kipepeo

21/01/2024

We reignited our food tours across North East in the hope of educating our guests on indigenous food wisdom, much of which the urban city dweller can incorporate in their daily life. For we believe this is a great way to support rural farmers and mitigate climate change.

And we are so thrilled that our participants were absolutely wowed by our first rood trail to Assam. It was a trip which took the participants through a wide array of experiences . Starting with an ice breaker home lunch in Guwahati, to the eye opening food experience of the Karbi community , everyday was a new learning experience. The curiosity and conversations kept building over finger-licking cuisines in traditional Mising and Deori kitchens. Traditional knowledge gained over cups of indigenous rice beer. The senses mesmerised by the alluring beauty of the Brahmaputra landscapes.

Couldn't have asked for a better start to our New Year.

16/01/2024

As the sun begins its journey towards the Northern hemisphere, signaling the end of the winter solstice, it's time for celebration. In India, different agrarian communities observe this event with various names such as Magh Bihu, Lohri, Pongal, and Makar Sankranti. After months of hard work during the harvesting season, it's a time for joy and merriment.

In Assam, it is known as Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu, a festival of enjoyment. Traditional sweets called Pitha, made from rice, sesame, coconut, and jaggery, are prepared and rice beer is brewed by different communities. Bonfires known as Meji are lit throughout Assam, creating a festive atmosphere. Experience the vibrant festivities of Assam during this special time.

Picture credit: on_my_platee

30/12/2023

Step into a world where traditions bloom and nature dances in harmony! Dzuleke village in Nagaland is a hidden gem where every sunrise paints the landscape with breathtaking hues.

Quaint houses lined with flowers dot the village, set amongst rice fields and verdant forests. It is an ideal place to experience the rural Naga way of life. A perfect destination for those looking to immerse themselves in pristine beauty and cultural heritage.

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29/12/2023

Christmas at Kipepeo didn’t consist of twinkly lights, carols or gifts under the tree.

It did consist of ancient forests with giant creepers and bamboo.

We didn’t spot Santa, but we did spot the rare royal blue vanda flower, flying squirrels, great hornbills and more.

We didn’t have the usual Christmas, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

What was your Christmas like?

🎄

22/12/2023

to our recee trip to Kiphire in the remote eastern corner of Nagaland.

After a 12 hour back breaking journey we were wondering if it was really worth the effort. The next morning woke up to these spectacular views , and boy it was well worth it.

Journeying into remote parts of North East can be back breaking but extremely rewarding as you get to see unadulterated lifestyle of the local communities who reside amongst some spectacular landscapes.

19/12/2023

Beneath the living tree root bridges, towering waterfalls, pristine turquoise pools and mountains of every shade of green in Meghalaya lies a mysterious world that is largely unexplored.

Caves crisscross the length and breadth of Meghalaya, indeed the state has the largest cave network on the subcontinent, measuring a whooping 530 kilometers. It is a fascinating world below, with the most mind blowing formations created by nature. And on our upcoming trip to Meghalaya we will be exploring one such cave which we promise would be an experience of a lifetime.

DM us for more details.

17/12/2023

Pallavi Gaitonde is a media industry professional. After working full-time for 25 years, she quit her job to freelance so she could have more time for travel and other creative pursuits. Though she has been solo-travelling since 2006, her travel personality has undergone a sea-change since then.

Whereas once she had a checklist of must-visit places and a must-do of all touristy things, today she largely focuses on experiential travel, completely immersing herself in the people, culture and landscape of a place.

Her favourite travel memory is from Meghalaya. She says, “I had done a multi-adventure Meghalaya trip with Kipepeo. In addition to climbing the endless steps to Nongriat (double tree root bridge), we indulged in a lot of activities like caving, snorkeling, overhead crawling, cliff-jumping, kayaking, etc.

But one of my best memories from the trip was camping on the banks of the Dawki River. The water of Dawki is so clear that by noon when the light was just right, it felt as if our boats were floating in air. Sleeping under a blanket of starry skies, humming old tunes with new friends around a raging bonfire, and exchanging gathered wisdom, everything was perfect.”

