The Paradise Trail
Browsing through the internet my husband and I stumbled upon pictures of Dzukou Valley, the verdant mountains and the colourful flowers immediately captured our attention. We decided to explore this place. Though Dzukou valley is spread over two states of Nagaland and Manipur, we chose to visit Nagaland. All the tickets and accommodation was booked from the popular travel website Yatra dot com. The Hornbill festival at Nagaland attracts maximum footfall in the first week of December, however we wanted to explore the place when the crowd was least. The desire for some adventure also played in the back of our minds while choosing the destination. The idea of a day long trek through the Japfü mountains got us really excited. It has been a long since I had breathed some undiluted oxygen and heard the birds chirping among the wilderness. We felt this is a great opportunity to be close to nature. Here goes our story-
We boarded the flight to Dimapur from Kolkata. We reached Dimapur within two hours. From there we got into a pre booked car and reached Kohima in little more than two hours (the distance between the two places is 68.2 kilometres). The road journey from Dimapur to Kohima was beautiful. The locals were busy in their peaceful idyllic lives. When we reached Kohima, on the way to the hotel our guide Kezo joined us. He would be there with us throughout the Dzukou valley trip.
Nagaland is a Christain majority State comprised of catholics, American Baptists and protestants. Thus you will see churches dotting the landscape. The echoing churchbells broke the silence once in a while. After resting at the Hotel Vivor at Kohima, we packed our backpacks with essentials for the trek to Dzukou the next day. At night we had a light dinner of pork with Axone (fermented soybean) and rice served with boiled veggies. Nagas call Axone as ‘akhuni’.
Next day post breakfast we were on our way to Village of Zakhama, the base camp for the trek to Dzukou Valley. On the way, Kezo picked up some fresh chicken and local pork from the market. When we were almost near Viswema he halted at a resort where packed lunch of veg fried rice with hot chili sauce was picked up. Then he picked up the porter and the cook enroute. The excitement was slowly building within us. The car left us at the base camp after which no transport would go. We started walking the gravel path of about one kilometer. Energy was brimming within us after a hearty breakfast, so walking up that rough road was not a big deal. The real challenge was climbing up the steep steps of the mountain. We were not used to such a strenuous exercise at one go, so it took both of us atleast three hours to climb the mountain. So first time trekkers you need to be physically very fit to do this trek. Those who have altitude and motion sickness should carry medicines with them.
So after climbing the steep steps, we took rest under a concrete shelter. The weather was warm and sunny. We had our lunch at this resting place. After this brief refreshment and rest, we got ready for then next leg of the journey. Now we had to walk through a narrow mountain trail, approximately with one inch space on the ground with a sheer drop at the side. The sides of the mountain was covered with bamboo shrubs. You had to really mind the steps you take while walking. In some places there was slush, tree stumps and trunks and rocky outcrops which you had to cross while trekking. Kezo told us that there are two routes two reach Dzukou Valley, The one we were travelling was a moderately easy one. I thought if this was easy, then what was the tough one like!
While crossing the mountains we stopped a while admiring the scenic beauty, clicking snaps and taking videos. It was around 3 pm we reached the cottages where we would halt for the night. The golden light of the sun spread through the mountains. The sun set at around four and the weather dropped down instantly. We warmed ourselves by drinking tea. The red glow of the setting sun illuminated the rims of the dark mountains. A solar power flash bulb was the only source of light. There were no tourists there except us on the day we reached there. This was a tech-free break that we really needed and it gave us the opportunity to be close to nature. Our cook made an excellent chicken curry which we had with rice, papad and king chillies. The warmth of the fire on a cold night was inviting. At night we slept inside sleeping bags inside a cottage. We could hear dewdrops falling piercing the sound of silence.
