Just
5 km away, on the Dimapur-Kohima Road is Ruzaphema,
a place ideally suited for leisure and recreation
with its colorful bazaars and a wide range of
tribal handicrafts that are exquisite in their
style, and unique in their own way. Around 10
km from Kohima is the village of Khonoma
that abounds in stories of valor and courage.
The terraced fields, which produce 20 types
of paddy at different elevations, present
a beautiful view. The Khonoma gate relates
the tragic story of British infiltration into
Naga Hills in 1879.
Situated
at an altitude of 3,048 meters above sea level,
15 km from Kohima is the Japfu Peak. It
is the second highest peak of Kohima and
ideally suited for trekking and scaling. The sight
of Kohima from here is breathtakingly beautiful.
Dzukou
valley is one of the best trekking spots
in the northeast region at an altitude of 2,438
meters above sea level, behind Japfu Peak and
30 km to the south of Kohima. The entire valley
is overshadowed with a type of tough bamboo brush
that makes the place appear like a mowed lawn.
White and yellow lilies and numerous other flowers
adorn the valley in summers, while rhododendrons
ornament the hills surrounding the valley.
Mokokchung
and Zunheboto, situated 160 and 150 km respectively
from Kohima are picturesque towns at great heights.
Mokokchung is a cultural center of the Ao Nagas.
Here the main festivals of the Aos-Moatsu and
Tsungremmong-are celebrated during the first week
of May and August respectively.
Situated
at an altitude of 195 meters above sea level is
Dimapur, an important commercial center
of Nagaland. Dimapur hosts the only airport
in Nagaland and is also well connected with
the neighboring states of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram by National
Highway 39. It is also the main railhead in Nagaland.
Kohima
has been profusely showered with Nature's bounty.
Besides the varied flora, the fauna of Kohima
too boasts of its exotica. The Fakim Sanctuary,
close to the Myanmar border, receives high rainfall
and is inhabited by tigers and hoolock gibbons.
The Pulie Badze Sanctuary is a ringed-in 9-sq-km
area that lies in the proximity of Kohima. Located
at a distance of 37 km from Dimapur, the Intanki
WildlifeSanctuary has some rare species
of birds.