09/12/2023

07/12/2023

Here are some things that makes Bhutan like no other place on Earth:

There are no traffic lights in Bhutan. Apparently, people there drive so carefully that there’s no need for them 🤷‍♂️

Bhutanese people believe in the Yeti, the giant hairy snowman from folklore. The Yeti features in stamps, has a trek named after him and most people there absolutely believe he exists ☃️

You will see Phallus everywhere in Bhutan. They are considered a sign of fertility with murals and paintings of them on almost every single building. There is even a temple dedicated to it in Punakha 🍆

Want to spend Christmas in the happiest place on Earth, with your friends or family? DM us to plan your dream trip now.

05/12/2023

Majuli, one of the largest river islands in the world, is as much a hotspot of wildlife and biodiversity as it is a beacon of spiritual nourishment.

Home to two different communities, it is a great example of contrasting cultures living in harmony with each other. On the one hand you have the Mising people who reside on the banks of the Brahmaputra sustaining themselves through farming and fishing.

On the other, you have the pure vegetarian Vaishnavites whose culture in Assam dates back to the 15th century. Majuli is dotted with temples and monasteries that uphold and celebrate their spiritual traditions.

On our Flavours of Assam trip, experience the Majuli slice of life with a ferry ride on the Brahmaputra, the local rice beer and traditional meat dishes of the Mising tribe. And then immerse yourself in the joyous leela and simple vegetarian fare of the Vaishnavite monks.

DM us to register.

30/11/2023

Reasons to go on a custom trip with Kipepeo:

➤ You are a group of family or friends looking to connect and bond with each other as well as with nature. You are looking to tread off the beaten path.

➤ You would like to sit with us and chart out a custom plan that takes into account the tastes and preferences of everyone in your group.

➤ You are looking to slow down and savour as much as you are to discover and experience. You don’t wish to ruin your group’s mojo by trying to match your pace with an outside crowd.

With a Kipepeo custom trip, you are the painter and the trip is the canvas. Swirl the colours of indelible memories, unique experiences and unforgettable adventures to create your own masterpiece. DM us to get started.

23/11/2023

to the delicious eco friendly meal in Aalo EMOJI

Our trips to the remote parts of North East never fail to open the eyes of our guests to a different way of life. Like the time when we headed out for a village walk near Aalo, a small picturesque town in central Arunachal. Our guests were already in awe of the beautiful thatch houses which were spread across the hill slope, showcasing the mastery the Adi community had over bamboo and cane. The excitement levels became higher as the group plucked fresh oranges, devouring one sweet orange after another .

But the main surprise to them was the traditional meal at the end of the walk. The entire meal which included rice , vegetables , meat and fish were all cooked inside a bamboo on open fire. Finally served on a leaf with bamboo mugs. The entire setup and preparation just blew our guests away.

An experience to cherish forever. Wouldn’t you agree ?

23/11/2023

to the delicious eco friendly meal in Aalo 😛

Our trips to the remote parts of North East never fail to open the eyes of our guests to a different way of life. Like the time when we headed out for a village walk near Aalo, a small picturesque town in central Arunachal. Our guests were already in awe of the beautiful thatch houses which were spread across the hill slope, showcasing the mastery the Adi community had over bamboo and cane. The excitement levels became higher as the group plucked fresh oranges, devouring one sweet orange after another .

But the main surprise to them was the trandtional meal at the end of the walk. The entire meal which included rice , vegetables , meat and fish were all cooked inside a bamboo on open fire .

Many communities in the North East still continue to live a simple life close to nature.

22/11/2023

Did you know India has a real life Jurassic Park? Scroll through the images to learn more.

If you feel keen to time-travel to 200 million years ago, then DM us to sign up for our upcoming Namdapha Trek.

20/11/2023

Having lived in close proximity to thick forests, most communities in the North East were at one time hunter- gatherers. Hunting was an important survival skill to put food on the table. But in those days hunting was purely for self sustenance with every community having their own indigenous beliefs and rules to keep it in check. Unfortunately even today some communities continue to hunt because of the strong cultural bond or due to commercialization.

It’s only now that the narrative is shifting to understand that there is greater grace in saving than killing, in protecting than destroying.

Nowhere else is this story more apparent than in Pangti village in Nagaland, where the Amur falcons, the longest travelling raptors in the world, make a pitstop in October on their migration journey to southern Africa.

