India Festival Tours
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Hornbill Festival Nagaland Tour

10 NIGHTS – 11 DAYS
Kolkata – Kohima – Mokokchung – Mon – Dibrugarh

Hornbill is the most glamorous cultural festival celebrated in one of the most remote part of the world. The festival is named to signify the Nagas’ devotion to the hornbill bird, which has historically been a part of their folklore. The Hornbill Festival Tour provides a glimpse into the kaleidoscopic cultures and ethnicities of Nagaland and other states of North East India. All the tribes gather at the foothills of Mount Japfü, at the venue of the festival- Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, which is at a short distance from Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland. There are a host of activities that take place such as cultural performances, indigenous games, craft bazaar, music events, fashion events, cycling competition, motor sporting competition, kids’ carnival, floral galleria, food courts, and film festival to leave visitor spellbound.

Tour starts :5 December 2024 in kolkata
Tour ends :15 December 2024 in Dibrugarh
Festival location :Kohima (Nagaland)
Festival Dates :1- 10 December 2024
1
Day : Kolkata : 5 December 2024

Arrival at Kolkata airport and transfer to hotel. Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta was once glorious Capital during British Raj. The city was once a small fishing village on Hooghly River which is a tributary of Ganges and used to be called as “Ganga” traditionally in Bengal. Kolkata can also be called cultural Capital of India as it has been home to many artists, painters and poets. Rabindranath Tagore, noble prize winner for Literature in 1913 from the city remain intellectual cradle of India even today. The importance of Kolkata in this field is established by the fact that four out of only five Indianswho have so far won the Nobel Prize, have a Kolkata connection. Kolkata is also known as city of Mother Teresa, known in the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta where she spent nearly four decades working with the poor and the destitute.

 

 

2
Day : Kolkata : 6 December 2024

Morning visit Kolkata and start your tour by first visiting Victoria Memorial, a truly majestic structure made of white marble. It was built in memory of Queen Victoria, as the name suggests, during British Raj. The architecture is a blend of Mughal and European style. The Memorial also houses a museum where many specimens of the past and artefacts are kept. Also visit Howrah Bridge, the Icon of Kolkata was built in 1939 but is was opened for public only in the year 1943. The bridge was constructed with 26500 tons of steel with support of two massive 90 meters high pillars. The next stop is at Indian Museum which is not only the largest but also on of the first Museum not only in India but in entire Asia-Pacific region. The visit of Kolkata remains incomplete without visiting The Missionaries of Charity’s Mother House. It is a place of reverence for anyone searching for his meaningful existence. Mother House was established by the Saint Mother Teresa in 1950 with the purpose of selfless service to mankind. Later visit Belur Math, which is headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission, founded in 1900 by Swami Vivekananda, the world acclaimed philosopher and yogi who was disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhansa. The place is so calm and peaceful that it gives a relief from hustle and bustle of the city. Later we proceed to river bank to catch a boat for visiting Dakshineswar Kali Temple which almost looks like a painting on the canvas. The temple complex has huge courtyards and is surrounded by 12 temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Before finishing city tour, we stop at Indian Coffee House, the best place to experience local traditions and culture. Return to hotel for overnight stay.

 

 

3
Day : Kolkata – Dimapur– Kohima (By Flight + 75 Km / 2 Hours) : 7 December 2024

Morning transfer to Kolkata airport to catch flight to Dimapur. Arrival at Dimapur airport and transfer to Kohima, the capital of Nagaland state in North East India. Kohima has its name in history and is known for changing the world politics during 2nd World War as it was here that Allied forces with the help of Naga people stopped winning spree of Japanese forces in this part of the world. A memorial was built to honour those who lost their lives during the war. Afternoon visit Kohima Museum, known for a rare collection of artefacts of Nagas. Also visit Cathedral and Kohima World War Cemetery. Overnight stay.

 

 

4
Day : Kohima (Hornbill Festival) : 8 December 2024

 Morning drive to Kisama Heritage Village which comes alive during Hornbill festival, a cultural extravaganza where great cultural traditions and dances of Nagas are on display. The name of festival is derived from the bird which plays a very important role in the folklore of these tribes. The whole day is dedicated to witness Hornbill festival. As you take your seat in amphitheatre which is like an open air museum, sixteen Naga tribes perform dances and dramas enacting scenes relating to war and their way of life. It is not only the music and dance which mesmerize you but the exquisite local handcrafts and handlooms are equally captivating. This is also a perfect opportunity for those who love photographing ethnic people and their ceremonies. The Nagas are one of most elaborately dressed tribal people and are stunning in their colourful dresses. There are many food stalls serving local cuisine which also includes smoked pork, a local delicacy. Overnight stay.

