The state of Nagaland, one of the major tribal regions in the country of India, attracts people for its quaint hills, green carpeted valleys, cascading waterfalls, dense forests and rich wildlife, all of which creates a pristine environment.

Location of Nagaland

Geographically located at 25.67° N and 94.12° E, it is a part of the north eastern India.

Best time to visit Nagaland

With a pleasant type of weather throughout the year, this state of India has got warm summers and cold winters. The three prominent seasons experienced by the people residing there are as follows:

Summer: The summer season in Nagaland stretches mainly from the month of June to September, partly coinciding with the rainy season, when the temperature can rise to around 31° C. The hottest month is July.
Monsoon: Monsoon in this state sets in during the month of May and continues till October with an average annual precipitation of 220 cm to 250 cm.
Winter: Winter season in this state starts from October and continues till the month of February. December to February, being the coldest months, experiences temperature falling down to even 4° C. The maximum temperature rises to about 24° C during this time.

Apart from that, a year's windiest months are February and March. Thus, the best time to visit this state of north east India is the period in between the months of October and May.

Is Nagaland well connected to the rest of the country?

The state of Nagaland can be reached from the other parts of India by air, rail and roadways. Connectivity through railways is minimal though.

Roadways: This north eastern state can be best reached by roadways because of its proximity to a number of National as well as State Highways. The National Highways passing through the state are NH - 36, NH - 39, NH - 61, NH - 150 and NH - 155. Following are the State Highways, which enhances the road transport system of Nagaland:
- Mariani - Mokokchung Highway
- Meluri - Kiphire - Tuensang Highway
- Meluri - Kohima Highway via Chakhabama
- Merapani Road - Wokha Highway
- Mokokchung - Chakabama Highway via Zunheboto and Chazuba
- Mokokchung - Tuensang Highway
- Mon - Namtola Highway
- Naginimora - Mon - Tuensang Highway
Most of the important villages and towns are served by the Nagaland State Transport Services, which even runs deluxe night buses from the city of Dimapur to Mokokchung, Guwahati and Shillong. Besides that, one can even hire an entire or shared Yellow Taxi as well as a rented car to move in and around the state.
Railways: Dimapur Railway Station on the North east Frontier Railway is the main railway station of the state that connects it to Guwahati, which has got direct trains to some of the most important cities of India.
Airways: To reach Nagaland via airways, one needs to travel to Dimapur Airport, which is the sole airport of the state. Direct flights ply to and from that airport to the cities of Guwahati and Kolkata.

Can the state be regarded as a tourist destination?

This land of tribes attracts tourists for its natural beauty, pollution free environment, lovely landscapes and incomparable cultural heritage. The below mentioned table provides names of some of the location wise tourist attractions in Nagaland:

Location
Tourist Places
Dimapur
Diezephe Craft Village
Rangapahar Reserve Forest
Ruins of the Kachari Kingdom of the medieval age.
Kiphire
Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary
Geysers and twin stones of Salomi and Mimi
Mihki (River of Salt)
Siphi Stone Monolith
Sukhayap Cliff
Wawade Waterfall
Yimgphi Village
Village Caves
Kohima
Catholic Cathedral
Cemetery of World War II
Dzukou Valley (Famous for camping and trekking)
Khonoma Heritage Museum and Crafts Centre
State Museum
Zoological Park
Mokokchung
A. K. M. Monument
Chuchuyimlang Village
Langpanglong Village
Longkhum Village
Longritzu Lenden Valley
Molung Village
Mongzu Ki and Fusen Kei caves
Mopongchuket Village
Tangkum Marok Spring
Ungma Village
Mon
Chui Village
Langmei Village
Longwa Village
Naganimora Village
Shangnyu Village's local museum and stone monoliths
Veda Waterfall and Peak
Peren
Benreu Village
Mt. Pauna (Stone carvings and tourist village)
Phek
Chizami Village
Khezakenoma Village
Pfutsero Village
Poruba Village
Ruzhazho Village
Suthazu Village
Thetsumi Village
Weziho Village
Yurba Village
Zhavame Village
Dzudu Lake
Glory Peak
Shilloi Lake
Zanibu Peak
Tuensang
Changsangmonko Village
Chilise Village
Stones of Chungliyangti, Tsadang and Tsongliyangti
Wokha
Doyang River
Mt. Tiyi
Totsu Cliff
Valley and Lagoons
Zunheboto
Aizuto (Forest, Lake and Village)
Ghosu Bird Sanctuary
Satoi Range
Sumi Naga Villages

Are there any places for shopping in Nagaland?

Though this state cannot be called as one of the best shopping destinations in the country, still the local handicrafts of the place like wood carved articles, varied bamboo works, ornaments, pottery etc. are worth buying. Some of the prominent shopping areas that attract shop lovers are as follows:

Central Market at Kohima
Handloom & Handicrafts Emporium at Dimapur
Sales Emporium at Kohima
Village markets in Mon

Is this state popular among food lovers?

The restaurants in Nagaland offers varied kinds of local dishes along with the other famous cuisines. With varying cooking style, the Naga dishes are usually featured with boiled organic leaves and dried, fermented or smoked fish and meats. Some of the popular dishes are Axone, which is prepared from smoked and boiled soya bean along with smoked beef or pork, Anishi that is a preparation of yam leaves and fermented bamboo shoots with pork and fish. Some of the famous dining destinations in this state are:

Flaming Wok: Located at Kohima, this restaurant is known for serving delicious Chinese and Indian dishes.
Plaza Restaurant: This restaurant is situated at Church Road in Dimapur and serves varied cuisines like Indian (North and South), Chinese and Continental.
Popular Bakery: This Kohima based bakery offers sumptuous breakfast consisting of pastries and varied kinds of Indian sweets.
Simply Tasty: Situated at Kohima, this is one of the known fast food restaurants cum caf�s in Nagaland.

Where to stay while on Nagaland trip?

Following are some of the renowned hotels in Nagaland, along with their contact information:

Hotel Japfu
P. R. Hill, Kohima
Nagaland, India.
Hotel Whispering Winds
D. C. Hill, Mokokchung
Nagaland - 798 601, India.
Tel.: + 91 - 369 - 2229743/ + 91 - 09436006062
The Heritage
Officers Colony
Kohima, Nagaland
India.
Aradura Inn
Aradura Hill
Near Little Flower School or Cathedral
Kohima, Nagaland - 797 001, India.
Tel.: + 91 - 986 - 2469939/ + 91 - 943 - 6603007
E-mail: aradurainn@gmail.com and
tonnito@rediffmail.com