Blue hills bound the view on almost every side, the villages are buried in groves of slender palms,

feathery bamboos, and broad-leaved plantains, and even the dry season the country looks fresh and
green'. (Imperial Gazetteer, Vol 6, 1908)
Assam has enjoyed a reputation for unspoiled natural beauty, substantial biodiversity, tea
plantations, and friendly people. The Brahmaputra, the lifeline of the valley which shares its name,
floods the nearby land with fertile silt every year to ensure a rich harvest. It is bound on either side
by marshy land covered with thick jungle grass, interspersed with patches of rice fields and terraced
tea gardens. There is little to interrupt the vast panorama except the occasional lone hillock. Only in
the south of the valley is the even horizon broken by the hills of Karbi Anglong. Further south are the
North Cachar Hills. Located here, amid orchards is Assam's only hill station, Haflong. The southern
part of Assam is the Barak Valley, this region hosts untouched natural beauty. Green is the dominant
colour of the state, with an impressive 35% forest cover and thousands of hectares under tea
cultivation. Assam has five national parks including the World Heritage Sites
of Kaziranga andManas, and 20 Wildlife and Bird Sanctuaries. The great Indian one-horned
rhinoceros is one of Assam's most noteworthy fauna.
Supporting the state's abundant wildlife and lush vegetation are the monsoons. They stretch from
the late May to September, but there are intermittent rains even in the winters. High temperatures
cause the rivers to swell with melted with snow from Himalayas. Winter begins in late November and
continues till February. Cool, gentle breezes blow in January and February keeping the days clear
and sunny. Winter mornings in most of Assam are marked by a dense fog.
Over the centuries, people of various ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds have been
attracted by the fertile river valleys of Assam, and adopted them as their home. The people of Assam
are mosaic of various cultures. They are from a range of racial backgrounds including Austro-Asiatic,
Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman.

Tourist Hotspots in Assam[edit]

Main article: Tourism in North East India

A Rhino in Kaziranga National Park

Elephant safari in Kaziranga National Park

A scenic tea estate of Assam

For the purposes of tourism there are wildlife reserves like the Kaziranga National Park, Manas
National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Nameri National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park etc.
It has a rich cultural heritage going back to theAhom Dynasty which governed the region for many
centuries before the British occupation.
Notable tourist destinations are listed below:[1]

Guwahati[edit]
Main article: Guwahati
One of the key urban centres of Assam and the biggest city in North-East India, this serves as the
major gateway to the whole region. The major tourist spots of Guwahati are Kamakhya Temple,
River Cruise on the river Brahmaputra,Shankardev Kalakshetra, Umananda Temple, Assam State
Zoo, Shilpagram etc. Chandubi Lake, Sonapur, Madan Kamdev, Chandrapur and Pobitora Wildlife
Sanctuary are other famous spots outskirts the city.While visiting Madan Kamdev Tourists also visit
the ancient temple Gopeswar Mandir situated in village Deuduar.

Majuli[edit]
Main article: Majuli

The largest freshwater island in South Asia on the Brahmaputra River. Majuli is famous for its
Vaishnavite Satras such asKamalabari Satra, Dakhinpat Satra, Garamurh Satra, Auniati
Satra, Bengenaati Satra and Samaguri Satra.

Kaziranga National Park[edit]

Main article: Kaziranga National Park
This protected area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and serves as one of the last remaining
habitat of the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros. Also check out Manas National Park and Orang
National Park.

Jatinga[edit]
Main article: Jatinga
This village is famous for mysterious suicides of the birds, located in Dima Hasao.

Sonitpur[edit]
Main article: Sonitpur district
Protected areas to see in the district are Nameri National Park, Bura Chapori Wildlife
Sanctuary, Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary and a part of Orang National Park. Bhalukpong is also an
important tourist place. Tezpur is a small town steeped in history and culture. Some of these
are Agnigarh, Mahabhairav Temple, Chitralekha Udyan, Bamuni Hills, Usha Pahar etc. Biswanath
Chariali town is 75 km away from Tezpur, is famous for the Biswanath Ghat, also called popularly as
"Gupta Kashi".

Jorhat[edit]
Main article: Jorhat district
Situated at 318 km east from Guwahati, Jorhat is a very important city, the last capital of Ahom era,
as well as the tea capital of India. Important spots in and around Jorhat city are Jorhat Science
Centre and Planetarium, Jorhat Gymkhana Club, Raja Maidam, Tocklai Tea Research
Institute, Dhekiakhowa Bornamghar, Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Lachit Maidam, Molai forest,
Kaziranga Golf Resort, Thengal Bhawan etc.

