Food and Travel in Northeast India
A delightful gastronomic adventure where you will travel to beautiful places of Northeast India while also discovering the region's diverse subtle cuisines.
Tourists often overlook the cuisine of Northeast India. But the region, home to various religions and more than 200 tribes, offers food lovers and culture enthusiasts an opportunity to taste the cuisines of various cultures which trace their ancestry to faraway lands in Mongolia and Southeast Asia. This is the reason we have come up with this tour, dedicated to the exotic and delicious cuisine of Northeast India. And besides the food, the natural bliss and friendly people of the region only complement their unique cuisine.
We start in the bustling city of Guwahati, where the conglomeration of the various ethnicities of northeastern India has opened doors to various restaurants that offer some unique cuisine. The tour will then lead you to the rain-fed and forested rolling hills of Meghalaya. You will visit Shillong, a lush and beautiful hill station, and Mawlynnong, the delightful cleanest village in Asia. Populated mostly by the Khasi Tribe, the region will provide an opportunity to taste the delicious Khasi food, which mostly consists of various meat items, herbs, and organic vegetables. Besides the cuisine, you will be visiting the various lakes, waterfalls, and living root bridges that the region is famous for.
Continuing to the fertile grasslands of Kaziranga National Park, a world heritage site teeming with wildlife, you will get a chance to experience thrilling elephant and jeep safaris into the jungle. The popular ecotourism destination has many restaurants where you will get to taste traditional Assamese and Mishing tribal cuisine. Lastly, the tour will continue to the verdant mountains of Nagaland, the land of the fierce Naga tribes. In the hill station of Kohima and surrounding villages, you will get to taste India's most exotic cuisine, with dishes that deal with all kinds of meats, birds, and insects. Nevertheless, some of their more normal dishes, such as those consisting of chicken, pork, or beef, are quite delicious and can be eaten by anyone.
Along with the exotic cuisines, the nature, cultures, and wildlife of Northeast India will overwhelm the traveler just as much. This boutique tour is available throughout the year, though wildlife activities are only possible during winters.
At a Glance
Culinary Adventure
A subtle journey to discover the cuisines of the tribal communities of Northeast India.
Nature & Wildlife
A road-trip through magical landscapes and inspiring wildlife areas of Northeast India.
Tribal Cultures
Get to meet the tribal communities of Northeast India and learn about their culture.
Day by Day
Guwahati
Arrive at Guwahati Airport and drive to the city for an overnight stay. Since Guwahati is a bustling city with ethnicities from almost all the religions and tribes of Northeast India, for dinner, you may choose from Assamese, Nagamese, Indian, Manipuri, or Khasi cuisine. Sunset can be spent by the mighty Brahmaputra's riverside. Evening at leisure to explore local markets and craft shops. Your stay will be at Guwahati Address, a boutique upscale hotel located centrally.
Guwahati - Shillong
After breakfast (either English or Indian), you will depart for Shillong (3 hours), the capital of Meghalaya, and a gorgeous hill station that was once a favorite holiday destination for the British during the Raj. For lunch and dinner, you will visit 2 local restaurants that serve the delicious ethnic cuisine of the Khasi Tribe. The rest of the day will be spent sightseeing around Shillong, where you'll visit lakes, waterfalls, and the Shillong Peak.
Shillong - Mawlynnong
After breakfast, leave for Mawlynnong (3 hours), the cleanest village in Asia, located in scenic foothills and overlooking the plains of Bangladesh. Since tourism in Mawlynnong is a self-sustaining ecotourism project, your stay will be in a tree house or a homestay along with the charming Khasi Tribe. The village will provide a great opportunity to taste some ethnic home-cooked Khasi food and learn from the ladies. Another interesting cultural aspect of the Khasi society is that they are a matrilineal society. Spend the rest of the day visiting nearby villages, interacting with the tribespeople, swimming in the local natural pool, and visiting the incredible living root bridges of Meghalaya.
