Exploring Tripura : Jampui Hills

North East India is a hidden gem and you have to go beyond your comfort zone to explore this underrated region.

Tripura being the second most populated NE state, but most of the state consist of Hills, lush green rainforests and tribal population. There are various eastern himalayans ranges crosses this state vertically among which Jampuii hill range is the highest.

• Location : Jampuii Hills located along the eastern border of Tripura. Sharing both the states of Tripura and Mizoram.

The highest point of Jampuii hills is Betilinchhip or Thaidwar which is around 930m in altitude as well as highest point of the state of Tripura.

Vanghmun is a small village on this region, which is the tourist centre of the entire hilly range.

• Access : Vanghmun is around 75 km away from Dharmanagar, HQ of North Tripura district and second largest city of Tripura. Also around 200 km away from the state capital Agartala.

It takes around 5.5-6 hrs to reach Vanghmun from Agartala by car.

The only possible access to vanghmun is by private car from Agartala or Nearby towns of Dharmanagar and Kumarghat. There’s no public transport as per my knowledge but some people says that some of the Mizoram ( Aizawl / Mamit ) bound share jeeps go through vanghmun.

There’s no railway in jampui hills. Nearest rail head is Pecharthal.( around 55km away )

Kanchanpur is being the nearest town ( 30 km away ) which got basic amenities nearby Jampuii region.

• Accommodation : Jampuii hills only got one place to stay for tourist, which is Eden Tourist Lodge of Tripura state tourism corporation.

The rooms are good in shape and well maintained. There’s awesome view of valley ( mizoram side ) from the the tourist lodge. Tourists don’t need to go to anywhere else because the windows of the rooms offer spectacular view of the view and sunrise.

Food is available only in the lodge. But due to lack of resources tourists need to pre order the breakfasts and meals. Otherwise there’s no other option than starving.

There’s no big market present in Vanghmun village, so for the basic needs even for bringing the groceries and food items people need to rush downhill to the nearest town Kanchanpur.

• Looking around : The places around Tourist lodge itself beautiful, lush green, and peaceful, devoid of any chaos. Time runs very fast with the close proximity with nature.

Orange festival held each year during October-November in the hills when the oranges turn ripe and ready to pluck off. But nowadays the orange plants reduced to very few.

• Betilinchhip : This is the site for visit near of Vanghmun. Betilinchhip or Thaiwar is the highest point of jampui hills as well as highest peak of Tripura state. It situated around 30 km away from Tourist lodge of Vanghmun.

The point have a watch tower within the forest.

A good view from both mizoram and tripura side can be visible from this point.

• My Travel Story : I went to Vanghmun on the month of end November so there was not many oranges left in the hills which I was expecting to see. The weather was not that chilly either. A light woollen garment was enough.

I reached Jampuii after visiting Unokoti from Agartala. So I reached around 8pm on that day travelling via Dharmanagar-Panisagar-Kanchanpur road. There was lots of dry food and soft drinks bought from Kanchanpur also dinner was pre ordered by calling in Lodge. So I didn’t had to starve that night.

I found the highest point of tripura a very haunted one honestly as the place is very abandoned and there was no house around also the watch tower erected beside a cemetery!

After visiting Betilinchhip I started for Agartala, another 6 hr journey by crossing three of hill ranges midway. The Jampuii hills road go downhill to Kanchanpur and then meet the Asaam-Agartala Highway at Pecharthal.