Sivasagar[edit]
Main article: Sivasagar district
Seat of the Ahom Kingdom. Check out Rang Ghar, Talatal Ghar, Sivadol, Kareng
Ghar of Garhgaon, Joy Dol, Sivasagar Tank, Joysagar Tank, Joymati Maydam,Vishnu Dol, Devi
Dol, Gourisagar Dol and Tank, Charaideo, Namdang Stone Bridge, Uttran Museum, Panidihing Bird
Sanctuary and you also see Tea Estates etc...

Hajo[edit]

Main article: Hajo

Hajo is an ancient pilgrimage centre for three religions Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism.

Haflong[edit]
See also: Haflong and Maibang
Haflong is the only hill station of Assam. The headquarters of Dima Hasao. The village of Jatinga is
known for mysterious bird suicide on the night of new moon.

Tinsukia[edit]
Main article: Tinsukia district
Many prominent shopping malls are there in Tinsukia. Dibru-Saikhowa National Park one of the
biggest national parks in India are situated in Tinsukia. This national park is considered as one the
biological hotspots. The Tilinga Mandir(Bell Temple) is a well-known temple situated in the outskirts
of Tinsukia city. Digboi Refinerythe Asia's oldest refinery is situated here. A railway park is recent
addition to the city Dehing Patkai Festival annual festival held at Lekhapani in Tinsukia district.
India's only coal museum is situated at Margherita town in Tinsukia district. Tribal communities in
Tinsukia district have taken initiatives to promote ecotourism in the region. The Singpho Eco Tourist
lodge in Margherita-Pengari road and the Faneng Village at Lekhapani are two such initiatives by the
local tribal communities.

Dibrugarh[edit]
Main article: Dibrugarh district
Dibrugarh is called the tea capital of the world. The town is situated on the edge of the Brahmaputra
River. Set amidst extensive tea estates, Dibrugarh offers tourists the opportunity to experience a life
in a tea estate. Recently, tea tourism has started becoming popular, with travel companies such as
Greener Pastures and Purvi Discovery offering tea tours. Tipam is a famous tourist spot of
Dibrugarh. Tipam is an ethnic village which is famous for its historical places. Besides Tipam, Dehing
Patkai rainforest is the other attraction. Presently the city has the biggest railway station in Assam
with 18 Lines opened in 2009.Rajdhani Express Train Originate from Dibrugarh and Dibrugarh Town.

Practical Information[edit]

Weather & Rainfall[edit]

Assam has temperate weather with maximum of 35-38C in summer and a minimum of 6-8C in
winter in low-lying areas, particularly the Brahmaputra Valley and Barak Valley. As one ascends
towards the hilly areas, however, the mercury falls considerably in winters. Assam experiences high
rainfall and humidity - afternoon thunder showers are a common occurrence during monsoons - and
early morning fog in winter is also common.

Transportation[edit]
Arriving by Air: Guwahati's Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is well-connected to
the major cities in India. Taxi service is including prepaid services are available at the airports for
transfer to the city. There are also at Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tezpur which run flights to
Kolkata and the other parts of the northeastern region.
Arriving by Rail: The three major routes of the North East Frontier Railway connected Assam to
nodal stations in the rest of the country. Guwahati, Assam's largest railway station, is served by
direct trains to New Delhi (Rajdhani 27 hours), Kolkata (Saraighat Express 17 hours), Mumbai
(Dadar Express 54 hours) and Banglore (Banglore Express, 60 hours). There are also direct trains
from these cities to Dibrugarh, which is a further 12 hours from Guwahati. The toll numbers for
enquiry of train timings/schedule:

Enquiry: 131/133

Reservation: (0361) 2541799

Train status: (0361) 2540330/136

By Road: The Assam State Transport Corporation along with several private companies operates
buses connecting Guwahati with Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Silchar, Dimapur, Kohima,
Imphal, Aizawal and Itnagar.

Photo Gallery[edit]

Peacock island, Guwahati.

Rang Ghar in Sivasagar.

A rhino at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

Agnigarh Hill, Tezpur.

View of Nameri National Park of Sonitpur District.

Chandubi lake, near Guwahati.

The Road to Kamakhya.

Dakhinpat Sattra of Majuli.

Kareng Ghar, Garhgaon.

A view of River Kakodonga.

A Rock-cut Temple at Maibang, Dima Hasao.