Mawlynnong - Kaziranga NP
After a leisurely breakfast, leave for the world-famous Kaziranga National Park (7-8 hours), home to the largest population of Asiatic Rhinos to be found in the world along with a good density of tigers. Evening at leisure.
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga, being a popular niche destination, provides ample opportunity to taste various Assamese cuisine. You will visit 2 of the traditional food joints. The rest of the day will be spent in 1 early morning elephant safari and 2 jeep safaris into various ranges of the national park, bringing you up close with the wildlife action at Kaziranga. Evening at leisure.
Kaziranga National Park - Kohima
After breakfast on Day 6, leave for Kohima (4-5 hours) in Nagaland. Located in the Naga Hills, Kohima is a beautiful hill station bustling with members of various Naga tribes. In and around Kohima, you will visit various sustainable villages of the tribes, interact with them and taste the Naga cuisine which is famous throughout India for its variety of meat and exoticness. Also visit markets, museums, and memorials. Your stay will be in a charming bungalow with standard amenities.
Kohima - Dimapur
After breakfast, depart for Dimapur (2-3 hours) for your departure flight. Tour ends.
Your Retreats
When you travel with us, we make sure that you stay in the best available accommodations in the places you visit, especially since many areas in Northeast India are remote and do not have many options to stay. These properties are highly reviewed by our team of experts and are aesthetic in nature when possible. Our itineraries are flexible, highly customizable, and you can always choose a different property depending on budget and style.
The Guwahati Address
The Guwahati Address is a new upscale hotel bringing concept-based architecture and hospitality. The hotel is subtle and elegantly done. Rooms are well furbished with wooden flooring and good modern amenities. There is an ambient atmosphere, especially in the restaurant. The lobby is large and can be used to find conversations.
“Wooden floors, a big lobby, and a restaurant people linger in.”
The Heritage Club — Tripura Castle
The only heritage property of its kind in Shillong, built as a retreat for the royal family of Tripura and still run in that spirit. Half-timbered cottages sit in wooded gardens above the town, with period rooms, open fires, and tables laid outside when the weather allows.
“Garden tables under the pines, on the first evening.”
West Corner Homestay
A family homestay at the west end of Mawlynnong, a few minutes’ walk from the old parking lot, built from bamboo and wood with some concrete. It is an independent unit — one room sleeping three or four, with its own bathroom. Marcelos and his family host, and breakfast is served in the garden. The Riwai living root bridge is a mile or so away, and Dawki about an hour.
“Breakfast in the garden, and a village that sweeps itself.”
The Kaziranga Heritage
Directly opposite Kaziranga's central Kohora gate. Twenty-eight rooms across heritage bungalows and river-view cottages, built in Assam-type architecture with bamboo wickerwork and local artwork. Its kitchen, Kazi Nemu, cooks Assamese dishes such as khar and masor tenga.
“The Kohora floodplain opens up beyond the verandah”
The Heritage
The charming and boutique The Heritage in Kohima was earlier the District Commissioner’s bungalow. An old property styled in typical early 20th century Raj-era with high-ceilinged woody rooms and airy verandas with armchairs for relaxing and soaking the views. Accommodation is fairly standard.
“Old bones, warm rooms, and a veranda built for sitting.”
Why Travel With Greener Pastures?
Curated Experiences
Our itineraries are one of a kind, curated from our own personal travel experiences, from choosing the best logistically correct routes to the most interesting stay options.
Native Guides
Our tour guides are native to the region, and bring you an insider view into the life and culture of Northeast India, sharing with you authentic local experiences and fostering friendships.
Experts in Tours
When traveling with Greener Pastures, you can be assured that you are in the hands of experts who are knowledgeable and passionate about the region. Expect hassle-free, easy-going, and insightful travel.
“By choosing us, we share together a pledge towards responsible tourism, and share a belief that travel has the power to positively transform local livelihoods, cultures and environment.”
— The Greener Pastures Promise
Travel news from Northeast India.
Stories from the field, our upcoming experiences, and other travel related news from Northeast India.