A Day In Reiek And Trek To Reiek Peak In Mizoram: A Detailed Travelogue
Traveling has many kinds; it can be a simple stay in a resort or hotel to a fantastic drive on the road. Sometimes travelers like spending their time with the locals to understanding their culture and life, yet some try to explore nature. Similarly, trekking is an essential part of travel, offering phenomenal views of the region from a peak. Most of my journey in Mizoram comprised of ride on the road, yet I embarked on one trek in Reiek. While Reiek is not a tough trek and requires little efforts, it offers a mesmerizing view of the surrounding Mizo Hills and Aizwal city. Reiek is one of the important places to visit in Aizwal and the state of Mizoram. Reiek is quite popular among the residents of the Aizwal city and serves as a weekend gateway. Although Reiek offers so much in terms of natural beauty, I am sure not everyone is familiar with Reiek when it comes to the rest of India. Before touring Mizoram, even I was not aware of the Reiek and, therefore, after completing my trip, decided to write on Reiek. In my previous article, I shared my bike ride from Aizwal to Reiek and places to visit in Reiek. Now in the article, I will be sharing my travelogue of the trek to Reiek Peak, the best time to visit the summit, and other necessary details to make a successful visit to Reiek.
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Why I decided to Go for the Trek of Reiek Peak
My ride in north-east India was a solo ride, and therefore, I was not in favor of treks, as it would lead to a monotonous walk. Yet, at a few places, I chose trek as it was a necessary part of the itinerary. I had no problem with trek if the trek was required to visit the famous site of the region. So while I refrained from treks yet I embarked a few whenever it was necessary to experience the area from a different perspective. While traveling in Meghalaya, I did the Trek to Double Root Bridge, and Rainbow Falls, and it was worth climbing the steep stairs of Nongriat Village.
I have done a lot of treks in my short span of travel, including the Dyara Bugyal, Tungnath-Chandrashila, and Khaliya Top in Munsiyari. Moreover, I still remember my experience when I went for the trek of “Valley of Flowers” in Uttrakhand. The look of the valley was fantastic, and I saw a valley filled with different species of flowers and plants at a high altitude. Now I was in Mizoram, and it was time to undertake another trek. The Manager at Tourist Rest House in Reiek insisted that I should visit the peak in the wee hours of the morning. As I had full faith in him because of the help he provided, I decided to act on his suggestion and decided to go for the trek.
The complexity of Reiek Trek
The Reiek trek is not challenging and requires minimal effort. The trail is mostly flat except for a few patches where it requires a walk on an increasing gradient. The trek path is marked correctly, avoiding any confusion. Throughout the route, there are signboards on trees and rocks for guidance, and thus there is no need to hire a guide. Depending on the speed, one can reach a peak in 45 to 60 minutes. When I reached the top, I met a group of school children for a picnic, indicating the trek is even easy for kids as small as ten years old.
The sunset and sunrise from the reak is a recommended thing to watch. The view of the valley from the top is mesmerizing, and no matter how much I write, I can’t justify the sight I saw with my eyes. The image at the beginning of the article provides a glimpse of the beauty of Reiek Peak. In reality, it was far more beautiful and forced me to stay there for almost three hours. I clicked many pictures, shot a timelapse with my Go-Pro, and tried a few panorama shots. In my opinion, one should try to trek to the peak and see nature in its best form. When a short trek of 1 hour offers a spectacular view, there is no room for another wish.
Accommodation In Reiek
Accommodation is not a big concern in Reiek as I saw many advertisements for hotels and homestays on the road. Although there are plenty of accommodation facilities available in Reiek, I would suggest staying at the Tourist Lodge in Reiek. Though there are homestays and guesthouses in the town, the advantage of Tourist Lodge is its location. The rest house lies amidst the forest, and it is on the trek route. The hotel is a kilometer away from the main town and offers a peaceful environment. Staying at the Tourist Rest House in Reiek is a value for money deal. If you have read my last post on my ride to Reiek, you would know that the staff was cooperative. Not only they helped during my stay in Reiek but also helped during my entire trip to Mizoram. Moreover, the cost of stay at the guest house is reasonable. I stayed in a single room and paid 500 rupees. A bed in the dormitory is available at a low price of 100 rupees. I am confident that the fare at the government guest house would be less than the hotels in the town. In case one is traveling during the festival season or peak tourist season, try booking the room in advance. Chances of the room being booked can’t be ruled out in the festive season.
My Trek To The Reiek Peak
After yesterday’s ride of Aizwal to Reiek, once I reached Reiek, I booked my room. During dinner in the night, the hotel manager suggested me to go for the trek, and I blindly followed his suggestion. The reason for relying on locals’ recommendation is that they are much more aware of the area. I did a similar thing in Meghalaya when my homestay owner suggested me to visit the Wei-Saw-Dong Waterfall and the Krang Shuri Waterfall. I woke up early in the morning and, after a quick tea, started my trek. I had already gathered the necessary information related to the trek and began my walk. The trek starts from the rest house, and a big statue of Jesus Christ marks the beginning of the trek. Initially, I thought to drive my scooter till the motorable path and save some time. Later I dropped the plan as my scooter’s battery was fully drained, and I wasn’t able to kick start it.
