Assam Cycling Tour

We begin the day’s cycling with a visit to Namphake village on the outskirts of Dibrugarh. This village is one of a kind as it is home to the Tai Phake people, a tiny community of only about 5000 in India most of whom are settled in this village. The Tai Phake migrated from Myanmar and Thailand in the 17th & 18th centuries and practice Buddhism. The town has a beautiful Buddhist monastery. As we bike along the languidly meandering Dihing river, we get to witness a curious geographical feature formed by the river’s meandering curves – oxbow lakes. Oxbow lakes are horseshoe-shaped lakes formed by the meandering path of rivers with a wetland at their center. The Dihing river forms a beautiful oxbow lake at Sasoni Merbil, an ecotourism spot that is a birder’s paradise. The terrain remains flat for the most part.

Meals: D
Distance Cycled: 70kms/ 43.5 miles

Today is a day of experiencing wonders, natural and man-made, that can only be described in superlatives. We ride out due south-west towards Majuli, the largest river island in the world. We get there by crossing the Bogibeel bridge, the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India. The Brahmaputra – the 9th largest river in the world by discharge – shall be our constant companion from here on. The Brahmaputra is the only river in India that is regarded as male and as we cross its mighty sweep, we get to appreciate why. The Majuli island is approachable only by boat and we ride in one to explore the island’s unique geography and culture. Life in Majuli is laid back, as is expected of a place cut off from the rest of the world by a powerful and ferocious river. A unique feature of Majuli’s cultural life is the presence of Vaishnavite monasteries that bind the society together with their distinctive rituals and customs. Stay tonight is at La Maison de Ananda – literally, the house of happiness. A charming bamboo cottage built on stilts in the local style, this simple yet delightful property lives up to its name.

Meals: B, D
Distance Cycled: 70kms/ 43.5 miles

We head south this day towards the city of Jorhat. Once again, we cross the mighty Brahmaputra and feel overwhelmed by its sheer presence. Jorhat is an important cultural and urban center in Assam. We stay tonight at the Thengal Manor, a heritage property built in 1929 by an affluent Assamese planter family. The property is situated 15kms from the city of Jorhat in the midst of verdant tea gardens. Since tea plantations are the lifeline of Assam, and tea planters the region’s aristocracy, the Thengal Manor offers you a glimpse into what it is like to live the planter’s life. With its colonial architecture, antique wooden décor, charming fireplaces, and sprawling gardens, the Thengal Manor is sure to make you feel like an aristocrat yourself.

Meals: B, D
Distance cycled: 50kms/ 31 miles

Today we ride out to the Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, a verdant forest of canopied evergreen trees that is home to two critically endangered animals – the Hoolock Gibbon and the Bengal Slow Loris. The Hoolock Gibbon is the only species of ape found in India and is concentrated mostly in Assam. It is considered one of the most endangered primates with only 5000 individuals surviving in the world. The Bengal Slow Loris is another threatened species found in this forest, though being nocturnal, it is hard to spot. In addition, the sanctuary is home to various other threatened animals such as the Assamese macaque, tigers, and wild elephants. With its beautiful Hollong and Nahar trees forming dense canopies, the sanctuary is a tropical paradise. We take a motorized Safari inside the sanctuary.

Meals: B, D
Distance cycled: 20kms/ 12.5 miles

Today we head out in a westerly direction, riding parallel to the Brahmaputra, towards Kaziranga. Kaziranga is famous the world over as the home of the one-horned rhinoceros. It is a reputation well-earned. With 2413 rhinos, Kaziranga is home to two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhino population. It is also home to the densest tiger population of any protected area in the world, besides hosting wild elephants, wild buffaloes, and the Gangetic dolphin. Of the 35 mammal species found in Kaziranga, 15 are on the IUCN red list of threatened animals. A vast expanse of marshland, elephant grass, and tropical rainforests crisscrossed by 4 rivers and populated with some of the most fascinating beasts on earth, Kaziranga is everything you ever imagined a wildlife safari to be. Today’s ride takes us through numerous tea plantations and beautiful Assamese villages.

Meals: B, D
Distance cycled: 60kms/37 miles

We begin the day with an early morning safari into Kaziranga. Late morning, we proceed onwards to Guwahati that is connected by rail and air to all major Indian cities.