Assam is the first state you encounter when you travel to the North East sector of India and is virtually the gateway to the entire region. Rich in natural resources, abundant wild life some of which unfortunately stand listed as endangered species, Assam also nurtures an incredible variety of vegetation and is famous for its aromatic tea. Besides vast rolling plains thick verdant forests clinging to blue hills, silvery streams and cascading waterfalls, the most conspicuous feature of the state is the expansive Brahmaputra River that runs the entire length of this picturesque state. Originating from the mountains of Tibet the river at certain stretches appears like a vast inland sea and is the widest river in Asia . No wonder than that it derives its name from the Sanskrit word "Asom" meaning peerless.
A land locked state, situated between 90-96º longitude east and 24-28º north latitude, Assam is bordered by Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura to the south, by Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan to the north; West Bengal and Bangladesh to the west, and Nagaland to the south east. The people here are a mixed lot tracing their ancestry to Aryan, Non Aryan and Mongoloid stock. The population is mainly Hindu while Buddhists and other minorities including tribes also make up a sizeable segment.
Assam is home to three of the country's richest National Parks - Kaziranga, Manas, and Orang which sustain a wealth of bio-diversity. Here the one horned Rhino thrives along with the Great Indian Bison besides an incredible variety of other species.
Blessed with such a wealth of natural beauty and fertile land, Assam remains today one of the most desired destinations in the northeast. Besides it makes an ideal stopover on your way to the other 7 states in the region more fondly known as the seven sisters.
Guwahati the capital of Assam is the gateway to the entire northeast region and though connected to some of the major metropolises in the country, the best destination to start your journey to Guwahati is Delhi .
By Air: Guwahati's LGB International Airport is connected to all major cities of India . Air Deccan, Indian Airlines, Jet Airway, and Sahara Airlines all connect Delhi to Guwahati with daily flights. From Mumbai, Jet Airlines has daily direct flights to Guwahati. From Kolkata Jet Airways, Indian Airlines, Sahara , and Deccan Airways all have direct flights to Guwahati.
By Train: Guwahati has excellent rail services from almost all major cities in India making it easily accessible. It is connected to rest of India with convenient train connections.
From Delhi the Rajdhani Express is the best train to take to Guwahati which takes 30 hours for the journey. The ticket cost includes all meals. However there are other trains like the Brahmaputra Mail, North East Express.
From Mumbai there is one train the Dadar - Guwahati Express which is not recommended as it takes three days to reach Guwahati and does not have adequate facilities and is quite unreliable.
From Kolkata there are the Kanchenjunga Express and Shoraighat Express which take about 24 hours and 21 hours respectively to reach Guwahati.
By Road: Guwahati is connected to all North Eastern state capitals through an extensive network of government and extremely comfortable private deluxe luxury coaches reputedly the best in the country.