Kohima The Heart Of Nagaland

Kohima, the capital of Nagaland is the most popular destination due to her close proximity to Kisama Heritage Village, the venue for Hornbill Festival. Also, Kohima is the base to reach other parts of Nagaland due to her recent infrastructure development. However, this hill station has seen exponential growth in last couple of years and it can get congested as traffic tends to move at snail's speed.

Despite high number of vehicles, the streets are free of traffic jams and gridlocks thanks to the civic sense of the people of Nagaland. They follow lane discipline, patiently give way to other vehicles, pedestrians and do not honk unnecessarily. We only wish this incredible feat could be implemented all over India.

We started our tour in Kohima by visiting one of the most brutal battle grounds where the allied forces stopped the Japanese advancement- "Battle of Kohima." Once sprawling bungalow of the Deputy Commissioner was reduced to rubble after the war. As a reminder of the sacrifices of the war heroes this Battle field has been converted to a cemetery. This is the final resting place of more than 1420 soldiers who laid down their lives defending India during World War II.

The epitaph carved on the memorial:

When You Go Home

Tell Them of Us

And Say

"For Your Tomorrow,

We Gave Our Today."

A Cherry blossom tree is of historic importance here. The original tree was used by the Japanese forces as a sniper post. However, the tree was damaged during the war and the present tree is a shoot from the old stump.

Kohima state museum located in the corner of a busy lane is a perfect place to see art and artifacts belonging to the different tribes of Nagaland. The collectibles are simple and are all made of natural material but excellent when it comes to serving the purpose. The ones that stood out the most were different kinds of indigenous traps for birds and fish. Apart from that, a brush made of jack-fruit and it took us a while to believe that it could even be possible. Another very freaky exhibit that made our jaws drop were the skulls displayed that are real headhunting trophies collected during raids.

Outside the museum is a small open air gallery that houses many centuries old relics. The statues though damaged still have a classic appeal and the most lively one being that of Shiva killing a demon.

Kohima tends to host a lot of interesting football games and next to one of the football fields was a second hand clothing market where goods were being sold at a throwaway price. While on one side we saw a lot of folks work really hard to make money, the other side was the stark reality and one of the biggest challenges our Nation is facing- 'Illegal Gambling.' Illegal gambling happens in the open and on a massive scale, it was disheartening to see a young chap lose around 10 thousand rupees in under two minutes. It reached a point where after losing everything, he yielded to the temptation of borrowing money and ended up losing that as well. This just goes on to prove how addicting and home wrecking gambling could be.

Just for the heck of it we did try our hands at gambling, started with Rs.400 and almost lost all of it but lady luck shined and we made Rs.300. Being a part of the game we soon realized how the dealers work. It is more of a con, a group of men all working together make it look like the dealer is losing and there is easy money to be made. Once unsuspecting players bet big the house ends up winning everything. The greed to get back not just the investment but make profits is the root cause of getting trapped in this vicious cycle. Mind surely plays games. We called it quits after making Rs.300 and all of this happened in just 3 chances.

The best time to visit Kohima would be around Hornbill festival and during this time the entire city is pumped up. There are plenty of competitions organized by the enthusiastic local government and other bodies. A few to mention are photo competition, half marathon, music competitions and football. Many of the events had entry fee with exceptionally good price money and it was open for non locals too.

With abundant growth, pollution also becomes a reality and to curb this, local NGOs have started promoting the message of a cleaner city in a creative way. The graffiti on the walls of Kohima is something that is beautiful and filled with messages to educate people.

We took a stroll around Kohima and walked into one of the busy markets that was selling not just vegetables and fruits but also live frogs, snails, worms and insects. The restaurant Shilloi Lake in Hotel Jafpu serves good food and is reasonable priced. Their hot and sour soup is a must try.

When it comes to small bites, Popular Bakery is a perfect stop. True to their name, they seem to be very popular and have outlets across Kohima. 'Planet Earth' restaurant near Kohima town junction is one of the best cafes in town to dine in. They specialize in Chinese cuisine and is also easy on the pocket. Their red velvet cake is awesome and a must try.

'Ozone Cafe' in the same area gives it a super tough competition. If you are in Kohima this place is a must visit, alongside an awesome menu they have an in-house library. The food tastes awesome and the pricing is very reasonable. Their milkshakes are a must try.

Another awesome aspect about Nagaland in December is the Christmas celebrations. Christmas is jubilantly celebrated in Nagaland and it was in Ozone Cafe we saw the best of snowman made out of plastic cups.

