Lilabari Tourism And Travel Guide

Lilabari’s a lovely town in the North Lakhimpur District, situated on the banks of River Brahmaputra with a beautiful and scenic view of the Himalayas. From a tourism standpoint, the town is known for its ancient and religious society, ancient relics, historic tourist attractions and picturesque locale. Buddhism is a principal religion that’s followed in the district with a variety of local tribes forming a unified community in the region. The climate in this part of Assam is ripe with a really warm summer and cold winters with heavy monsoons, attracting a lot of tourism. Here’s a travel guide to help you find your way in and around Lilabari.

Lilabari is best accessible by air and rail transport, with the nearest airport being the Lilabari Airport, which also caters jointly to Arunachal Pradesh. There are regular flights operating from Guwahati every day. The town is connected rather well to the rest of the country both by air and by road.

By Air:

The Lilabari Airport’s one of the most significant airports in the North-East part of India with flights operating daily between Guwahati, Bagdogra and New Delhi. The airport has the capacity to host about 400 passengers, with a domestic terminal and one boarding gate. One of the best ways of reaching Lilabari is to take a flight. The next closest airport to Lilabari is in Jorhat, about 63km away. Some of the most popular flight connections to Lilabari can be explored from Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata in the estimated fare range of INR 6,000-16,000.

By Train:

Given that Lilabari doesn’t have a train station of its own, the closest railway station is in Dibrugarh, about 83km from the town. Every day there are about 5 trains running between Dibrugarh and Lilabari by the Indian Railways that include train nos. 12424, 12436, 55906, 55908 and 2424.

By Road:

Lilabari’s well connected with the rest of the state and country by road as well. Some of its most popular road connections are associated with cities like Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Vizag, Vijaywada, Aurangabad and Bhubaneshwar, which can be covered in roughly 21-50 hours by road. Within Assam, the road distance between Lilabari and Dimapur, Guwahati, Imphal, Shillong or Aizawl is best covered in roughly 7-13 hours.

Getting Around:

You can commute in taxis both to and within Lilabari and use them to go sightseeing in neighboring areas as well. The transport options are fairly economical in this part of the state and using a private taxi or cab is the best option to explore for visitors. In neighboring areas, transport administrations are quite smooth, making it easier to use public transportation. There are bus services, rickshaws and auto that can be used easily to travel within and around.

Summer (March-June):

March through June is marked as summers in Lilabari with the average temperature usually being 30°C. Sun’s more or less very bright and harsh during this period, however, the nights are comparatively cooler. Summer’s the preferred time to visit Lilabari, in comparison to the rest of the year when incoming tourist traffic’s at its peak and visitors can go sightseeing or indulge in adventure sports to their heart’s content.

Monsoon (July-September):

Monsoons in Lilabari are typically between July and September when the region receives heavy showers and sporadic thunderstorms. Even though the town rarely faces flood situations, road accessibility is restricted and the airport may also be shut to avoid any unnecessary damage and inconvenience to travel plans. It is best to avoid traveling during this period to Lilabari as most outdoor activities are canceled.

Winter (October-February):

Despite its close proximity to areas like the Tawang valley, Dirang or Sela Pass which are situated at an elevation of 14,000ft above sea level, there’s no snowfall in Lilabari and the average temperature typically oscillates between 6°C-8°C. Given the high wind conditions and combined humidity levels, the weather gets a lot chillier than usual in this part of the state, thereby reducing the incoming tourist traffic during winters.

Outdoor Activities:

There are a number of trekking spots and other attractions for indulging in outdoor activities in and around Lilabari. From a variety of fishing spots to enjoy angling & fishing, to engaging in white water river rafting to hiking, camping & cooking, there’s all this and more when visiting Lilabari. Some of the most interesting and enjoyable catches are best done near rivers Siang and Subansiri. For those who don’t wish to be all that adventurous, can soak in the picturesque beauty of Mother Nature and breathe in the crisp mountain air, and sit back and enjoy the lush green and majestic landscapes too.

Parks and Water Bodies:

About 66km from Lilabari is the Indira Gandhi Park which is a beautiful spot for picnic and recreation, with a variety of fairs and festivals that can be enjoyed from time to time. Then, there’s the Polo Park, which is Assam’s botanical garden and includes an assortment of orchids, cane thickets and flowers, in addition to a mini zoo with numerous species of animals and reptiles. The Ganga Lake also at a close range from Lilabari is a popular tourist attraction with facilities like swimming and boating available for its visitors and has lush greenery, tall trees and a rough landmass to enjoy looking at.

Wildlife Reserves and Parks:

Situated close to Lilabari is Itanagar’s Zoological Park which is home to the Great Indian Hornbill, the Royal Bengal Tiger and Himalayan Black Bear, besides other animals and rare species of birds. There’s the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary as well, which is a beautiful reserve and one of the leading ones in the country that houses plenty of vegetation, and a blend of tropical semi-evergreen and wet evergreens.

The food options in Lilabari are driven not only by Assamese cuisine but by the cuisine of Arunachal Pradesh as well, where the typical fares include rice, green veggies and meat. Some popular delicacies include Khar, which is made in filtered water with the ashes of the Banana Trees, Poitabhat – which is made with rice soaked overnight and garnished with spices and onions, Tenga – a light fish dish, Saah Tea, and Rice Beer. In the neighboring areas, food options vary between pork, fish and rice, ranging between the sharp curries to smoked varieties. The flavor in food in this part is usually bland, however, you have a wide variety of options to choose from in terms of meats like ducks, squabs and other seafood.

From a shopping purpose, you can explore the HB market and Dainik Bazar in Lilabari. Alternatively, you can visit Itanagar, neighboring Lilabari for a wide range of shopping options. For instance, there are numerous shops and street stalls that sell Tibetan Buddhist Paintings, local artifacts, exotic wood figurines and sculptures that are popular souvenirs. There are beautiful bamboo and cane products that are available in the form of baskets, lamps, mats, chairs, flower vases and wall décor, woven delicately by the local artisans. Explore the markets for visually vibrant and captivating fruit bowls made of Monpa wood, woolen products and bright & stylish sarongs that are unisex and available in plenty in this part of the state.