Ziro Valley

Ziro Valley is a broad, flat valley at about 1,500 m in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, home to the Apatani people. Ziro Valley is known for the Apatani system of wet rice cultivation, in which rice and fish are raised together in flooded, carefully levelled fields, fed by channels from forest streams and worked without draught animals or machines. In 2014 the Apatani Cultural Landscape was placed on India's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.

The Apatani follow the Donyi Polo faith, the worship of the sun and moon, and their villages, such as Hong, Hari and Bulla, are laid out in dense rows of wooden houses on stilts, with tall bamboo poles called babo raised for festivals. Older Apatani women can still be seen with facial tattoos and large nose plugs, a custom that was given up by the 1970s. The Myoko festival in March and the Dree festival in July mark the farming year, and the Ziro Festival of Music, held each September in the pine meadows, has brought a new kind of visitor to the valley.

What to see

• Terraced paddy fields that shine with water after transplanting in spring
• Apatani villages such as Hong and Hari, with bamboo babo poles and granaries
• Pine and bamboo groves around the valley rim
• Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, a forested highland reached by road and trail
• Village weaving and bamboo craft, often done on house verandas

What to wear

Ziro Valley is cool all year, with cold nights from November to February. Pack layers, a fleece and a rain jacket, as showers can come at any season and paths are muddy. Walking shoes with grip are better than sandals on the field bunds. In villages, dress modestly and ask before entering homes or photographing people, especially the older tattooed women. Apatani traditional dress includes white or striped woven cloth for women and woven shawls and a cane hat for men, often worn at festivals.

Local food to try

Apatani food is built around rice, fish from the paddy fields, pork and wild greens. Try pike pila, a pungent relish of bamboo shoot and pork fat, smoked pork with bamboo shoot, and small fish cooked in bamboo. Rice beer, locally called apo, is offered in homes and at festivals. Homestays in Hong and Hari serve set meals; Hapoli, the main town, has simple restaurants with rice plates, momos and noodles. Vegetarian meals are available but ask ahead, as most dishes contain meat.

Good to know

• Best time: March to May for green fields, September for the music festival, October to November for harvest
• Open all the time; village visits are best in daylight
• No entry fee; Indian visitors need an Inner Line Permit and foreigners a Protected Area Permit
• Allow two to three days to walk the villages at an easy pace
• About 115 km from Itanagar by road, roughly four hours; nearest airport is Itanagar's Donyi Polo Airport
• Ask before photographing people and religious sites; fields are private farmland

Nearby places

Ziro Valley pairs with the rest of Arunachal Pradesh on a longer trip: Tawang Monastery and Sela Pass lie far to the west, several days away by road. Across the state line in Assam, Majuli Island is a practical next stop by road and ferry.