We got a taste of the festive spirit when on our way to Kohima we got down from the bus at a wrong stop and lost our route to the hotel. We were stranded in a dark street with maps not functioning and loaded with our rucksacks we were speculating our next steps. A kind gentleman who was with his family, spotted us looking totally lost and confused, offered to drop us to our hotel in his car. This generous offer to complete strangers touched us no bounds. It is definitely difficult to trust complete strangers and offer them lift especially when one is travelling with family but this man and his family changed our thought process completely.

The next day they dropped by to check if we were comfortable at the hotel and even invited us to their home and prepared a feast like dinner for us to enjoy their cuisine. This beautiful family turned out to be our Angels spreading the joy of giving and we truly got an insight into Naga lives, their cuisine and also their lifestyle. They even treated us to amazing rice beers.

We checked into Hotel Aurora at Traders road. A budget hotel with excellent and quick service, it had clean rooms and was total value for money. The best part is their restaurant that serves amazing food at a very reasonable price. Their continental breakfast is amazing and so is their Indian and Chinese cuisine. They offer free WiFi and is centrally located with buses and taxis easily available.

Darjeeling- Queen Of Hills

Darjeeling, the sensational hill station, is mere 75 km away from Siliguri. Initially, the ride was exceptionally good. We had great roads, lush green tea plantations, the mountains and to add more charm- the tiny tracks of the famous toy train never left our sight. It was amazing to see these tracks crisscross through the ghat section. However, half way through the ride the roads turned narrow, became congested and were filled with potholes. This continued till we reached Darjeeling and the rider was faced with more challenges as the roads were way too steep to ride. There were times when the pillion had to get off the bike and give it a little boost.

Like the saying goes 'No pain no gain,' the finale was fruitful. Our very first sight of the phenomenal steam power locomotive made our day. The train was all decked up for a cultural show. It was indeed quite a lovely sight to admire this age old beauty serving to this day chugging out smoke and blowing the iconic horn that echoes around the valley. It awakened the child within us wanting to hop on to it for a joy ride.

This Queen of hill stations is way colder than any of the other places that we have been to in Nepal. The mornings are beautiful with the first sun rays falling on the peaks of Kanchengunga giving it an orange tinge. This place with abundant natural beauty soothes your soul almost instantly. The people are warm and welcoming and very helpful. The sun sets at 5 pm and so does the hill station. Shop owners shut their business at sunset. A perfect time to mingle with your family and friends around a bonfire, sharing stories and enjoying dinner. Unlike, the unhealthy lifestyle of always being hooked to your gadgets with virtual friends.

This place could have been more beautiful had it not been for the poor infrastructure. The narrow roads make sure that vehicles pile up one behind another for kilometers. In spite of the jam, the people wait patiently following traffic rules but for the vehicles that run for the government. If you are on your own vehicle you might have a nightmare finding a parking spot. Apart from the abundant natural beauty, Darjeeling offers some spectacular monasteries such as Ghoom, Dali, Bhutia Busty.

The Ghoom monastery is very calm and peaceful. It is ideal to visit the monastery in the evening and watch monks showcase their soccer skills. They were at their innovative best, playing with a make shift ball rolled out of nothing but plastic bags that was taking a beating.

Dali Monastery, home to more than 200 monks, was built by Kyabje Thuksey Rimpoche in 1971. The walls of this monastery are adorned with beautiful paintings depicting the life of Buddha. It also has a library with a huge collection of books on Buddhism and Tibetan culture.

Bhutia Busty Monastery is a lesser known monastery hidden high up on a hill offering a very peaceful and serene atmosphere. The view of the entire town from here is pretty spectacular. Tucked away 12 km from Darjeeling, it is well worth a visit. An interesting fact about the monastery is that though it is located in the West Bengal district of Darjeeling, it belongs to the State of Sikkim. This place also attracts few tourists as it is believed to house the  'Tibetan Book of the Dead' in their library but contrary to this popular belief, the monastery has given a clarification that it does not exist.

The Batasia loop, an engineering marvel, is where the toy train makes a 360 degree turn. A War Memorial was constructed in 1995 at this site to pay homage to martyrs of this land who did the supreme sacrifice - Laid down their lives to protect their Motherland.

Padmaja Naidu Zoo - This zoo is internationally recognized for its conservation breeding programs of Snow Leopard, Red Panda and Tibetan Wolf. It is the first in South East Asia to have successfully bred Red Panda in captivity and later released them in the wild. It is funny how mankind functions, we as beings are so self centered that we do not care about the repercussions urbanization has on the environment. By the time we wake up, it is already too late.

