[GolakaGo]

It's 8:15 PM on a chilly Christmas evening. I’m lying down and the itch to go on another road trip is reeling hard, for this would be the only time I could travel before work commences. I’m having a bad cold and a trip on the motorcycle is out of the question. I was a little apprehensive about going solo with the vehicle. But, after a couple of minutes of self-motivation and some ‘Daar ke aage jeet hai’ chants, I quickly called my dear friend, Shahwar, to discuss the route and enquire about stay options. The plan was fixed!

Day 1:
Shillong-Jorhat-Sonari-Lungwa.
541kms
12hrs

The excitement for the start of a trip is often indicated by the lack of sleep on the eve of the D-Day. After a few winks, I couldn’t wait to get in the vehicle and move out. There is something about early mornings; especially when it is dark and you are all set to start. I left home at 5:15 AM with Zephyretta-Them Clones, setting the mood for the road ahead. The best thing about starting early is that you have most of the road for yourself. There was hardly any traffic from Shillong to Jorabat and I could maintain a decent pace to the first interstate border for the day.

Assam welcomed me with the sun shyly rising behind the trees and hills upon crossing Sonapur. From here it would be smooth sailing, mostly straight 4 lane highway until we reach Kaziranga. It was a very relaxed drive with very less traffic on the road with the occasional bump here and there.

Traveling through Kaziranga National Park was patience-testing slow due to the strict speed limit of 40 km/h. It would have felt like a true safari if it had been my first visit. You can see elephants, deer, and rhinos from the comfort of your vehicle, but after a couple of trips, you start to take those sightings for granted. The best approach is to follow local vehicles, as they are aware of where the speed traps are, and slow down just in time to avoid trouble.

After passing through Kaziranga, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the road to Jorhat is now a four-lane highway. I remembered riding to the Dhola Sadiya Bridge back in 2018-19 with Trideep when it was just a two-lane road, and the stretch between Sivasagar and Jorhat was filled with potholes. Now, the road is so smooth that I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

The original plan was to put up at Jorhat since I thought I’d land up there by late afternoon. But, astonishingly, I was at Jorhat by 11:30 AM. I didn’t want to spend half a day staying in the town, I wanted to get to the hills and windy roads asap! I needed to revise my plan and one cannot think properly with a half-empty stomach, so I found a place to eat and strategized my next move.

Shahwar had shared Longsha’s, a guide from Lungwa, number with me. I called him and asked if I could come straight to Lungwa. Delightfully, he said that was a better idea and even had a room for me! So I chomped the thali with aplomb, bought some snacks and headed to Lungwa at around 12:30 PM. I took the Sonari route and I also refueled on the way.


I crossed into Mon District of Nagaland at around 2:30 PM where I had to make an entry at the Gate. Roads became narrow and windy – a thankful treat after a long stint on the straight 4-lane highways. I reached Mon at about 4:30 PM and proceeded towards Lungwa, which was a slow ascent into the clouds. I reached Lungwa at 5:30 P,M and asked for directions right outside my homestay.

I was shown my room, and the main house-cum-kitchen/dining room was across the road in a cozy traditional Konyak Hut. I had asked for Pork with Bamboo Shoot for dinner, and man was I not disappointed! We sat around the hearth listening to stories and also planned for what to do the next day.

to be continued..

[GolakaGo]

Day 2:
Lungwa

Lungwa wished me good morning with a 6-degree chilly alarm. I expected it to be warmer here, but it was quite cold. Breakfast was a heavy meal of rice, beans and red tea. Longcha had planned the whole day’s itinerary for me. He would also be my guide.

Lungwa is the last village of Nagaland on the border with Myanmar. Half of the village falls under the Mon District of Nagaland in India, and half of it is in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. The King’s or Angh’s House is also divided by the international boundary, where half of his house falls in Myanmar and the other half in India. He rules over 70 villages which fall both under India and Myanmar

The first stop was at the Indo-Myanmar Border. Once you’re at a border, be it international or state boundaries, you expect the topography to change immediately. But you won’t notice any changes here. It’s a continuous chain of mountains.

Attachment 2749369

We then headed to the local football ground to watch a match that Longcha’s Team was playing. The Football ground was located just below Angh’s House, so we found ourselves at the Angh’s House after the match.

Overlooking the Myanmar Hills

Stretching from India to Myanmar

The Passage divides the house into India on your left and Myanmar on your right

Video of the Chief Angh's House:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEL5N...39zxs3s0n8ZQ0/

After the Angh’s house, we visited a Burmese School.

We then headed back to the Home Stay where Longcha had arranged for a meeting with a Head Hunter. The Head Hunters were warriors of the Konyak Tribe who, to show their strength and power, would cut off their enemies’ heads in the battles and bring them to the village for display. They are the last Head Hunters of the Konyak Tribe of the Nagas.

Later in the evening, we visited the Boundary Pillar which divides the two countries. We also visited a view point overlooking the majestic Myanmar Hils.

The Border Pillar

with Longcha

Sadly, I coudn’t meet the local gun maker of Lungwa. Guns and Machetes are part of the Konyak Traditions. The guns are locally made in Lungwa, even the gun powder. And they are all legal! Got a shot at one though: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEK4t...W10nZtdPfU-I0/


It was also Longcha’s better half’s birthday, so we had a good celebration which ended with a fantastic dinner.

