NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2021

Regional Updates:

Kolkata and South Bengal :

Monuments in Kolkata are now open for tourists, museums have a cap on the maximum number of people allowed at a time inside the museum to ensure social distancing is maintained. Marble Palace in Kolkata is still restricted at the moment.

Trams in Kolkata have always found a special place and interest and now there is a Tram Museum which is ready and open for tourists where guests can experience the long heritage of the trams since they were introduced over a 100 years ago.

Misti Hubis a new addition which is located close to the airport where under a single roof outlet of all major sweet shops of Kolkata are located. It is no coincidence that West Bengal is known as the sweet capital of India and Bengali as the sweetest language.

Heritage Accommodation options in South Bengal have come up recently with Rajbari Bawali welcoming guests, with an inventory of 33 rooms this is a must visit for people looking to experience Bengal Royalty, even if guests don’t want to stay there, an evening can be spent in the Rajbari.

Sundarbans are now open for tourists and new accommodation options upto 4 * are available.
Other destinations in South Bengal like Shantiniketan, Bishnupur, Murshidabad and Mayapur are also open for tourists and new accommodation options have come up in all these locations to ensure a safe, hygienic and comfortable stay for the tourists.

North Bengal and Sikkim :

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has started a new train journey from Siliguri to Rongtong and back to Siliguri which runs every day. The Jungle – Tea Toy Train Joy Ride on STEAM locomotive train is an instant hit running to capacity. The ride is through beautiful views of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. The tourists will be provided a complimentary cup of Darjeeling tea at Rongtong station. Between New Jalpaiguri – Alipurduar another train service has started with the new Vista Dome coaches. This train runs three days in a week and is a round trip. This train passes through the tea gardens and jungles of Gorumara and Lataguri.

In Darjeeling the Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway is open for tourists. One can enjoy a spectacular view of the lush green tea garden and the mighty Himalayan range.

Monasteries in the sector are still closed for tourists and this is keeping in mind the health and safety of the monks residing in the premises.

In Changu Lake there is a new Ropeway at the height of 12900 ft is open for tourists. This ropeway offers a spectacular view of the lake and valley. Tickets are on first cum first serve basis.
Yak Ridesare also available in Changu lake area. The Yaks here are decorated with colourful rugs and ribbons tied to their horns.Charges may change depending on the season.
In Pelling the Chenrezig Skywalk is now open for tourists. The Sky walk is a transparent structure made of glass overlooking the marvellous137 feet tall statue of Chenrezig with the paranomic view of the Himalayas in the background.
Taj has opened their property in Kurseong inside Makaibari Tea Estate by the name of Taj Chai Kutir. The property is located at a driving distance of 1.5 hrs from Bagdogra airport and 2 hrs from Darjeeling each way.
Road Conditions are not the best at the moment in Sikkim area as due to heavy monsoons which the sector has experienced over the last few months, most of the roads have been damaged due to landslides but repair work is in full swing and we are hopeful that the conditions will improve drastically in the next few days.

Pakyong Airport in Sikkim is not operational with direct flights from Delhi and Kolkata. This airport is located close to Gangtok, capital of Sikkim. Indigo and Spice Jet are operating regularly. Flight connectivity in Bagdogra has also improved over the last few months with regular flights operating to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

 

Assam

Kaziranga National Park has decided to open the Central and Western Range for Jeep Safaris from 01st October itself. This will help the tourism sector in Assam in a big way as Kaziranga is a highlight for travelers looking to visit East India. Elephant ride in Kaziranga will start from 01st November onwards as per schedule only.

River Cruise in Guwahati has started for Morning, Evening and Sun Down, this is a good experience for guests staying in Guwahati for a night. Dinner cruises have not started yet.
Tea Garden Bungalows have opened doors for tourists and created various activities inside the resort. Secluded accommodation with limited inventory has become a high selling product as many people are looking at private holidays and not sharing spaces with too many people. Wild Mahseer near Tezpur is heritage property with 18 rooms, Banyan Grove near Jorhat is another luxurious heritage property with 07 rooms and Kaziranga Golf Resort the only property in Assam to have a private golf course has about 14 roomsand is open for tourists.

Majuli, the largest river island in the world is also set to welcome travellers once again. Regulations are same as the rest of the state. Accommodation standards upto the level of 3 star is operational in the island and activities like cycling, mask making and participating in ceremonies at the Satras is an added attraction.
Road Condition in the state is good in most places. Way side amenities when traveling between Guwahati and Kaziranga such on spot arrangements for tea and coffee, lunch in authentic Assamese restaurant can be suggested, Kaziranga – Dibrugarh lunch can be arranged at a tea bungalow can be suggested.

Meghalaya

In Shillong most of the sightseeing points are open for tourists except Shillong Peak, Arwah Cave. Some of the sites may remain close without any prior notice
Visit to Mawlynnong is possible but interaction with the villagers is restricted at the moment due to COVID regulations
In Cherrapunjee sightseeing places are open including the caves.
In Dwaki we can suggest overnight camping experience which has come up recently and is well operated. For all guests and specially for people looking for adventure this can be suggested and guests can also avail experiences like rafting, zip-lining, snorkelling, Kayaking.
Road Condition in Meghalaya is mostly good except in the interior region’s roads are either are under maintenance or broken patches may be experienced.

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is now open for tourists who have received both doses of vaccination.

Hotels in Arunachal are ready to welcome guests.

