By Kanchuki Sarma
Hang in there...
Forget sedate resorts, opt instead for a house on stilts or a tree house in hidden corners of the heavenly North East...
It is amusing to see people travel far off to see new lands but opting for the familiar. If you would rather stay in a concrete building trying hard to pass off as a resort, and hunt for comfort food, no matter how bad it is, maybe you should sit at home and be an armchair traveler.
Alternatively, you could really immerse yourself in the place, live and eat as the locals do, even if it is for a couple of days, and come back with richer, everlasting memories. If your next holiday destination is the North East of India, try these options:
Chang Ghar or house on stilts
Majuli in Upper Assam is more than just 'the world's largest river island.' It is the hub of a unique sect of Hinduism thriving in Assam for centuries. The Mising tribe of Majuli, Assam, like many others in the region builds their houses on stilts. This was done as protection against the annual flooding of the Brahmaputra and also to protect their granary from the moisture in the soil.
When in Majuli, you can opt to stay in a guesthouse run by the Hindu monastery called Xatras or choose to stay in a unique lodge at the edge of the Mising village. The lodge is a joint venture by Danny, a local Mising boy, Jim Chauvin and Maka Korbaa, two young architects from France who fell in love with the island and decided to make it their second home.
The lodge is modeled on the Chang Ghar, the traditional Mising hut built on stilts but with certain modifications to ensure that it is more permanent than the traditional huts. It is called La Maison de Ananda (a combination of French and Assamese for House of Joy).
You can reach your rooms by climbing a short but steep log with steps carved on it. A lovely sit-out verandah that looks out to the rice fields lets you lounge all day if you'd like. If you venture out for a walk, you'll see villagers engaged in weaving, tending to livestock, mending boats, or going out to the fields. Located close by are the Sattras, or monasteries where you might find Hindu monks, experts in the classical dance called Sattriya nrittya, practising. If they feel generous enough, they might even show you a few steps on request.
An added attraction is that you share food with the Mising family next door where you are welcome to sit in the kitchen as the ladies go about preparing the fusion cuisine of Assamese and Mishing food consisting of dry fish, pork, rice and fish in a light mustard sauce.
Mawllyngong - the tree house
Did you ever dream of the seemingly impossible world created by the likes of Enid Blyton where kids had not only a room to themselves, but also a tree house in their backyard? You can relieve your childhood fantasy in a remote little village of Mawllyngong, in Meghalaya, a few kilometers from the Bangladesh border. Mawllynong is Meghalaya's best-kept secret; a mere 1.5 hours from Cherrapunjee, which is on the standard tourist circuit. It is a small village with a distinction - it has also earned the accolade of being the cleanest village in Asia, a title conferred by the Discovery Channel.
The guesthouse, constructed of bamboo and thatch, even has a bamboo balcony where a simple homemade meal is served. A small bamboo stairway leads to a crow's-nest, where under the leafy shade you can spend many an hour with just yourself and a book for company. Two small but comfortable rooms in the main hut and one small room in the attached hut is all that is available. So if you are keen to stay in this Garden-of-Eden, make sure you plan in advance.
Heritage homes in upper Assam
If the ethnic house in Mawllynong in the Khasi hills puts you in a mood for solidarity with nature, the heritage homes in Upper Assam, once the homes of British tea plantation owners, will make you feel like a true Sahib. Set amidst the lush tea plantations of Upper Assam, these bungalows were built in the beginning of the 20th century by the Burra Sahibs. The first of its sort to be converted into a heritage hotel is the Thengal Manor, which belongs to an old Assamese planter's family.
One such bungalow, the Mancotta Chang near the city of Dibrugarh, is built on stilts, so that the Sahib could get onto his elephant right from his bedroom. The large rooms in these bungalows are filled with beautifully crafted antique furniture made with sturdy teak. Sipping your moring cuppa, sitting on the opulent cane chairs in the verandah, you need little imagination to send you off into a different era.
Heritage homes are not limited to the tea-estates of Upper Assam. In the hill station of Shillong, once the capital of the region and another Raj-era town, many heritage houses are now offering stay options. Another option, the Lumsohpoh House is a haven in the chaos of today's Shillong, set in its own gardens overlooking the town.
With options ranging from homestays to community run guesthouses to Raj-era heritage homes, suited for all budgets, will you still opt for a star resort and insist on ordering butter chicken and naan on your travels?
**Kanchuki Sarma can be reached at leisure.mirror@indiatimes.com
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