Dzokou Valley – The Proud Valley of North-East India

Dzokou Valley – The Proud Valley of North-East India

Dzukou Valley is one the most scenic valley located in North-Eastern part of India, based at the border of Nagaland and Manipur state though valley can be better accessed from Nagaland. This Valley is located at an elevation of 2452 meters from the sea level.

Even though the valley is open year-round, the winter weather is quite cold and there's snow in January.  If you have trouble adapting to colder temperatures, it is best to visit during the summers. 

The best thing about the Dzokou Valley is that it’s still unspoiled, as compared to the other parts of North or North Eastern India. Dzokou Valley receives the most  tourists during the very popular Hornbill festival which is held every year from the 1st till 10th of December in Nagaland. This is also a great time to visit the valley and experience the tribal culture.

 

How to reach the valley

You may hire tourist taxi from Kohima till Dzokuo trek starting point which may cost you approximately INR 2500/- (As of December 2022).

Once you reach the starting point, you need to trek for 11.5 odd kilometers which may exhaust 6 odd hours with medium pace, though you may break your journey in 2 parts, first reach at valley camp side (8 kilometers) wherein you can stay overnight then you may complete remaining trek of 3.5 Kilometers next morning.

 

Where to stay

The area is remote and accommodations are sparse. There are options to stay in Tent (INR 200-800), Dormitory (INR 100) and Private Hut (INR 1500) or you may carry your own camping gear or   even rent everything it takes to camp.

How to manage food

You may bring your own raw food, camp stove and cook for yourself. Basic vegetarian food is available for INR 250/- after 1830 hours.


What else to take care off

There will be an entry fee of INR 50 for Indians, followed by INR 100 for Non-Indians. Another useful tip is to start as early as possible from Kohima.


Places Near around

Since most of you would be travelling from different parts of India/World, hence you definitely deserve some freebies to look around.

One which i have also recommended above is to try to plan your trip during India’s largest Music festival- The Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, organized by the State Tourism Department, brings all the ethnic tribes of Naga together to encourage interaction and preserve the unique cultures of this area of India. 

Another place to visit is Khonoma Village, which is located around 2 hours away from Kohima, the site of the Hornbill Festival.  This heritage village is proud to be called "The First Green Village in Asia". It's also an area where WWII fighting occurred. You may purchase traditional clothes and experience authentic Naga food and drinks within this village.  We hired an SUV for INR 5000/- for a day visit from Kohima.

Below was my itinerary, you may plan yours as per your pace

D1 Flew from Delhi to Guwahati

D2 Took train from Guwahati to Dimapur, followed by sharing taxi from Dimpur till Kohima

D3 Enjoyed performances at Hornbill festival

D4 Started Dzokuo Valley trek early in the morning

D5 Enjoyed Dzokuo valley then returned to Kohima by evening

D6 Enjoyed Naga cultural performances at Hornbill followed by Night carnival at Kohima main town (Night carnival was also a part of Hornbill festival)

D7 Visited Khonoma Village

D8 Started heading towards Guwahati, stayed overnight at Guwahati

D9 Visited unexplored Gharbhanga reserve, located at border of Assam and Meghalya, then flew back to Delhi by red-eye flight

  
















About the Author

Dr. Prateek Sapra is based out of New Delhi. A crazy nomad who loves to explore unexplored and offbeat destinations. He believes that every destination has a message that communicates with him. With each trip, he tries to convey the message he receives from each destination to his readers. "Be what you are. There's no need to be like others" This is what he lives by and hopes that he can inspire others to live their best lives too. Happy exploring!

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