Assam: Insider Travel Guide & Tips
Awesome Assam – the tagline says it all. Being situated in the north-east region of India, it is one of the states that is not caught in the unnecessary hum-drum of metropolitan life.
Nature shows up in a beautiful avatar here: There are fauna species like one-horned Indian rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, there are splendid sights of lush green tea gardens, there is endless wilderness to explore.
And not only this, the culture of Assam is even more rich and fascinating: you’ll get the feels when you have a look at the folk dances, the music, and the traditional arts being pursued here.
Because of Assam having a lot of potentials to have a flourishing tourism industry due to the aforementioned factors, Priyanka Chopra (one of Bollywood’s celebrated actresses of today’s time) will be associated with it as its tourism ambassador.
Now, delving into some quick facts we get to know that Assam is known for its specialty tea and silk and it is one of the “Seven sister states” (the name given to the group of 7 north-eastern states of India).
Table of Contents
Best Time to Visit in Assam
The state receives a lot of tourists all around the year since no one season is too harsh to make it inaccessible. But if the best time to visit is asked for then we would suggest that winters would be ideal.
This is because, during winters, the weather is very pleasant and conducive to go for extensive sightseeing and having an altogether immersive experience in the state.
Also, seeing the flip side would confirm our recommendation, as summers may leave the tourists dehydrated sometimes
How to Reach in Assam
Assam is well connected by railways, air, and road. So the travelers can choose means of transport as per their convenience and depending upon the destination where they are starting from.
Talking about air connectivity particularly, there is a total of six airports in the state including Silchar, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, etc and among these, there is one that caters to international travelers – Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport in Guwahati.
Direct rail connectivity is offered from major cities like Calcutta, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai to Guwahati, and roads are pretty well connected to all the neighboring states.
However, it is not advisable to go for a drive in the rainy season as it can become risky.
Shopping in Assam
So as we mentioned earlier that Assam is very famous for its special tea and silk. Therefore these two things figured out to be our top picks for your “shopping must buys”.
You can visit any tea garden to ask for the particular tea that you like or you could ask the people there to suggest to you the best ones.
Muga Silk (Assam silk) handloom products you can buy from Cachar and Sualkuchi silk weaving centers, these two are the best ones in the state.
Festivals in Assam
Traditions being upheld with great respect in Assam, there are several festivals which are celebrated with fervor by the locals, three major ones are:
1. Bihu
This is the festival related to the crop cycle of Assam and since the population of Assam is predominantly engaged in Agriculture hence these festivals are observed throughout the state.
2. Rongali Bihu
This marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year and marks the end of the harvest season. People display merriment and joy during the celebrations.
3. Kongali Bihu/ Kati Bihu
This is the one celebrated in the month of mid-October where people are seeing praying for the good health of their crops.
4. Ambubasi Mela
This is a festival celebrated at Maa Kamakhya Devi Temple, Guwahati (one of the nine shakti peeths of Goddess Durga) to celebrate the menstruation course of the goddess Kamakhya.
5. Majuli Festival
This festival is observed to celebrate the Neo-Vaishnavite culture that has developed in Majuli. Cultural programs, food festivals, and exhibitions are a part of the festivities.
There are other festivals also like Karam Puja, Jonbeel Mela, Baishagu Festival, Assam Tea Festival, Kaziranga Elephant Festival, etc.
Tourist Attractions in Assam
Major tourist attractions in Assam are:
1. Kaziranga National Park
This is undoubtedly the most famous tourist attraction of Assam as there are unique fauna species found here like wild water buffalo, swamp deer. The park has also seen great conservation efforts in the past to save one-horned rhinoceros as the world’s two-third population of the species is found here only. This is the reason why UNESCO has listed it as one of the World Heritage Sites.
2. Agnigarh Hill
Situated in Tezpur, the site is good for a picnic day out. This site boats of a fortress which was built by King Banasura to keep his daughter isolated from the whole of the world since she fell in love with Prince Annirudha- the grandson of Lord Krishna. Legend says that the fortress was surrounded by flames of fire to prevent anyone to enter and go out without permission (hence the name).
3. Maa Kamakhya Devi Temple
The temple is situated in Guwahati and is one of the nine Shakti Peeths of Goddess Durga. Donning white and maroon color over it, the temple has a feminine appeal to it. It is located at such a place where spectacular views of hills and river Brahmaputra can be seen.
4. Dibru Siakhowa National Park
Another National Park in Assam but no less than Kaziranga is yet another top tourist attraction in the state. Vegetation cover consists mostly of a mix of moist-deciduous trees and semi-evergreen trees. You will be surprised to know that the park was originally created for the conservation of the habitat of white-winged wood duck.
5. Cruise over Brahmaputra river
This will be a highlight of the trip as it will be an experience that the travelers will remember for the whole of their lifetime. The cruise will take the travelers to explore the calm yet powerful waters of the Brahmaputra river which has the status of being revered as a holy river by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Bonpas. You can choose upstream itineraries or downstream itineraries as per your liking.
