Ziro is a quaint old town in Arunachal Pradesh, home to the Apa Tani tribe and famous for its pine hills and rice fields. The Apa Tani tribe is a unique Arunachal tribe and one of the rare ones that are not nomadic in nature. They cultivate wet lands and were famous for their facial tattoos; practice of the latter is stopped recently.
The best time to visit Ziro is in January in order to experience the ‘Murung rituals’ of the Apa Tani tribe or in the month of March for their ‘Myoko rituals’. There is a ‘Dree Festival’ from 4th to 7th July each year where the Apa Tanis sacrifice animals to the God with the belief that the Gods will be pleased and the region does not experience famine.
The agriculture season from February to October are considered unique and are known internationally. There is a famous Shiva Lingam at a few kilometres from Ziro town which attracts a huge number of devotees every day.
During the agriculture season, tourists can witness the paddy (rice) cum fish culture which is the practice of rearing fish in the rice fields. The Ziro Putu is a hillock from where one can see the entire Ziro valley. The airstrip in Ziro is also visible from here and makes it a scenic view point.
Tourists keen on trekking can explore the Talle Valley, an area full of biodiversity and located approximately 30km north east of Ziro. The flora and fauna here range from sub-tropical forests to silver fir trees, as well as a variety of ferns, bamboo, orchids and rhododendrons.
Breeding of high altitude fish is done at fish farms near Hapoli town, close to Ziro and also worth a visit. In the wake of the unique tourism opportunity that the Ziro valley offers, NABARD has initiated various eco-tourism measures in the region.
There are various hotels and resorts in Ziro, making the place complete in its attraction to visitors in terms of stay and activities.
The climate in Ziro is mild through the year, making it comfortable to travel all year round. Summer starts from the months of April through June, temperatures ranging from 20 o - 30o Celsius. This season, just before the monsoon, is considered a good time to travel to Ziro. Monsoon is from July to September and the winter season lasts from November to February.