One of the prettiest landscapes in all of India, the fertile Ziro Valley nestles within Arunachal’s formidable mountainscape like a mythical kingdom. A layered landscape of rice fields, rivers and picture-postcard villages of the Apatani tribe, it is an undisputed high point of any trip to Arunachal.
Located in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, Ziro has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for quite a few years now owing to its natural beauty. Ziro is a beautiful valley filled with rice fields and beautiful little villages of the Apatani tribes who dwell in this area. Ziro is situated around 112 km from Itanagar the state capital.
The region is rich in rice fields and it is surrounded by mountains that boast of pine trees in great numbers. The wide range of flora and fauna seen here is soul captivating. Cool summers and cooler winters are characteristics of Ziro. Every angle is above perfect and every view is spectacular; no wonder the best of cameras fail to do justice to the hues of Ziro.
Here are the top 12 places to visit in Ziro, which highlight the classic beauty of the place.
- Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
- Meghna Cave Temple
- Kile Pakho
- Midey
- Ziro Puto
- Dolo Mando
- Hapoli
- Dilopolyang Maniipolyang
- Tarin Fish Farm
- Pine GroveTipi Orchid Research Centre
- Bamboo Grove
Restaurants and Local Food in Ziro
Restaurants of various hotels and resorts are recommended. Local cuisine is typically Tibetan.
You should try out the Momo (dumplings filled with vegetables or boiled pork or meat), Thukpa (a soup made of vegetables, minced meat and noodles), Zan (a dish made of millets and had with vegetables or meat and fermented cheese), Khura (a type of pancake) had with tea, Gyapa Khazi ( kind of rice pulao with fermented cheese, shrimp or dried fish and other spices).
Places to Stay in Ziro
Various budget resorts can be found here. Nothing fancy but decent stay with basic aminities like hot water, etc. will be provided.
How to Reach Ziro
Ziro being a beautiful valley is gradually gaining popularity and becoming quite a popular tourist attraction. Here is how one can reach Ziro:
Rail
The nearest railway station to Ziro is at Tezpur in Assam. It is located at a distance of around 293 km and connects to various parts across India. From here bus or taxis can be hired to reach Ziro.
Road
State Government operated buses are available to Ziro from Itanagar, the state capital. These buses depart everyday and are reasonable. They cost somewhere between Rs.100 to 200.
Air
The nearest airport to Ziro is also at Tezpur. The airport at Tezpur is connected to Kolkata and Silchar by weekly flights. Taxis are available at the Tezpur airport to go onwards to Ziro.
