13 Best Things to See and Do in Mizoram

Mizoram– the lesser known North-Eastern state of India is inhabited by various tribes who practise a wide range of religious customs and cultural splendour. Blessed with a diverse range of geographical features, this small state brings excellent opportunities of travelling over the small hillocks with winding trails where one can get the adventurous feel of mountain biking. The landscape of Phawngpui Hills, Vantawang Falls or even Palak Lake looks incredibly picturesque whereas the heritage sites at Chhingpui talk about the forgotten past of the Mizo life. Typical food habit, dance forms, attires, and local music add zing to the overall cultural panorama of Mizoram and tend to be a great deal for any travel enthusiast who would love to taste offbeaten.

So to tell you specifically about what all you can experience during your holidays in this North-Eastern state, here we list the best things to see and do in Mizoram.

Best Places to See & Visit in Mizoram:

Phawngpui Hills

Located in Chhimtuipui District near Myanmar border, Phawngpui Hills is the highest mountain peak in Mizoram and claimed to be one of the best places to visit in Mizoram. Dubbed as the ‘House of Gods’, this quaint hill station is rich in vibrant species of orchids, fragrant herbs, exotic fauna and colourful rhododendron. The panoramic views of the lush green hillocks spread across the region of Phawngpui and the bamboo groves enriched surroundings are must witness during your trip to Mizoram.

Phulpui Grave

Around 159km from main Aizawl town, Phulpui Grave is a popular element of sightseeing tour in Mizoram and known among the travellers for its twin graves. The legend behind the formation of the grave revolves around a love story which states that once Zawlpala, the Chief of Phulpui village, married the gorgeous beauty, Talvungi of Thenzawl. During those days polygamy used to be practised. That is why Talvungi was later married to the chief of Rothai, Punthia. But she could not forget her former husband. After a long time when Zawlpala died she could not resist the shock and out of grief she dug a grave next to the one of Zawlpala and asked an old lady to kill her and burry in the grave.

Memorial of Chhingpui

Built as a symbol of eternal love, the Memorial of Chhingpui is located on the Aizawl-Lunglei Road between Baktawng and Chhingchhip villages. Behind the formation of this memorial an interesting story works which states that there was a very beautiful lady in this region whose name was Chhingpuii. She was born in an aristocratic family. A huge group of young lads were ready to sacrifice their life to marry her, but she decided to marry Kaptluanga as her husband. But after a few years of her marriage, she was abducted and killed and the life of those happily married couple shattered. The heinous incident broke Kaptluanga into pieces and resulted in taking his life. One of the most famous tourist destinations of Mizoram, this monument today reminds the legendary love story of Chhingpuii and Kaptluanga.

Vantawang Falls

A lively waterfall in Serchhip district of Mizoram, Vantawang Falls is around 137km from Aizawl and attracts travellers for its scenic surroundings. Vantawang Falls is claimed to be the highest and most spectacular waterfalls in the state. The fall is located in Vanva River near Thenzawl and is surrounded by lush greenery and rocky terrain. Reach there in the afternoon for an awesome photography session and carry the best memories of Mizoram with you.

Thenzawl

Close to the waterfall of Vantawang, Thenzawal is a small town known for its grassy slopes and tranquil environment. It is a flat area where one can see translucent green paddy fields meeting the horizon with various shades of wild flowers. Head to this place for capturing some of the best views and make your trip memorable.

Palak Lake

Situated near Phura Village at a distance of around 400 km south of Aizawl, Palak Lake is an oval shape natural lake. One of the most popular lakes in Mizoram, this beautiful waterbody covers an area of around 1 sq km and is surrounded by lush virgin forests. Apart from the scenic landscape the lake vicinity is also popular for housing exotic species of flora and fauna. The adjacent areas to the lake are inhabited by the most common wetland birds and birds from hill. Palak Lake is also considered as the stop-over for migrating Pintail Duck.

