Mizoram - the happiest state in India, has more reasons to make you happy than one. The lush green rolling mountains, crisp fresh air, and warm welcoming locals will instantly make you fall in love with this most mesmerizing North East state. And with air connectivity and road infrastructure getting better, there are reasons enough why Mizoram should be in your travel bucket list.
Most Instagrammable Destination
Mizoram is known for its breathtaking beauty. A perfect place to go on long drives, every turn opens up to picture-perfect vistas. Rolling hills, unending verdant meadows and paddy fields, the beauty of Mizoram stays with you for a long long time. At an altitude of 1132 metres, Aizawl the capital city of Mizoram looks like a shinning jewel post sunset. While every place in Mizoram is fabulously beautiful, Lunglieh, Reiek, Vantawng waterfalls, the border district of Champhai and Murlen ational Park are among the best places to visit in Mizoram.
Happiest State in India
The smile on every locals' face will tell you they have left their worries and stress far behind or perhaps they have learnt to manage them well. A study done in April 2023 reveals that Mizoram tops the Happiness Index among all Indian states. Based on several parameters, the Happiness Index takes into account family relationships, work-related issues, social issues, philanthropy, religion, Covid-19's effect on happiness, and physical and mental health to come to this conclusion. A holiday in Mizoram will help you pause, slow down and surely leave you happy and rejuvenated.
Aizawl is a Horn-Free city
Aizawl is the first and only Horn-Free city in India, and what makes it all the more amazing is it is a people's initiative. Coming from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore where honking is most common, it is therapeutic to be able to drive around Aizawl city without the sound of honking cars. People here restrain themselves from speed driving or overtaking and the discipline they maintain on roads is simply superb. When I wanted to stop at a shop, my driver took the car to a side road and came back to the main road only when I was ready to drive on. Such conscious driving makes travelling in Mizoram an enjoyable experience.
Champhai - your Wine Tourism Destination
Around 200 Kms from Aizawl lies the amazing border district of Champhai. The crisp fresh air, the mountain views and the endless paddy fields makes Champhai one of the most beautiful places to visit in Mizoram. Known as the 'fruit bowl of Mizoram', Champhai has been producing the most amazing grapes in many of its villages. Hnahlan, a quaint village in Champhai district alone produced over 17,000 MT of grapes in 2020-21. With two wineries here - the Champhai Winery and the Hnahlan Winery, Champhai is a budding Wine Tourism Destination of India. I had the pleasure of attending The Grape Escape Wine Festival in August 2023 and had a first-hand experience of visiting the impressive vineyards, meeting the grape growers and raising a toast to the fine Isabella red wine.
Cross over to Myanmar without Visa
Champhai shares its borders with Myanmar at Zokhawthar. Under the Free Movement Regime, people can cross over to each side of the country (up to 16 kms) without visa or even passport. It is an amazing experience as I just had to cross the bridge by foot to reach Myanmar. The nearest tourist point is the amazing Rih Dil Lake. As the name suggests, the lake is shaped like the dil or heart. There are motorcycles ready to take you on a 10mins uphill drive to the lake - the sight which is simply magnificent. Tourists shop a lot in Myanmar as the Kyat is much cheaper than the Indian rupee (In August 2023, Re 1 = 30Kyat approx.). You can buy energy drinks, Ramans, clothes and knick-knacks from the other side. To top it all, you can buy alcohol at cheaper price. After having a cuppa and bun for 600 Kyat, I headed back - happy and content with my shopping.
My four-day trip to Mizoram was full of adventure. Long mountain drives, amazing people and the breathtaking beauty all around will ensure that I come back to Mizoram soon enough. And of course many thanks to Mizoram Tourism and Indiatourism North East for making this trip most memorable.