In the first ten minutes, I reached a small children’s park. The park was small but sufficient for fun activities. After the park, the density of trees started increasing, and the path became narrower. The trail had a few big rocks in between, and my decision to leave the scooter seemed right. After walking for twenty minutes, and I reached near a cave-like structure. The walls of the cave have some pores opening, and I wasn’t able to understand the nature of the rock. I know that north-east India has caves in abundance, but it looked less like a cave and more like some limestone rock. Near the cave, there was a signboard showing further direction, and without spending much time, I went further. After walking for another 20 minutes, the dense forest started decreasing, and tall grass replaced them. The sandy trail transformed into a rocky path, and I got an intuition that I am in the vicinity of the peak.
The Reiek peak looked like a tabletop plateau covered with grass and a few trees. From the top, I could see the nearby hills and the thick forest cover. I continued my walk by following the signboard and soon reach the end of the trail. Upon arriving there, I was amazed by the beauty of the valley. It looked like someone has filled the entire valley with clouds. The fog has engulfed the whole valley, and all I could see was the dense blanket of fog. It reminded me of my early morning rides in Meghalaya, where I witnessed the same view. But here in Mizoram, the thickens was too much when compared to Meghalaya. I quickly adjusted my mini-tripod and started shooting the timelapse with my Go-Pro. Meanwhile, I took out my DSLR and tried capturing the view with photos. No matter how many photos I took, it felt like there is a possibility of a better shot. After a photography session, I sat on the nearby bench and enjoyed watching the view.
When I arrived at Reiek Peak, at the same time, a group of school kids also arrived there. Accompanied by their sports teacher, the children visited Reiek for a School trip. When I enquired about the class in which they are studying, they informed me that it is a school trip for 7th and 8th class students. I asked their sports teacher about the school and its location, to which he replied that they are from a private school in Lunglei District of Mizoram. As per my itinerary, I planned to ride to Thenzawl and, if time allows riding further to the Palak Dil Lake. I inquired about the road condition from Thenzawl to Lunglei. He responded that road till Thenzawl is reliable, and later deteriorates. He also informed that ride till Lunglei is easy, but the way leading to Palak Dil lake is not right. Moreover, he said there is no use of riding 300 kilometers for a lake, and it is better to visit the Tam Dil Lake instead.
I agreed with his suggestion of riding 300 kilometers in a remote area just for viewing a lake, but at the same time, I wanted to visit the biggest lake in Mizoram. My intention of visiting Palak Lake was because I was not sure when I will get a second chance to visit Mizoram and therefore wanted to explore as much as possible. I thanked him for his suggestion and informed him about my travel plan. Later he requested to take a group photo of the class, and I humbly clicked the pictures. The teacher was also a camera enthusiast and was carrying a variety of lenses.
I stayed at the peak for about three hours. During this time, I clicked numerous photos, shot a timelapse, and explored the summit. In the morning, I reached Reiek Peak around 6:30, and now the clock was showing 9:30 AM. The sun started shining in its full force, and sweating replaced the shivers. I decided to return as I had to ride to my next destination as per my itinerary. After Reiek, I had planned to visit the Khuangchera Puk and then ride to Thenzawl. I took 30 minutes and reached my hotel. While returning, I noticed the same group from Orissa busy in their Bird photography as they informed me the previous night. I was surprised by the specification of their cameras. When I met them, I thought that they were like regular travelers visiting Mizoram. But today, when I saw the camera and other instruments, I knew that they are seasoned photographers and came for a severe photography session. I had already ordered my breakfast before starting my trek, and the manager informed me that breakfast is ready. I packed my bag on my scooter and came to the dining room of the guest house. After finishing my breakfast and settling payment, I wished good luck to the other travelers and informed the manager that I would be staying in the tourist rest house in Thenzawl. He called the manager of the Thenzawl, guest house, and booked a bed in a dormitory for me. With my booking in place and nothing more to do in Reiek, I decided to ride for my next destination, hoping to revisit this beautiful place in the future.
Reiek offered something which I had never witnessed in my life. During my ride in Mizoram, I witnessed a similar landscape at almost every place. When I visited the Vangtwang Waterfall, I saw a similar density of fog covering the waterfall, and the waterfall was not visible for some hours. Similarly, the same view was replicated when I stayed at the Tourist Rest House in Ngopa. I would be covering these stories in my future posts, so do check out my travelogue on Mizoram.
Pretty well written, content is very good. Keep posting such blogs.