Next day when we woke up we saw the dew drops have frozen into ice. A fine powder of ice made the the valley down look like a white carpet. As the sun moved higher in the sky and spread its warmth the dew melted and the valley turned lush green again. Post breakfast Kezo took us to see the helipad. He said helicopters are only operational during the Hornbill festival for the tourists who would like to visit Dzukou valley only for a day. From the helipad we climbed down the steep mountain stairs to reach the flat valley. In the valley we saw dried lilies. I picked up few to decorate my vases. The flowering season is between June to September when the valley is a riot of colours, the red rhododendrons and the white lilies create a perfect contrast. We rested for a while on a rock and then proceeded to the river bank. The Dzukou river and the Japfü rivers crisscrossed and meandered its way through the valley. The sound of flowing river sounded like wind chimes in the silent valley. The water was crystal clear and you can drink it straight away. We filled our water bottles with the river water. When we got down into the river we felt as though ice knives pierced through our flesh. We sat for an hour on this river bank watching the play of the sunlight and shadows in the mountains.
At around one in the afternoon our lunch was served in a cave in the middle of the valley. After a simple meal we walked ahead to see the caves. It was a perpendicular road uphill and Kezo supported me as I climbed it. An interesting thing to note here is that trekkers leave behind all their rations of rice, dal, oil and garlic for the next group who would come to stay in the cave. During the monsoons people can stay in the cave comfortably and the rainwater doesn’t come inside the cave. There was one place in the rock where fresh mineral water was trickling down. We filled our bottles with this natural mineral water and drank it down, it was fresh and tasty. This was truly a nature’s gift.
We initially planned to stay in one of the caves, however the cold night wind discouraged us to take this step. One of the cave could accommodate around nine to ten people. Tourists have an option to stay in the cottages and caves. In the caves they would have to light fire and cook their own food. In fact, when we came back from the valley up to cottage we saw a young group of boys and girls going down to stay in one such cave. This makes Dzukou valley an ideal place where you can bring your group of friends to indulge in adventure. The evening we enjoyed our tea in a company of a French couple who asked a lot about our country. We talked on various topics like film, food and politics. After dinner of smoked pork curry, which was just finger-licking we went to sleep. It was our last night at Dzukou, next day we had trek back to the base camp.
After an early brunch of dal with smoked pork, rice and king chillies we started our trek back to the base camp. It was warm and sunny so we didn’t need our jackets anymore. Kezo helped me to climb down the steep mountain steps. You had to be really careful while getting down otherwise there are chances you might twist your ankle. If you have pain in your thighs and legs after the trek, it is advisable that you take a very hot bath once you return back to your hotel. This is exactly what we did and it really helped.
On our way back to Kohima we stopped at the venue where Hornbill festival takes place. We wanted to see the Second World war museum, but unfortunately it was closed due to renovation. Nagaland was busy preparing herself for the biggest extravaganza of the year- the Hornbill festival. Our next stopover was an authentic Naga cuisine restaurant called ‘Orami: My Kind of Place.’ Most of the items in the menu was marked under ‘Hornbill Festival Special’. Kezo told us that the Hornet’s nest was a delicacy in Nagaland. So far I had heard of the English idiom ‘Stir up a hornet’s nest’, I didn’t know you could eat it too! Other than that there were stuff like crispy fried grasshoppers and pigeon porridge that you will get by pre-ordering only during the festival. These are delicacies so each plate might cost up to 6000 rupees approximately.
We settled for smoked pork with anishi and akhuni served along with rice and boiled papaya. Anishi is one of the favourite ingredient used in Naga cuisine. It is mostly used by the Ao tribe and it is one of their speciality. This ingredient is made from the leaves of the yam plant and it goes best with smoked meats like pork, eel and fish. The leaves are staked together by wrapping them in banana leaves and is kept for a week long so that the leaves turn pale yellow. This is then made into a paste and small cakes are made and dried over a fireplace until it becomes dark and hard. It is also available in a powder form which can be conveniently used. The pork with akhuni or Axone (fermented soybean) was also delicious. We washed down the meal with orami tea made up of sour flavoured leaves. Kezo told us it is good for digestion. It was served in small glass cups and it tasted like ‘hajmi goli’, a popular Indian appetiser.
