With more than 700 years age, Khonoma is a beautiful village away from the urban dwelling is an attractive offbeat tourist destination for peace lovers, popular for its forests and a unique form of agriculture, including some of the oldest terraced cultivation in the region. The place is located about 20 km from the state capital, Kohima in Nagaland. The terrain of the village is hilly, ranging from gentle slopes to steep and rugged hillsides. The hills are covered with lush forestland, rich in various species of flora and fauna. Nationally endangered state bird, Blyth’s Tragopan is also found here.
Another major attraction for tourists is the ‘Khuda’ or Fort in Khonoma village in Nagaland, which literally means a place of defence. The fort has served as the guardian or protector for the Naga warriors to keep a vigil when at siege and attack comes during British rule.
The Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragapon Sanctuary was set up in the year 1998, has become a favourite place for research, Eco-tourism, and jungle treks at the vicinity of the Khonoma Village. You can also witness the Hornbill festival considered as the festival of Festivals, a real worth remembering experience. Hornbill Festival in Nagaland takes place in winter every year.
The best time to visit is during October to April when the weather is congenial for tourists to get enthralled by the mesmeric beauty of the place.
By Air: The nearest Airport is Dimapur which has regular air services. Dimapur is well connected with Guwahati for accessing any part of the country via air. It takes 2 and half hours to reach Dimapur by road from Khonoma.
By Rail: The major railhead nearest to Khonoma is Dimapur, which is linked to Guwahati. Guwahati is in turn connected to the rest of the country by important trains.
By Road: Khonoma is 20kms from Kohima which again has well established road connectivity with major North Eastern India States including Guwahati and Shillong. Buses and private cars are available for travelling to and fro from the place.