Local hunters would literally kill thousands of falcons every day. After global outrage and intensive local campaigning, not only did they stop killing the falcons, but they became their fiercest protectors.

Hunters have now grouped together to form protection squads, staying in jungles watching over the birds, ensuring not a single one is hunted. People from all over the world now come to observe this phenomenal migration of lakhs of Amur falcons, thus changing the narrative from hunting to conservation.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons; Bano Horolu; Dhritiman Mukherjee

13/11/2023

How does the Garo tribe of Meghalaya celebrate the end of the grueling harvest season and the beginning of the leisurely winter months? By dancing it out.

If you set foot in Western Meghalaya in the first week of November, the beats from Nagra drums will welcome you. You will see people young and old dressed in feathers and fineries, drinking and feasting and dancing exuberantly.

This is the Wangala festival – the Garo tribe’s way of saying thank you to the Sun, their main deity and harbinger of fertility. On the last day of the three day festivities, a large number of dancers perform different dances with their traditional drums. Definitely worth an experience.

📷 Free Press Journal

09/11/2023

Come taste the food of the Karbi tribe on our Assam Food Trail.

The Karbi tribe is one of the largest indigenous groups of Assam. Living in close proximity to thick jungles, they have a symbiotic relationship with the forests. As a result, their cuisine has evolved to contain unique flavours and delicacies without the usual oils and spices.

For example, some dishes use dried sesame powder instead of oil, are flavoured with foraged herbs and seasoned with wild garlic and wild turmeric.

We will be exploring exotic fish delicacies of the Karbi people, exploring poultry delicacies like duck and smoked meat and loads of vegetarian preparations. To sign up, DM us.

taste the food of the Karbi tribe on our Assam Food Trail.

The Karbi tribe is one of the largest indigenous groups of Assam. Living in close proximity to thick jungles, they have a symbiotic relationship with the forests. As a result, their cuisine has evolved to contain unique flavours and delicacies without the usual oils and spices.

For example, some dishes use dried sesame powder instead of oil, are flavoured with foraged herbs and seasoned with wild garlic and wild turmeric.

We will be exploring exotic fish delicacies of the Karbi people, exploring poultry delicacies like duck and smoked meat and loads of vegetarian preparations. To sign up, DM us.

07/11/2023

Nrupal C, a corporate man through and through, seeks renewal through nature when traveling. Here he talks about forest bathing in Bhutan.

I have been fascinated by the Japanese concept of 'Shinrin-yoku' ie., forest bathing. Trust the Japanese to come up with poetic names for being one with nature.

Imagine getting a chance to do so in a country that is known for its genuine love for nature, still preserving 70% of its land as forest cover. Where ecological sustainability is one of the pillars of 'Gross National Happiness'... yes, Bhutan!

When Kipepeo announced their Bhutan trip plan in 2022, my wife and I were the first ones to sign-up. We were lucky to be among the first tourists to trek along a section of the refurbished 'Trans-Bhutan Trail'.

We started from DochuLa, a mountain pass near Thimpu, and covered about 50km of the trail over 6 days, through terrain ranging from lush paddy fields to mist-covered valleys. Treats waited for us in the form of lunch on a meadow and dinner by fabulous river-side campsites.

Overshadowed by big neigbours, Bhutan came across as a small country with a big heart. The Trans-Bhutan Trail is easily amongst our most immersive travel experiences. Kipepeo's itinerary ensured that we did not rush it. While walking, hiking, and occasionally scrambling through the Bhutanese countryside, we discovered what 'Shinrin-yoku' feels like.

03/11/2023

Meet your chef

Aditya Raghavan has a PhD in physics, but he left the world of academia a decade ago to turn to his true passion – cheese making, cooking and foraging. He says, “The best food you can eat in the country is in its villages.”

When not foraging the countryside for unique, endemic ingredients, helping set up farm to table restaurants in India, USA and Canada or making cheese, Aditya leads foodies to offbeat parts of the country where they get to taste mind blowing, authentic and little known cuisines.

Aditya’s favourite food destination in India – Sikkim. To get a taste of the gastronomical adventures he has lined up for you, sign up for our upcoming Sikkim Food Trail.

DM us to join.

02/11/2023

Assam is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most people will instantly recognize one of them as Kaziranga National Park. But do you know the other?

