A Trip to the Mesmerizing Mizoram

It was a long due that I want to put my heart out about my first visit to one of the most bewitching land of India - Mizoram. Finally, I got an opportunity to what I intended for. Being from the down south and as most of us think, Mizoram is a far-off land. It is not entirely untrue, after all Mizoram is almost 4,000 km from Tamil Nadu.

View of Lengpui Airport From Air

On the other hand, traveling for such a distant land for a rubbernecking trip deserves at least a week's time to explore and enjoy. Visiting Mizoram all the way from Tamil Nadu for a two day trip will obviously sound weird!

Aizawl

Eventually, I had a chance to visit this amazing Indian state with my friends for a 7-day trip and it was like a never before experience for us and most of us want to do this at least once every year. I was very clear that rather than browsing about the must visit places and interesting things to do in Mizoram, it will be better to explore the place as it is!

Mizoram Roads

I did not want to miss the surprise element that the place has to offer. Apart from reserving an accommodation, I had a petty rift with Google and I deliberately stopped myself from typing Mizoram on my keyboard. We were all set and the mood in my gang was electric!

Floria Hotel

It was time for us to bid a (temporary) adieu to the Charming Chennai. After a mind-numbing 8 hours and 40 minutes of flight journey (we had two tiresome plane changes, one in New Delhi and another in Guwahati), Mizoram was almost visible to us!

Accommodations of Hotel Floria in Aizawl

But then, the surprise element which I expected kick in, right before we headed for a landing! Not just the surprise element, but I was alarmed to see the runaway which is rested on a mountain! Yes, all I saw was watercourses running right below the mountain on which the Lengpui Airport is posing. It looked dangerous yet beautiful. It was kind of pitiable that I experienced the adrenaline rush, even before I set foot in Mizoram! I somehow pulled myself together and Mizoram beckons!

Zamzo Inhouse Restaurant, Hotel Floria

It was that time of the year and Mizoram was chilly (summer 20 to 29 °C and winter 7 to 22 °C). We hired a taxi cab and the friendly chauffeur was smooth-spoken in English and took us for a ride - literally. We had our reservation for deluxe rooms at the Hotel Floria (Dawrpui, Aizawl, Mizoram), which had the best reviews as the most popular hotel in the city of Aizawl.

Zamzo Restaurant Salad

It was just a few minutes into our cab ride and I already started to feel the excitement with a terrain which I have never seen anywhere in India. The roads, streets, houses and the whole of Aizawl, looked to me as if they were purposely hanging on the inclines! Approximately after 60 minutes (Lengpui Airport to Hotel Floria), we were there at the hotel and from outside, it looked great.

Zamzo Restaurant Non-veg Dish

The check-in stuff went quickly with the help of the friendly hotel staffs and the deluxe rooms were - excellent. After throwing our traveling bags inside, it was time for us to say, 'eat till you drop' in a chorus!

Chieck dish from Zomzo Restaurant

The in-house restaurant Zamzo Grill and Kitchen welcomed us with a tremendous ambience. The multi cuisine restaurant offered a long menu with several non-vegetarian delicacies, Afghani chicken to Beef sizzler with buttered vegetable & mash, Grilled fish with butter sauce to Stir fired chilli beef with scallions, Butter grill prawns to fish and chips with tatar, Chilli mushroom to Crispy corn salt and pepper, Tandoori roti to Cheese naan, Fried rice to Biryani, Ice tea to Red bull, I know it is getting long, but then; let me add one more here, the restaurant also houses a cozy Mocktail bar.

Mocktail Bar at Zamzo Grill and Kitchen

It was a great night and got to taste the much-needed rest that night.

Mizoram - A South Indian Perspective!

Aizawl at Night

Proud of being one of the most prominent bamboo producers of our country, the capital city of Mizoram, Aizawl's main identity is bamboo houses! Even houses with one or two levels are perfectly balanced using bamboo lumbers. If you have visited Aizawl, you will concur with me that the city is a favorite land for Mother Nature herself! As much as the city sweeps you off your feet with its beauty, there were times the city will make you look lost, in terms of facilities and amenities for visitors, due to its remote nature.

Mizo People

The food habits and food scenario of the adorable people are Mizoram is singular that they have two meals a day - breakfast and an early dinner. Before our trip to Mizoram, a few of our buddies had told us about the dog meat delicacies of this state. Although, most of us were not up for it, we had a few who made up their mind to get to know the taste of dog meat. On having a word with a middle-aged localite, we came to know that in the local Mizo community, dog meat is considered as a part of their custom. The dog meat is served among the households of Mizos as a respectable hospitality extended to guests and none of the restaurants in the city are serving dog meat.

Mizo Food

On the other hand, raw dog meats are sold by a few shops located across the markets of Aizawl. Do not panic as you would not be seeing dog carcass hanging upside down in the meat shops. The raw dog meat is made into chunks which are then preserved in dedicated boxes for sales. We, then, tried our hand with local delicacies, typical Mizo specialties, at a tiny roadside eating joint. We ordered pork, chicken, mutton and what not - everything we ordered came in a bowl, floating in a soup! On asking around, people made it clear that Mizos love to have boiled dishes. Missing crispy fried dishes, we had those foods; it was tasty and kind of refreshing!

Zawlaidi Wine

On knowing the 'breaking news' from one of the housekeeping personnel back at the hotel, that alcoholic beverages are banned in Mizoram, half of us were heartbroken! The only drink permitted in the state is a wine brand namely Zawlaidi. Manufactured at a lilliputian village of Hnahlan in the district of Champhai Zawlaidi, Zawlaidi is the exclusive alcoholic drink of Mizoram. When it is coming to wine, Zawlaidi was sweet and pungent - it was definitely a good deal. I have to mention yet another unique thing about the city of Aizawl that there are no movie theatres around!

Though we all are influenced by the western culture to an extent, I find the influence a bit more here in Mizoram. The generous people of Mizoram are highly westernized and all I came across were highly fashionable people. Another thing that made me exciting is the custom made bikes. The young bloods of the city 'vrooooooom' across the Mizoram roads with flashy custom made (modified) motorcycles. As the majority of the population is Christian, the city is dotted with churches across the length and breadth. Much said about the unique lifestyle of Mizo people, Mizoram trip was awesome and I already started missing it!

I went there as a traveler and got out as a localite, feeling wonderful. After all, Mizoram is one of a kind where you can move around with nature!

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