Beyond the typical tourist trails in India lies a region of Eight States that defy expectations – the North East part of India. These eight states together are known as the “Seven Sisters and One Brother”. The northeastern people of India are often tucked away in the corner of the country map, but they are actually living in a very challenging border region with diverse cultures & beautiful minds.
Here, presenting a few of those mind-blowing international border areas from our seven sisters & one brother, which will require 3 to 4 days to visit each place and explore their diverse culture and untapped natural beauties.
LONGWA: In the remote corner of Nagaland’s Mon District, Longwa is a unique village surrounded by hills & forests, with four rivers flowing through it. There is a house in the village where the chief of the village(Angh) lives, straddling two countries. One half of the house lies in India and the other half in Myanmar. It is said that “if you sit in the kitchen, you will be in India, and if you walk into the bedroom, you will step into Myanmar. Every citizen here holds dual passports and passes the line with ease.
Here lives one of the oldest tribes of Nagaland, the Konyak Naga tribe, which was once feared as they were the last headhunters of India.
Every visitor needs an ILP to reach Longwa.
Nearest Airport: Dibrugarh(Assam), and then 6-7 hours by road.
Stay: No formal hotels are available. Village homestays like Longsha’s homestay are available.
Best time: October to April.
LONGWA
MOREH: On the India-Myanmar Border, Moreh is a city in the district of Tengnoupal of the state of Manipur. Moreh is a commercial hub of Manipur & is often touted as India’s Gateway to South East Asia.
It directly connects to Tamu, Myanmar, facilitating trade with potential for broader ASEAN Economic integration & bustling cross-border commerce via Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge.
A notable Tamil Community has been a resilient community, descendants of those expelled from Burma in 1960. They are living there, creating a vibrant “mini-Chennai” with Tamil culture, temple & schools. They have rebuilt their lives as vital traders in this cross-border town.
Nearest Airport: Imphal (Manipur). About 110km away & then hire a taxi or shared cab.
Stay: Few Hotels & village homestays are available, can get details in tengnoupal.nic.in
Best time: October to April.
MOREH
MATHANGURI: Mathanguri is arguably one of the most scenic & iconic spots within Manas National Park, situated at Baks, a district of Assam, known for its breathtaking natural beauty & its unique position on the international border with Bhutan.
It is located where the pristine waters of the Manas River flow down from the Bhutanese Himalayas into the Indian Plains, creating a river border between the two countries. One side of the river is our Manas National Park, i.e., India & other side of the river is Royal Bhutan National Park- one of the most thrilling natural borders that exists in the universe.
Even a stone present in the jungle demarks the border of the two countries in aunbelievable way. The beauty of the flora and fauna of this place is undoubtedly unmatchable to any extent of imagination.
It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nearest Airport: Lokpriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport(Guwahati) or Bagdogra Airport(Siliguri), then a 3-4 hrs ride to Manas.
Stay: Forest Resorts are available, which are on the border.
Best Time: February to April.
MANAS RIVER
TLANGSAM: Just 5km east of Champai in Mizoram, close to the Indo-Myanmar border, this village is set among bamboo groves. Its location makes it part of India’s easternmost cultural landscape: the Mizo heartland that has long looked across to Myanmar for trade and kinship. The raw beauty of the surrounding hills is spectacular to observers for its panoramic views of the Champai Valley and unique frost-covered paddy fields during winter.
Every visitor needs an ILP to enter here.
Nearest Airport: Aizawl Airport, then 8-9 hrs by road.
Stay: Hotels & Homestays are available at Champai.
Best Time : October to April.
TLANGSAM CHAMPAI
NONGTYNGUR: This village is a Hamlet in Pynursla, Meghalaya. Approx 30km from Pynursla in the East Khasi Hills, Nongtyngur offers views over the Sylhet Plains of Bangladesh. At just 1400m, it’s not a high altitude frontier but a vantage point along the Indo-Bangladesh Riverine border.
Nearest Airport : Shillong Airport, then around 70km by road.
Stay: Hotels & Homestays are available here.
Best Time : October to April.
NONGTYNGUR
VANGHMUN: In the nippy heights of the Jampui Hills at North Tripura, Vanghmun is a scenic eco-conscious village and a hill station. It offers panoramic views of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. This village is acclaimed as one of the cleanest villages in India or Tripura’s cleanest village.
Nearest Airport: Agartala Airport, then 220km by road.
Stay: Tourist lodge and homesteads are available.
Best Time: November to February.
VANGHMUN
DONG: The land of the dawn-lit mountains & India’s first sunrise, the Dong Valley of Arunachal Pradesh isn’t just a scenic spot; it’s a geographical marvel.
Dong is located near a point where the borders of India, China(Tibet) & Myanmar converge. Just a stone’s throw away to the north, there lies the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Nearby villages like Kaho & Kibithu are the last inhabited spots before the border, where you can literally see Chinese watchtowers across the misty Ridgeline.
Last but not least, the mighty Lohit River carves through this village, acting as a natural boundary & a lifeline for the region.
Dong is dominated by pine forests and alpine meadows. During the winter, the surrounding peaks are draped in heavy snow like a dream. It’s rugged, it’s remote, and it’s arguably the most beautiful village in India.
Every Visitor must have an ILP to enter here.
Nearest airport: Dibrugarh airport, then the route is Dibrugarh-Tezu- Hayuliang-Walong-Dong (Approx 400km).
Stay: Homestays are available.
Best time: October to March.
DONG VALLEY
DOKLAM PLATEAU(DONGLANG) : A plateau & valley in the Chumbi valley, bordering China’s Tibet, Bhutan’s Ha District & India’s Sikkim. Doklam Plateau is a strategically vital, disputed plateau at the Indo-China-Bhutan trijunction. It is infamous for the 2017 military standoff where Indian troops stopped China from building a road in this area.
Every Visitor must have an ILP to enter here.
Nearest airport: Bagdogra, then 4-5 hours by road.
Stay: Hotels available.
Best time: October to May.
DOKLAM PLATEAU
Visiting this border villages and towns feel the raw nature of our beautiful Universe and also the ultimate possibility exists in our planet Earth beyond our hope and imagination. These serene places will surely change the way we perceive life in our mind.