There are islands and then there is a floating district that has kept secrets of human civilization so diverse that one actually has to take pointers to bring them down on paper. We are talking about Majuli, the oldest and the largest inhabited riverine island of the world.
On our trip to the North East of India, Majuli was our first halt. But, before we start with the spills let's take note of a few essentials:
How to reach Majuli?
Reaching Majuli could take you all three means of transport - air travel, road travel, and water travel as well. To reach Majuli, you first need to reach Jorhat as it serves as the main connection to the roads to Majuli. Jorhat is well connected by air, road and rail transport. Let's break them away:
By air: Jorhat is well connected by air, with daily flights from Guwahati, and four flights a week from Kolkata. Got the game? We recommend Guwahati (Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport) as we consider Guwahati as the center point for anywhere in North East India.
By rail: Well, you can deboard a Delhi - Dibrugarh Rajdhani at Jorhat Railway Station. Besides, it has got several passenger and express trains from Guwahati. The Jorhat ISBT & Baruah Chariali are the two bus stops in Jorhat, ISBT comes first. However, you will get easy accommodation in Baruah Chariali. Hence, we recommend so.
By road: There are 2 places in Jorhat where the bus stops - ISBT & Baruah Chariali. You will reach ISBT first & next Baruah Chariali; 5mins in Auto from ISBT. In Baruah Chariali, you will get hotels for food & Lodging. Majuli, from Jorhat, is only connected by water transport through the Brahmaputra. There are ferry services till 4 pm from a port called Nimati ghat (15 km from Jorhat). A ferry would cost you 10 bucks for Komolabadi Ghat and 15 bucks for Afala Ghat. You can also take your car along on the ferry - should cost INR 400 and INR 750 respectively for Komolabadi and Afala.
There you go, You have made it to the floating island. But then,
When is the best time to visit Majuli?
Majuli has got subtropical monsoon climate. Summers are humid and winters are pleasant. FYI, the island receives an annual rainfall of 215 cm. The best time to visit Majuli is during the winter months of October to March which coincides with the 'Rasleela', at the time of the full moon in the month of Kartik (November).
We went to Majuli Island in December - it was sunny with a pleasant winter breeze around in the day and the nights were cold. Must Read: Our List of Some Of The Best Road Trips In Himalayas
What are the stay options in Majuli?
Majuli is a new town and the Kamlabari chowk has got access to various stay options ranging from resorts, hotels, and homestays.
You can also try stay options available with the 'satras' like the ones available in Dharamshala and gurudwara anywhere else.
We had camped by the Brahmaputra and did try to dig out the island from various angles.
Here is what we found for a list of things to know about Majuli: http://bit.ly/2MVcs55