Never Ending Footsteps (and Pedal Power) Across Majuli

A mesmerizing stay in a bamboo cottage in the heart of nature, away from the concrete civilization is all you need on a solo trip! 👦

Bamboo Cottages in Majuli, Assam

Many are amazed when I tell that the LARGEST river water island in the world is situated in Assam, India. I have heard wild guesses that such an island must be on Amazon or Nile or Danube yet here it is on the Bramhaputra.

Fun Fact: 

All rivers in India have a female name: Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, etc. but the only river with a male name is the Bramhaputra.

Getting There:

To reach the Island of Majuli, you have to take a Ferry from a small town called Jorhat. I started my travels from Mumbai to Guwahati via flight with a short layover at Kolkata. From Guwahati, there are State-run buses that ply to Johrat. The road passes through Kaziranga National Park famous for its Rhinos. On reaching Johrat, you may choose to stay a night in the small town or proceed to Majuli from Nimati Ghat where all the ferry services are available. There are only four ferries that go in a day. The ferry timings are 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM.

Day 1:

I had a 3 day trip to Majuli with the first night spent at Johrat. Even though Johrat being a small town, has its own cozy charm. The first thing I went to try at Johrat as soon as I reached around evening 4 p.m. was the Singpho Tea. This is said to be the first tea ever invented by the Singpho tribal community.

Singpho Tea - The Green Tea of the Ancients

The process of creating this tea is still manual with no machinery or equipment being used. To process tea by first heating the leaves in a metal pan until they brown, and then sun-drying them for a few days. To make more flavourful, smoked tea, the sun-dried leaves are tightly packed in bamboo tubes and smoked over a fire. After a week of storing these bamboos, the processed tea hardens to take the shape of the tube. It can then be preserved for up to 10 years, with small portions sliced off with a knife to brew a fresh cup of tea. I would in my modern ways call it the ‘Green Tea of the Ancients’.

Day 2:

The next day, I took the second ferry across the Bramhaputra to the islands of Majuli. Majuli being an island is untouched by modern civilization. No tall building, no hustling bustling cars. The best way to Travel across the Island – The CYCLE.

My Eco-Friendly Ride for the Day

I had booked my stay in a close to nature cottages. And I was not disappointed with what I saw. As I approached my place of stay I had to cross this bridge. I would call it the Rickety Bridge to Paradise. I was a bit unsure if I had taken the right decision of stay when crossing this bridge.

Rickety Bridge to Paradise 

But when this view met my eye, I knew that I was in Nature's paradise. The bamboo cottages were the closest I was to nature. No cement walls, no TV, washing machine or fridge, yet a place worth living. I settled into my cottage and decided to cycle around the Island of Majuli.

Majuli as an island does not boast of any specific places to visit. However, there are different Vaishnav Satras (pronounced Hotras) that are situated around the island. Satras are Temple-Ashrams with Vishnu being the main deity. There are 7-8 Satras around the island of Majuli and each Satra is famous for a skill.

I visited two of these Satra, one the Kamlabari Satra famous for its Dance and Performance Arts and Samaguri Satra famed for making Face-Masks.

When coming back to my cottage, I took a different route so that I could explore markets and traditional local village of Majuli. And I am glad I took this route I came across this beautiful bridge. It was a moment of calm standing on the middle of the bridge with no worries of the world, job or any other thing worrying the mind.

I had to sadly leave the bridge behind and reach my cottage before nightfall. Not all roads of Majuli have street lights. 

Must Try - Cuisine:

For dinner, I wanted to try the local cuisines. The food was simple but the highlight was the Bamboo chicken that was a special dish prepared for me by my host at the cottage. 

Bamboo Chicken in the making...

The chicken that was marinated through the day is filled into a bamboo shoot and then cooked over a live fire. The results are juicy pieces of chicken that have a smoky flavour yet it is not the typical fried or roasted type. A dish I would not forget. I tried this with Apong which is the traditional rice beer available in Majuli only.

Day 3:

I had to sadly come back to civilization the next day, leaving the island of Majuli behind. But this was the Best Solo Trip that I would have asked for. 

Best Time to Visit:

The weather is pleasant during winters - October to February and hence, the best time to visit.

Contributed by Lyonel Mascarenhas


Lyonel Mascarenhas is a passionate solo traveller, an entrepreneur, a Piscean and a bigge on food & drinks. Energetic, spontaneous and random are the three words that can best describe his personality. Dance, music, reading and meaningful conversations feed his soul. All in all - a Conversations & Smiles person! To know more about his escapades, you can connect with him through his social media handles.

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