Complete Mizoram Guide for tourists

We travelled to Tripura & Mizoram in November 2022. We were very excited because this was the first trip after Covid were there were no restrictions or requirements of wearing masks etc. We did a few short trips last year but they were all with due precautions and we did not do anything out of the regular touristy places; so I did not blog about them.

Planning for this trip to North east took a lot of time and energy because there were not many resources we could refer to. The blogs and travelogues were very old and there were many conflicting information we were getting from people we spoke to. I would have ideally wanted to write a very detailed blog; but it has been 6 months since we came back and I thought of posting whatever I have been able to write till now. Things have been really hectic so I am not able to mention everything in detail. If you are visiting Mizoram or Tripura and would like to know any specific detail not covered in this blog; do comment and I will connect with you.

I hope this guide helps tourists, backpackers, and trekkers planning a trip to Mizoram.

Questions that I have tried answering:

• Where exactly is Mizoram?
• When is the best time to visit Mizoram?
• What is unique about Mizoram?
• How to go to Mizoram?
• Does one need Inner Line Permit (ILP) for entering Mizoram?
• Is anyone exempt from entering Mizoram without ILP?
• What is the Mizoram ILP rule for visitors from neighboring states Assam and/or Tripura?
• How to obtain Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Mizoram?
• How to obtain Mizoram ILPs when travelling by road?
• Can we get the Inner Line Permit (ILP) online?
• How are the roads in Mizoram?
• How is the traffic in Mizoram?
• Is Mizoram at very high altitude?
• What are the main cities in Mizoram?
• How many days are good for visiting Mizoram as tourist?
• What was our itinerary for Mizoram trip?
• Where to stay in Mizoram?
• How is the food and is veg food available in Mizoram?
• What is unique about Mizoram culture that we should not miss?
• In hindsight, would we have planned the same itinerary?
• Are there any contact details for Mizoram drivers, resorts etc?

Where exactly is Mizoram?

Mizoram is one of the states in North East India, part of the seven sisters. It has borders with 2 countries (Myanmar and Bangladesh) & 3 Indian states (Assam, Tripura and Manipur). Mizoram has Myanmar to its east and south and Bangladesh to its west. Tripura is on Mizoram’s northwest, Assam in the North and Manipur on Northeast. The maps below will give you an idea of the location of this tiny and beautiful state.

Aizawl is the capital city and is Mizoram’s connection to rest of the India.

Mizoram was a part of Assam from 1947 till 1987. The Mizo National Front founded by Laldenga fought for Mizo’s independence and the Mizoram Peace accord was signed which made Mizoram 23rd state of India on 20th February 1987.

Best Time to Visit Mizoram

November to May are good seasons to visit Mizoram. Mizoram has 3 seasons: Summer (March to May), Rainy (May to October) and Winter (November to March). Summers are not too hot because of the altitude (temperature is around 20-25 degrees), winters are cold with temperature between 10-20 degrees but the landscape is absolutely breathtaking. Mizoram gets rain due to southwest monsoon between May to October. Rainy season is definitely avoidable because movement is restricted and the hilly roads are dangerous to drive.

So to sum it up, Mizoram is a good destination to visit in all months except the rainy season.

What is unique about Mizoram?

We found Mizoram very unique and different from the rest of the Indian states. Mizoram literally means land of the hilly people: Mi (people), Zo (high rise such as hills or mountains) and Ram (land).

