Arrive Dibrugarh (103 mtrs above sea level). Received and transferred to a Heritage Chang Bungalow (20 kms/30 mins) in the midst of a tea garden. Take a walk around a tea plantation. Pick your own tea leaf to see it being processed the next morning. In the evening enjoy a dance performance by an ethnic Assamese dance group on the bungalow lawns. Overnight at the Chang Bungalow. DIBRUGARH is the gateway to the “Hidden Land” of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and Northern Myanmar. The Ahoms from Thailand came through Northern Myanmar to this area in the 13th century to establish their Empire which thrived in the ancient land of Assam. It is the “Camellia” town of Upper Assam, an undisturbed haven, with its rich tea gardens resembling a lush green carpet. CHANG BUNGALOWS. Chang in the local language means “raised on stilts” and the design served multi purposes- to keep the house cool by allowing the breeze to blow underneath and to keep both water and animals out! BIHU is the most popular folk dance of Assam. The people of Assam are very proud of its unique position among all other such dances of India. Except Bhangra (the popular folk dance of Punjab), no other folk dance in India can compete with the rhythmic exuberance of the Bihu dance. Please note that there is no tea plucking between December and mid March and hence the actual manufacturing process of tea cannot be demonstrated when one visits the factory during this period. Factory also remains closed on Mondays of the week
Day 02: Dibrugarh
Post breakfast, drive on to the river front and take a BOAT CRUISE on the mighty River Brahmaputra in a country boat. Cruise upto a beach island in the midst of the river. Thereafter take a tea tour around a tea estate known for producing high quality CTC teas. The experience becomes more exciting as you will witness the leaf plucked by you the previous afternoon being processed. Overnight at the Chang Bungalow.
A TEA TOUR through a 157 years old heritage tea garden gives an insight into the different activities that vary from season to season. It teaches us all about tea- its origin, how it is grown, tea tasting and its quality. CTC (Crush, Tear and Curl) tea is a method of processing tea. In this process the leaves instead of being rolled, are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of small sharp "teeth" that Crush, Tear, and Curl.
This style of manufacture has the advantage that the finished product brews quickly, gives a dark infusion rapidly, is well suited for tea bags, and yields more cups per kg. In the Indian domestic market, this type of manufacture has virtually taken over - over 80% of tea production is of the CTC type.
CTC teas produce a rich red-brown color when they are boiled, which adds a beautiful color to tea made in the Indian style. This is done by boiling leaves in a mixture of milk, water and sugar and some spices (producing Masala Chai). With this production method, the tea does not get bitter, and its red colour comes through the white of the milk.
Day 03: Dibrugarh
After the breakfast take a tea tour around Mancotta Tea Estate known for its Orthodox type of tea. Later we will facilitate a visit to a weaving centre to see the traditional looms and the weaving of silk. Evening at leisure or option to go for shopping. Overnight at the Chang Bungalow.
Orthodox Tea : The manufacturing process of orthodox tea is similar to that of CTC tea. Instead of the tea leaves being crushed, they are rolled in a machine that twist and break the leaves to release the natural chemicals that later react with oxygen in the air and give the tea its characteristic aroma and taste. It is the leafy variety of tea.
Day 04: Dibrugarh - Tinsukia
Today we visit another tea plantation near Chabua, Dinjoye Tea Estate (30 kms/ 45 mins) also known for its quality Orthodox tea. Thereafter, we drive onto Tai Phakial village (80kms/2 hr) - an ethnic village whose kith and kin date back to the Ahom period. The villagers still maintain their age-old culture - a village worth exploring. We return to Dibrugarh late in the afternoon after lunch. Enroute we visit the Bell’s Temple. Overnight at the Chang Bungalow. Tai Phakial village is situated near the River Buri-Dihing. A Buddhist monastery dots the village which belongs to the Hinayana sect. Tai translation of the Ramayana written on handmade paper has been recently discovered in this village. The structure of the houses is unique as the walls are made of bamboo and the roof is of palm leaves (Toko), mounted over a Chang or stilt.
The story behind how the Bells Temple was born goes back to about 50 – 60 years, when a man had a dream where he was told to tie a thread around the tree. On doing this, his wish was fulfilled. One night he again dreamt that as a thanksgiving he should hang a bell on the tree. So he did just that. Today, one can see thousands of bells of different sizes hung around the tree. A banyan tree is right in the middle of the the temple, a huge tree, with a band of red thread around it which is an indication of the belief people have in the story narrated above.
Day 05: Dibrugarh - Digboi- Dibrugarh
Another day of visiting a tea plantation. Today we visit Chota Tingrai Tea Estate (50 kms/ 1˝ hrs.) located in Tinsukia district of Assam. The garden produces CTC type of tea. We take a tour around the lush tea garden and the factory to see the CTC tea manufacturing. Later we drive to Digboi (50 kms/ 1˝ hrs), the first Oil town of South Asia. We visit the Oil Museum and the 2nd World War Allied Forces Cemetery where 200 graves are permanently maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Afterwards we drive to Margherita (20 kms / 45 mins) and visit the Singpho village. Return to Dibrugarh for overnight stay at the Chang Bungalow. Digboi : Digboi is a small but wonderful town in Tinsukia district in the north-eastern part of the state of Assam, India. Petroleum was discovered here in the late 19th century and the Digboi oilfield is among the oldest oil fields. Since a significant number of British professionals worked for the Assam Oil Company as late as until a decade following the independence of India, Digboi has a well developed infrastructure and a number of bungalows unique to the town. It has a world class golf course with 18 holes as part of the Digboi Club. Singpho people are Theravada Buddhists by religion. The Singphos are divided into a number of clans, each under a chief known as “Gam”. They were the first to introduce the tea culture in Assam. N.B.- Digboi museum remains closed on Mondays.