 

 

5
Day : Kohima (Hornbill Festival) : 9 December 2024

 The day is to enjoy performance of traditional dances not only from Nagaland but from all the North Eastern states of India names as ‘seven sisters’. You will also get a chance to see tribal houses as the Kisama village Complex consists of a cluster of sixteen houses of each tribe created in the indigenous typical architectural design and concept. The tribal house is called “Morung or Youth Dormitory” in local langauge which depicts Colourful life and culture of 16 recognized Naga tribes. Overnight stay.

 

 

6
Day : Kohima (Village Tour) : 10 December 2024

The whole day is dedicated to visit tribal villages near Kohima. We start tour with visit of Khonoma village known for valor and courage of its tribal people. It is also a fine example of alternative form of living in full harmony with nature. The naga tribes who live here used to go for mass hunt for their food and used to indulge in other practices which would harm nature. But, today, it has been converted into an eco-friendly village and has unique water system as the water is piped long distances using bamboo. This village is very scenic and surrounded by green rice terraces.Then explore the charming Kigwema village which is a charming old village of the Angami tribe. Kigwema means ‘inheritance of the house’, as it is said that many other Angami villages originated from here only. Walk through the lanes of the village and see their traditional houses with wooden pillars.Later also visit Jakhama village to experience the real Angami Naga tribal way of living before returning to your hotel in Kohima for overnight stay.

 

 

7
Day : Kohima – Mokokchung (160 Km / 6 Hours) : 11 December 2024

After breakfast, departure for Mokokchung which is a picturesque town situated at altitude of 1325 metres. It is also the cultural and intellectual hub and headquarter of AoNagas who are famous for their colourful attire and dance. We shall en-route visit Ungma village which is an ancient village and gives an insight into folklores and tradition of tribal people in this area. The drive on the way through winding roads and forest is an unforgettable experience. Arrive at Mokochung and you can feel a distinct colonial atmosphere here. Afternoon we can visit Longkhum village which lies at an altitude of 1846 meters. The town also offers view of eastern Himalayas and the panoramic view of surrounding hills is truly breath-taking. You can find exquisite handicraft and handloom items here in the town. Overnight stay.

 

 

8
Day : Mokokchung – Mon (220 Km / 8 Hours) : 12 December 2024

After breakfast, leave for Mon located along the India-Myanmar border,is mystic and ethic paradise for rich tribal heritage of Nagaland. The drive is as interesting as the destination as you pass through valleys. It is home to KonyakNagas, the tattoedwarriers who are known for their tattooed faces, blackened teeth and head hunting prowess. The tattoos on their faces and the exquisite jewellery on their body was symbol of their achievements during that period. A visit to Mon will not be complete without a visit to Angh’s house (the ruler of the village) as it is adorned with skull and superb woodwork. The ear rings, tattoos and headgear are sign of his power and glory.It will be interesting to meet the villagers and get to know about their tradition. Overnight stay.

 

 

9
Day : Mon 13 December 2024

After breakfast, go for tour of characteristic Shangnyu village of Konyak tribe. Here visit the human skull’s collection at KonyakMurungs. In ancient time, the chief hunter used to keep the head of his enemies like a trophy. The Angh’s house here is believed to be more than 500 years old. The uniquely carved structure stands tall even today and the memorial stones are also found in front of the house.
Then visit Longwa, one of the biggest villages in the area situated right on the India – Myanmar border. The village lies in two countries and the most interesting is Angh’s house here as half of the house is in India and other half is in Myanmar. The chief (Angh) has dozens of wives and his house is decorated with trophies of various animal skulls. He is so powerful that his jurisdiction extends up to Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh. Also visit Hongphui village. The lifestyle of the people here is not yet influenced by modern world. Overnight stay.

 

 

10
Day : Mon – Dibrugarh (180 Km / 7 Hours) : 14 December 2024

After breakfast, leave for Dibrugarh which is located along the Brahmaputra river. The town is surrounded by tea plantations and misty contours of the Himalayas in the background makes it a fascinating place. Afternoon, set out for a “tea tour”. The tea gardens are full of tea pickers dressed in colourful dresses who are mostly women as they are considered better than men to “pinch” the delicate buds and youngest leaves. Overnight stay.

 

 

11
Day : Dibrugarh : 15 December 2024

After breakfast, transfer to Dibrugarh airport to catch a flight for onward destination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ'S)

No, this is a private travel exclusively for you, your friends and family who may accompany you on the tour.

Yes, it is possible. But, the cost may be high in case of a single traveler. You may send us information in the form and we shall send you our best offer depending on number of persons in your group or for a single person.

