Ziro Music Festival has grown to become the most popular music festival of North East India.
This reason for this popularity can be attributed to the unique experience, picturesque location, the music it promotes, the food and culture.
The event space was huge, making it one of the few festivals where you can navigate without feeling extreme crowds or rushed.
Besides, the festival will give you a glimpse into the rich diversity, behaviour, clothing and food habits in India.
Above all, the awareness of natural resources and management of waste was one of the best in India.
If the above inspires you then read on. I am going to break down the whole process into
- Planning – music, travel arrangements, Internal Line permit (ILP), activities.
- Gear – what to carry and where to buy.
- Cost.
- Stay.
- Food.
1. Planning
Since Ziro is an outdoor festival, you are are most likely going to stay in a tent and spend a lot of time outdoors. This makes planning well crucial to the whole experience.
This is especially important for city dwellers who are used to the comforts of proper beds, hot running water, clean bathrooms, etc.
It goes without saying but the better you plan and prepare – the better your experience will be. It will make the whole experience stress-free.
a. Research music
Music is the primary theme of the festival and if you are not into it then you might want to think again.
Ziro is one of those festivals which provides a platform for new and upcoming bands rather than to more well-established bands.
You will find musicians from different parts of the globe. Do your research upfront and check out the artists that excite you the most.
This will also help you in deciding which days you should attend and which days you could explore the area.
b. Travel arrangements
One of the biggest factors that adds to the charm of North East India is its connectivity.
Due to the limited options, the connectivity is poor and expensive. This ensures natural crowd control. Thus enhancing the experience for everyone.
For the best experience, I suggest plan well in advance. Keep road travel short so that you can eliminate long delays due to landslides.
Keep large buffer time between two different modes of travel to avoid the possibility of missing part of your journey.
Our route was the following:
◦ Direct flight Bangalore — Guwahati. 6:50–9:40 (3 hours)
◦ Train Guwahati — Naharlagun 21:20–4:55 (7 hours) the same night
◦ By road 6:00–12:00 (6 hours) the next morning for 100 kilometers
Pro tip: I recommend you make this into a 2 week itinerary to experience other nearby locations as well since a trip to the NE doesn’t happen often.
c. Internal Line Permit (ILP)
Entry into several North Eastern states is limited and governed by the government of India.
Both domestic and international travellers need further documentation called ILP to enter into Arunachal Pradesh.
The process is easy, needs about 1-2 days for approval and you can apply for one for a mere Rs. 100 here.
To avoid last minute hassles apply beforehand, although, you can also get on the spot approvals at entry points like Naharlagun & Gumto railway station.
Once approved, simply carry a print out of the permit and the document used for verification when traveling through the state.
d. Activities
There are several activities such as quad biking, village walks, bike tours, etc. that your campsite might offer.
It is best to book these activities upon reaching the festival rather than booking them in advance. More often than not you will find spots.
The festival grounds too offer some activities and it is best to use your own discretion to decide on what to experience and what not to.
Special mention – the hot air balloon experience was a farce. It lasted less than 3 minutes (we were promised 10) and burnt some of my friends and stained their clothes.
2. Gear
Access to the right gear is crucial for your experience. Since it rains a lot, it is important to organise and buy the right gear for your trip.
a. What to carry
The weather is unpredictable and so carrying waterproof gear will save you a lot of trouble. Things to consider are as follows:
- Windcheaters
- Torch
- Insect repellant
- Sunglasses
- Water bottle
- Sunscreen
- Waterproof backpack/cover
- Moisturiser
- Tissue papers
- Medicines
- Foldable chairs (highly recommended)
- Tarpaulin (highly recommended)
- Hat/cap
- Pocket knife (not necessary, but it is handy)
- Gum boots
Pro-tip: Buy gum boots before hand otherwise finding the right size can be difficult. Break into them to avoid shoe bites. I do not like them hence, I used regular waterproof hiking shoes the whole time.
b. Where to buy from
I think the two best places to buy are Amazon and Decathlon. Besides good prices, both will also give you a ton of choices.
3. Cost
While this is more of an individual preference and there are a lot of variables in terms of cost for the trip. However, here is what you can expect:
- 4-day festival pass — Rs. 5,000 (Rs. 3,000 if booking super early bird)
- Campsite stay, food & cab transport from Naharlagun — Rs 10,000
- Flights (BLR – GHY) — Between Rs. 9,000–18,000. (Return). Depending on when you book
- Train — Rs. 1,170 Third AC (return). We booked ours in June
- Food/drinks at the festival — Rs 2,000 per day max.
- Activities — Rs. 1,000 per activity. Hot air balloon, quad bikes, village walks
- Gear — Rs 3,000 upwards. (chair, waterproof backpacks, backpack covers, shoes, jackets, etc)
4. Stay
We stayed with Kite Manja, the oldest and the most well known campsite at Ziro. They had concrete bathrooms, running water and were well organised.
However, you can choose between camping, home-stays, Airbnb’s or even hotels depending on the kind of adventure you are seeking.
Pick the ones you are going to be most comfortable since 4 nights can be a long time.
While picking your stay you should be careful of a few minor details that will help alleviate your experience further.
a. Camp location
You might wonder why this is important? For two reasons
- It was impossible to find a cab and our camp was located 1.5 Kilometres from the festival ground.
- The roads were wet, slippery and it would get dark. Making navigation tough especially at night.
NOTE: In the evenings most people drink & drive. A lot of people hitchhike and it is tempting. Please be careful before you get into a random vehicle.
b. Renting tents
Possibly a minor detail but we were a group of 4 and we realised that we would have been better renting 2 tents for 2 people rather than 1 for 4.
Due to this, we were cramped and had to constantly move our luggage minimum two times in a day. Needless to say this was cumbersome and pain staking.
Food
Food was delicious in Arunachal Pradesh. However, it wasn’t as easily accessible around the camp grounds.
Carry nuts, protein bars and any other food to make sure you do not go hungry.
We bought an all inclusive food deal from the campsite and it went to waste as either the food wasn’t great or we couldn’t eat at the campsite due to various reasons.
Festival food wasn’t expensive barring a few places. But food at local eateries was not only cheaper but also added to the whole experience.
Last words
That wraps up my experience at Ziro. If you are looking to explore something unique then look no further as Ziro does tick a lot of boxes.
Have you been to Ziro or are planning a trip in the future? Share your experiences with me if this resonates with you.
