Nagaland Backpacking Trip With Dzukou Valley Trek (5D/4N)

• Freshen up, have Breakfast, check out of the stay.
• We will move towards capital city of Nagaland – Kohima.
• In the heart of Kohima lies the Nagaland State Museum, where we will get an authentic glimpse into the distinct tribes, vibrant attire, and deep-rooted heritage of this extraordinary state.
• Discover the iconic Kohima Cathedral, an architectural marvel built into the hillside that offers fantastic views of Kohima town.
• Explore the Kohima World War Cemetery – a moving tribute to the historic Battle of Kohima and the vital role local Nagas played in defending the country from Japanese army.
• Stop by for Lunch at a local restaurant in town.
• Move to Kisama Heritage village, the mystic piece of land that showcases rich culture, architecture and practices of The Nagas. Kisama is also the venue of vibrant Hornbill festival that happens every year in December.
• One can explore closed architectural pieces like Bamboo pavilion, wooden idols, and ‘Morungs’ which are the arenas for the tribes to learn different skills like archery, arts, crafts and even headhunting! (Most of these places in Heritage village are actively decorated during Hornbill festival of early December).
• Check into the homestay and say good bye to our Driver.
• Finish hot Dinner before calling it off for the day.
• Rest in the assigned rooms.

• Breakfast time.
• The day we have been waiting for has arrived. Today we shall trek to the heavenly Dzukou valley. Our Dzukou cab along with Trek Guide will pick people from the homestay.
• Note 1: Dzukou Valley doesn’t have mobile network, no shops, no civilization. It is advised to carry some cash & pack some snacks.
• Note 2: Our homestay can arrange packed Lunch like friend rice at extra cost. 
• You may put your bigger backpacks at the stay and carry only the small backpack with essentials. Our Dzukou trek guide will give individual sleeping bags to each trekker.
• The initial part of the trek, around 2 hours of the mountain slope is steep and surrounded by rain forest.
• Once we hike up the mountain, a completely new world appears in front of our eyes. Huge streach of rolling hills carpeted by dwarf bamboo trees welcome trekkers with a captivating views.
• This remaining part of trek of about 3 hours through the valley is relatively easy but long. The beauty of the valley will make trekkers forget everything else.
• By late afternoon, we will reach base camp located at a magnificent setting overlooking Dzukou Valley at the other end.
• After a brief rest, interested people can head to the ‘Helipad’ nearby and enjoy a beautiful sunset if the skies are clear.
• Gear up for a very very cold night. Weather permits, our Dzukou camp may even arrange a common bonfire.
• Have a basic but hot Dinner before resting in your assigned tents.

• Wake up alarm at 5 AM. Quick refresh. 
• 6 AM start: Today we shall trek down the Dzukou valley to reach breathtaking grasslands, pristine and cold flowing streams, floating clouds that act as a crown to the majestic mountain peaks.
• Don’t forget to carry a water bottle. This 3 Km trek down is icing on the cake of already unimaginable setting of the Dzukou valley.
• After taking endless selfies, groupfies and Reels, we will finally trek up to our base camp, have Breakfast.
• Start return trek along the hills, and finally hike down the rainforest of the mountain slope to reach back to base village.
• Our Dzukou cab will be waiting at the parking to pick tired and exhausted trekkers.
• Have late Lunch after reaching the stay.
• There is no more activity planned for the day. Our body asks for rest & comfort after 2 days of trek and exploration in raw & rugged landscapes of Dzukou Valley. It deserves a hot water bath.
• Finish Dinner and have a tight sleep.

• Good morning Nagaland one last time during the trip.
• All the outgoing flights are scheduled in the morning time from Dimapur Airport. Our Airport vehicle will drop you just in time for flight check-in / baggage drop. We might have to start as early as 6 AM sometimes, in which case we will ask our homestay to pack some breakfast.
• People travelling to Guwahati will be dropped at Dimapur Railway station.
• Good bye Nagaland until next time!