Day 06: Dibrugarh - Kaziranga
Today we will drive to Kaziranga (220 kms/ 5 hrs). Enroute visit Tea Research Association (TRA) at Jorhat (140 kms/ 3 hrs). Thereafter drive to Kaziranga National Park and check in at hotel for 2 nights. Tea Research Association (TRA) is a registered co-operative society dedicated to scientific research and extension for improvement in productivity and quality of tea in North East India. Research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing is carried out at the Tocklai Experimental Station, Jorhat. It is the oldest and the largest research station of its kind in the world. Kaziranga National Park – A World Heritage Site, is home to more than 75% of the world’s population of the great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros. Kaziranga has a wide variety of fauna and avifauna in a unique habitat. Grasslands, mainly comprise close tangled and thorny rattan cane, elephant grass and tall trees of the evergreen forest, interspersed with numerous water bodies, marshes and shallow pools. The main wildlife besides the Rhino comprise of the Asiatic Water Buffalo, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Swamp Deer, Barking Deer, Hog Deer and Sambar. More than 400 species of birds are found in the park. Note : The Park remains open from 1st November to 30th April only.
Day 07: Kaziranga
Early morning we take an elephant safari in the central range of the park followed by a jeep safari after breakfast to the same range of the park. In the afternoon, we visit the western range of the park by jeep. Overnight at the hotel.
The Central Range passes through the entire habitat spectrum from ox-bow lakes, savannah woodland to Dillenia Swamp Forest. It is very good for mammal sightings as well as birds (Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Great Hornbill, Rufous Woodpecker). Driving along one can see rows of Indian Roofed and Tent Turtles (Kachuga tecta and Kachuga tentoria). Water Monitors Varanus salvator is sometimes seen in the beels. The elephant ride also takes place in this part of the park and one gets good views of the Rhino while traversing through its terrain of swamps and tall grass. It is also good for early morning photography of rhinos in the mist. There are chances of seeing Bengal Florican from the elephant.
The Western Range has the highest density of Rhinos, as this part is swampier with extensive Haemarthia compressa stands. It is also good for grassland birds and raptors (Swamp Francolin, Pallas's Fish-Eagle). Smooth Indian Otters Lutrogale perspicillata is sometimes seen fishing in the ox-bow lakes.
Day 08: Kaziranga - Guwahati
After breakfast we drive to Guwahati (220 kms/ 5 hrs) and check in at hotel for 2 nights. Evening visit Shankerdev Kalashetra. Overnight at the hotel. Guwahati : Situated on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Kamrup District of Assam, Guwahati is a fast growing premier city. It is the gate way to the North Eastern States of India and a principal center of socio cultural, political, industrial and trade and commerce of the entire region. Dispur, the capital of Assam is a part of Guwahati. Earlier, this city was full of areca nut trees rappled by pan creepers. Hence this city subsequently got the name Guwahati. The word ‘Guwa’ in Assamese means areca nut and Hat means market. Srimanta Shankerdeva Kalashetra - a multi-art complex portrays the rich cultural diversity and life of Assam as well as that of the North-east. This art complex has been named after the greatest Vaishnava saint and the integrator of the Assamese society, which is why it is chosen as the venue for many cultural activities. Enjoy the sound and light programme on the history of the region here.
Day 09: Guwahati
After breakfast visit Kamakhya temple. Thereafter visit the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre. After lunch, cruise on the river Brahmaputra upto Umananda Temple on the world’s smallest river island known as the ‘Peacock Island’. Overnight at the hotel.
Situated atop the Nilachal Hills, the foremost shrine of Assam, Kamakhya Temple dominates the life of Guwahati, as much as the great Brahmaputra River. Kamakhya is an ancient seat of tantric and shakti cults of Hinduism. A rush of devotees throng the temple during the Ambubachi Mela (June).
One of the largest tea auction centres of the world is located at Guwahati. For better marketing of the tea produced in Assam and the entire North Eastern States, a tea auction centre - Guwahati Tea Auction Centre - was established in 1970. This is the world's largest CTC tea auction centre and the world's second largest, in terms of the total tea auctioned.
The Shiva temple of Umananda stands on an island in the middle of the River Brahmaputra. Its location, at the top of a steep flight of steps up from the beach on the Bhasmachala hill, is, however, more dramatic than the temple itself. This hill is associated with the legend of Shiva burning Kaama, or the God of Lust to ashes.
Day 10: Fly out
Drive to Guwahati airport (20 kms/ 45 mins) to board flight for onward destination.