Yes, since this is a private tour, you may decide the dates as per your choice. Only in case of certain tours, we have to check if there are any operational difficulties for organizing a tour of your choice. Certain tours are not possible for particular period which we shall let you know. Besides, the cost may vary depending on seasonality.

It is better if you could buy international tickets directly through your local agent or on internet. Although we can provide you international flight tickets, but you may a get a better deal locally.

No, you have to obtain visa on your own. The visa regulations will depend on your nationality. You may contact us for further details.

Yes, it is very much possible. You can extend your stay on arrival or departure or at any other place. You may also modify the tour. You may let us know your interest and we can send you modified tour itinerary with cost.

Our cost normally includes hotel accommodation with breakfast, private air-conditioned car with driver which includes fuel, parking and all taxes, entrance fee to monuments, train tickets if any, guided city tours in English or in other foreign languages, viz French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian or other foreign languages subject to availability which we can notify at the time of reservation request. Our cost also includes some other services viz Elephant ride at Amer fort in Jaipur, camel safari in Jaisalmer and boat tour in Varanasi. We shall send you all details at the time of sending you quotation.

We may also include other services viz lunches, dinners or other services if you wish. We may also exclude guide service and entrance fee to monuments if you so wish.

Train tickets are included in our cost. But, we give supplement cost for domestic flight tickets as these days, there are dynamic fares and these are not fixed. We send you indicative fare at the time of sending you quotation which is subject to change until issue of tickets with advance purchase for which we need payment from you to issue flight tickets. You may also purchase domestic flight tickets directly on your own if you prefer.

We provide minimum standard (3 star or similar), superior (4 star or similar), deluxe (5 star or similar) hotels and the cost will depend depending on category of hotels. We can send you quotation for the category that you are interested in. We usually provide heritage or palace hotels which fit in your category of hotels. We may also mix the hotel category if you prefer and can also provide you rates based on hotels of your liking in all places if you like.

We usually request 25% advance upon confirmation of our services unless otherwise informed at the time of sending you quotation. We shall send you all payment terms at the time of sending you our offer.I am interested.

Click here to send us information of your trip and we shall send you soonest possible.

Why StateExpress

Established in 1980, State Express has been providing most reliable services to travelers all over the world for last 35 years. We are renowned for our customer first approach and unobtrusive efficiency which ensures the highest levels of customer satisfaction. We have been awarded several times by State Government for being best Tour Operator. All aspects of our tours have been carefully researched and then designed to give ultimate experience to travelers. Let our travel knowledge help you to create a wonderful experience, whether on one of our tour itineraries or a tailor made tour itinerary made exclusively for you to give you an unforgettable holiday.

Our people make the difference

Our success has been possible because of our people who are our biggest asset. We have a team of highly dedicated, sincere, hardworking who work with integrity that has made State Express one of the leading and most reliable tour companies in India. They not only have expertise and experience to meet any requirement, they also speak foreign languages and trained to offer only the best and leave nothing to chance. We know that travel to Indian sub-continent is a dream of many of our guests and our team does everything possible to make their dream true and give them an experience of their lifetime.

Our infrastructure

We have complete infrastructure to provide you best rate and services to you. We are an IATA approved and authorized agents for all domestic airlines and Indian Railways. We have our own cars vans and coaches with experienced drivers. We have multi lingual staff to ensure that our guests do not face any language problem. We also have associate offices in all major tourist centers to provide assistance in shortest possible time.

Our fleet of vehicles & drivers

We undoubtedly have one of the best and most modern fleet of cars, vans, 4X4s and large coaches. Surface travel is a very important aspect in India as you spend lot of your time while travelling on the road and therefore given us an edge over other tour companies who have to rely on other transport companies to provide this service to their clients. We have our own garage and all our vehicles are well maintained to give you hassle free journey.

Besides having the best fleet, it is our drivers who truly make the difference as they play a crucial role in making a tour successful. Even if you stay in best of the hotels and travel in most comfortable and luxurious vehicles, if you do not have a good driver, it may spoil your experience. We have our team of drivers who are part of State Express and have been working with us for years and they are trained, dedicated and motivated to take care of our guests and make them comfortable. That is the reason that more than 90% of our guests thank us and appreciate them after returning to their home.

Our choice of hotels

We take utmost care in selection of hotels that we recommend to our clients and include in our list of suggested hotels. We inspect these hotels regularly to be sure of their quality of product and services. We give lot of emphasis on the location and the people who run those hotels. We want to give you clients an experience of heritage and palace hotels which are unique and not available in other part of the world.

