Dzükou/Dzüko Valley

Well.... there is no other way of putting it.... The north-eastern states of India are a paradise on earth for any traveller. The diversity and uniqueness of this region has captivated numerous anthropologists and researchers. Post independence, our leaders intended to safeguard the sanctity of these regions, which meant giving the indigenous tribes the respect and space to practice their ways of life. The place has thus, remained largely untouched by "mordernisation" making it (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful places to visit. 

This was my third visit to North-East India, but my first to the land of 'Nagas'. It was the allure of the  Dzükou Valley drawing me!

I will now try to take you through the experience of visiting Dzükou in the next 1000 words or so.

The gateway to Nagaland is the small but stylish town - Dimapur, reached either by air or by rail.  I reached Dimapur on a Tuesday afternoon at around 12 noon by air. For new travelers, in order to travel through the North-East, one needs an Inner line permit (ILP). The permit costs Rs 220 per person and can be obtained from the DC (Deputy Commisioners) office, which is about half an hour (by auto) from the airport. Fortunately, my visit to Nagaland was on the last day of Hornbill festival. The authorities had counters issuing the ILP in the airport to cater the huge tourist inflow only during the Hornbill festival duration. I was unable to apply online as they required a local address in Nagaland for the same. You can apply the ILP for a maximum of 3 districts and for a period of 30 days. Once you get it, hire an auto to the share taxi stand in Dimapur (near the railway station). It costed me Rs 300 from airport to the share taxi stand.

Several taxis (Sumo or Alto) ply to Kohima from the Dimapur Taxi stand, carrying passengers at a share cost of Rs 300 per head. WARNING: Be ready for whats to come!!! 75 kms of grueling and spine breaking journey; you must breathe in 'pure dust' for the next 4-5 hrs, owing to the massive road works which is weirdly taking place on the entire 75 kms all at the same time!!!! 

Thumb rule during travel in North east - the sun sets really early. So reach your destination before sunset.

I  reached Kohima at 1730hrs, by when it was pitch dark. You can ask the driver to  leave you at BOC (wonder why they charged an extra Rs 100 for that!), where you can find most of the accommodations. 
You can chose to stay at Kohima city (not an intelligent choice , thinking retrospectively!!)  or somewhere close to where you'd start your trek ie., Vishwema or Jakhama ( the homestays - check AirBNB). 

Once you settle in, you could take a stroll to explore the shops serving local Naga delicacies. Most of the shops here will close by 5pm, unless there is an event.

Free advice No.1: WAKE UP EARLY (4.30-5AM AND START FOR Dzükou EARLY!!!! (by around 0600hrs) . 

The trek to Dzükou can be approached  via two main routes from Nagaland

1. Choose Viswema ( if you are like me, not very confident on my fitness levels): A less intensive yet interesting route, with one to one-and-a-half hours of steep ascent followed by 2-3 hours of gradual up and downs of the valley.
2. Choose Zakama/Jakama if you are really bold and confident: An intense route with a sharp steep ascent for about 3-4 hours. The trail also crosses a few streams which hve reports of flash floods in the past. It is sometimes okay to NOT BE BOLD, especially in monsoons!

If you have spent the night in Kohima like me, then you 'll have to hunt for share taxis in the morning to take you to Vishwema/ Zakama. You might end up wasting time waiting for the taxis to fill up! 

Free Advice No. 2: DO NOT WAIT BEYOND 8AM TO START YOUR TREK!!

Kohima to Jakhama - 14 Km -Rs 40/head Share basis
Kohima to Vishwema - 21 Km - Rs 50/head Share basis
Kohima to either - non share basis - Rs 400-500 ( when you wake up late and cant afford to wait until taxis fill up! ...like me😅)

Right beside the entrance of the village is the office where you have to pay Rs 100 for the trek and Rs 200 for your camera. 

Entry office by the main road right at the entrance to Viswema

Keep in mind that the actual trekking point starts 8 km from here by a road right opposite to the office. 

 

The road right opposite to the Dzükou office

The trekking point is another 8km from the office by the main road

Hiring a taxi to reach the trekking point is a costly but wise option. It will cost you Rs 1500 (per vehicle) and will take about 1 hour to reach there (Consider the option of sharing with other trekkers). Be ready to punish your back and arse, the drive is simply 'rocking'!! Negotiating this stone laden path is better performed by a Sumo; the ALTO really cries all along and might even cease midway, forcing you to walk up the rest. 

A heroic (and according to some - unwise) option of walking the trail can take you anywhere between 3  - 4 hours, just to reach the main trekking point, leaving you breathless even before commencing the real trek!!  Unaware of the realities, I imagined myself to be a Hero, chose to scale this trail ....that too with about 15 Kgs on my back ....only to loose my way THREE times on seemingly similar diverging roads with no signboards or human souls whatsoever!!PHEW😰😰!! Having lost more than an hour or so finding the right way, luck came on my side as I was offered a drive by a local. It saved me a good two hours. 


Once you reach the trekking point, the fun begins. The further trail is marked with directions so that you don't loose the way.

The view point at the top shows in Google maps as 'Mount Iso Base Camp'

The trail greeted me with a carpet of red and orange leaves of the maple trees.  The red leaves within the green background and the clear blue sky has a distinct calming feel...

