Mizoram travel guide

Mizoram is one of the least visited states by travellers in India. Its remote location, lack of information about the tourist places and less advertisement by the government to promote tourism are the main reasons for people not visiting this place.

Recently, I travelled to Mizoram with my family for a week. In this post, I will share information that would be helpful for travellers to plan a trip to this beautiful state.

About Mizoram

Mizoram is the southernmost state in North East India. It is the second least populated state in India. Part of Assam after Independence, Mizoram gained Union territory status in 1972 and complete statehood in 1986. Like many other Northeastern states, Mizoram also went through a long phase of insurgency. At one point in time, to contain the armed groups, the Indian government bombed the areas in the state using the Indian Air force, the only known bombing on Indian soil. After the Mizo peace accord in 1986, the insurgents joined the mainstream, and the state has remained peaceful since then.

Reaching Mizoram

Being in the remote corner, the practical way of reaching Mizoram is by flight. Lengpui airport, located 30 km from the capital city of Aizawl, is the prominent hub.

Travelling by land is a tedious task for people outside North East India. Bangladesh in between makes it a very long journey. For example, Google maps show the distance as 1500km and the travel time as 40 hours (non-stop travel) from Kolkata to Aizawl!!

Since there was no direct flight from Bengaluru, we travelled via Kolkata.

Travel inside Mizoram

Mizoram is a hilly state with 90% forest cover, the highest in India. The roads are not in good condition, resulting in longer travel times. Do not underestimate the time taken by looking at the map!

Mizoram has a vast network of “Sumo” taxis. It is the primary means of travel for locals. We also saw some state board buses, but they were few compared to Sumos.

We hired a private taxi service throughout the trip. Though it was expensive compared to public transport, it offered us convenience and flexibility during our travel.

Stay at Mizoram

Mizoram tourism department has lodges and resorts conveniently located at many tourist spots. They provide simple accommodation at nominal rates. The good thing is that they have online booking, providing an easy way to book.

For all the visits outside Aizawl, we stayed in Mizoram tourist lodges. In Aizawl, their resort was located outside the town. So, we booked a hotel in the centre of the town. The hotel prices in Aizawl were on the higher side when compared to other cities.

ILP (Inner Line Permit)

All non Mizos need ILP to enter the state. It looks strange that Indians needing a permit to visit a state, but it is true. Mizoram does not have an online ILP, and it can be obtained at Mizoram house(at few cities), Lengpui airport and at border.

We got our ILP at the airport. We had to fill a form and pay Rs 350/- to get ILP. Approved Id like Aadhar is needed. There is no need for photographs. The website mentioned that the ILP will be provided for 15 days but in reality, it was provided only for 7 days. Our total trip duration was 8 days!! We managed to convince them to provide ILP for 8 days. Else, we had to go to some Government office to extend the dates. It would have been a pain during our journey.

ILP is a hassle for the development of tourism in the state, and seven day limit makes it even more unattractive. But ILP is a sensitive subject in Mizoram, and I think it is impossible to get rid of it. Surrounded by the two countries known for religious persecution and army excesses, migration is a major issue. ILP makes it difficult for people to illegally migrate.

Once we exited the airport, nobody checked our ILPs. But still it is required.

Language

Mizo is the language spoken by the people. It had no relation to the mainstream languages in India. One can easily manage with English in the towns. But outside main towns, it becomes difficult to converse in English.

Food

Mizoram is predominantly a meat-eating state. It makes it challenging for vegetarians when it comes to eating options. We did not find a single “pure veg” hotel in Mizoram. Food like roti, dal and poori were available in the hotels we stayed at. But we had to eat in small roadside restaurants for lunch. The food was mainly noodles and fried rice. Some of these small hotels did not have any vegetarian options at all.

Vegetarians will not have an option to try Mizo cuisine as meat is part of it. Even soup has egg white added!

Unlike a few states, the chances of stomach upset are less as the food in Mizoram has less spice!!

Network

Jio and Airtel signals were available at all places we visited in Mizoram. The connectivity was pretty good, considering it is a hilly state.

Safety

We found Mizoram to be much safer than many other states in India. The locals were super cool and helpful. There was not even a single bad incident!

Places to visit

Mizoram has a lot of places to offer for travellers. A typical itinerary could be

• Sightseeing in Aizawl: 1 day
• Reiek near Aizawl: 1 day
• Champhai: 3-4 days (Covering Tam dil and Rih dil lakes, Vangchhia)
• Thenzawl and Hmuifang: 2-3 days
• Down south: 4+ days (Palak lake, Phawngpui – highest mountain in Mizoram )

Points to note

• Mizoram, being a Christian majority state, is closed on Sunday. No shops are opened. Public transport is also limited. It is an important aspect to be considered while planning.
• Compared to many states, Mizoram looked cleaner.
• Aizawl streets are always busy with traffic. But the discipline of the people is commendable. Nobody honks, two wheelers go on a single line, and four wheeler drivers do not jumps the lane. We have not seen this discipline anywhere in India.
• The road to Champhai is currently in a worst condition. The entire stretch of National Highway is widened. Hills are cut, and the debris is on the road. During rains, the road becomes treacherous. I would strongly suggest to include Champhai only after the road construction is complete. It was the worst road I had travelled till date (Worse than Rohtang pass when I travelled in 2011).
• The shops close early in Mizoram. By 7 PM, the streets look deserted. But the day starts early with most shops opened by 8 AM. It is mainly due to the early sunrise and sunset time in North East India.

Summary

Mizoram is a great place if you are a nature lover. It is also easy to organise the trip. Tourism has not yet picked up in Mizoram. We went during the “peak season” of Dasara, but we hardly found tourists in the places we visited!