Top Things to Do in Mizoram:

Go Mountain Biking in Hmuifang Hill

Going for mountain biking would be one of the best things to do in Mizoram and to try that Hmuifang Hill has no other second. Hmuifang Hill is located at a height of around 1524m and brings unbeaten trails to be explored through biking. The hill runs from north to south and turns to be quite challenging to be explored. There are several trails in this hills that can be explored on a bike ride among which Trail Baktawng, Trail Sialsuk, Trail Lungleng are the most significant. For amateur bike riders the hill top of Chawilung/Hmuifang/Sumsuih/Thiak village are the best option.

Go Trekking in the Virgin Forests

Photo: https://bit.ly/1Fn13zC

In Mizoram, most of the forests are virgin. So, if you get a chance to go trekking you would love the unspoilt beauty of its scenic charm. For the adventurous souls, the state has variety of options for trekking. Phawngpui or Blue Mountain National Park Trekking and Camping is considered as one of the top trails in Mizoram. Champhai district is yet another delight for the trekkers. Some of the most off beaten trekking trails in Mizoram are Lengteng and Mawmrang.

Caving in Khuangchera Puk

There are a few caves in Mizoram that can be explored without much hassle. Among which Khuangchera Puk is the best pick ever. The cave is located in Ailawng near Reiek, at a distance of around 30 km from Aizawl in the west. It is claimed to be the longest cave in Mizoram with a length of around 162m. The darkness inside the cave, peculiar acoustics, and stalagmite formations make this cave an ideal pick for the thrillseekers.

Attend the Chapchar Kut Spring Festival

Though it is not an all time affair but yes if you are travelling to Mizoram in March you should not miss to attend the spring festival of Mizoram which is known as Chapchar Kut. The festival takes place after the preparing the field for Jhum cultivation. The festival is regularly celebrated on the first week of March. On the day of Chapchar Kut people of all ages gather in the festival ground getting dressed in all colourful attires. Popular dance forms of Mizoram like Cheraw, Khuallam, Chheihlam, Chai and Sarlamkai are performed.

Visit Luangmual Handicrafts Centre

Located at a distance of around 7km from main Aizawl Town Luangmual Handicrafts Centre is a popular spot to view the grandeur of Mizo handicrafts. Among the catchiest things you will find Khumbeu which is made of waterproof wild hnahthial leaves.

Try the Mizo Bland Food

If you love to experiment with your food habit, try to take the challenge of gulping Mizo food. Mizos do not use much spices in their food. They love to keep in bland. Soup is an inseparable part of their meal. To get the actual taste of the authentic Mizo cuisine, you should try these in roadside food stalls. Bai is a typical non-vegetarian Mizo dish which is prepared by steaming vegetables and teaming it up with pork, bamboo shoot and spinach. You can also try Vawksa Rep or Arsa Buhchiar. Among the beverages you should try Lubrusca grape wine.

Buy Some Colourful Souvenirs

There is no doubt about the fact that Mizos are excellent weavers and craftsperson. So, you should try to buy a few souvenir items from local market. Paun, a beautifully woven cloth can be found at Bara Baazar or at Millenium Centre. In case you are much fond of such artefacts explore Bara Baazar well and I am sure you will get your pick without much hassle.

However, lakes like Tam Dil, villages like Reiek, town of Champhai are other popular attractions in Mizoram. People, who are much fond of adventure activities, can join paragliding at S. Vanlaiphai. It is around 86km from Aizawl. For better wildlife sighting one can travel to Murlen National Park where a sizable population of leaf monkey, leopard, elephant, Blyth’s tragopan, Kaelej Pheasant are found. So, plan for a trip to Mizoram this vacation and taste the flavour of lesser known India.

Now that I have shared my list of favourite activities to enjoy in Mizoram, I hope you too will share yours. In case, you happen to travel to this North-Eastern state in near future or have travelled in past, do let us know about your experience.

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