Overview

Dima Hasao district earlier called North Cachar Hills district, is an administrative district in the state of Assam, India. As of 2011, it is the least populous district of Assam.

Dima Hasao district is one of the two Autonomous hill districts of the state of Assam. The district headquarter Haflong is the only hill station in Assam, a tourist paradise, also named the Switzerland of the north-east.

Why visit Dima Hasao?

→ Haflong, the only Hill Station of Assam is in Dima Hasao District.

→ Thumjang, the tallest peak (1866 meters) of the Borail Range is located in the district.

→ Dima Hasao has an enviable diversity of tribes which contribute to the unique social fabric of the district. There are 13 tribal groups inhabiting the district along with a significant number of non-tribal groups like Bengali, Nepali, Assamese, Manipuri, etc.

Best Time to Visit ?

→ February to April

→ August to November

How to reach: Dima Hasao is well-connected to the state capital as well as other districts of Assam. By virtue of its geographical location, it is considered as the fulcrum between the Brahmaputra and Barak valley. The headquarter of Dima Hasao district, Haflong, also considered as the only proper hill station of Assam, is located southeast of Guwahati approximately 330 km away and can be reached through various modes of transport. 

By Train: Dima Hasao has many railway stations. There are several passenger and express trains that ferry through these railway stations. Few of the trains that pass through those stations come from Guwahati and Silchar. You can get all details of trains passing through Dima Hasao and their schedules.

By Air: Dima Hasao is connected by road to cities like Guwahati and Silchar. You can get flights till Guwahati and Silchar Airports and then travel by roads to reach Dima Hasao. For reference, the road distance between Haflong and Silchar is approximately 103 kilometers whereas that between Haflong and Guwahati is 330 kilometers. However, travel times may vary depending on road and weather conditions. 

By Road: The roads of Dima Hasao are well-connected to main cities like Guwahati, Silchar and Lanka. There are several buses, both private and state run along with Tata Sumos, Force Motor Cruisers, Force Motor Travellers, etc. , which offer transportation services from the main cities of Assam to Dima Hasao. For in-city transportation, you can avail shuttle cars, auto-rickshaws, cabs and other motor vehicles. For bus services from the state capital Guwahati to Haflong, one can travel by overnight buses offered by Network Travels that depart from Guwahati at 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm everyday. To travel back to Guwahati, one can travel by buses that depart from Haflong at 6:00 pm and 6:30 pm everyday. 

Natural Tourism

Dima Hasao is one of the three hill districts of Assam with the Borail Range and Shillong Plateau being prominent features of the topography. This renders the district a rugged and hilly terrain which may present logistical challenges but more than recompensates for that with beautiful mountains, a pleasant climate unlike the steamy plains, a multitude of scenic waterfalls, pretty valleys, tranquil lakes and a bewildering mosaic of tribal cultures that define its cultural landscape which makes it ideal for tourism, adventure and leisure. 

Tourism-related matters are looked after by the district's tourism department, under the administrative jurisdiction of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), which has been making a lot of efforts over the past few years to promote tourism in the district. The focus has been to improve tourism infrastructure, connectivity, development & maintenance of tourist spots, develop new obscure tourist sites and promote indigenous festivals both for the domestic as well as international circuit.

History:

The earliest inhabitants of the present district were a Mongoloid stock of groups who prefer to stay atop hilly terrain and who practised their own culture, tradition and land rights governing themselves as independent tribes. As per records of different British historians and officials, North Cachar Hills was already occupied by the Dimasa Kacharis, erstwhile old Kuki tribes viz. Biate, Hrangkhol, Sakachep and Zeme Naga tribe during the British Rule in India.