Mechuka village has come up recently as an adventure hub, best way to reach Mechuka is from Dibrugarh airport connecting to places such as Aalo or Daporijo. Activities possible in Mechuka are short trekking, walks etc
Road condition in Arunachal is mostly under maintenance in the Bomdila, Tawang area and roads in good conditions except for few places where road remaining work is ongoing in the Ziro area.

One of the longest bridges in India – Bogibeel Bridge is now open.

Nagaland

Mostly of the places of sightseeing is open but visitsto villages is not confirmed as it depends on the local authorities.

Hotels are operational on Kohima.

Located at an altitude on 2450 meters, Dzuko Valley is also known as the Valley of flowers. It is one of the most popular trekking routes among adventure and nature lovers because of the spectacular landscapes, its rich flora. The star attraction is the rare pink Dzukou Lily, an endemic variety found only here, and whose inflorescence adds a dash of colour to the otherwise emerald green valley for two months beginning June filling the valley with aconitums, euphorbias and other species of flowery plants carpet the landscape, making it look like an artist's canvas.

Road extension work from Dimapur to Kohima is undergoing, however most of the part is completed.

Nagaland govt has decided to conduct the Hornbill Festival as per the original dates of 01-10 Dec. Details of the festivities will follow soon.

 

Manipur

Hotels are operational in Imphal.

As for major attraction of the state is the visit to the Loktak Lake – where once can capture the Phumdis where the fishermen living in floating islands known as Phumsangs are unique sights of this lake. On this lake is the Keibul Lamjao National Park– the only floating national park in the country famous for the Sangai, the dancing deer. One can also visit the Indo – Myanmar border subjected to permission from border authorities.

Roads in Manipur are mostly in good conditions however in some patch’s roads may happen to be under renovation.

Tripura

Hotels are operational in Agartala.

Some of the major sites of interest are Unakoti – it is a Shaiba’ (Saivite) pilgrimage site and dates back to 7th – 9th centuries if not earlier. The marvellous rock carvings, murals with their primitive beauty, waterfalls are not to be missed. Unakoti means one less than a crore and it is said that these many rock cut carvings are available here. Neermahal the former royal palace of King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur. Known as ‘lake palace’ of Tripura, Neer-Mahal was constructed as a summer residence. It was Maharaja Bir Bikram Manikya Bahadur’s idea to build a palace in the beautiful Rudrasagar lake and in 1921 he accredited the British company Martin and Burns to construct the palace for him. A visit to the Indo - Bangladesh border is also possible.

Roads in the state are in good conditions where else some constructions are going on.

Mizoram

Mizoram has currently lifted restrictions and markets etc. are open.

Night curfew is imposed from 8: 00 PM till 04: 00 AM.

Hotels and tourist sites are open, since most the COVID positive cases are in the rural zones hence travelling beyond Aizawl is not advisable.

 

ENTRY FORMALITIES AND REGULATIONS :

STATE	INDIAN NATIONALS	FOREIGN NATIONALS
Assam	No Permit required	No Permit required
Meghalaya	Travel Card has to be generated online at the time of entry	Travel Card has to be generated online at the time of entry
Arunachal Pradesh	Inner Land Permit required. Issued for a period of 30 days. Documents: Address & Identity proof, Passport size photo. ILP is issued in Arunachal House in Guwahati, at the check gates, online mode.	Restricted Area permit or Protected Area permit issued for a period of 10 days with an option of extension for 07 days. Citizen of Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar should get from Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi
Manipur	Inner Land Permit required. Issued for a period of 07, 15, 30 days. Documents: Address & Identity proof, Passport size photo. ILP is issued at check gates, Imphal airport and Manipur House in Guwahati	Need to submit photocopy of Indian VISA and passport upon arrival either at airport or entry gates
Nagaland	Inner Land Permit required. Issued for a period of 15 & 30 days. Documents: Address & Identity proof, Passport size photo. ILP is issued at Dimapur airport and Nagaland House in Guwahati and online mode	Need to submit photocopy of Indian VISA and passport upon arrival either at airport or entry gatesCOVID REGULATIONS
Tripura	No permit required	No permit required
Mizoram	Inner Land Permit required. Issued for a period of 07 & 15 days. Documents: Address & Identity proof, Passport photo. ILP is issued Aizawl airport and Mizoram House in Guwahati	Need to submit photocopy of Indian VISA and passport upon arrival either at airport or entry gates
Sikkim	Travel Card has to be generated online for entry into Sikkim	In addition to the Travel Card, Inner line permit is required: Can be obtained at the border check post, DM Office in Darjeeling or Indian Embassy abroad at the time of applying for Indian Visa.
West Bengal	No Permit Required	No Permit Required

COVID REGULATIONS :

State	Regulations
West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura	Fully Vaccinated guests need to carry their final vaccinated certificate – no other test required. Partially Vaccinated/below 18 years guests need to carry negative RT PCR conducted 72 hrs prior to arrival.
Arunachal	Inner Land permit will be issued for double vaccinated visitors
Mizoram	Double jabbed with 14 days no RT PCR or RAT test needed. Tourist sites are partially open. Single jabbed below 15 days RT PCR negative report tested 72 hours prior to arrival.
Sikkim	People who have received atleast one dose or carry negative RT PCR report conducted 72 hrs prior shall be allowed to enter. Verification of the same will be done by the hotels at the time of check in.

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