Longwa Village: From One Country To Another Without A Visa

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Looking at a world without borders…who would think that this village lies half in Myanmar and half in India and its residents have dual citizenship with the right to work and vote in both countries?! #nagaland #mondistrictnagaland #northeastindia #longwa #lonelyplanetindia #cntravellerindia #outlooktravellerindia #natgeotravel #jigidiaries #lonelyplanet #lonelyplanetmags #lpmi #lonelyplanetmagazineindia #cntraveller #OutlookTraveller #NGTIndia #lpfanphoto #mylpguide #Cntgiveitashot #iamatraveler #bbctravel #lovetheworld #gothere #lastvillagenagalandborder #indiamyanmarborder #worldwithoutborders #longwavillage #indoburmaborder

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Longwa village is one of the largest villages in the Mon district of Nagaland. Situated at the northernmost part of the state, the Mon district is one of the 11 districts of Nagaland. The most amusing fact about this village is that the Indo-Myanmar border passes right through it. The residents of the Longwa village enjoy the benefit of dual citizenship and have the freedom to roam freely.

Some intriguing facts about Longwa Village

1. The Indo-Myanmar border passes through the village chief’s house. One half rest in India and the other in Myanmar. Even some of the residents have their houses divided by the Indo-Myanmar border.

2. The villagers residing in Longwa do not require a visa to cross borders. They hold dual citizenship and are entitled to roam freely in both the countries.

3. The people of Longwa village belong to the Konyak Tribe who collect enemy skulls. Head Hunting has been a popular practice in the village till the 1960s. Many families in the village have brass skull necklaces, which they hold as a significant belief. The necklaces are considered as a symbol of victory in the battle. Many locals of the village are enrolled in the Myanmar army as well.

4. The king has 60 wives! ‘The Angh’, who is the hereditary chief of the village, has 60 wives. He has his dominion in over 70 villages across Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh.

5. Drug Addiction: The villagers are large consumers of opium, which is not cultivated in the village but rather smuggled across the border from Myanmar.

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Longwa (or Lungwa) – The last Indian village. Actually, a village that lies half in India and half in Myanmar (Burma). One of the 100+ villages where the Angh (Konyak king) rules. This is also the (in)famous village of the last headhunters, who until a few decades ago, used to take pride in and celebrated chopping their opponent's heads off, much to the fan-fare of the entire village. Longwa is still one of the most remote villages you will come across. With very few resources & less than bare-bones infrastructure, life in Longwa is tough. We visited Longwa last year to meet the last few surviving headhunters and it was for sure an experience that's one of its kind. We are going there, this year again. Would you like to come along? For more about the trip, check out this link: http://northeastexplorers.in/hornbill-festival-trip-2018/ #hornbillfestival2018 #neexplorers #NorthEast #northeastindia #incredibleindia #nagaland #lungwa #longwavillage #Myanmar #hornbill #indiamynmaarborder #indiatravel

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Things to do in Longwa

Situated in one of the seven states of Northeast India, this village is overflowing with exquisite landscapes and lush green hills. Tourists enjoy the quiet and serene ambience of the Longwa village. Apart from its pure essence of the nature, Longwa has many tourist spots like Nagaland Science Centre, Doyang River, Shilloi Lake, Hongkong Market and many more.

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The hut of a Konyak warrior under the blue moon-lit sky. The u can almost feel the eerie calm surrounding it, no? The Konyaks, a warrior tribe, primarily live in villages that extend upto the Indo-Burma border. And they live in the same lifestyle they have always lived , since centuries. Of-course they are not headhunters any more, but leave that aside and nothing much has changed. There's still a king, there's still opium and there are still celebrations around stories which have been passed down generation after generation. Okay, so why are we telling this? Because this December, after having all the fun we can have, at the Hornbill festival and after being Wowed by all the tribal extravaganza, we are heading to some of the remote and far flung Naga villages to meet these fascinating people and listen to their stories! Do you want to come along too? We would say, you definitely should. It's once in a lifetime opportunity, meeting the last headhunters alive. Come along! Do you think all this interests you? Then come along as we take you to a journey through one of the most unexplored parts of North East India and help you make memories that will live with you forever. ———————————————————————– ****Drop us your email below or DM us and we will share with you the trip details very soon. ———————————————————————– #neexplorers #tripstonortheast #northeastindia #NorthEast #sevensisters #nagaland #nagalandvillage #montown #mon #longwa #longwavillage #hornbill #hornbillfestival #headhunter #nagavillage #headhuntervillage #hornbill2017 #hornbillfestival2017

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How to go to Longwa?

Longwa village is easily accessible, courtesy of the Borders Roads Organisation who have ensured well connectivity with their well-constructed roads. The village is about 42 kms away from the Mon town. You can reach the Mon district by taking the Nagaland State Transport Corporation buses and then rent a car to Longwa.