[San Phrangmung]

Kaushik you will get lots of clean private accomodation near the Kohora chariali point within the mentioned range. The private once are cleaner and better maintained overall than the govt ones, except Prashanti cottage which is being leased out and run professionaly.
Getting a room in private ones won't be an issue but govt ones you must book early.
The same for elephant rides, must be booked early for groups. Get things done atleast a few weeks early as only two rides are available per day. Jeep safari should not be a problem.
Bon habie is the place i would recommend among the once i checked and you can contct them through their website.

[airguitar]

San : Every time I read your posts, the pride I take in my country goes a notch up. Anyone having not-so-nice things to say about India : please come and see.

I do thank this forum for getting us all on the same page ( LOL, literally ) from all the corners.

</goosebumps>

[San Phrangmung]

@2,500 with breakfast, Landmark Woods is a good option compared to Grasslands and Iora starting from 4,000 plus. Its the nearest one from Guwahati and Tezpur as well.

You can book the place from Guwahati itself from their sister concern at Nehru Stadium and they have opened one in Shillong as well.

[San Phrangmung]

A small property compared to Landmark Woods and Iora, but expensive and clean with a good restaurent.

Opened by an advertising firm from Guwahati, this is their first hotel. They have a kids playing area unlike Landmark and Iora.

[San Phrangmung]

The rooms are real bad & smelly and bathrooms dirtier than govt lodges.
But the restaurent area is clean and airy plus there's a huge play area for kids + boating facilities. Good for day visit or stop over but not for stay.

[supremeBaleno]

@San, awesome pics. And pretty informative for anyone planning a trip.

Brings back nostalgic memories of our 7-year stay in Assam during the early-eighties. The NE is such a beautiful place, but never gets on the list of tourists due to the image that it is not safe, which I understand is not the case now.

We did a Kaziranga trip in '84 or so - it was fun getting to see the 1-horned rhino in their habitat. I have some pictures (B&W) from our trip - need to scan them ASAP. We stayed at Kokrajhar - I hope I got the place right.

Originally Posted by San Phrangmung

Attachment 434474

It felt so good to see "Sibsagar" in this sign-board pic of yours. If ever you happen to visit Sibsagar, do post snaps from there - lots of memories of the place we called home for 7 years. In these days of email/cellphones, I still remember the pincode 785640, though the last time I used it was 20 years ago.

Originally Posted by San Phrangmung

Attachment 437129

Loved the miniature version of the chinese fishing net. Cool.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

@San, awesome pics. And pretty informative for anyone planning a trip.

Brings back nostalgic memories of our 7-year stay in Assam during the early-eighties.

We stayed at Kokrajhar - I hope I got the place right.

It felt so good to see "Sibsagar" in this sign-board pic of yours. If ever you happen to visit Sibsagar, do post snaps from there - lots of memories of the place we called home for 7 years. In these days of email/cellphones, I still remember the pincode 785640, though the last time I used it was 20 years ago.

You stayed in Kokrajhar, or Sibsagar for 7 years?

Sibsagar - ONGC
Kokrajhar - Timber, Tea (some)
Which one?

Regards
Sutripta

[supremeBaleno]

^^^^^^
We stayed at Sibsagar (ONGC) for 7 years.
We stayed at Kokrajhar for a couple of days while visiting Kaziranga.

[Sutripta]

^^^^
Not Kokrajhar then. Kokrajhar is near Bongaigaon.

Regards
Sutripta

[supremeBaleno]

I had a doubt that I got the place wrong.
BTW, is Sarupathar near Kaziranga ? That's the only other name that comes to mind.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

I had a doubt that I got the place wrong.
BTW, is Sarupathar near Kaziranga ? That's the only other name that comes to mind.

Much nearer! But still I would say ~80 to 100 Km. Assuming the place on way to Dimapur.

Regards
Sutripta

[supremeBaleno]

@Sutripta - Hmm, 100km is not near, I agree.

Anyway, I am done with guessing. So called up Dad and got the name of the place - Bokakhat. If this is not near Kaziranga, I am driving up from Chennai right now. :-)

[aryasanyal]

Thanks San for this amazing thread!
Brought back the memories of my early days in the NE. We stayed in Kohima and used to use the AT road to drive down to West Bengal.

Nagaon, Jagiroad, Doboka, Dokmoka and then Guwahati. The roads in Assam used to be much better than the ones in WB and NL, and your pics still validate the same.

And who can forget Jhaklabandha, the place where all the Blue Hills buses used to stop for dinner.

[San Phrangmung]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Brings back nostalgic memories.

I have some pictures (B&W) from our trip - need to scan them ASAP.

If ever you happen to visit Sibsagar, do post snaps from there - lots of memories of the place we called home for 7 years.

Supremo looking forward to see the classic Kaziranga portraits. And yes i do have plans to visit Sibsagar area in the near future.

Bokakhat is the right place and famous for its puri & alu sabji served in banana leaf plus pedas.

About Saru-pathar i am not sure but been to Bar-pathar in Karbi Anglong and ther's a Lakhi-pather near Tinsukia.

Originally Posted by aryasanyal

Brought back the memories of my early days in the NE. We stayed in Kohima and used to use the AT road to drive down to West Bengal.

Nagaon, Jagiroad, Doboka, Dokmoka and then Guwahati. The roads in Assam used to be much better than the ones in WB and NL, and your pics still validate the same.

And who can forget Jhaklabandha, the place where all the Blue Hills buses used to stop for dinner.

Thanks Arya, Jakhalabandha was in India Today pages for the same reason, its famus night super dinner point and audio cassatte stalls.

Some of Assam roads are in good condition but needs to be broadened and upgraded to 4 lanes badly due to increasing number of slow moving local traffic on highways.

Would love to see the pictures from your Kohima days if possible. I myself have not travelled beyond Dimapur.

[aryasanyal]

Originally Posted by San Phrangmung

Thanks Arya, Jakhalabandha was in India Today pages for the same reason, its famus night super dinner point and audio cassatte stalls.

Some of Assam roads are in good condition but needs to be broadened and upgraded to 4 lanes badly due to increasing number of slow moving local traffic on highways.

Would love to see the pictures from your Kohima days if possible. I myself have not travelled beyond Dimapur.

Oh really? Jhakhlabandha in India Today? Great!

Yeah the Assam roads were good, but narrow, mostly 2 lane ones. Crossing Nagaon itself took eons way back in the 80s due to the congested market and the slow moving (read cycle-ricks and cycles) traffic on the main highway. It can only have worsened now.

I have lots of pics from my Kohima days - spent 18 years there.
But no digital ones - so let me try to scan and upload most of what I can.

Dimapur was one place that we wanted to cross over as quickly as possible. It was congested, dirty, hot and very dusty. While going towards Kohima, once we cross over the Dhansiri bridge and then the airport, the road used to become cool and beyond Chumukdima, it was the hill section.

Beautiful roads (but very bad during monsoons due to landslides in a couple of places). Kohima is 74 kms from Dimapur on NH 39.

Sorry, for going OT. Back to your logs and wonderful photos.