Though we do not appreciate animals being kept in captive, it is commendable to see the conservation efforts taken up by this zoo. Padmaja Naidu Zoological Park is specialized in educating, creating awareness, captive breeding and releasing endangered animal species in their natural habitat- the Eastern Himalayan region. Some noteworthy wildlife here includes Black Leopard, Snow Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Common Leopard, Red Panda, Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat.

Within the park premises is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. The museum in the institute is worth a visit as it exhibits gears used by mountaineers for expeditions. Please keep in mind that the zoo and institute are closed for maintenance every Thursday. A kilometer away from the zoo is the Tenzing Rock where you can try your hand at rock climbing.

Last but not the least, your trip to Darjeeling is incomplete if you do not ride on the UNESCO World Heritage Himalayan Railway or the affectionately called Darjeeling Toy Train. The joy ride covers 14 km and lasts for about 2 hours. The toy train stops at the Batasia Loop War Memorial for about 10 minutes and for 30 minutes at Ghoom railway station giving one enough time to visit the Ghoom Railway museum. It is an incredible experience to travel on this piece of History, lovely to see the train chugging through the small hill town and providing mesmerizing views of Kanchenjunga. Everyday there are 4 joy rides with very limited seats. It would be a good idea to plan and accommodate this first in your itinerary. Each ticket costs 400 INR.

We checked into Merry Resort, this is easily one of the best properties in Darjeeling. Once a home for the Maharaja, this heritage property was converted to a hotel or more of a home-stay. The views of the Kanchenjunga from the room are priceless. It is tucked away in a corner with no clutter around and lots of breathing space which is really hard to find in Darjeeling. At the same time, it is only 2 km away from the main market and all other tourist attractions are dotted nearby. The place offers 24 hours running hot water, WiFi at the lobby and brilliant food. The staff are friendly and helpful. Above all, the pricing is a steal deal.

Next stop Gangtok. 

Bangkok - Enough Said!

The Grand Palace

Sin city of Asia, offers a mix of two extremes, dotted with lovely temples by day and post sunset the wild side of the city is on display. Party goers are to be seen all over in their best attire & funky dance moves. Nothing is a sin in this city, by nightfall Soi Cowboy lane is lit up with neon lights, all pubs are full with people sipping their drink, enjoying life & setting aside their worries & living for the moment. Everything is on the menu!

If retail therapy is what you crave for, Bangkok is the place to be. All top brands are available under one roof, The Siam Center. However, if you want to own all these brands at a fraction of their original cost, you can find the replicas right opposite on the numerous stalls setup on the roadside.

Bangkok never seizes to surprise one. Apart from shopping, booze & sex, it is rich in history. The temples with brilliant finesse architecture, stand as a testimony. The Royal Palace, Wat arun, Wat Pho, Emerald Buddha, massage school at Wat Pho are things one should not miss.

Tiger Temple: Park a day aside & visit this controversial place. 150 km from Bangkok is Kanchanburi, founded by a Monk to give refuge to orphaned cubs, this place is now home for over 150 Tigers, cubs & other animals.

Here you can get up close with tigers. From walking tigers, to feeding cubs & watching them play in a pool- you can do it all. To get the most of it make sure you reach by 11 am. Start with walking the tigers to the canyon, get your pics clicked with them & another 1000 Baht will buy you time to feed cubs & see them play. This is a must do!

After spending considerable time with the cubs head to the canyon & 500 baht will put you behind a steel enclosure from where you see the young tigers fight it out & play in a pool. This is a fabulous experience to see the wild cats play. We felt the theory of these tigers being drugged was debunked.

En-route do stop over at World War II cemetery & iconic Bridge On River Kwai. This bridge was built in record time by Prisoners Of War.

If the regular itinerary does not excite you, head to the old city to see the Palace & old temples from Chikri dynasty.

The best area to stay would be Soi 10, you will find hotels to suit every budget. There are several Indian restaurants around, Mrs.Balbir's Restaurant is highly recommended. BTS station is a 2 minute walk.

During our stay in Bangkok we checked into Galleria 10 Hotel great value for money. Only a couple of minutes away from BST station. Hotel offers spacious and clean rooms, great roof top pool, kickass spa, friendly staff and great food.

Bangkok is a tourist hub & could well be a breeding ground for scamsters, popular ones are Precious Gems, & guys claiming Palace or Temples are closed for tourists and recommending Tuk Tuks for city tour.

Bangkok has no beaches to offer, but don't you sweat, hop on car & Pattaya is only a couple of hours away.

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