10 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Northeast India Trip

Why I Wrote This

My first trip to Northeast India was in July 2019. I landed in Guwahati with a suitcase the size of a small child, zero permits, a phone loaded with Google Maps offline data that turned out to be wildly inaccurate, and the naive belief that I could cover Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland in eight days.

I made almost every mistake on this list. Some were funny in hindsight — like the time I showed up at the Arunachal Pradesh border without an ILP and had to turn around. Some were genuinely miserable — like discovering that ATMs in remote Nagaland villages had been empty for three days, and I had 200 rupees to my name.

This guide exists so you do not repeat my mistakes. Every tip here comes from personal experience or from watching fellow travellers make the same errors. Let us get into it.

Mistake #1 — Not Applying for Permits Early Enough

Four of the eight Northeast states require Inner Line Permits (ILP) for Indian nationals: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur. Foreign nationals need Protected Area Permits (PAP) for Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Sikkim. These are not suggestions — you will be turned back at checkpoints without them.

The application process is not hard, but it takes time. Online ILP portals work reasonably well for Nagaland and Manipur, but Arunachal Pradesh permits can take 7 to 14 days to process, especially during peak season. I have seen people stuck in Guwahati for three days waiting for a permit they could have applied for from home.

Mistake #2 — Underestimating Travel Distances

Northeast India looks small on a map. The distance from Guwahati to Tawang is about 450 kilometres. In Rajasthan, that is a five-hour drive. In Arunachal Pradesh, that is a two-day journey through winding mountain roads, military convoys, and at least one chai stop where the road just... disappears into a landslide zone.

I once planned to drive from Shillong to Cherrapunji (65 km) and then to Dawki (another 65 km) and back in a single day. It is technically possible, but I spent more time in the car than at any destination. The roads are beautiful but slow — average speeds of 25 to 35 km/h are normal on mountain routes.

Mistake #3 — Not Carrying Enough Cash

UPI and card payments are spreading across the Northeast, but once you leave the main towns — Guwahati, Shillong, Gangtok, Imphal — cash is still king. Many guesthouses, local restaurants, shared taxis, and village homestays only accept cash. ATMs in remote areas are unreliable. They run out of cash, go offline during power cuts, or simply do not exist.

I ran out of cash in Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh. The one ATM in town had been empty for two days. I ended up borrowing money from a homestay owner and paying her back via bank transfer three days later. She was incredibly gracious about it, but the stress was real.

Mistake #4 — Visiting in the Wrong Season (Yes, This Was Me)

My first Northeast trip was in July. July. Peak monsoon. I wanted to see Meghalaya's waterfalls at their best, and yes, they were spectacular. Nohkalikai Falls was absolutely thundering. But here is what nobody told me: the rain was so relentless that I could not actually see the waterfalls half the time because the mist and cloud cover were impenetrable. I spent three days in Cherrapunji and saw clear sky for approximately 45 minutes total.

Meanwhile, Kaziranga was closed (monsoon flooding), roads to Tawang were blocked by landslides, and I got stuck in a village in the East Khasi Hills for an extra day because the road flooded overnight. My shoes did not dry for the entire trip. My camera fogged up every time I stepped outside.

Was there beauty in it? Absolutely. Would I recommend it for a first-timer? Absolutely not.

Mistake #5 — Overpacking

You do not need three pairs of jeans, a formal outfit, and a full-size toiletry kit for a Northeast India trip. What you do need is layers, a rain jacket, good walking shoes, and a backpack small enough to carry comfortably on steep trails and into shared jeeps where luggage space is basically non-existent.

I made the mistake of bringing a hard-shell suitcase on my first trip. Try squeezing a suitcase into a Maruti Suzuki Sumo with seven other passengers and their bags. The driver strapped it to the roof. In the rain. I switched to a 40-litre backpack on my next trip and never looked back.

Mistake #6 — Skipping the Smaller States

Everyone goes to Meghalaya and Sikkim. They deserve the hype. But Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura are where you will find the most authentic, least-touristed experiences in all of India. Kohima's World War II cemetery is deeply moving. Loktak Lake's floating islands are surreal. Aizawl's hillside churches and Sunday markets are unlike anything in mainstream India.

I skipped Manipur on my second trip because I thought it would be too much hassle with permits. I regretted it the moment a fellow traveller showed me photos of Loktak Lake at sunset. I went back specifically for Manipur six months later and it became one of my favourite states.

Mistake #7 — Not Booking Wildlife Safaris Ahead

Kaziranga National Park jeep safaris sell out. During peak season (November to February), the popular Central Range morning jeep slots can be fully booked a week in advance. I have met travellers who drove all the way to Kaziranga from Guwahati only to find no jeep slots available for the next two days.

Elephant safaris are even more limited — only a handful of slots per day, and they are first-come-first-served at the park gate at 5 AM. If you are not staying inside the park or at a lodge right next to the gate, you are at a disadvantage.

Mistake #8 — Ignoring Altitude Sickness

This one can genuinely ruin your trip — or land you in a hospital. If you fly into Bagdogra (at sea level) and drive straight to North Sikkim or take the Tawang route in Arunachal Pradesh, you will gain 3,000 to 4,000 metres of altitude in less than two days. That is a recipe for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).

Symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Most people get mild symptoms that resolve with rest. But I have seen one traveller at Gurudongmar Lake who had to be evacuated because he ignored his symptoms and kept pushing higher.

Mistake #9 — Relying Too Much on Google Maps

Google Maps in Northeast India is... creative. It will cheerfully route you down roads that no longer exist, through military zones you cannot enter, and across rivers with no bridge. It once sent me down a single-track dirt road in Nagaland that ended at a farmer's field. The farmer thought it was hilarious. I did not.

The driving time estimates are especially unreliable. Google says three hours? Plan for five. The algorithm does not account for military convoys (common on the Tawang route), road construction (constant), animal crossings, or the fact that half the road might be missing after a landslide.

Mistake #10 — Not Trying Local Food

I get it. The food in Northeast India looks unfamiliar. Fermented bamboo shoot? Pork with akhuni (fermented soybean)? Silk worm pupae? It is not what most of India eats, and it can be intimidating if you have never stepped outside the dal-chawal comfort zone.

But if you spend your entire trip eating at restaurants that serve paneer butter masala and fried rice, you are missing one of the most exciting food cultures in Asia. Naga smoked pork with raja mirchi (one of the world's hottest chillies) is a religious experience. Khasi Jadoh is comfort food that will haunt your dreams. Sikkimese thukpa on a cold mountain evening is pure therapy.

On my first trip, I stuck to safe options. On my second trip, I ate everything locals recommended. The second trip was better in every way, and the food was a big reason why. Read our complete food guide for state-by-state recommendations.

Final Thoughts

Northeast India is one of the most rewarding travel destinations in the world. The landscapes are staggering, the cultures are fascinating, and the people are genuinely warm. But it is not a plug-and-play destination like Goa or Rajasthan. It rewards preparation and punishes complacency.

Get your permits sorted. Carry cash. Pack light. Respect the distances. Check the season. And for the love of all that is good, try the food.

Do those things, and you will have the trip of a lifetime. Skip them, and you will have a list of mistakes as long as mine.