Hardly many people know about Manas National Park, but it’s our favourite. And not just because that’s where Kipepeo started its journey, way back in 2009. It’s because the park has the most stunning varied landscapes you’ll ever get to see – grasslands, deciduous and evergreen forests, riverine and more.

Thanks to the conservation efforts of the Bodo community, sightings of the Bengal tiger, leopards, elephant herds, rhinos and golden langurs are becoming better and more frequent. So on your next holiday to Assam opt for visiting Manas rather than Kaziranga.

📷 1& 2 by

27/10/2023

What makes Sikkim a portal to experience the magic of the slow food movement in India?
It’s all organic produce loaded with flavours, the confluence of tribal influences and vast forest cover teeming with goodies to be foraged 🌱

Here are some delectable adventures awaiting you on our Sikkim Food Trail, curated and led by chef extraordinaire :

🍐 Go foraging for wild forest edibles and cook up delicious meals with them.

🍻 Observe how the local millet beer chhang is brewed from scratch and then slurp on it.

😋 Feast on homemade delicacies like sel rotis (sweet ring breads made with rice flour and milk), nettle soup, Gundruk achar and more.

🍜 Eat hearty thukpas finished with crispy chicken skin, momos and tingmos to your heart’s content.

DM us to experience the foodie adventure of a lifetime.
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26/10/2023

What does your mind’s eye conjure when you hear the words, 'one of the last great remote wilderness areas of Asia,'?

Do you see a land decked with towering trees and majestic mountains, fed with gushing rivers?

Do you imagine trekking through awe-inspiring landscapes through the day, sitting around merry bonfires in the evening and sleeping under starry skies at night?

Do you imagine playing peek-a-boo with hoolock gibbons , giant flying squirrels, great hornbills and spotting the rare Blue Vanda?

If the thought of exploring Namdapha – a landscape that’s been unchanged since dinosaurs roamed on it last – lights up your soul, then DM us to plan the adventure of a lifetime.

23/10/2023

Adventure doesn’t always have to be at a physical level. Simply put it could just mean doing things out of your comfort zone. And that is exactly what we made our participants experience on our Dibang adventure. Made them hike in thick pathless forests filled with leeches and damdum flies, made them stay in a basic village house with an Indian toilet (people seem to have forgotten how to squat) , got them swaying on a hanging bridge a few hundred meters above water, . What did all this amount to? Great camaraderie, lasting friendships and collective learnings .

As our regular client Pallavi put it “ The Dibang Adventure was the perfect getaway I need to unplug myself from the chaotic city life. The journey was long and at time tiring, but nothing less of spectacular as the Dibang flows through some of the most thickly forested mountain slopes I have ever seen. The highlight of our trip though was our village walk with Achili to her ancestral village. Engaging conversations on the culture and folklore of the Idu community enlightened me about this little know tribe. The simplicity of the place with the warmth of their hospitality had a lasting impression on me, memories I will forever cherish”

21/10/2023

Guess the destination of our next food trail.

This state is home to the Karbi, Mishing and Tai tribes. Tai are erstwhile indigenous people of Thailand who settled here eons ago and now call this state home.

Some mouth-watering dishes from this state:
Tenga (tangy fish curry flavoured with tomatoes, dried mangosteen, lemons, mango and elephant apple)

Pitika (charred vegetables seasoned with green chilli, onion, chopped ginger, mustard oil, and coriander leaves)

Khulasaporir Pitha with Laal Saah (Rice pancakes with red tea)

Can you guess our our next foodie destination?
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19/10/2023

Throwback to when a scary mishap had a happy ending.

Our group was on a trek at Barsey, sipping in the exquisite beauty of the rhododendrons in bloom. 60 years old Shweta was a part of our group.

After walking for a bit, we realized Shweta was nowhere to be found. We looked around and called her name, to no avail. With a sinking feeling we realized that she must have been separated from the group and got lost.

We organized ourselves into teams of search parties and went looking for her. Within two hours we had found her. She was calm and composed and very happy to see us 😇

Mishaps during travel can happen. If it does, take a leaf out of Shweta’s book and don’t panic. Your fellow travelers will always have your back.

Have you ever faced a scary situation while on a trip?