Dzukou Valley

Situated on the border of Nagaland and Manipur, at an altitude of 2438 m above sea level, behind the Japfü Peak, this magical valley looks like a freshly mown lawn, from a distance, watered by two meandering streams—the Dzukou and the Japfü rivers. Similar to the famous ‘Valley of Flowers’ in the north-western part of the country, this valley blossoms with rhododendrons of every possible hue during the months of May and June. The base of the trek is at Viswema Village, about 25 km from Kohima. The initial hike of 8 km is a long motorable road and after that a flight of steps on the right takes one to the top of this valley. A trekker’s hut and some natural caves cater to the accommodation of weary trekkers. Firewood can be hired on a temporary basis, but it’s more suitable to carry one’s own kitchen utensils as limited food is available on the top. The Zakhma route provides another gateway to this valley and is much steeper as compared to the Viswema village route. The entire trail is marked with signboards and can be done independently without any guides or porters. The total duration of the trek is around 5-6 hours uphill and close to 3-4 hours downhill.