Some of the reasons we found it interesting are:

• Culture and Identity: Mizos are very proud of their culture and identity and rightly so because its very distinct and unique. Its a tribal state and most inhabitants belong to some tribe or the other. There is a very strong connect with Chinese and Burmese culture. The Mizo language has no trace of Sanskrit like most of the Indian languages. Mizos hold their beliefs and values very strongly; which reflects in their day-to-day life and behaviour with others. The art, music & dances, festivals, textiles, cuisine are all very unique to Mizo.
• Scenic landscape: Without doubt, Mizoram was one of the most scenic states we have visited in India. It is one of the most unexplored places and its a nature lover’s haven. It has mesmerizing landscapes, dense bamboo jungles and evergreen hills. It is also known as the land of Blue Mountains with cascading waterfalls and rivulets.
• Cleanliness: This one stood out for me. Aizawl is one of the cleanest city we have seen in India. And we could see why it was so when we went for a morning walk on a Saturday. Teenagers were out with shovels and brooms cleaning their street. A father was teaching his young son how to pick up some garbage from the roadside. Most village entrances had a board about keeping the village clean. We could see public urinals in most parts of Aizawl being maintained and used by people.
• Education: Mizoram has one of the highest literacy rates in India, 3rd only after Kerala and Lakshadweep. There are about 2000 schools in the state; which makes its 1 for every 100 kids. Every village in Mizoram has a village education committee.
• Commitment to protect environment: Mizoram government banned crackers and fireworks in the state in 2009 to protect the environment.
• Geographical significance: Tropic of cancer passes through 8 states in India, Mizoram being one of them. Other states being Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tripura. We passed tropic of cancer on our way from Aizawl to Hmuifang.
• Women Empowerment: Mizoram is a patriarchial society and there is a lot of work that needs to be done for women empowerment and equality. However, compared to rest of the India; women play significant role in development of the society in this small state. As per some studies done in 2022, Mizoram has the highest 70.9 per cent ratio of female-to-male workers among those working as legislators, senior officials and managers. Most of shops in streets and on roadside are run by women in Mizoram. Sainik School Chhingchhip in Mizoram was the first to admit girl cadets in 2018. In general, except for driving taxi; we could see women equally participative as men in Mizoram.

Having said all this, we were very disappointed with the smoking and drinking habits of Mizos. Officially, alcohol is banned in Mizoram. But it is very much visible. We had to specify to our cab agency to send a driver who does not smoke and drink. While we were assured he would not smoke in the car, he was free to do that outside once the duty was over. Teenagers could be seen smoking. Both men and women smoke and drink and the state has one of the highest cases of cancer affecting their lung, esophagus & stomach.

How to go to Mizoram:

• By Air:

Aizawl has a domestic airport & has direct flights from 6 Indian cities (as of December 2022) – Agartala in Tripura, Guwahati in Assam, Shillong in Meghalaya, Imphal in Manipur, Delhi and Kolkata.

Agartala <-> Aizawl: 45 mins (Alliance Air)
Shillong <-> Aizawl: 1 hr (Indigo)
Guwahati <-> Aizawl: Approx 1 hr (Indigo and Alliance Air)
Kolkata <-> Aizawl: Approx 1 hr 15 mins (Indigo and Air India)
Delhi <-> Aizawl: 2 hr 45 mins (Indigo)
Imphal <-> Aizawl: 45 mins (Alliance Air)

Note that these flights do not fly everyday. Also, given the terrain; flights can get cancelled because of the weather. So keep a plan B when considering any of the flights. We learnt it the hard way when our flight from Agartala to Aizawl got cancelled and there were no flights on that day or the next. We had to take the road from Agartala to Aizawl.

• By Road:

Silchar in Assam is the most connected city to Aizawl. It is 164kms and it takes 6-8 hrs by road. The terrain is hilly so night driving is not recommended. There are buses available on this route (NH 54)
Kumarghat in Tripura is also connected to Aizawl by road. This is the road we took. To our surprise though, this was not recommended. Most tour operators & drivers in Tripura discouraged us from doing this; saying the road is bad and unsafe. On the other hand, the operator in Aizawl who was providing us taxi in Mizoram was confident the route was doable and the roads were quite manageable for an experienced driver. He said a small stretch was under construction but since rains had stopped completely; it was safe too. The driving time was again debatable and kept getting conflicting information. Since we had no choice (with a cancelled flight, no flight for next 2 days and another flight back home in 5 days from Aizawl), we decided to try it anyways. We covered this approx 200kms in 6.5 hrs and it was a fairly good ride. I will write a detailed blog on this topic too.