After our food adventure we went to buy some King chilli pickles from the Kohima market. These were the mementos we planned to take back from Nagaland. We reached the hotel and took rest after a very strenuous Dzukou trek. Next day we had to go to visit the Kohima war cemetery and Khonoma village. Post breakfast we got ready for the day’s trip.
The war cemetery in Kohima is a memorial dedicated to soldiers of the 2nd British Division of the Allied Forces who died in the second world war at Kohima in April 1944. The soldiers died on the battleground of garrison hill in the tennis court area of the Deputy Commissioner’s residence. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) which maintains this cemetery states that there are 1,420 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War at this cemetery and a memorial to an additional 917 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who were cremated in accordance with their faith. This memorial was inaugurated by Field marshal Sir William Slim, then commander of the 14th Army in Burma. The tennis court where the battle took place is marked with white concrete lines. There was a huge memorial in the middle. The graves were surrounded by a manicured lawn and flower beds. It was well maintained. A kind of melancholy hung in the air.
Our next stop was Khonoma Village, which is a green sustainable village. Khonoma Village is a prominent village of Nagaland and the last base of the Naga warriors rebelling against the British empire. This green village is located at a distance of 20 kilometres from Kohima. The carved gate is a reflection of a glorious past. The carved terraces in the hills draw the attention of the tourist, it is used for cultivation of 20 different types of paddy. It is a modern village now and has a mobile tower and solar power. The name Khonoma came from an oil bearing plant which grew in abundance in the area when the first settlers arrived. Khonoma was well known for its resistance to British interruption into the Naga hills in the 19th century. It was in this village that a war took place against the British which lasted for over four months (1879–80). The warrior village made the Empire change its policy several times. Later, it was the brave Naga warriors who proved crucial in saving the British empire from defeat and humiliation in World war II when the Japanese forces alongwith the Indian National Army arrived and the Battle of Kohima became the turning point of the war on the Asian side. Nagas are proud of this village which now has become the hotspot of eco tourism. It is the village of A.Z. Phizo the Father of Naga Nationalist movement. This village is 700 years old and is enclosed by green hills. One of the outstanding feature of the village is the fort called Kuda which means ‘a palace of defence’. There is one fort in each of the three locality. Walking on a steep flight of stairs you will enter the highest point of the village through the carved gate. On approaching the village you will see memorial stones and pillars commemorating those British and Indian soldiers who died here fighting till their last breath.
At Khonoma village you can see beautiful flowers growing in the house porches, we saw a verandah where bacon was left to dry on the clothesline. Little butterflies flew around the flowers and there was lush green mountains in all directions. It is a perfect place to click some excellent panoramas. This was our last stop at Nagaland.
We returned back from Kohima to Dimapur from where we boarded a flight to Kolkata. It was with a heavy heart that we bid adieu to Nagaland. On the way to Dimapur we bought King Chillies also known as Rajamircha and Bhoot Jolokia (in Assam). You can also buy bamboo shoot, apples and other eatables from the roadside market. After Sikkim Nagaland is the safest place for women to visit, so good news for ladies who are planning a solo trip of a vacation with their girlfriends. Women are held at par with men in Nagaland. You can also buy cane goods and tribal jewellery from the State Emporium and souvenir shops if you wish. We only took back cherished memories of our days well spent at the lap of nature.
How to reach Dimapur by Road Rail and Flight
Dimapur connects major cities in India like Kolkata and Guwahati with Nagaland. The road to Nagaland is not easy, but worth the effort. Dimapur is the closest domestic airport. It is well connected to Kolkata and Guwahati. International travellers have to take connecting flights from Kolkata to Dimapur. The nearest rail station is also Dimapur. By road, one can take a share taxi from Dimapur railway station (pay Rs.200) and reach Kohima. Direct buses also run daily between Guwahati and Kohima.
