Nepal and Bhutan happen to be only two countries where Indians can visit without passport and visa but you might just be wrong. Apart from these two neighboring countries, Myanmar also gives you this liberty to do the same.
Even though one can visit only up to Longwa, a border village, but still getting a glimpse of this quiet and serene place is exciting for people with itchy feet. Longwa is one of the largest villages in Mon district Nagaland. One of the seven sisters of Northeast India, Nagaland, consists of 11 districts.
Want to travel without a passport or Visa?
Cutting right through India and Myanmar, the residents on either side can move freely up to 16 km without a visa or a passport. With one half in India another half in Myanmar, the tribal chief’s house lies on the border. The place is inhabited by Konyak tribe and is one of the biggest villages in Nagaland, India. One interesting thing is that the Longwa residents enjoy dual citizenship, moving freely between both the countries without any Visa. Some resident of this village also works in the Myanmar Army.
If you love adventure
A perfect example of natural beauty and tranquility, this village in North-East India also holds remarkable facts about it. Some of the places to visit if you are planning a trip– Doyang River, Hong Kong Market, Shilloi Lake, Nagaland science center and the list doesn’t stop here. There is also a campus of an Assam Rifles (AR) company and few miles apart there lies a pillar indicating international border.
There are problems too
One primary issue in the Longwa area is that the rate of unemployment is high because of the lack of job opportunities. Therefore even though there is passport-free travel, life is not easy for these residents. Children of the village often go to school on the Myanmar side in hope that there will be employment later. Apart from that, in this border town, the soldiers are stationed in different areas, which many residents find intrusive. The government is probing the area to counter drug trafficking. Even though the residents can cross the border unobstructed, that may end soon enough due to security reasons.
The Villages have an interesting history
On the Myanmar side, there are 27 Konyak villages. The villages lie in the Mon district and are 42 km away from the main Mon town. The Chief of the village is also called as Angh, who is believed to have 60 wives and rule more than 70 villages. What’s amusing is some families have their houses in such locations that their bedroom is in India and kitchen is in Myanmar.
The local tribe Konyaks were headhunters and have possession of many enemy skulls. The purpose behind headhunting was that it can boost crop fertility. People who are core members of the tribe still have brass skull necklaces at their home to flaunt that they have taken the heads during the battle. But, in the 1960s, Christianity was rising in this region and that completely stopped this tradition of headhunting. This village is also the main zone to get opium in Nagaland.
In comparison to early days, when hardly any tourists visited Longwa, now the situation has improved greatly. The Konyak village has better transport facility and connectivity. Further, the narrow uphill roads have been repaired by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel so that one can drive smoothly.
Planning your next trip already?