Note for those who want to drive into Aizawl or any other part of Mizoram: The ghat road drive is not easy and at many places its single lane driving. Navigating these stretches require a good, experienced driver and a good vehicle. Tata Sumo, Scorpio, Innova or a 4WD are good for these roads. We did see Altos also, but assuming they are very experienced with these roads. Infact, most of the airport taxis in Aizawl are Maruti Alto.

Details of Inner Line Permit for Mizoram

Everyone entering Mizoram, including Indians require an Inner Line Permit (ILP).

Domestic Tourists: Two types of ILP can be issued for Indians:

• Temporary Mizoram ILP – 15 days at a time which can be renewed once for another 15 days.
• Fees to be paid – Rs.20 Application Form, Rs.100 Processing Fee, Rs.20 for Renewal Fee
• Requirements – 4 passport size photo and a photo ID

• Regular Mizoram ILP (This is for those non-Mizos who are to be employed by Mizos for work purposes) – 6 months at a time which can be renewed twice for another 6 months each. However, sponsorship from a local resident or a Government Department is required.
  Requirements for Regular Mizoram ILP – 4 passport size photos, a photo ID, 2 passport size photos of the sponsor.

Is anyone exempted from Mizoram ILP requirement

Yes. Government employees travelling for official purposes are exempted from obtaining ILP but are required to carry a photo identification card with them at all times.

ILP requirement for bordering states Assam and Tripura

For tourists originating from Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj Districts of Assam State, Electoral Roll details are required due to porous international boundary with Bangladesh and so is the case with persons coming from the state of Tripura.

Tourists entering from Bairabi and Vairengte can obtain ILP from Sub-Deputy Commissioner, Bairabi and Sub-Divisional Officer Vairengte respectively.

Mizoram ILP for International Tourists: All foreign nationals have to register themselves at the office of Superintendent of Police (CID/SB) Mizoram who is the designated Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) of the State within 24 hours of arrival.

Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals having their origin in these countries would continue to require prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs before entering the state.

How to obtain Inner Line Permit (ILP) for Mizoram:

Download Mizoram Inner Line Permit Form

For those reaching Aizawl by air: Tourists entering Aizawl by air can obtain passes from the Security Officer on arrival at Lengpui Airport, Aizawl.
For those travelling by road, ILPs can be obtained in advance at any of these Mizoram houses:

Kolkota (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/snVqUN1XndgwfC8TA)
Liaison Officer
Government of Mizoram
Mizoram House
24, Old Ballygunge Road,
Calcutta, 700 019
Phone: 033-4756430/4757887/4757064
Fax: 033-4757034

Silchar (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/KXj5sASL5bnaDXHH8)
Liaison Officer
Mizoram Run
Sonai Road
Silchar -788 005
Ph No: 03842-25655(O), 25419 (R of LO)

Shillong (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/AwzKdj1zL8LUgMwXA)
Liaison Officer
Government of Mizoram
Nongrim Hills, Shillong
Ph : 0364-2230149(O)
2225058(R)

Guwahati (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/Fy6B6vaYgnLhALGq8)
Liaison Officer
MIZORAM HOUSE
Christian Basti, G.S.Road
Guwahati – 781 005
Ph: 0361- 2529 448
Reception : 529 411

New Delhi (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/WRRJ6zfKHi3R5gus9)
Resident Commissioner
Government of Mizoram
MIZORAM HOUSE
Pt Uma Shankar Dixit Marg,
Chankyapuri
New Delhi 110021

How to obtain Mizoram ILPs when travelling by road:

Temporary ILPs can also be obtained at these border checkpoints, subject to approval by the in-charge. Since we were supposed to fly to Aizawl and had to take road instead, we obtained ILPs this way. Following are the authorized checkpoints:

1. Officer-in-charge of Kanhmun Police Station (if entering from Tripura)
2. Administrative Officer, Bairabi (if entering from Assam)
3. SDO© Ngopa (if entering from Manipur)

These are authorized to issue Temporary ILP in Form E for a period not exceeding 15(fifteen) days to bonafide visitors/tourists or business representatives with intimation to the concerned Deputy Commissioner.

