Discovering places in North East with sacred tales and stops
Freezing memories of surreal landscapes along the mountain slopes.
Meals with the locals and uncontrollable laughter at the fireside quips
That’s what you get when Holiday Scout plans your North East India trips.
Read through my experience in Arunachal Pradesh with Holiday Scout. Get an honest review with solid reasons as to why I recommend Holiday Scout for any North East travel.
It was awkward when he greeted me with a saffron Khata at the Guwahati airport. While I had spoken to Sange many times, it was my first meeting with him and there was a strange formality in the air. By the end of 15 days, I departed with a hug, smiles and jokes that only our group would laugh at. That is what Holiday Scout did to me – it changed a formal North East India trip to a lifelong bond of friendship and memories. I fell in love with North East India – especially Arunachal Pradesh, not just for the place and what it offered but the rich experiences that I had with Holiday Scout.
When I was invited by Holiday Scout to visit Arunachal Pradesh, I expected a general North East India itinerary with some offbeat places to visit. However, the reality far exceeded this expectation – all of which will be clear by the end of this blog post.
This blog post is my honest review of Holiday Scout – one of the certified North East travel operators. It not only details my experience with them but also, gives you enough reasons to consider them you plan a trip to North East India. You will soon learn what to expect in Holiday Scout’s North East India packages and what makes them different from the other operators.
Let’s start with why you need a travel operator to help you plan a North East trip!
Contents
- 1 Why do you need the help of a tour operator to plan a trip to North East India?
- 2 Introduction to Holiday Scout and its owner – Sange Tsering
- 3 Reasons to consider Holiday Scout for planning your North East India trip
- 3.1 1. Holiday Scout goes beyond the standard North East India packages
- 3.2 2. Your North East India itinerary includes many offbeat stops and experiences
- 3.3 3. You will get the real taste of the local culture when Holiday Scout is your North East India trip planner
- 3.4 4. From your pick up to the drop, everything is flawlessly executed
- 3.5 5. You have a well-serviced car with an experienced driver throughout your North East India vacation
- 3.6 6. Comfortable home stays and yummy food is a part of their offering
- 3.7 7. They really focus on safe travel – especially for women
- 3.8 8. Unscheduled stops and fun moments are a part of the package
- 3.9 9. You get knowledgeable North East India tour guides
- 3.10 10. The reputation and trust of this company opens many doors.
- 3.11 11. You will be a part of the a Sustainable tourism movement
- 3.12 12. You may arrive as a stranger but will leave as a part of a family
Why do you need the help of a tour operator to plan a trip to North East India?
Let being with an introduction to North East India. Popularly called as “Seven Sisters”, there are seven states that make this region – Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland and Assam. In addition to these, there is one brother state – Sikkim. The entire region is bordered by three countries – Bhutan, China and Myanmar.
North East India is known for its eclectic tribal culture, natural beauty and wildlife. A tour of North East India will introduce you some of the most unusual landscapes – from the floating islands called Phumdis in Loktak lake to the living root bridges and some of the world’s longest caving systems in Meghalaya. Equally amazing are the heritage and cultural experiences like the one in the 2nd largest monastery of Asia located in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh and the last head hunters of Nagaland.
That said, this region is an offbeat tourist circuit of India. Here are some challenges that merit engaging a good local North East India tour operator.
Tourism infrastructure is lacking in many ways
You will find that the tourism infrastructure in most of the North East India places is not as well developed as the popular Indian destinations like Rajasthan, Delhi, Kerala or Gujarat. There are several places where there are no big hotels. Airport too, are limited and quite far from the main circuit. Railway connectivity is limited.
There isn’t much information on the internet either – which makes it difficult to book travel and stay by yourself.
A North East India road trip is un-avoidable
There is no avoiding a North East India road trip. You will be traveling not just from the airport or railway station to the main city but also, within the states. The road conditions are not always uniform. You will find yourself driving through the clouds on the mountain roads with almost zero visibility in Meghalaya or might encounter snow at the high altitude passes like Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh.
The public transport system between the cities too, is limited – which almost makes the need to have a car mandatory. Most North East India travel packages include this – which takes away a major logistical challenge that you will face in this region.
