Trip To Guwahati, Kaziranga, Majuli, and Meghalaya

  We had the most memorable experience with north east explorers. We did the 6 day Meghalaya tour. Rajiv organised the entire trip. Will definitely go with north east explorers again

  Memorable Meghalaya with North East Explorers!! - Our family had one of our best holiday experiences with North East Explorers organized 9 day Kaziranga and Meghalaya road trip...Schedule was well planned allowing us to enjoy the pristine... read more beauty of Meghalaya in a fun and relaxed manner...Rajiv was the perfect organizer checking in with us daily and also giving great local fun tips ...Special shout out to our driver Jameer...his conversations made the trip more memorable...Would highly recommend North East Explorers for planning your next holiday in the North East of India

  Was always thinking how challenging this trip would be.. but when I came across NEE and Rajiv has made our vacation .. a memorable one.. Rajiv made sure everyday... read more about our stay and journey was comfortable. We have visited amazing places in Arunachal Pradesh and mesmerizing drive through clouds in Meghalaya. Truly a memorable experience and proper planning has made it easier for us as I was travelling with kids.

Special Thanks to Rajiv for planning our trip and stays at nice locations with wonderful and welcoming hosts.

  3750 kms - the distance from Kochi, Kerala to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. The distance in terms of climate, culture and terrain, even more. But for some random You Tube videos,... read more our knowledge of the place was zero. We didn't know one person who'd gone there.

And this was our first long trip without any of the children, which certainly brought the adventure level down by several notches, with no one coaxing us to walk that extra mile, climb that extra hill, try that strange sounding food. But, we had fun. Thanks to Sri Rajiv, of North East Explorers, who'd organized our trip wonderfully well, with attention to every tiny detail. The planning and execution of the whole trip was perfect and the homestays arranged for us were really good. He followed up on us every single day, ensuring we were comfortable. A special thanks to Mr Jamir Ali, who took us around the entire trip in his Innova, whose skill as a driver matched his attitude as a guide and companion.

I would highly recommend North East Explorers, if you are planning to visit any North Eastern state. (I would advise you to ask for Sri Jamir too). We learned first hand how clean and safe the north east is, how gentle and simple her people are.

And we absolutely loved the trip

  I always wanted to go Tawang with my family and was searching for a reliable travel company. I found NEE first on the Marriott website. I then browsed through their... read more website and reached out to them. My interaction with them and their prompt responses made me feel confident to deal with them. The fact that there was reviews from both Indian and foreign nationals gave further comfort that they were a genuine company.

We choose the Tawang circuit. Interaction with Rajiv was good. The tour itself was well organised with Rajiv checking on us daily.

Arunachal is nature’s paradise with the monasteries and war memorials adding a touch of history to this part of India. Keep your expectations to see nature in its glory and you won’t be disappointed. Snow capped peaks, towering mountains, rugged ravines and deep gorges with glacial water flowing down the mighty Himalayas. Every turn of the road is a picture for a postcard. Arunachal is unforgettable.

The people at the homestays are welcoming and prompt. Dinner at 730pm means there will be a knock at your door at 725pm with piping hot food in casseroles.
You can request them to make authentic food like momos and they oblige.

The monasteries and memorials are well kept and beautiful to see. They have a story of their own. Stories of Sacrifice and bravery of our Indian soldiers is everywhere.
The scent of Buddhism is seen throughout the region. It reflects in the local people’s attitudes towards visitors welcoming them with a warm hug.

Commercialisation has not (yet) got its draconian foothold on this region. No entry tickets, guides breathing down your necks and locals trying to sell their wares or trinkets at tourist locations. Everything is voluntary where you can leave some money for the monastery.

The roads are 90% good, built and maintained by BRO (Border Roads Organisation). Some expansion and repair work here and there slows you down sometimes. It is routine to encounter fog/dense fog in certain patches. Ensure your vehicle has proper fog lamps and functional seat belts. The tourist vehicle arranged by NEE had a wonderful and experienced driver cum guide but no fog lamps and one seat belt not working. I was upset and fuming on such basic stuff. This was the only downside for us.

Overall an unforgettable experience and Rajiv plus NEE make things work smoothly. Would highly recommend to try him out .

  We did a 7 day tour of Meghalaya and thanks to North East Explorers, it turned out to be a memorable experience. We were traveling with 4 ppl aged 70... read more and above and a 10 year old, and they made sure everything with regards to the trip was taken care of. The vehicle and the driver they arranged for (Moni) was a great one too, which made the road trip that much more pleasurable. Rajiv from NEE kept checking on us on a daily basis, offering us tips that went an extra mile. We would recommend them to everyone who wishes to travel to this side.