Coveringmiles Suggestion: It is best to obtain the ILP in advance, unless in a circumstance like ours. Travel agents in Mizoram usually will help out with the ILP. However, for them the offline process takes time, so keep around 10 days in hand before you travel if you ask them to apply on your behalf.

Can we get the Inner Line Permit (ILP) online?

Mizoram government is working on releasing a portal to make it easier for tourists to obtain ILP online. As of November 2022, the website is still not launched officially. You can check the current status on https://ilp.mizoram.gov.in/ to know if it is launched officially.

How are the roads in Mizoram?

Mizoram is a hilly state mainly made up of Mizo hills. These are part of the Rakhine (Arakan) mountain range. That makes the entire region full of slopes and cliffs. Given this, the roads are not very wide and require an expert driver who is well versed with ghat roads to navigate through them. Roads in general are quite good. However, given the terrain; there are no alternate routes for most places if the road is closed or under construction. The road between Aizawl to Champhai was under construction when we visited in November 2022 and a distance of 180 kms was taking more than 7 hrs (sometimes even upto 10 hrs) depending on the traffic. Ensure you plan your days keeping this in mind and do not pack a lot of to-do things in a day.

Traffic in Mizoram:

Traffic discipline in Mizoram is the best in India. Rest of the India has lot of learn about driving sense from this small state. People patiently wait in queues in traffic, no one cuts lane and there is absolutely no honking unless there is an emergency. We could see a km or more of jam on one side of the road while the traffic on the other side moved at a steady pace. We have heard of the same in Nagaland and Meghalaya also, but yet to experience it. I found this answer on quora by a resident of Aizawl very apt in describing this behaviour: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-secret-behind-the-showcase-of-a-so-well-traffic-discipline-by-the-people-of-Aizawl-Mizoram-as-we-can-see-in-the-viral-images-and-videos

Is Mizoram at a very high altitude?

Mizoram is a hilly state but it is not at a very high altitude compared to other hill stations in India. To compare, Ooty is at 2240mts, Kodaikanal at 2133mtrs, Shimla is at 2276mts while the highest point in Mizoram is 1678mts. Mizo hills are ridges that run parallel to each other. These ridges are separated by narrow river valleys. These are what make the terrain of Mizoram full or slopes and cliffs.

What are the main cities in Mizoram?

Mizoram’s cities are not gigantic metros. They are quiet and pretty towns, some of them only slighly bigger than villages. Aizawl being the capital city is the most densely populated.

Total population of Mizoram: ~12.7 Lakhs
Population of Aizawl: ~3.87 Lakhs

The main cities in Mizoram are

• Aizawl
• Serchhip
• Lunglei
• Thenzawl
• Champhai
• Kolasib
• Mamit
• Lawngtlai

How many days are good for visiting Mizoram as a tourist?

Mizoram is a place for slow travel. This is a destination where you enjoy best if you soak in the culture, make connections with locals, enjoy local cuisine and live like a local if possible 🙂 You will need at least 10 days if you need to cover the best places in Mizoram. These would be cities in and around Champhai, Hmuifang, Reiek Peak, Tamdil. If you have more time, you can also plan for Phawngpui (also called Blue Mountains) which is the highest peak of Mizoram.

Mizoram is also a place where tourist places close early; so you cannot pack a lot of things to do in 1 day.

What was our itinerary for Mizoram trip?