 

The trek start point when you approach from the village of Viswema

The initial part of the trek, as I mentioned earlier, is a challenging ascent for about an hour, up a steep rocky path. The trail winds through dense woods with lots of shade and very little direct sunlight. The path has strips of stony steps interspersed with roots of trees creating a natural staircase.  The branches of tree are en-sheathed by thick green moss, which I believe, grows only in areas with little or no pollution.

I hoped to find streams or waterfalls on the way, but found none, probably because it was winter. So, make sure you carry water with you...at least 1 litre (I don't know about the case in monsoons)...and a few snack bars to energize yourself. 

After a hard climb of an hour & a half, I reached the view  point.. and oh Yes, I probably fell in love again;-) The view was simply divine! On a clear day, the valley would probably reveal her pristine beauty in entirety.

Valley on a clear day (taken on my way back)

It was a foggy day. As the white fog engulfed the valley, the hills above rendered a ghostly attire. 

After a short rest, you can continue further on the mud path which hugs along the mountain sides to the Dzükou valley guest house. This is more or less flat with occasional shallow ups and downs. 

Trail through the mist and fog

The whole of the 3 hour hike, you would be on a lush green carpet of mountain sides. 

Green, green and more green

The accommodation available is in the form of 2 dormitories, one wooden floored and the other cement floored. The members of the Southern Angami Youth Organization (S.A.Y.O) are doing their best to make the tourists comfortable here.There are no prior bookings or reservations possible, but the rooms are quite affordably priced. There is also a 'luxury' accommodation in the form of 2 private rooms.

The humble accommodation at the valley

If it is a clear day, you are in store for a treat .... a beautiful sunset over the mountains!

You can rent a lot of amenities here at a very cheap price (but there is no sleeping bag...) 

Free Advice No. 3: CARRY A GOOD SLEEPING BAG.

After a refreshing tea, I wrapped myself up in warm clothes and set out to do my next favorite thing....interacting with the locals and fellow trekkers. It is never tiring to hear the stories of travel and culture they have to offer. And like always.....found quite a few mallus here too😃😃😃😃.

A simple dinner consisting of steaming hot rice, potato and dal was served to all of us. The shimmering full moon lit up the night sky. The temperature was pretty low at about 6C. Thanks to my warm clothes, I pulled through. It does drop further here, so be prepared for an uncomfortably cold night (esp. in December/January). In spite of renting 2 foam mats and 2 big blankets, it was quite impossible to sleep as my feet got incredibly cold... so...I recommend you to carry a good sleeping bag. One can rent it from the homestays/ hotels in Kohima/Vishwema/Zakama at Rs 50. There were people tenting on the grounds of the accommodation. (I wonder how they did that!!!)

Day 3:

Dont be a lazy arse!  Trust me.....you would not want to miss the blissful sight of the frost covered Dzoku valley😇. Do wake up early (at about 6am) and explore the valley below.

Early morning frost covered valley

The calmness with the light breeze in this green silent valley will make you wonder whether the time has stopped around you. The stroll takes about 3-4 hours, which bares you to witness three phases of the changing hues of the valley. The first, being a never ending white coat of frost. This slowly melts with the sun and forms little droplets of water which hangs from the leaves and twigs. After this emerges the underlying greens which you never get tired of seeing.

btw.... these are not flowers... they are dew drops after the sun melted the frost of the leaves

And just when you think it could not get any better, you come across a gentle little stream with crystal clear water .... Just take a moment to take in the beauty after which you cross it to get on to the other side.

Little formations of the pebbles, probably in prayer?...I'm not sure.... either way, it just adds to the beauty

You can also explore a natural cave system in the mountains by the valley (it is a further 1-2 hours hike from the valley). 

After returning from the valley, my plan was to stay the day in Dzükou and return down the next day as it was unlikely I could get to Vishwema before the sun goes down and getting any form of transportation from the trek point to the village was difficult after 1600hrs. However, I got lucky the second time.... some of the fellow travelers offered me a lift from the trekking point to Vishwema saving me about 3 hours of hike, which also meant I could go down the same day. This also meant, I got an extra day to visit the nearby villages in Kohima....a win-win..I guess!

After having Maggi, omlette and tea at the dorm, I started my return hike. The weather was a bit more sunny on the way back but the cool breeze was persistent. The steep descent was comparatively tougher than the climb.

The essence of such destinations, often can neither be entirely captured in pictures nor be described in words . Altogether, a must visit for anyone longing for a real 'affair' with nature! This one is a feast!!

I only pray that the recent and ongoing enhancement of the regions connectivity and infrastructure for tourism will not come at a price of the core essence of beauty and culture of this  paradise, which many know in their hearts as the 'north-east'. 



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Things to remember:

• Carry at-least 1 L drinking water with you
• Travel light. I suggest you carry not more than 8kg
• Strongly recommend to carry a sleeping bag esp. in the months of December/January [one can hire it from homestays in Vishwema/Zakama at Rs 50].
• Make sure you reach the main road (at Vishwema/ Zakama) before 1600hrs on your way back to get any transport.
• Prebooking a taxi on your way back and having it wait for you at the trek point is an option.
• Dont expect mobile network anywhere ( except at the view point where the steep ascend ends)
• Do not litter the valley with your plastic wastes🙏🙏
• This one is a request --> Please don't end up as one of the many travelers who has written and etched their names and what not on the rocks and trees!!! 🙏🙏

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