Diverse local culture and food during your North East India trip
There are over 200 tribes in North East India and each of them have their own culture and language. Not all of them speak English or Hindi. Even in Arunachal Pradesh, which had a large majority speaking Hindi, in many of the hamlet’s we needed a local helping us out.
The local food too, differs quite a bit. You have a heavy concentration of Yak products in Arunachal Pradesh while Meghalaya is partial to pork. Opium is quite common in Nagaland – meriting local guidance to the various meals.
A good North East travel agent will always help you with these local nuances even provide a local guide or driver at various places. If you are by yourself, you might find it a bit difficult to meander through this maze of local nuances.
Permits requirements for your North East India itinerary
Given the border sensitive areas, there are several North East India places that require you to have a permit. In fact, if you are visiting Arunachal Pradesh, you need to even have it for entering the state. There are two types of permits – ILP (Inner line permits) for Indians and PAP (Protected Area Permits) for foreigners. Getting these need some documentation and not all of it can be done online.
You can always work these challenges on your own but in this region, it means a lot of time and effort. Also, there are several North East India travel packages available online but not all of them take care of these challenges. It is advisable to engage a reputed local travel operator will definitely help you with a seamless experience on a North East India trip.
Introduction to Holiday Scout and its owner – Sange Tsering
Holiday Scout is a travel company that was born from a Facebook community started by its current owner – Sange Tsering whilst he was still finishing his college. However, the tale behind this name and company started much earlier when he was just 15 years old. He happened to accompany a foreign visitor for a hike in his home state – Arunachal Pradesh. He discovered the magic of being a guide and decided that would be his future.
Encouraged by his uncle, who had a travel agency, he decided to get a certification in Travel and Tourism from Delhi. At the same time, he got practical on-ground training by interning. It was then he started this Facebook community – inviting people to visit his home state. He not only shared stories but also, offered help in creating and organising North East India trip itinerary.
Back home after his studies, he launched the offline version of Holiday Scout – catering to North East India travel. With his expertise in this region, he soon became popular, so much so that he was included in the top 50 people to know in the Himalayas by Conde Nast Traveler.
Today, Holiday Scout is a renowned North East India holiday company. It is not just valued by its clients but other stakeholders in the tourist circuit – starting at the highest level involving the State and district tourism minister and boards to local artisans and home stay owners.
Reasons to consider Holiday Scout for planning your North East India trip
I am sure that the introduction has already made you curious about my recommendation of Holiday Scout for a tour of North East India. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Let me give you more reasons – all based on my own experience with Holiday Scout.
1. Holiday Scout goes beyond the standard North East India packages
Check on the internet and you will find very standard North East India travel packages – ranging from 5 days to 15 days. These just include the popular tourist destinations like Tawang, Kaziranga or Meghalaya. Very few packages are available for the other Northeastern states. They are also, not all inclusive – some offer only stay and transport. Meals, permits or entrance bookings are not always included.
With Holiday Scout, you not only get an all-inclusive North East India tour plan but one that is customised to your interests. Sange takes care of your permits, meal requirements, bookings for various places, transport and stay. All you have to do is just have fun.
2. Your North East India itinerary includes many offbeat stops and experiences
Holiday Scout not only offers the offbeat circuits like Mechuka but even within the popular circuits includes lesser known places. They have North East India trip plans that cater to specific interests and experiences. For example – there are offerings for hikers, bikers, culture enthusiasts as well as packages revolving around the unique festivals in this region.
Given our group’s interest, Sange had very artfully customised the Tawang circuit itinerary to include offbeat destinations like Morshing village and Thingbu. Even within the popular destinations like Tawang, he add some offbeat fun by taking us to Mukto for an immersive experience of making hand-made paper and watching an artist make Yak hair hat. At Dirang, we even attended a Momo-making class.
3. You will get the real taste of the local culture when Holiday Scout is your North East India trip planner
It is one thing to learn about the culture through the guide’s narrations and another to actually experience it. With Holiday Scout, you actually get to live it.