We went in November and we had planned for 2 weeks in Tripura and Mizoram. Our idea was to spend 1 week in each of these states. However, when booking flight from Agartala to Aizawl and hotels etc; we realized that the Myanmar insurgency issue was very delicate and tourists were not being allowed to cross the Myanmar border (which is usually allowed). Going to Champhai and not going to Rih Dil lake in Myanmar did not sound like a very smart plan, so we decided to skip east Mizoram and cover that later. Also, the flights from Agartala to Aizawl were not available everyday. So we finally decided to do 9N/9D in Tripura and 5N/5D in Mizoram. However, at the last moment our flight to Aizawl from Agartala got cancelled and we had to go by road. This meant 1 more day of travel and reduced our time in Mizoram by a day. Our final Mizoram itenerary was:

Day 1: Take train from Agartala to Kumarghat. Hire a taxi from Kumarghat and reach Aizawl by 5pm.
Day 2: Local sighseeing at Aizawl (KV Paradise, Solomon’s Temple). Leave for Reiek peak by 11, reach by lunch. Trek up the peak. Back to Aizawl by evening.
Day 3: Take a taxi and go to Hmuifang via Lalsavunga Park & Falkawn village. Stay overnight at Hmuifang
Day 4: Go to Vantawng falls, Dilpui Park. Stay overnight at Hmuifang (this was a Sunday and everything is closed on Sundays in Mizoram). We could not visit Tuirihiau Falls or Deer park because they were both closed.
Day 5: Back to Aizawl. Local sightseeting (Mizoram State Museum) at Aizawl. Overnight at Aizawl.
Day 6: Fly back to Chennai via Kolkata.

Where to stay in Mizoram?

Mizoram has very limited options when it comes to accommodation for tourists. There are no homestays in places other than Aizawl. The government accommodations are small and have limited rooms. But not many tourists visit Mizoram, so I think these suffice. However, I would advise you to book in advance if possible. The good part is booking is very easy online. You can book government lodges on https://www.mizoramtourism.com/booking. This was one of the rare instances where government website is so smooth and modern. The only information missing is phone number of the lodges which makes it difficult to communicate before or after the booking.

We stayed at the government accommodation at Hmuifang and were quite happy with the room, service etc. Do not expect any 5-star service. If your expectations are low and reasonable, you will not be disappointed.

One of the luxury properties that Mizoram government is promoting is the Thenzawl Golf Resort. You can check it out on Thenzawl Golf Resort. We did not consider this because it was out of the way and we wanted to have more local experience. I am glad we did so because the views from Hmuifang were just breathtaking.

How is the food and is veg food available in Mizoram?

Food in Mizoram is quite decent. We were more disappointed with food in Tripura than in Mizoram. Also, unlike what we read and heard; getting vegetarian food is not difficult. However, you will not get variety like you get elsewhere. If you go with the expectation to have roti, naan, dal, different choices of vegetables or even customization like no onion etc; that would not be possible. Forget getting South Indian or North Indian food in places other than Aizawl (even in Aizawl it would be average if you can find some!). Most of the Mizos eat non-veg on a daily basis and pork, chicken is commonly found. We found that mostly the base of the dish is vegetarian. So, if you order pork or chicken noodles / rice; they just spread the meat on top of vegetarian noodles/rice.

My son and husband are vegetarians while I eat chicken, fish and egg. We mostly ordered vegetarian because I did not like the chicken I had a couple of times in Mizoram. The preparation was not something that I preferred; but food is a very personal choice so I would suggest those who eat non-veg to try and then decide.

Check with your accommodation if they can make Mizo local dishes. Our homestay in Aizawl made Mizo special dinner was us and we were very happy to taste some of their local dishes 🙂 

What is unique about Mizoram culture that we should not miss?

When travelling in Mizoram, you will find many roadside restaurants. Most of them serve Mizo meal. They will serve all the dishes on a long table, and everyone can come and join the table to share the meal. We stopped at one place where our driver had this meal. This one has chicken, pork and beef along with potato stew and some banana soup. It costs anywhere between 200-250 per person depending on where you have it. You should not miss this Mizo experience if you have pork and beef etc.

Nghahloh Dawr (Shop without a shopkeeper): This is a beautiful concept in Mizoram where shopkeepers keep their produce with prices written against each and a jar for money. Buyers can deposit the money & take the produce. No need of any vigilance 🙂

In hindsight, would we have planned the same itinerary?