  Discovering the North-east with the North east explorers ! - We have done 2 trips with North east explorers so far , the Tawang sector in November 2021 and Meghalaya in February 2023.
Rajiv of North east explorers does a... read more splendid job of making a tour memorable be it the cosy accommodations ( homestays) and the friendly hosts and the knowledgable and patient drivers who accompany us in our journey.
This time around we had intentionally wanted our trip to Meghalaya be a relaxed one and had opted for the 7 day itinerary plus and extra day which we had reserved for the “wahken bamboo trek” which we decided to drop later on.
We loved our stay at The Midpine, Shillong , the Halatynkong at Mawlynnong and interactions with the hosts as well.
The Haven’s cove resort at Jowai was beautiful. No Wi-Fi and no network !!
It was disheartening though that we stayed only for a night, having walked nearly 3 km in the biting cold the previous evening after, lugging our bodies and wondering why and where on earth were we going! But the simple piping hot vegetarian dinner that was served to us by the in-house chef and even better, the delicious breakfast the following day after a chilly misty morning walk around the premises rejuvenated us.
The resort “Hillscape” at Sohra was comfortable but the approach road was bumpy and there was no intimation by the hosts that the chef had run away and the kitchen was closed. We had to deposit our luggage and rush to have dinner before the restaurants which were very few in the vicinity, closed for the day. The next day morning too there was no power supply and we had to struggle in the dark. This episode was the only thorn in our otherwise fantastic tour!
Ricky our driver was a good companion throughout the trip and was patient enough to answer our questions and enlighten us about the culture, history, habits, politics and a lot more about the places that we had visited.
We were taken to the best hotels for lunch and dinner , the restaurant at The Golf Retreat, Orange Roots at Sohra , a pure veg restaurant (were surprised to get good south Indian food there), Ka bri war (Pynursla), to name a few.
We had a good, knowledgable and ever smiling guide ,Shyam who accompanied us in the double decker root bridge and Rainbow falls trek.
We would definitely go with the Northeast explorers again. Thank you Rajiv once more for making this tour to a memorable one .

  My wife, Sheela and I thoroughly enjoyed our NE trip thanks to the thoughtful itinerary that Rajiv of North East Explorers had chalked out for us of 5 nights and... read more 6 days in Arunachal. It's a truly wonderful place we strongly recommend that one visit this State while one is still able to. Right from the moment we were picked up from Guwahati airport till the time we were dropped off we did not have to think of anything. We stayed at Bomdila, Tawang and Dirang at lovely, homely, hospitable and caring homestays and visited Sela Pass, Sungester Lake, the Indo-Chinese border at Bum La, War Memorials and the beautiful monasteries at Dirang as well as Tawang, amongst others. Our driver cum-guide was also exceptional - not only did he have exceptional control of the vehicle, he possessed good knowledge of all the sites and was ready to stop for us to take pics and spend time as per our wish at various scenic locales enroute. Thanks once again to the North East Explorers and Rajiv in particular. Have already recommended you to our family and friends.

  Ordinarily we organise our own travel, but with travel/accommodation options limited in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and logistical issues including border security, we opted for a travel agent. North East... read more Explorers (NEE) developed a customised itinerary for 9 nights (5 in AP; 4 in Assam) in January 2023.
In terms of NEE's service, the pluses outnumbered the minuses. But we did not have a trouble-free experience - although problems were surmountable. We also thought it was pretty expensive, particularly given the quality of the accommodation (all 3-star or less, except for one night at an Assam tea bungalow).
In terms of our NEE experience, specifically:
Pluses:
- Good and comfortable car (Innova) with room for us and luggage
- An experienced, professional driver
- Good guide for 2 days in Ziro
- Assistance with AP permit application
- Prompt follow-up re our questions/concerns
Minuses:
- Accommodation quality variable - some poor; see reviews on Tripadvisor
- Payment: website says NEE takes credit card, but this is via Paypal with significant surcharge
- Package seemed expensive given accommodation quality
The following might also be useful as feedback:
1. Warn travellers about connectivity BEFOREHAND so they can plan. There was no WIFI at the AP accommodation, but it was only AFTER we encountered problems that it was explained that it's generally not availabe in AP. Also, we were not warned that international phone networks (ie roaming) doesn't work in AP.
2. Re homestays, "authenticity" on its own doesn't mean the accommodation is OK; hygiene, safety and accessibility are not luxuries. Our Ziro homestay had bathroom basin waste water discharging on to the floor and no bath/shower; many stairs to enter - and more just to get around - the property (impossible for anybody with mobility issues); and a frisky dog (some people are scared of dogs). We stayed one night and then asked to move to somewhere with a better/cleaner bathroom.
3. Travel agents should be familiar with the accommodation. We had the impression that NEE did not have first-hand experience of all our accommodation.
4. Route planning: after a long wait at the Kimin Gate to get to Ziro, NEE specifically told us that we would only have to enter AP once, and that when we went across to the western circuit we would remain inside AP. This was incorrect - the itinerary showed we had a night at Bhalukpong in Assam (meaning another wait at the Assam/AP border to go up to Dirang). Not a big deal, but it gave the impression that NEE wasn't on top of the itinerary.
Overall we had a great time. The people we met were friendly and welcoming; the distinct geography and diverse cultures mean AP and Assam are fascinating destinations. With roads improving and more direct flights, there will be a wider range of options for travel there in the future.

  I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with Rajiv and his team. The homestays were amazing - everyone was so caring, made sure they catered to the... read more dietary needs of our large group (9 people). And they also managed last minute changes with no hassle at all. We are so glad we had an opportunity to explore this part of India and the experience of working with a local, indigenous organization was completely different than a large tour agency. Rajiv checked in every day, multiple times a day to make sure we were ok and that we were aware of the plans for the next day. Our group comprised one family from the U.S. and it was their first visit to India, and they could not have had a better experience.