Haflong Tourrism guide

Haflong Travel Guide

Haflong is a picturesque hilly town, being honoured as the only hill station in Assam. It is located amidst the beautiful landscape of Haflong valley having a green vista of hills and mountains. It is a home to rare species of birds and unique orchids. In local language Dimashi, Haflong means "White Ants Hillock". Haflong tourism represents a blend of different culture, ethnic group and religion. Dimasas, Hmars, Nagas, Kuki, Hrangkhol, Baite Karbis, Khelmas and Mizos are some of the major tribes inhabit in Haflong. There culture and tradition can be best viewed by going for a tribal village tour. Different tribal dance forms and symptoms tribal food are a few memorable experiences.

Borail hill situated in the heart of the town is the prime attraction for nature lovers. Go trekking in the hills and enjoy pristine natural forest different birds and beautiful waterfalls.Haflong is also renowned for its adventure tourism like gliding, paragliding and trekking, or just enjoying Mother Nature at her best, Haflong is a great destination and known to be one of those picture perfect destinations.

Haflong is also famous for Jatinga Bird mystery. During foggy and misty weather in post-monsoon months generally September to November, on moonless nights when the air is blowing in the southern direction, the folk of birds flying towards the sources of light such as villagers' torches, they plunge down and are killed upon landing.

It was the bygone capital of Kachari kingdom, the ruins of the ancient kingdom can be seen via age-old stone house at Maibong.

Visiting Haflong by train from Lumding is a memorable experience as the route passes through many tunnels and it resembles the Kalka-Shimla track.

Major Attraction: In Jatinga the phenomenon of birds "committing suicide".

Major Festival: Chavang Kut Festival is celebrated in Haflong.

Location: 85 km from Silchar and 345 km from Guwahati.

What to buy: Handicrafts, fruits and spices.

Must Visit: Haflong Lake, Jatinga, Maibong.

Ideal Time: October to April.


Places to visit in Haflong

Haflong Lake

Haflong Lake

Maibang

Maibang

Umrangso

Umrangso

  • Haflong lake: A beautiful lake acclaimed as one of the largest natural lake situated in the heart of the town. With Hanging Bridge overpasses, it is a scenic spot have amenity of various leisure activities such as water sports and boating. You can enjoy picnic and camping here.
  • Maibang: Maibang is located on the bank of the river Diyung at about 53 km from Haflong. Which is historically renowned as The capital of the Kachari Kingdom from the 16th to 18th century. Today the place is known for its ruins of the kingdom. Stone house, Ramchandi Temple, the Mahur Lake & other ruins of the kingdom are the main attractions of the place. In Ramchandi Temple while its buildings have been damaged over time, stone carvings and the sculptures of the kingdom are preserved in the museum in the district of Haflong.
  • Borail range: Situated at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level, the peak will form the backdrop of an exotic trail for adventure lovers.
  • Umrangso: Situated at a distance of 112 km from Haflong, Umrangso is a beautiful place, known for its huge Hydel plant, which has come up under North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). The kapili River also flows through Umrangso, which offers a great scenic beauty. Near Umrangso, a hot water spring located named as GARAMPANI, the water of which is believed to have medicinal value.
  • Jatinga: Situated 9 km from Haflong town, Jatinga is famous for the bird mystery, the phenomenon of birds "committing suicide". During foggy and misty weather in post monsoon months generally September to November, on moonless nights when the air is blowing in the southern direction, the folk of birds flying towards the sources of light such as villagers' torches, they plunge down and are killed upon landing. The opinion is that weather conditions make changes in the magnetic qualities of the underground water in this area,

    thus disturbing the physiological rhythm of the local birds and they start behaving abnormally towards the sources of light. Around 44 species of birds have been found to have been caught by the phenomenon. Basically the birds of the neighbourhood areas caught in this phenomenon. Earlier these dazed birds were attracted by locals using bamboo poles, as they first took this natural phenomenon to be spirits flying from the sky to terrorize them, Nowadays due to the efforts made by conservation groups and wildlife officials, the killing of these birds have decreased by about 40 percent.

    A Rock concert accordingly known as Jatinga Rock Fest is held thrice every year in aid of Jatinga.
  • Muolhoi: Muolhoi is a small Christian village served as a headquarters for the World Peace Centre for the North East Region of India. Comprising of Hmar people their warm hospitality and pleasing nature is worth a mentioning. This locality is well known for its churches and chapels.

    Other beautiful places of North Cachar Hills include Pathar Nalla waterfalls, Khorongma, Laisong, Semkhor, Gunjung, Harangajao, Khrungming Reserve Forests etc.

What to do in Haflong

  • Trekking: Trekking to the tallest pick of the Borail Range is one of the major tourist attractions. The season for trekking starts from September to March, local guides are available at Jatinga village.
  • Angling: The Dehangi river, located around 50 km from Haflong is a paradise for angling lovers. The Dehangi river has an abundance of freshwater fishes which attract lots of the local anglers.

Best Time to visit Haflong

Summer in
Haflong

Haflong has a pleasant weather almost throughout the year. Summer starts from the month of June and extends untill August. The average temperature in summer varies from 24°C to 30°C.

Monsoons in
Haflong

Rainfall starts from the month of May and extends till the end of Septembe, but it is not distributed evenly throughout the place. Haflong has a pleasant weather during Monsoon you can enjoy lush green hills bathed by rain in monsoon.

Winter in
Haflong

The winter season at the starts in the month of November and stays till the month of February. The minimum temperature in winter lies between 10°C and 14°C. The weather at this time is cool and pleasant. Though the temperature lowers down considerably towards the end of December and the beginning of January, Haflong still looks awesome in the misty backdrop.

How to reach Haflong

Haflong by Air

The nearest airport to Haflong is the Umroi Airport, situated at Meghalaya, which is located at a distance of 252 km.
LGBA International Airport, situated at Guwahati, which is located at a distance of 345 km from Haflong.
Helicopter service from Guwahati to Haflong is also available at Guwahati Airport.

Haflong by railways

Haflong railway station is located at a distance of 3 km from the main town. There are many trains going to and from Haflong, which provide slow moving scenic ride through the hill station.
Lumding Junction Railway station is another railhead close to Haflong, which is situated at a distance 60 km away. It is a major train station connecting to rest of India by several trains.

Haflong by road

Haflong located at a distance of 355 km away from Guwahati the commercial capital of Assam and 84 km from Silchar. There are both government and private buses operating at regular intervals, connecting to Haflong from the major cities of Assam.

The distances to some important places are

Guwahati - 355 km
Diphu - 170 km
Dimapur - 266 km
Jorhat - 364 km
Nowgong - 309 km
Golaghat - 335 km

Where to stay in Haflong

Haflong has lots of medium to budget hotels and resorts available.

Some of the best accommodations in Haflong are :
Eastern Hotel (Near Police Station)
Joyoswary Hotel (Bus Stand)
Elite Hotel (Cinema Hall, Badani Town).