Our tour itineraries

All our tour itineraries are designed by experts to give you an opportunity to see most wonderful sites in number of days at your disposal at the same time giving you time to explore the places in your own way. We have a number of itineraries to choose from which covers all India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Tibet. We also include mode of travel and approximate time taken between places to ensure that you do not have any surprises during the tour. Our specialists will also work with you to create an itinerary of your choice either by modifying our readymade tour itineraries or prepare an exclusive tailor made tour for you based on your interest and liking keeping in mind local conditions.

24×7 assistance during the tour

We provide you clients real 24×7 assistance during the tour. This is not a marketing gimmick but we have someone in our office always to assist you in case of any emergency anytime. We also provide cell phone numbers of our executive who you may contact even during odd hours when you need them for anything urgent. We have associate offices in all major cities of India to provide you assistance in minimum possible time.

Response time

We know that response time is key to our success and we value it a lot. Even at initial stages before reservation, you will get replies from us in not more than 24 working hours. We shall always be there whenever you need us during the tour.

Personalised Service

Apart from professional service, we believe in emphasising on personalised service. That is to make our guests feel at home in a foreign country and also feel that they have friends here who they can trust for any need. Our customer executives remain in constant touch with our guests during the tour to give them comfort and trust that we are always with them.

Good value for money

We know that there are so many travel companies providing their services and unless we provide good value for money to our clients, they will not be satisfied. Our own fleet of cars, vans and coaches and best special discounted rates with hotels due to our volumes enables us to offer value for money.

What our clients say about us

Good Morning,

we are in Rome and none problem in the return trip; I send you an email to add comments and let you know our feedback in details; my wife and I are frequent travelers and have custom to evaluate our trips in all the aspects; so

. Booking process excellent (rapid, clear and exhaustive answers; we have appreciated the help to obtain the e-visa and the contacts during the tour to know possible problems;

. Driver excellent (polite, punctual and very expert in the drive), he gave us many suggestions and accompanied us directly to the coach in the Tundla station; the other driver in Varanasi good but should improve his english;

. Car good;

. Guide only in Jaisalmer good;

. Tour organization good for times and the included hotspots;

. Hotels: we evaluate the hotels for cleaning and comfort of the room and bathroom and for breakfast; we use a ranking from 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent):

Iris Park 2; dirty bathroom with dirty towels, room dirty and uncomfortable (too small, difficult to move inside, put and open the suitcases; breakfast room trivial and food inadequate for european tourists;

Mandawa Palace 4 for all;

Lallgarl Palace 4 and no 5 for inadequate breakfast respect to the level of the hotel;

Mandar Palace 3-4 , room and bathroom no perfectly clean , breakfast inadequate for european tourist and internet didn’t work;

Krishna Prakas Havei unacceptable; room located in the roof without elevator and with dangerous stairs; room dirty with a door that didn’t close perfectly, bathroom dirty with dirty towels; breakfast room dirty with tablecloth dirty and broken, food trivial and inadequate also for amount;

Master Paradise 3, cold uncomfortable room without possibility to warm it; bathroom in the average and skinny breakfast;

Golden Tulip 5 and more, the best

Atulayaa Tay unacceptable, dirty and small room, dirty bathroom with microscopic sink an a glass wall between the bed, dirty towels, trivial breakfast;

Meradan Grand 4 for all

Last hotel in Dehli 4 for room and bathroom also here glass wall between bathroom and the bed but the light didn’t across;

we suggest, personal opinion, to cancel the hotel with a rank less than 3 and choose others of superior quality ( also if more expensive) because the hotel is important to rest in a daily tour step by step.

In summary we evaluate very good the experience of our first trip in India and surely we will recommend State Express to our friends.

Enzo Ferrante

27 January 2023 

Hi Rinki,

Just wanted to say thank you for all the organisation for our India trip. Everything went very smoothly. Our vehicles, drivers and accommodation were all faultless.

Look forward to our next trip now whenever that may be.

I’d like to just comment on one thing… please encourage clients to do Chittorgarh as a day trip. The accommodation there must’ve been really good at some point but is quite run down now. They were lovely and very obliging but when we compare the accommodations it wasn’t the best.

I know I’d said I wanted a night in Chittorgarh but I wasn’t as conversant with availability there as someone who knows the areas more.

Thank you once again from my mum, massi and I.

Best wishes and regards to your team,

Ps. Next visit we must meet!! 🙂

Priya

14 January 2023

Dear Sirs, namaste.
The journey of my group is over and we have returned to our homes.
I hope all of you are fine.
I wish to thank State Express for the usual good assistance. A special thank to Mr Mamlesh Sahu for following my trip through his frequent telephone calls.
I hope to have the chance to come again.