• Toiletries, moisturizer, light towel etc.
• Photo identity proof with address (Aadhar/Passport/Voter ID), Photo – will be collected online few days before trip.
• A lightweight large Backpack for the entire trip (60 liters or more).
  Note: Trolleys are not recommended for this backpacking trip.
• A small bag for basic items (to carry valuables, water bottle, snacks, etc for outdoors).
• Thermal inners and warm clothes (cold climate).
• A Poncho or a rainproof Jacket with a hood (to protect from cold winds, sudden rain, based on the weather forecast).
• Thick socks, track pants, full sleeve t-shirts (to keep your body warm).
• Cap/Hat/Sunglasses (to protect from harmful sun rays).
• Sunscreen (SPF 50 or more).
• Power bank, charger, camera, binoculars (if you wish to).
• Cash for Lunches / misc. expenses at Dzukou (no mobile signal at few places).
• Hand sanitizer and liquid hand wash for hygiene.
• Proper water bottle for your trip.
• Disposable garbage covers (To separate used/unused clothes).
• Water-resistant good grip shoes for travel, extra slippers to use at stays.
• Personal medications that you may feel necessary (remember ghat roads, chill climate).
• UNO or Playing cards for social gathering in the evenings (Day 2, Day 3 and Day 5 are leisurely).

• Organizers will get in touch with you, or vice versa.
• Once minimum number of people book this trip (at least 4 members), Organizing team will give a green signal to book your flights.
• A Whatsapp group will be created for all the registered folks 5 days before the event.

• The itinerary is fixed. No special requests to change itinerary/schedule shall be entertained. Travellers are not allowed to advice/instruct the Organizers (Driver or Trip Leader or Operations Manager) to change the itinerary.
• Cooperate with the Organizers in following the schedule set for the day (especially getting up and getting ready in the morning). This will ensure travellers won’t miss out on the real fun part that is traveling and visiting all places in itinerary.
• Every traveler is responsible for his/her for your own safety. Do not indulge in any illegal or silly activity that causes harm to self or fellow travelers.
• Do not wander into the forest away from the designated trail for treks. There may be snakes, scorpions, and dangerous animals.
• Unexpected situations: In rare scenarios, we might not be able to cover all the places mentioned in the itinerary because of unpredictable reasons like bad weather, landslides, wild animal presence, abrupt blocking of sites by the police/forest/local authorities, delay in travel because of an issue with our group itself, traffic conditions, etc. In most cases, if the time permits, the Organizers will take travelers to an alternative place. But in some cases, we may have to skip places altogether.
• Note: In case of flight delays, cancellations, or reschedules, Muddie Trails will not be responsible for missed connections to the trip starting point. Travelers are requested to make their own arrangements to reach the destination, as per the itinerary. We recommend booking flights with sufficient buffer time to avoid any last-minute issues.
• No alcohol & smoking during travel, treks, and other outdoor activities. There would be a separate window and space (usually at night) to have these at the stays for interested people.
• This is a budget, backpacking group trip. The facilities are shared between all group members. By default, all the stays and vehicles are Non-AC. No special preference shall be given to anyone.
• Travelers are expected to respect each other and help one another. Avoid discussing sensitive matters like sex, politics, and religion/caste/race.
• Using foul or abusive language, eve-teasing, arguing with fellow travelers/Organizers, and/or involving in the physical assault will not be accepted and will stand a chance of being deserted by the group then and there.
• Every traveler is expected to digitally fill & submit a liability/waiver form given by the Organizers before the trip. This liability form will discharge Muddie Trails of any unexpected incident like injury/death/theft etc.

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Cancellation by Traveler

• 80% refund if a cancellation request is sent 30 days before the trip start date.
• 50% refund if a cancellation request is sent between 30 to 15 days before the trip start date.
• An email has to be sent to muddietrails@gmail.com to raise a cancellation request.
• No refund within 15 days of the event start time whatever is the reason (Health, COVID, Accident, Family crisis, Office issue, or anything else).
• No refund during/after the event.
• No refund on the partial payment (advance) done to block your seat for the trip.

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Cancellation by Muddie Trails

Muddie Trails may decide to cancel the event if there are less than 3 travelers signed up for the trip/trek.

What if we don’t get the minimum number of people for the trip?
We have 2 options in this case:
Option 1: Complete refund.
Option 2: Switch to any other long trip of the same dates or future dates. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.

Note: We do not recommend to book flight tickets until the trip is confirmed with atleast 3 travelers signed up.

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Cancellation due to external factors

Muddie Trails may have to cancel the event in case of external factors that are beyond our control like Natural Disasters, Extreme Weather Conditions, Red Alerts, Political Disturbances, Bandh/Curfews, Local Issues, Road Blocks, Train cancellations, Covid-19 or any other disease outbreaks etc.

In these scenarios:

• No Refund is allowed.
• 100% trip amount can be used for any other new trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
• Once you confirm your participation on the new trip, all the above Cancellation policies will apply for the same.