Aizawl

Understand

This 112-year-old citadel-like city, with its timber houses is set on a ridge at approximately an altitude of 4000 ft above sea level. The city is spread over several mountain ridges with most houses built on 60%+ inclines. Aizawl is a religious and cultural center of the Mizos. Aizawl lies just north of Tropic of cancer.

With a population of approximately 300,000, it has cloudless blue skies, dewy mornings and sunlit days. These help to ensure the enjoyment of unforgettable holiday pleasures practically all year round. Even the monsoon months are pleasant and gentle.

Get around

Aizawl is centred around a mountain ridge which means the roads run more or less parallel to the mountain side. This means if you need to go vertically up or down it will be faster to take a foot path than to go by road. The mountainous landscape also means that the cost of driving a relatively short horizontal distance can be quite expensive and this is reflected in bus and taxi rates.

There are numerous buses routes that connect the various localities and most run through the town centre (Dawrpui - North to South and Civil Hospital South to North). Bus fares vary and best is to ask the conductor, though a relatively short trip of 1 km cost around ₹5 (Jan 2012). One thing to note is that there are no buses operate between the airport and the city.

There are nearly 5,000 taxis licensed in Aizawl and are readily available. Rates are extremely high compared to the rest of India. Though there are official published rates, no taxi runs by these rates. The main contention from taxi drivers is that 1 km uphill costs more to run than downhill and with inclines being frequently 30% or more. A relatively short distance of 1 km costs around ₹50. A taxi to or from the airport costs around ₹800 (July 2012) to/from the central areas of Aizawl. However, the price is liable to go up if petrol prices rise or if a landslide blocks the main road (requiring a longer alternate route).

Sure Taxis offers a service to find, negotiate rates on your behalf and dispatch taxis to your location: and …

Buy

Visit Hnam Chhantu Pawl. It has local handicraft items for sale at very reasonable rates. This shop is run by an NGO and is located in Electric Veng, Near Grace Hospital And Nursing, Aizawl. Ask for Champai Sumo counters, the shop is close by, on the second floor of a building. It is famous, so you can ask local people and they will guide you. Alternately, you can reach the store at [email protected]. The main shopping centres in Aizawl are Bara Bazar, Millennium Centre and Solomon's cave. In these centres, you'll find all kinds of wares available: from garments, cosmetics and shoes to vegetables and poultry. These are the main city shopping centres. For handicraft, Zohanco in Zarkawt has shawls, puan, bags and furnishing materials. For bamboo works such as baskets and khumbeu the finely mizo woven bamboo cap, these are available at MKVI, Sales Emporium, Zarkawt. However, the prices may not be very different from Mumbai or Delhi.

Eat

On Sundays and holidays, almost all stores and restaurants are closed. Several street venders sell fried vegetables and pakoras during the day. David's kitchen and Hotel Millennium in Zarkawt Main Street may be open for limited hours with limited menu.

Curry Pot, Upper Khatla. Indian and Chinese food at reasonable prices. Also has a branch at Lengpui Airport. David's Kitchen, G-16 Chanmari. One of the most popular restaurants in Aizawl. The food is decent and the service is good. Pemarin Corner, 1st Floor, Shop No.40, Millennium Centre. Pemarin Corner is one of the higher end restaurants in Aizawl and is located in the Millennium Center building at the heart of the city. Millennium Centre has other small shops which serve momos and Chinese dishes.

Drink

The alcohol ban in Mizoram has been lifted, but there are no bars of any description. Licensed wine called Zawlaidi is available in various departmental stores.

There are very few places to have a casual non-alcoholic drink. There are two cafes, both part of a Zote Bakery outlet. One is in Dawrpui near the church and another in Electric Veng. Don't expect a wide range of drinks: It's either milky tea or milky coffee out of a Nescafe machine.

Sleep

thumb|Clouded leopard at Aizawl Zoo The government of Mizoram operates tourist lodges throughout the state, including 2 in the Aizawl suburbs. They are good value starting from ₹600.

Go next

Pick a picnic basket and head out for Tamdil (Tam Lake). This natural lake is reputed for its fish and prawns and is an 85 km drive from Aizawl. The drive gives you an excellent opportunity to see some of the prettiest areas of Mizoram. Go for boat rides (if they are not closed because the boats are in bad shape) relax by the tranquil waters, and, if you can, take a drive into the nearby jungles, which are home to an assortment of fascinating flora and fauna. You can also stay here overnight. The resort village of Saituai is 10 km away. Surrounded by a vast stretch of thick bamboo forests close to Thenzawl hill station is Mizoram's highest waterfall Vantawng (750 ft high). This popular water body, 152 km from Aizawl, is worth a visit. You can even stay overnight as it has a cafeteria and a cottage for hire. Drive along the fertile plains of Champhai, about 200 km from Aizawl, to enjoy the stunning vista of emerald rice fields bordered by the smoky hills of Myanmar. Champai has the biggest stretch of plains in Mizoram, which are used for rice cultivation. The road from Aizwal to Champai is not very good in some places and it takes about 8 hours one way by a shared SUMO. A privately hired car may take about 6-7 hr; a top speed of only 40 km per hour is possible. But the raw and yet scenic beauty one enjoys along the winding, turning road which goes through thick forests, makes this a memorable experience. One of the finest encounters with Mizoram's splendid vistas is Phawngpu…