Aizawl tourism and travel guide

Aizawl is the largest city in Mizoram and home to different ethnic communities of the Mizo people. It is 1132 miles above sea level and is on a ridge formed by two rivers: River Tlawng and River Tuirial.

Aizawl is a beautiful hill city with great natural beauty.

Reik hill is about 30 km away from the main Aizawl city. Towering high above the cityscape, this tourist stop gives you great views of the landscape of Mizoram. On a clear day, you can see right across the border into Bangladesh. It is a good place for a trek and a quiet day admiring the mountainous vistas, deep gorges, and river valleys. Created and maintained by the Mizoram tourist board, Reiek Heritage Village showcases the different traditional huts built by the various Mizo tribes. It is not one of the best heritage villages in the North East, but it is worth having a peek into if you walk around the hills.

Solomon's temples perched on the Western hills of Aizawl is a marvellous marble church, which is supposed to be a replica of the ancient Solomon's temple of Jerusalem. The non-denominational church, built-in 1984, is surrounded by a beautiful garden, flowering trees. The views from here into the valley are spectacular.

Aizawl is connected by air. You can fly into the Lengpui airport from Kolkata (West Bengal), Guwahati (Assam), and Imphal ( Manipur). The airport is about 30 km away from central Aizwal.

The NH306 connects Aizawl to the rest of the country. An eight-nine-hour drive down the highway takes you from Silchar, South Assam, to Aizawl. There are regular bus and taxi services that start from Capital Itkhola Point in Silchar.

A broad gauge railway line that goes through Aizawl is expected to be completed in the year 2023. So at the moment, there is no access by train. You can take a train to Silchar, however, and then journey by road. New Delhi and Trivandrum have direct trains to Silchar.

The term Mizo people for the residents of Aizawl is a bit of a misnomer because they are people with different origins and ethnicity. While there are no clear records, it is understood that they have Tibetan-Mongoloid roots. People from similar ethnic groups can be found in Assam in India and other countries of southeast Asia like Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, and some parts of China.

Originally the various Mizo tribes followed tribal religions where they worshiped good and evil spirits, and animals were sacrificed for appeasement. These practices are not common anymore; the residents of Aizawl are mostly Christians. However, they are proud of their culture, as can be seen in the food, customs, and the celebration of traditional festivals.

Aizawl is a great place to try out the simple yet hearty and delicious foods of the Mizo people. A must-try dish is " Bai," a stew made of seasonal vegetables, including cauliflower leaves of cauliflower with Akhuni, fermented soybean paste, and rice. Sometimes you can add bits of pork, fish, or bamboo shoots. Sanpiau, a rice porridge with back pepper, coriander paste, fish sauce, and spring onions, is a popular snack you find everywhere. The delicious Vawksa Rep made with smoked pork, chilies, and fresh greens is a simple and satisfying dish. A typical Aizawl staple is a sticky bread made of cooked glutenous rice served with pork or vegetable side dish or eaten plain as a tea-times snack