Offbeat Destinations (Part 3) - Ziro
Updated: Oct 27, 2019
Ziro, the name of a place which is sure to be in every peace seeker's bucket list. Situated at an elevation of 1688 meters to 2438 meters, it is one of the oldest towns of Arunachal Pradesh and is certainly the coolest to visit anytime of the year.
The approximate distance of this place from the state capital Itanager is 115 Kms by road. The nearest airport is at LilaBari, North Lakhimpur.
The major attraction to this place for tourists is the cool weather in summer and the vast stretches of green Rice fields and the Blue sky separated by the Pine hills.
The must have in this place is certainly not adventure, but getting to know the people and supporting them by getting the locally handcrafted bamboo items and colorful clothes as souvenirs.
If you ask me about restaurants and local food in Ziro, I would advise and prefer the restaurants of various hotels and restaurants and avoid the local street shops. This is because rats are a delicacy in Ziro and you need to be careful unless you are comfortable with it. The local cuisine is typically Tibetan.
However, if you are visiting here, you must try Momo, Thukpa (A local soup made of vegetables, minced meat and noodles), Khura which is a type of pancake, Gyapa Khazi (Rice Pulao with fermented cheese, shrimp or dried fish and spices).
This place, owing to it's small size can be explored in 1-2 days. It would be preferable to hire a taxi to reach and roam around, however you may take a rickshaw.
Day 1: Start the day by visiting Talley Valley wildlife sanctuary early in the morning.
After that visit the pine and bamboo groves followed by the orchid research center. Weather is pleasant here so travelling throughout the day won't be an issue but keep in mind that it is in the eastern parts of India and the sun sets pretty early so try to complete the visits before 4:00 pm.
If you have time and energy, you can trek to the Kile Pakho and the Meghna Cave temples, else you can call it a day.
Day 2: You can rest for the day or visit the Tarin Fish farm which is about 200 km. Travelling will take up the day so you can keep this visit as optional and instead visit the local market.
Since this place receives pleasant weather throughout the year, you can plan your trip anytime of the year. However, the best time would be between March and October. The lush greenery with clear blue skies make the entire place look picturesque and magical.
Disclaimer: The pictures on this page is not taken by me and I don't claim any rights on the pictures. The credits go to the respective owners of the pictures.
