Upper Assam

Inanus

Hi, I'm going to Murkong Selek & want to cross the Brahmaputra to the south bank but am unsure about crossing points, times, etc. Information on the internet is scant & Assam Tourism is little more helpful.
There appears to be a ferry to Dibru Saihowak NP. Would I need to pay park entry fees to travel straight out of here from the ghat? Any other viable crossing points? Bridges?
I'd also appreciate suggestions & advice on hotels & public transport in the area.

Thanks

NEVSAY_D

u'l find ferries in the ghats all the time..and its verey cheap ...10 ,20 bucks for crossing the brahmaputra..it takes about 1 and a half hour to cross....and also there are lotta cheap hotels all around.but u can stay at the Govt Inspection Bunglows or PWD rest houses...all da best...I'm from Tezpur..lemme know if u wanna know more...I wud suggest u also visit Majuli...

Inanus

Thanks for the quick reply, Nev. You've put my mind at ease.
Have you been around there yourself? It looks like a beautiful journey; Himalayas to your left & Brahmaputra to your right. Do you know whether it's possible to ride on the roof of the train, as on the Silchar-Lumding line? I gather it's a slow train, so hopefully...
I actually had to postpone a trip to Majuli whilst in Tezpur after I bust my camera (put my leg through a bridge nr the train station). I'll make sure to stop by on the return 'leg' though. Thanks again.

steven_ber

Yes, see a photo here from my trip last year.

I will try to give you more detailed info later.

Where are you now?

I never crossed the river in Upper Assam as planned, but everyone I spoke to said there were plenty of ferries, they also all said that I should be careful on the north bank.

I'll search out details for the hotels I used in Dibrugarh (good, mid range) and Silchar (good, dirt cheap).

I wrote something about Lumding somewhere on this website, do a search and you may find it.

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How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions.



Train information.

torryquine

Yes there's not much on the web, here's a few links that we found useful however...

http://www.networktravelsindia.com/
one of the main transport companies in Assam

http://www.assam.org/index.php?menu=1
Some useful links and travel info

http://www.travelmasti.com/domestic/assam/dibrugarh.htm
General stuff about the major towns in that area

http://members.tripod.com/majuli/sanjoy/majinfo.htm
Specific information on Majuli island

http://glpublication.com/net/
Local news

http://www.changlang.nic.in/howto.html
Travel information for AP

http://www.assamgovt.nic.in/
State government website

http://www.northeasttribune.com/
More local news

http://www.eastindiaimages.com/home.htm
Some nice photos

http://www.nivalink.com/assam/
Some very nice places to stay - upper end

http://www.destinationne.com/
Tourist information for all the north east states

http://www.vedanti.com/Assam_Mirror/Population.htm
Interesting background information

http://www.purviweb.com/
An excellent tour company that operates out of Dibrugarh - we stayed at one of their fabulous Chang bungalows and highly recommend it if you feel like splurging a little - really this is one of the nicest places I have stayed in anywhere in the world.

Hope some of this helps and good luck to you. We simply adored this part of India - we only went because my husband was born near Dibrugargh and was curious to see it again as an adult, but we were quite captivated by the place - very unspoilt.

Look forward to hearing about your adventures....

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http://werenotafraid.com/

MeCasa

Yes, please keep us posted

NEVSAY_D

Its actually beautiful goin on a long drive on the NH 52 from tezpur till Jonai or even further...himalayas on the left....say abt 20-25 kms to Arunachal border( average) and the Brahmaputra on the right...same 20-25 kms to the ghats....Try visiting Biswanath Ghat...thats 12 kms from Biswanath Charali ,,,a small town 75 kms east of tezpur....from Biswanath ghat u'l get a good view of the whole Kaziranga National Park on the other side of the river...though u cant cross the river from that point...u can watch animals if u carry good binoculars.
During floods lotta animals...deers,rhinos,buffalo ws gets carried away by the river to the other side and gets killed by hunters n villagers.
the National Highway 52 is in a very bad condition near Dhemaji....from where u can cross the river by ferries and go to Dibrugarh...south bank.
lemme know for more

Inanus

I'm in Delhi at the moment after no end of camera-related mishaps, going back to Assam in the next ten days. I'll write back when I finally get up there & will attempt to post some photos of the trip in time. Cheers

samir_brd

I would also like to travel to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in May next year, driving myself, along with my family which includes a couple of small kids. I would like to go to Tezpur, Kaziranga, and drive to Tawang. What is the security situation there? Is it safe to move around without a local escort? What is the situation on car mechanics and decent hotel, and (!) vegeterian food?

Regards
Samir

torryquine

Hi Samir,

Not sure abut Tezpur or Tawang but you should be safe enough to go to Kaziranga without an escort but try to avoid travelling at night.

Check some of my links above for hotels etc (and maybe a mechanic or two - there would be some in the major towns).

Vegetarian food is no problem, plenty of dhabas on the main highway.