turn, is only pushing local players to slowly up their standards to be in the same or close league with the big players.

And there are takers everywhere.

That, the first ever deluxe hotel in a landlocked state like Manipur’s capital, Imphal, be always sold out is testimony to how things are changing.

Imphal, incidentally, is only 112 km away from Myanmar’s border town, Tamu.

The thrill of visiting this bustling town dotted with Chinese-made goods is an indulgence of a different kind.

The region has tremendous historical significance and draws dedicated tourists on account of its cultural depth.

For instance, the Second World War monument and relics in Imphal and Kohima has been the haunt of many tourists who come for nostalgia sake.

Of course, each state has its own treasures to offer.

Like Meghalaya’s Cherrapunji, a place once known as the wettest place on this planet (a nearby village, Mawsynram currently holds that record) continues to draw tourists from all over the world who are seeking to be drenched in that rain.

But beyond this touristy drill, there is more.

It is home to the biggest name in chord music, the Shillong Chamber Choir that serenaded the Obamas during their state visit; many other musical talents thrive here making the city the preferred venue for international musicians who eventually chose it for their debut venues giving a miss to other major cities.

It is also home to Asia’s cleanest village, Mawlynnong, about 100 km from Shillong, where tourists come to watch a way of life.

On another level, it’s hard to not compare the Northeast with some South East Asian countries and to not dwell on the similarities in terms of what it offers.

If, for instance, tourists queue up to see layers of stalactites in caves that are roughly 12.6 km long in the islands of the Philippines, I have no doubt the same tourists would love the more intense caves in Meghalaya that run more than 25 km in length.

And if in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta, the tourists get up at the crack of dawn to see sunrise at the Borobudur temple, they would marvel at the thought of praying in Sikkim’s 16th century Rumtek monastery built by the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje.

The thrill of Chiang Mai’s mountainous region can be equalled by the thrill of being in the virgin mountain of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh or Nagaland.

For that matter, the food of the region has the same flavour and aroma as that of South East Asia’s rich culinary repertoire; there is no reason why this region be hidden from the radar of connoisseurs.

I hold forth on the possibilities and opportunities of this region and I see that future of hope.

Hoihnu Hauzel is a journalist and a food and travel writer.

Her book, The Essential Northeast Cookbook, published by Penguin, has been instrumental in introducing and popularising Northeast cuisine outside the region.

In her other avatar, she is also a keen promoter of Northeast India, a region she hopes to promote, and connect, with the rest of the country and beyond, through her writings and entrepreneurial venture, Northeast Odyssey (www. northeastodyssey.com), the only portal dedicated to showcasing hotels and resorts from the Northeast, founded in 2010.

She also runs a digital lifestyle magazine on the Northeast of India called NE Travel and Life (www.netravelandlife.com).