Experience adventure NE Indian style in Assam and nearby Arunachal Pradesh! In this issue we offer just a few of our favorite discoveries – gleaned during a consulting assignment in Assam where a Xola team spent several weeks this spring supporting the development of sustainable adventure tourism. Click here to learn more about Xola's project.

In this issue we offer just a few of our favorite discoveries and links to tour operators who can help you build your own one-of-a-kind experience of India.

Break with tradition for your first visit to India and instead of the standard Delhi – Jaipur – Agra itinerary venture into the northeast, which offers some truly wild terrain and untrammeled territory for adventurous visitors. Dropping into Assam’s capital city, Guwahati, find yourself in the thrall of one of India’s fastest growing cities – experiencing a pace of life that manages to be both frenetic and drowsy simultaneously. Mingle with the faithful at the city’s remarkable temples - Umananda, Naba Gahar and Kamakya, an ancient site of tantric worship where the vibrant Hindu tradition opens itself up to every visitor.

Assam’s five national parks offer world-class wildlife viewing opportunities by elephant and jeep safari (we recommend the early morning elephant option!). And well-known Kaziranga with its one-horned rhinos is a relatively tame three-hour drive from Guwahati.

From Kaziranga, move west to Nameri National Park. Stay a night in a local village homestay, and don’t be shy to share a bowl of the local brew of rice beer!

From Nameri drive to Bhalukpong, a dusty border town where a uniformed guard will check your permit and release the weighted border gate to let you pass into Arunachal Pradesh where the Himalayan peaks are an abrupt surprise coming from Assam’s grassy plains and broad Brahmaputra vistas.

Reach Tawang after a gripping two-day drive up narrow, steep and winding roads through lush green valleys, past waterfalls, and across Sela pass at 13,700 feet. (Don’t miss the tea and noodles at the Tenzing “Restaurant” where you might find yourself sharing a spot around the warmth of the stove with members of the Indian army!) Located along India’s border with China, Tawang is home to the world’s second largest Buddhist monastery. Stay in one of the many guest houses in town and take a few days to wander the hills. A helicopter service back to Guwahati operates Wednesdays and Saturdays – saves time on the return trip! Tour operator suggestions: Himalayan Holidays specializes in Arunachal Pradesh; Kaziranga Tours is a young company that can support Assam ventures. The Lebrang Guest house in Tawang is fun but they don’t have a website; call them on +91 - 03794 - 222503

Next get a real taste of India when you take the train from Guwahati to the Southern Hill Station of Haflong through numerous tunnels to explore a part of Assam not easily accessible by road. The surrounding North Cachar Hills are dotted with villages eager to welcome visitors. Contact Meri Hmar at IFAD to arrange multi-day treks in the hills and home stays at different villages along the way.

After Haflong, train up to Dibrugarh to experience Upper Assam’s green tea gardens and the wide Brahmaputra which flanks the northern border of the town. There are several reserve forests around the city - in nearby Dibru-Saikowa National Park you’ll gloss over the Brahmaputra in a long wooden boat, sighting rare birds and herds of wild feral horses.

Try contacting Purvi Discovery, run by Manoj and Vineeta Jalan in Dibrugarh, they can provide cycle and horseback riding trips around Upper Assam as well as trips into Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. They operate several heritage tea bungalows in Dibrugarh and camps in Arunachal.