Top Offbeat places to visit in Assam

Assam, the gateway to Northeast is known for its tea gardens, wildlife, its silk production, the mighty Brahmaputra, and for its traditional handicrafts and cultures apart from its splendid natural beauty. The beautiful state is also very tourist-friendly and caters to different kinds of tourists such as nature lovers, adventure junkies, and even history buffs. Having said this there are also a lot of offbeat destinations of Assam which many people have not explored yet. Today as you keep reading the blog we will help you explore the best places to visit in Assam

Most of you must have heard about Majuli Island, Kamakhya Temple, Brahmaputra, Kaziranga, and Manas National Park. But today we are going to talk about the numerous unexplored destinations of Assam. These places can definitely create a lot of surprises for you especially those who want to go the off-beaten way. Some of these places to visit in Assam will take your breath away.

Top Offbeat Places to visit in Assam

Barak Valley

Number one on our list of best the most offbeat places to visit in Assam in the Barak Valley. Situated in the South of Assam is the beautiful valley known as Barak Valley. The Valley includes the whole of Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj district and undoubtedly it’s one of the most unspoiled and picturesque regions of Assam. The valley which is also home to the ancient Kachari Fort gets its name from the gushing river flowing through it known as Barak River.

The sight of Barack valley, an offbeat destination in Assam, is a treat to your eyes as the entire valley is full of lush green tea gardens, hills, waterfalls, and forests. The tea gardens from this valley alone produce around 50 million kg of tea annually, and most of the tea is CTC variety. If you are an adventure enthusiast you can also hike up to the top of Bhuvan Pahar where there is a famous shrine of Lord Shiva.

offbeat places in assam
Haflong landscape. Pic courtesy – Awesome Assam

Haflong

Second, on our list of the best places to visit in Assam is the quaint town of Haflong. Considered the only hill station in Assam, Haflong is a quaint town for a weekend getaway. Although Haflong got its name from the Britishers, it’s often called the White Ant Hillock. Anyone who visits Haflong will be awed by its beautiful landscape and the greenery around. It is an ideal place to organize picnics with family and friends, but the cherry on the cake is the village known as the Jatinga Village.

This village is an exceptionally mesmerizing one and is known for its mysterious bird suicides on the night of the new moon. The lake in Haflong known as the Haflong lake is a relaxing place to be in, watching people enjoy the boat rides amongst nature. Although there are no direct flights to Haflong one can fly to Guwahati or Silchar or Dimapur from where road or rail options are available.

Panimur falls

This is yet another of the most offbeat places to visit in Assam which you just can’t miss. Panimur is a small village in the Dima Hasao district in Assam, and Panimur falls is considered as the Niagara Falls of Assam. It is located in the Dima Hasao district and attracts people from all over the country. The gushing white water is created by the Kapili River and is a sight to behold. One interesting fact is that Panimur falls are not covered under the Assam Tourism map. The falls were accidentally discovered on way to Dima Hasao district Assam which is about 250km from Guwahati and 120 kms away from Haflong. The beautiful surroundings of the falls have made it a famous picnic spot and a Forest Inspection Bungalow is also constructed for tourists to stay.

Sualkuchi: Weaver’s Village

About 35 kms from Guwahati is the village named Sualkuchi also known as Soalkuchi. It is one of the world’s largest weaving villages whose weaving tradition can be traced to the 11th century. As you visit the village today you will notice the entire village engaged in weaving exquisite and unique varieties of silk such as the Golden Muga, the White Pat, and the warm Eri. It is the hub of silk production particularly the Golden silk also which is not produced anywhere else in the world.

This village is the textile hub of Assam and the fabrics made in this region has a very high demand in Assam as well as other parts of India. It’s is also said that in 1946, Gandhiji visited an exhibition of eri and khadi clothes in Sualkuchi, and was highly surprised about the art and culture of weaving practiced in Assam. This village in Assam is usually ignored by a lot of tourists, and this is offbeat and in our top places to visit in Assam.

Digboi

When we research Assam we usually come across the name Digboi but then there is only a handful of them who have visited this place. Little or no exploration has made this beautiful place in Digboi one of the offbeat destinations for Assam. Known as the “Oil City of Assam”, Digboi has been discovered during the 19th century. It was the first place in Asia where oil drilling started in the year 1901.

Digboi got its name from the phrase “dig-boy-dig,” which is what the Britishers told the laborers as they dug for crude oil. In fact, Digboi has the oldest working drilled oil well in Asia. In fact, India’s first oil refinery was also established here. Apart from the famous oil refinery, you can also visit a few other places like Dibru Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Digboi War Cemetery, Digboi golf course, and the tea gardens in Margherita.

Sivasagar :Talatal ghar

Last on our list of the most offbeat places to visit in Assam is Sibsagar. Around 350 kms of a drive from Guwahati will take you to Sivasagar which was known as Rangpur. It was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom from 1699 to 1788, and today it is the land of Ahom places, monuments, and ruins. There is a 300 years old Sustainable Building in this place known as the Talatal Ghar. This place is again one of the most offbeat places in Assam.

Of all the ruins in Assam, this place is one of the grandest examples of Tai Ahom architecture. The Talatal Ghar is also the largest of all Tai Ahom monuments. Not many people who visit Assam explore Sivasagar but if you are someone who loves history and architecture then this is the place to go to.

The ancient name of Assam was Pragjyotispura – meaning the city of eastern light. It is a state with the single largest tea-growing region in the world. The low altitude, rich loamy soil conditions, ample rainfall, and unique climate help it to produce some of the finest orthodox leaf teas. This beautiful state is known for its famous one-horned Rhinos, for the mighty Brahmaputra, and for its various cultures. But once you start exploring the offbeat destinations of Assam, you will realize that along with beauty and wildlife this place a lot of history to offer too.

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