Escape to
Things to do in Khonoma
Asia’s first green village, 20km from Kohima.
The list
The short version: An Angami village that stopped hunting, and built its life around its terraces instead.
01
The terraces
Stone-walled fields on a community farming cycle centuries old.
02
The sanctuary
Khonoma’s own conservation area, tragopan country.
03
Village walk
Morungs, gates and houses, best with a local guide.
04
Overnight
Homestays and home kitchens, worth the extra day.
Know before you go
- From Kohima
- 20km · about 1h
- People
- Angami Naga
- Known for
- Green village · terraces · sanctuary
- Stay
- Homestays in the village
The village is built on a spur above terraced fields, and the terraces are the thing to see: stone-walled, alder-shaded, and still farmed on a cycle the community has kept for generations.
Best time: All year. Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov) the terraces are green; harvest is a busy, beautiful time.
Practicals
Permits & season for Nagaland
ILP required for Indian nationals outside the Hornbill window (waived Dec 1–10 with photo ID), online at ilp.nagaland.gov.in; foreign nationals pay a fee.
October to March is the clean window; December adds the Hornbill Festival, and the monsoon makes eastern roads slow.
All of Khonoma, none of the guesswork
Fixed departures you can join solo, or a private plan around your dates. Prices on the page, real people on WhatsApp.
Keep planning
- Nagaland travel guide
- Flying into Dimapur Airport: flights, cabs and onward connections
- Dimapur Railway Station railway station: trains, cabs and onward connections
- Nagaland permits: the complete guide
- A morning in Khonomafrom the journal
- Aoleang Festival: the Konyak festival of Mon, Nagalandfrom the journal
- Best time to visit Northeast India, month by monthfrom the journal