The answer would be No. There is a lack of information on Tripura and Mizoram and that made planning the trip extremely difficult. I can also now confidently say that the tour agents in Tripura mislead and provide false information (very authoritatively too!). Some of the information that would have helped us plan better was:

Travel from Jampui Hills to Amarpur: We were told by multiple tour operators that the road from Jampui to Amarpur is in extremely bad condition and it is not advisable to go that way. So we came back to Agartala from Jampui and went to Udaipur / Amarpur from Agartala. This meant 1 extra day of travel. Our driver later mentioned that he has travelled on that road and it is quite okay.
Road from Tripura to Mizoram: We booked a flight from Agartala to Aizawl. This is not a daily flight which mean we could either spend 7 days in Tripura or 9. Given we were not going to east Mizoram and had to do another Mizoram trip for that; we decided to cover Tripura completely. Had we known there was an option to go to Mizoram by road from Tripura; we would have planned better and saved 2 days (would have planned Jampui at the end and exited Tripura from there). Even after our flight to Aizawl was cancelled, we were advised to go to Silchar in Assam and then go to Aizawl. Multiple drivers / tour agents said the road cannot be taken; even through our tour agent in Aizawl said it’s possible to come by road.

 

Road from Kanhmun to Mizoram – Once this gets over, the road would be much smoother and faster

Visit to Champhai and Rihdil lake: Champhai district falls in the eastern part of Mizoram and is considered one of the most beautiful landscapes in Mizoram. It also has borders with Myanmar and Indians are allowed to cross the border and visit Rih Dil lake; which is around 15 kms into Myanmar. When we were planning the trip and booking hotels; this area was not safe for tourists because of insurgency and the borders were temporarily closed. Given the lack of hotels in Mizoram; we had to take a decision to visit western Mizoram in this trip and not go towards Champhai. However, the borders opened around 15 days before the actual travel dates; but it was late to change our itinerary. We did not have enough days to cover both sides. Ideally, we would have wanted to visit Champhai too. Next time 🙂

Are there any contact details for Mizoram drivers, resorts etc?

One of the things that I found in Mizoram (unlike Tripura) was locals were very helpful. We did not find any misleading information. If someone did not have the right information, they either said so or directed us to the right person. We were not satisfied with the car rental we took or the drivers we found, so I cannot recommend anyone confidently. I will list down the numbers and you can talk to them to see if it works for you.

Some of the contacts that one may find useful in planning the trip are:

• Zothana Zobawm Homestay Aizawl: +91 96123 66301 (We stayed here for 2 nights and were very happy with the hospitality and food. They even prepared local veg food on our request)
• Lalchhanchhuaha Papuia Puia TBC Car Rental Àizawl: +91 89746 26947
• Zoliana Chhakchhuak Mizoram Travel Agent: +91 96129 51288
• Pu Joe Thanga Zoram Travels: 98623 40123 (He is a travel agent and runs the cafetaria at Thenzawl Golf Resort
• Mapui Kgawlhring Mizoram: +91 70054 07425 (She runs a homestay in Aizawl and can arrange for car rentals as well. We did not use her services though, but she is very helpful)
• Ro Pianga Zokhawthar Tourist Lodge Mizoram: +91 98622 02975 (Zokhawthar is the India-Myanmar border town in Champhai district)
• Rorela Ralte Kawlkhul Mizoram Tourism Lodge: +91 89744 19053 (Kawlkhul is a town in Champhai district)
• Chawngtlai R Champhai Tour Guide: +91 98625 38351 (He is a tourist guide in Champhai)
• Thenzawl Golf Resort: 96120 65527

We do not have any phone number of resorts because the online booking confirmation does not carry any phone numbers. However, we did not face any issues with the bookings when we reached the resorts.

To sum it up, we had an excellent trip to Mizoram. However, it could have been better if we had better information. Hope this blog solves that for some of the travelers and helps them plan a memorable trip 🙂