Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Udaipur", "tiger", "honeymoon", "Ladakh in July"
An unhurried eight-night honeymoon in three of the North East's most romantic stays: lakeside cottages at Ri Kynjai near Shillong, stilted riverside cottages at Diphlu River Lodge for Kaziranga's rhinos, and three nights in a planter's bungalow at Wild Mahseer in the Assam tea gardens.
For couples who want privacy, nature and few crowds, the North East is an inspired choice. This journey uses three stays chosen for setting and calm rather than size: Ri Kynjai on the wooded shore of Umiam Lake, Diphlu River Lodge on the edge of Kaziranga, and the heritage bungalows of Wild Mahseer in a working tea estate. Each has verandas made for long breakfasts.
The pace is gentle. In Meghalaya you see the sacred forest at Mawphlang, Sohra's great falls and the clear river at Dawki, with time to do nothing by the lake. At Kaziranga, private jeeps take you among the rhinos at dawn. At Wild Mahseer, mornings in the tea gardens give way to unplanned afternoons, a river float at Nameri and candlelit dinners.
Highlights
Day by day
A private car and guide meet you at Guwahati airport for the climb into the Khasi Hills. Arrive at Ri Kynjai in the afternoon, where your cottage looks over Umiam Lake through pine and broadleaf trees. The rest of the day is yours: a walk along the forest paths, tea on the veranda, and dinner at the resort.
A day across the plateau. Walk the sacred grove at Mawphlang with a village guide, then continue to Sohra to see Nohkalikai Falls plunge into its green pool and the Seven Sisters at Mawsmai. Lunch overlooking the gorges, then a short visit to Mawsmai cave or the cliffs at Thangkharang before returning to the lake for dinner.
Drive to the Umngot river on the Bangladesh border, where boats seem to float over water so clear you see the stones below. Row slowly into the gorge at Dawki, then sit by the river at quiet Shnongpareng. On the way back, stop at Mawlynnong for its gardens and the root bridge at Riwai. If you prefer a slower day, we keep you at the lake instead.
After a late breakfast, the drive down from the hills and across the Assam plains to Kaziranga, with a relaxed lunch stop on the way. Arrive at Diphlu River Lodge in the late afternoon, where your stilted cottage looks over the river and paddy fields towards the park. Sundowners on the veranda and dinner at the lodge.
A private jeep and naturalist take you into the Central range at first light, when mist hangs over the wetlands and rhinos graze close to the tracks. Return for breakfast and a long rest. In the afternoon, a second drive in the Western range, with open views over the grassland as the sun sets. Dinner at the lodge, perhaps in your cottage.
An optional last morning drive, then the short journey across the Brahmaputra near Tezpur and north into the tea gardens. Arrive at Wild Mahseer for lunch and settle into a heritage planter's bungalow with its own garden and veranda. The afternoon is for a walk along the estate roads at golden hour.
Walk the Addabarie estate in the morning with a member of the estate team, watching plucking in season and following the leaf through the factory to a tasting. The afternoon is deliberately empty: read on the veranda, wander the lawns, watch hornbills in the old trees. In the evening, we arrange a private dinner on the lawn.
A gentle morning at Nameri. Cross the clear Jia Bhoroli by boat for a short guarded forest walk, then float back downstream in an inflatable raft, watching kingfishers and river birds against the Arunachal hills. A picnic on a shingle bank, then back to the estate for a last afternoon and dinner.
A slow final breakfast on the veranda, then the drive back to Guwahati airport, with a lunch stop on the way. If Tezpur flights suit your plans, the transfer is about 45 minutes, leaving the whole morning free.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A lakeside resort on the wooded shore of Umiam Lake, about 20 km north of Shillong, with cottages built in the Khasi manner of timber and …
The leading safari lodge at Kaziranga, with stilted cottages along the Diphlu river on the park's southern boundary. Stays are full board, with park jeep drives …
A group of restored British-era planters' bungalows inside the Addabarie tea estate near Balipara, north of Tezpur. Rooms open onto lawns and tea gardens, the food …
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Questions travellers ask
Yes, for couples who prefer nature, privacy and quiet to beaches and nightlife. Ri Kynjai, Diphlu River Lodge and Wild Mahseer are three of the most romantic stays in India, with verandas, views and few other guests. Days combine light activity with long, unplanned afternoons.
November to March is ideal, with dry weather, clear skies, cool nights and Kaziranga open. December and January are the coolest, with fires lit in the evenings. October and April work too. We avoid the monsoon months.
Yes. Ri Kynjai's cottages, Diphlu's stilted cottages and Wild Mahseer's heritage bungalows are all separate units with their own verandas. We request the most private rooms and note your honeymoon when booking.
The drive from Shillong to Kaziranga takes about 6.5 to 7 hours, the only long one. Alternatively, you can return to Guwahati and fly to Jorhat, though flight times rarely save much. We make the drive comfortable with a late start and long lunch.
From about ₹3,10,000 per person, twin sharing, including stays, the meals listed, a private dinner, safaris, a private car and guide. Prices vary with season and room category. Flights are extra.
Yes. Four or five nights in Gangtok and Pelling, with Taj Guras Kutir and the Elgin Mount Pandim, add mountain views and monasteries. Flights between Bagdogra and Guwahati connect the two regions. See our Sikkim and Meghalaya journey.
Yes. Jeep drives are with an experienced driver and naturalist, on set tracks, with park rules on distances from animals. Private jeeps mean you can stop as long as you like at sightings. Walking inside the park is not permitted.
Light layers for warm days and a warm jacket for cool mornings and evenings, muted colours for safaris, walking shoes, sunscreen and insect repellent. Smart-casual clothes are fine for dinners at all three stays.
No. Meghalaya and Assam require no Inner Line Permit or Protected Area Permit for Indian or foreign visitors. Carry photo ID for hotel registration, which is mandatory in Meghalaya.
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