[GolakaGo]

Day 3:
Lungwa-Mon-Wakching-Tamlu-Mokochung-Wokha-Kohima
346kms
Around 12hrs

This would be the start of the return leg. I left Lungwa at around 7AM with Longcha’s friends for company till Mon. Having some company was a welcome change and from the conversations we had, i learnt more about Lungwa and Mon from them.


After Mon, I took the Wakching route to Mokochung. The road was under construction and it was quite dusty for most of the way. At some stretches where the road was completed, it was an absolute motorcyclist’s paradise. Wide, windy roads with a fantastic view all along the way.

I had lunch after crossing Mokochung and proceeded towards Wokha. These were places where I’ve heard so much right from my school days and I was so excited to finally pass through them. I wish I had more time to stay and spend time at each of these places.

From Wokha, the roads started getting better and traffic started to thicken. It was a relaxed drive all the way to Kohima where I put up at this beautiful boutique home stay called, 'The Pitch Roof' that I found from Instagram.

Day 4:
Kohima-Dimapur Bypass-Nagaon-Shillong
422kms


The last leg of the journey was a lazy one. I started off from Kohima at 11:30 AM as i wanted to reach Shillong a little later in the evening. I passed by a KFC Outlet and stopped to order some snacks. Later on, i will come to realise that that was a mistake. To hold a crispy, crunchy chicken leg with one hand and drive with the other did not do justice to both the things that i love - Eating and Driving. I couldn’t get enough sauce on the chicken, half of the chicken fell on me and got most of the sauce on the steering wheel! I had to stop, finish that and then move again.

This time, I got to take the newly constructed Dimapur ByPass. That road made covering distance a breeze. The only thing though, was that it was made of cement and the texture was rough and bumpy, it felt hard.

I reached Sonapur at around 4:30 and stopped for a late lunch there. From there it was another 1.5 hrs home and thus, ended my 4-day escape to Lungwa.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Red Liner]

An absolute adventure over a weekend. Unbelievable access you guys up at the North East have to Indiana Jones moments at the wink of an eye!

[GolakaGo]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

An absolute adventure over a weekend. Unbelievable access you guys up at the North East have to Indiana Jones moments at the wink of an eye!

Thank you so much. Hahaha well you can say that we can find Indiana Jones moments right out of our windows 😁

[Genie]

Amazing. Went through every part with lot of interest. I was reminiscing my own travel in Meghalaya and Nagaland. You are blessed to be living there.

[speedster786]

Your travelogue was the whole package. From Shillong to Lungwa, every frame and phrase was a showstopper. Can’t wait to walk that path someday!

[GolakaGo]

Originally Posted by Genie

Amazing. Went through every part with lot of interest. I was reminiscing my own travel in Meghalaya and Nagaland. You are blessed to be living there.

Glad to know that you enjoyed it. Do come visit Meghalaya again. Thank you so much!

[GolakaGo]

Originally Posted by speedster786

Your travelogue was the whole package. From Shillong to Lungwa, every frame and phrase was a showstopper. Can’t wait to walk that path someday!

Thank you so much! Please do, it's worth every turn and drop of fuel 😁

[gunin]

Good to see you here brother! And a beautifully narrated travelogue. Nagaland is one of the least explored places even by North Eastern standards. I have been planning to visit the place for a long time. Your trip made me think to make the trip soon. Keep sharing more stories- the places you cover I can only think off

[am1m]

Originally Posted by GolakaGo

Shahwar had shared Longsha’s, a guide from Lungwa, number with me. I called him and asked if I could come straight to Lungwa. Delightfully, he said that was a better idea and even had a room for me!

Glad to hear Longsha is still as welcoming as he was 9 years ago! In 2016 my wife and I were exploring the North-East. We had taken a sabbatical so had all the time in the world. We were using public transport, mostly shared Tata Sumos, back then. We landed up in Mon district late afternoon without a clue about stay or what we would do. We had Longsha's number (don't remember how we got it, either off a blog or from other tourists), so we called and he was gracious enough to offer us a room. I don't know what we would have done otherwise, there were no hotels, or way to get back to any other bigger town!

We got the same tourist experience, chief's house, house split between borders, Konyak head hunter.

Have tourist facilities/options really not changed/expanded in 9 years?

[GolakaGo]

Originally Posted by gunin

Good to see you here brother! And a beautifully narrated travelogue. Nagaland is one of the least explored places even by North Eastern standards. I have been planning to visit the place for a long time.

Thank you so much, brother. You should know that you are one of the inspirations for this write-up, and for more to come, make it happen soon

Originally Posted by am1m

Glad to hear Longsha is still as welcoming as he was 9 years ago! In 2016 my wife and I were exploring the North-East. We had taken a sabbatical so had all the time in the world. We were using public transport, mostly shared Tata Sumos, back then. We landed up in Mon district late afternoon without a clue about stay or what we would do. We had Longsha's number (don't remember how we got it, either off a blog or from other tourists), so we called and he was gracious enough to offer us a room. I don't know what we would have done otherwise, there were no hotels, or way to get back to any other bigger town!

We got the same tourist experience, chief's house, house split between borders, Konyak head hunter.

Have tourist facilities/options really not changed/expanded in 9 years?

9 years ago!!??!! That's a mighty long time.

Longsha is a great guy, so is his family. They made my stay there so homely and well looked after.

I believe tourist facilities have improved over the years as a few homestays/guest houses have opened up at Mon and also at Lungwa. Even Longsha has upgraded his homestay with added rooms