the globe says
India
Fly to Dimapur via Kolkata or Delhi, then a winding two-hour drive into the hills. Indians need a permit; foreigners currently just register.
A homestay in Kohima or the heritage village of Khonoma — Asia's first green village.
Sixteen Naga tribes, each with its own language and textiles; a WWII battlefield that turned the Japanese advance; smoked pork with bamboo shoot; and hills that fold forever.
If it is December, the Hornbill Festival is the greatest cultural gathering in India. Any other month, walk Khonoma's terraces with a village elder.
December for the Hornbill Festival
Kuknalim — a Naga greeting of goodwill you will hear at Hornbill.
Road of Bones by Fergal Keane — the 1944 battle of Kohima, staggering and humane.
Dzükou Valley's rolling green sea of hills, a two-day hike from town.
Infrastructure is basic and journeys are slow — Nagaland is for travelers, not tourists, which is why it belongs here.