From rituals during North East India festivals to day-to-day ceremonies, there were tons that I gleaned from Sange’s stories. However, I realised the true essence of these as I got involved with them. When I lit the butter lamps at the monastery, Sange explained the meaning of the ritual and also, taught me the incantation that accompanied the process.
I always thought one just bought prayer flags off the rack and hung them at the various mountain passes and river fronts. Sange enlightened me that the flags have to be blessed by a monk and then tied at various places.
4. From your pick up to the drop, everything is flawlessly executed
Your North East India travel plan will be managed perfectly to ensure you have the best experience. The team plans your day such that you get adequate rest but at the same time, get to see all that is relevant. Tiny details like water bottles, food, rest breaks etc are taken care of.
They even prepare for the unforeseen, like carrying snow chains for a trip through the passes. When I visited Tawang, the temperature dropped to minus, so much that the water in the homestay was frozen in the pipes. Sange leapt into action by hiring out mattress heaters and ensuring we have a good night’s sleep.
5. You have a well-serviced car with an experienced driver throughout your North East India vacation
It was a brand new Scorpio with an ever-smiling Nima that picked me up at Guwahati airport. The car had just been through one trip and was perfect for those mountainous roads. Nima was an expert driver who had done multiple journeys on the North East India roads and knew how to work his way even on off-roads. Shy and polite, he took a little longer to open up but by the end of the trip, he was cracking jokes and sharing stories.
What was amazing to see is that on the day our Arunachal trip got over, Nima sent his car for a quick service to get it ready for the next trip that was to happen after a day. Sange explained that this was the general practice he followed for all his trips to ensure that the clients do not face any issues on their North East India road trips.
I even met Tasi in Jang, who accompanied us in his four-wheel gypsy to Thingbu. He too, works with Holiday Scout and was quite a driver on those narrow ledges that ran by the River Thingbu. Both Nima and Tasi have been trained by Sange to double up as Holiday Scout guides. They do have their share of amazing stories.
6. Comfortable home stays and yummy food is a part of their offering
The North East India holiday destinations do not have a plethora of hotels. There are, in fact, very few chains and those are restricted to bigger towns like Shillong and Tawang. In most of the other places, you have to opt for home stays.
Holiday Scout has an amazing network of these stays that you will love for its warmth and comfort. That said, they have two of their own properties. – Dirang boutique cottages which is right by the river Dirang and Bomdila boutique stay which has an endearing view of Bomdila town. Both the properties were just delightful and the icing on the cake – their home-cooked meals.
From steaming Tingmo bread to tangy Shakshuka and Phing noodles, there was something new and local to try out every day. Even at the Tawang guest house that Sange had reserved for us, he ensured we tried something new – I specially loved the Thenthuk on a chilly evening.
Along with the North East India food, Sange also, ensured that there was some safe and common dishes like rotis and vegetable that would satiate us – in case the local delicacy was not to our liking.
7. They really focus on safe travel – especially for women
Well-conditioned cars, safe stays and experienced drivers are just the beginning of the safety list that Holiday Scout follows. Besides this, Sange keeps an eye and ear out for the day-to-day changes that could affect your North East India holiday.
Through his local network, he actively checks the road and weather conditions before you set off. I recall this for our trip through Sela Pass where it was actively snowing. Before we set out in the morning, he told us that the roads were clear and at the moment, it was not snowing there. Nonetheless, he took adequate precautions by carrying snow chains and ensuring we were all bundled up well.
That said, Holiday Scout has special packages for women travelers in small groups. Growing up in North East India where women are highly empowered and respected, Sange feels that with these packages, women can explore the offbeat without any fear.
8. Unscheduled stops and fun moments are a part of the package
“What would you call Peter Parker and his girlfriend if they got married?”
After sitting through a bunch of our replies, Sange guffaws and replies – “Newly webs”. He and Nimo continue to laugh while we roll our eyes with a smile to what we called the start of “Sange Jokes”.
There is never a dull moment when you are traveling with Holiday Scout. Sange and his team keep you entertained with stories, jokes and information. Every now and then, if you find something interesting, you just have to exclaim and Sange will ask you if you wish to stop and spend some moments there.
With Holiday Scout, I can say that any North East India trip package is not about ticking off places. It is a slow, immersive journey – the one that I love and believe does justice to the land.