Dhanyavad.

Alfredo Sermasi

12 December 2022

Good Morning,

we are in Rome and none problem in the return trip; I send you an email to add comments and let you know our feedback in details; my wife and I are frequent travelers and have custom to evaluate our trips in all the aspects; so
  • Booking process excellent (rapid, clear and exhaustive answers; we have appreciated the help to obtain the e-visa and the contacts during the tour to know possible problems;
  • Driver excellent (polite, punctual and very expert in the drive), he gave us many suggestions and accompanied us directly to the coach in the Tundla station; the other driver in Varanasi good but should improve his english;
  • Car good;
  • Guide only in Jaisalmer good
  • . Tour organization good for times and the included hotspots; . Hotels: we evaluate the hotels for cleaning and comfort of the room and bathroom and for breakfast;
we use a ranking from 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent): Iris Park 2; dirty bathroom with dirty towels, room dirty and uncomfortable (too small, difficult to move inside, put and open the suitcases; breakfast room trivial and food inadequate for european tourists; Mandawa Palace 4 for all; Lallgarl Palace 4 and no 5 for inadequate breakfast respect to the level of the hotel; Mandar Palace 3-4 , room and bathroom no perfectly clean , breakfast inadequate for european tourist and internet didn’t work; Krishna Prakas Havei unacceptable; room located in the roof without elevator and with dangerous stairs; room dirty with a door that didn’t close perfectly, bathroom dirty with dirty towels; breakfast room dirty with tablecloth dirty and broken, food trivial and inadequate also for amount; Master Paradise 3, cold uncomfortable room without possibility to warm it; bathroom in the average and skinny breakfast; Golden Tulip 5 and more, the best Atulayaa Tay unacceptable, dirty and small room, dirty bathroom with microscopic sink an a glass wall between the bed, dirty towels, trivial breakfast; Meradan Grand 4 for all Last hotel in Dehli 4 for room and bathroom also here glass wall between bathroom and the bed but the light didn’t across; we suggest, personal opinion, to cancel the hotel with a rank less than 3 and choose others of superior quality ( also if more expensive) because the hotel is important to rest in a daily tour step by step. In summary we evaluate very good the experience of our first trip in India and surely we will recommend State Express to our friends. Kindly Regards, Enzo Ferrante
David & Emily
8 March 2020
Good morning Rinki,
Emily and I are home now, and we would like to thank you for organising what turned out to be a wonderful trip. We enjoyed visiting all the various places, and the hotels were comfortable. People were very friendly and helpful. The pace of the trip was perfect, travelling but not exhausting. The driver Chandra was very good and I would have no issue with recommending him as a driver. He was very polite, punctual, and courteous. We felt he was a very safe driver, and would like to extend our thanks to him as well. With the benefit of hindsight, I would have stayed an extra day or two in Verkala rather than the extra days in Mumbai, but that is as I say with the benefit of hindsight. Once again, thank you so very much for all your help in organising this trip for us, which we will remember fondly for many years to come.
David & Emily
8 March 2020
Dear StateExpress
To whom it may concern, we are writing you regarding the package booked with andanitravel for the India golden triangle from the 01/03/2020 to the 11/03/2020. On the 4th of March ’20 the staff from the Sher Gary Resort in Road Village Sherpur, Khilchipur, Rajasthan 322001, Ranthanbore, following the Advise from the Government of Rajasthan, invited us to leave the resort and the State of India as soon as possible due to our Italian Nationality. Immediately we contacted the DCM Italy of Rajasthan, Mr Carini, who told us there was a mistake and the Advise number 27 of the 4th of March 2020 was withdrawn with immediate effect. Although we informed on a timely manner the resort staff, we have been asked to leave anyhow. Only after the DCM Italy informed the resort about the mistake, we have been given the opportunity to leave the resort the following morning. All these difficulties, the constant hostility by the people in India despite the advise number 28, the decision made by the State Express emergency contact( Harish Bhatt) to interrupt our trip and the news regarding the spread of COVID-19 in India, induced us to arrange autonomously for a flight back home as soon as possible. At least but not last we kindly ask you to let us know of any official way to provide a positive feedback to the great support, empathy, help, kindness, professionalism, flexibility and special assistant given by the driver Mr Ashok Yadav in the sphere of his competences.
Anna Caputo, Antonio Caputo, Maria Napolitano, Guida Villani
7 March 2020

Hi, Rinki

Thank you for the trip arrangement. We have enjoyed very much.
Looking forward to our next trip in India next year and will get in touch with you again.
Once again, thank you very much for your excellent service.

Chua Boon Hua

09 October 2018