DZUKOU VALLEY – THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS OF NORTH-EAST
DZUKOU VALLEY - THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS OF NORTH-EAST
Dzukou Valley is a valley located at the border of Nagaland and Manipur. It’s a spectacular visual treat of emerald green hills, lush forests, serpentine streams and myriad colorful flowers that dot the vast plain valley and its meadows. It is popularly known as “Valley of Flowers of the North-East”. It is situated at an altitude of 2438 m above sea level, behind the Japfu Peak located in Nagaland. This interesting valley looks like a mown lawn from a distance and is watered by two meandering streams viz Dzukou river and the Japfu river which often freezes in winter. This entire Dzukou Valley is adorned with lilies, aconitum, euphorbia and multi-colored rhododendrons. They envelope the valley floor like a carpet so much that there are times when you can’t see the valley at all. No doubt that this valley presents a very good opportunity for young people, travelling independently, to gain some trekking experience.
TREK DETAILS
THE BEGINNING – KOHIMA TO VISWEMA VILLAGE, BASE FOR DZUKOU VALLEY:
Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland is 74 Kms from Dimapur, the nearest rail head and airport for reaching Dzukou Valley. Dimapur is the only city in Nagaland that has rail and air connectivity to other cities in the country. Private/shared cabs and bus are easily available from Dimapur to Kohima. The Dzukou Valley can be approached from two towns: Jakhama and Viswema. The approach you should take depends on your fitness/masochist level. The trek from Jakhama to Dzukou Valley is more demanding but takes less time. The trek from Viswema to Dzukou Valley is more gradual but generally takes longer. We recommend taking the Viswema approach entering the valley and exiting Dzukou Valley via the path to Jakhama.
Next day Start early morning from Kohima and one can hire a shared sumo (operating from the BOC point/counter) to Viswema Village. Viswema Village is about 25 Kms from Kohima. The shared sumo service also operates between Kohima and Viswema. Zakhma is another base for the Dzukou Valley. Zakhma is about 20 Kms from Kohima. The ideal time to visit Dzukou Valley is from the month of June to September. It is at this time that the Dzukou Valley is carpeted with various stunning and vibrant flowers.
VISWEMA VILLAGE TO DZUKOU TREKKERS’ HUT
Viswema Village, here, you need to pay a small fee of Rs.100 to the North Kohima Students Union. They use the collection to keep the area clean. As of World Environment Day 2019, Dzukou Valley is plastic free zone. This means you’ll have to pay a security fee if you’re carrying any polythene bags. You’ll get the security fee back when you leave and proof you’re still carrying your bags. The Viswema approach starts with roughly 8 kilometers of motorable road. The road slopes up gently, and the walk takes around 3 hours. You can hire a taxi from the main highway to the end of the motorable road, but be prepared to pay 1,500 Rs for the ride.
Alternatively, you can try hitching a ride. There’s some construction going on at the end of the road, and the construction workers will probably let you jump on the back of their truck if they pass you. You could also walk to the trailhead, but this will take another hour or so.
To get to the valley, follow the trail for about 45-minutes to an hour. The trekkers hut can be reached by another 3 hour trek through the beautiful valley. The climb is steep and could be slippery depending on the weather, as there’s a lot of dirt/mud. Be careful! Surprisingly, there are plenty of dustbins along the way. Make sure to use them to throw your trash out while walking.
GETTING TO DZUKOU VALLEY FROM JAKHAMA
The approach from Jakhama is much more demanding than the one from Viswema, and unless you’re into that sort of thing, we recommend you take this one down, not up. The steep path is lined with rough-hewn stone steps, which are much easier to walk down than the muddy trail up from Viswema. It took us about 3 hours to walk down from the valley to the main road on this path.
If you’re heading upwards, from Jakhama there’s a motorable road for about 3-4 kilometers, after which your ascent starts. It’ll take at least 4 – 5 hours to walk up, and it’s a pretty steep affair. The steps are in good condition, though, and you’ll arrive very close to the rest house in the valley. The path eventually merges with the trail through the valley starting near Viswema.
WHERE TO STAY IN DZUKOU VALLEY
There is a basic rest house overlooking the valley, offering two refugee camp-like dorms and five private rooms with amenities. There is a small shop at the back of the rest house where one can buy instant snacks like Maggi and cup noodles.
Dzukou Trekkers’ Hut: This is just a hut with vast concrete floor and a few wooden platforms that serve as beds. One can lay sleeping bags here in the night. The dorm costs 100 Rs. per person, and private rooms are Rs. 500 per room. Mattresses, blankets, and pillows are extra (Rs.50 for each). Simple breakfast, lunch and dinner are also available.
If you have the proper gear, Dzukou Valley is also a great place to camp. There are several natural campsites in the Dzukou Valley. The main site is smack in the middle of the valley, while the others are sheltered by small caves. You can camp virtually anywhere you want, however, as long as you pay the park entry fee. The Dzukou Valley is a popular camping spot for local tourists, and when we were there several groups has set up camps throughout the valley. If you ask nicely you can probably join such a camp if you want to.
WHAT TO DO IN DZUKOU VALLEY
Explore the wide and beautiful Dzukou Valley (recommended). Ahead of the Trekkers’ Hut, you can do a 30 minutes’ walk to the Ghost Caves or ‘Bhoot Gufa’, as they are called locally. Remember to carry a torch as the cave extends to almost 1 km. You would also consider the option to descend from the hut, to the bottom of the vast caldera of the valley.
You can explore the vast stretch of grasslands and Rolling Meadows, blossomed with flowers in the monsoon months. There is an amazing place to sit alongside the rivers, Dzukou river and Japfu river and spend a memorable day at the far end of the Dzukou Valley. The mesmerizing and soothing sound of flowing water enriches every part of your soul like never before.
POINTS TO NOTE:
- You need an Inner Line Permit to visit Nagaland. This can be obtained from Nagaland House in Kolkata, Guwahati, Dimapur or online (https://ilp.nagaland.gov.in/)
- Must purchase a pair of high ankle waterproof shoes. It is easily available in Kohima at an estimated price of Rs 300.
- Must take raincoat and umbrella.
- Mobile network is extremely poor inside the Dzukou Valley.
- Electricity available inside the valley through solar panel.
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