9. You get knowledgeable North East India tour guides
Prior to every stop, Sange would give share an intriguing story or fact about it. Ask him more and he would smile with a. Reply “I shall tell you and show you more when we reach there.” With the pulse set, the expert storyteller would complete the rest of the tale with a sensorial experience.
It wasn’t just him who had this ability to keep us engaged. I met several other guides during the course of my Arunachal trip with Holiday Scout who were equally amazing. Lamu in Dirang shared some pretty interesting legends during our visit to Dirang Dzong while Tasi in Jang shared factual information about Thingbu and its people. All of them, have been trained by Sange himself.
Sange does not hesitate to include experts at various places. He passed on the reins of being a guide to Lama Chukpa at the Bomdila monastery. Never before in any monastery, have I understood the religion, their rituals and various facets of the place better than what Lama Chukpa and Sange shared. The knowledge I gleaned made me appreciate the monasteries And trust me, he was a charm!
10. The reputation and trust of this company opens many doors.
Doors open wide when people see Sange or his team. We were invited to so many local homes for refreshments and a chat in almost every place that we visited. The best part was restricted areas too, were shown – just because we were Sange’s guests. At Bomdila monastery, we were shown His Holiness’ Dalai Lama’s private chambers while at Tawang monastery, we saw the monks in action making Tormas for a festival.
The reputation and trust that comes with the company is what makes this magic happen – which in turn is what makes their North East India travel itinerary so unique.
11. You will be a part of the a Sustainable tourism movement
Holiday Scout as a company believes in “Giving back to the society”. From training youngsters to promote tourism to supporting schools, old age homes and education of girls, there are tons of projects that Holiday Scout has already undertaken. You can read more about these initiatives here.
I was in fact, witness to another initiative that they have embarked on – “Certifying and training youth to become knowledgeable tourist guides”. We had the privilege of meeting the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh – Pema Khandu in Tawang where Sange took up this cause for support from him. Sange felt it was the need of the hours – to provide employment to the youth and also, to promote tourism meaningfully.
Another interesting initiative that I saw was The Chham – a dance program that happens in Bomdila school every evening. College kids perform various tribal dances to showcase the rich heritage of North East India. They earn from this part time gig and at the same time, the initiative promotes the culture of the region. Holiday Scout has been actively involved in starting this as well as promoting it.
Sange believes that “You cannot grow alone. You take everyone along with you and the prosperity manifests two-fold”. With Holiday Scout, their initiatives and local experiences, I felt I did do my part towards the sustainable tourism measures that the world strongly needs these days.
12. You may arrive as a stranger but will leave as a part of a family
Those warm fireside chats at the end of the day with Sange and family are bonds that were formed for life. Sange’s mom is a treasure trove of knowledge – from gardening to cooking, there was tons that she shared with me. She was up and about early in the morning to wish us luck before we left.
As I mentioned at the start of my blog, I started as a stranger but departed with connections that I will cherish for life. That is how Holiday Scout treats you when you visit North East India.
If you too, are looking for a partner to plan a trip to North East India or even Ladakh, check out Holiday Scout on this website. You can even get in touch with Sange directly on +91 9540698458. I am sure you will love the authentic experiences they have to offer.
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P.S: Though I was invited by Sange to explore North East India - specifically Arunachal Pradesh, what I have shared is truly and honestly my opinion and view. The trip was one of the best that I have ever had and that is all thanks to Holiday Scout.
Popularly referred to as a Restless Ball of Energy. My Mom refuses to entertain my complaints about my equally restless daughter & assures my husband that I was born with a travel bug.
I am a Post-Graduate in Marketing by qualification and a travel blogger by passion. Besides travel, I enjoy photography and if you don’t find me at my desk, I would be out playing badminton or swimming or just running. I believe in planning for every long weekend through the year. And when I cannot travel physically, I travel virtually through this travel blog. My travel stories have also, got published on various websites and magazines including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet India and Jetwings. I have recently published my first book – When Places Come Alive – a collection of stories that are based on legends, landscapes, art and culture of a place which is available in both ebook and paperback format.
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