Explore
On our travels we skip the fancy restaurant to taste the lal chai at a thatched stall and talk to people who can tell us the way to the secret pond. Through such travels we create an address book of the destinations that one may overlook.
We have so many stories to tell and infinite places to visit. Do you have the time?
Connect With Locals
In a little diary we pen down the names of the good old folks who lead us into their homes and narrate their folklore, while we share a hearty meal.
Share Our Journey
And then we reach out to you because we think that these stories are worth your time and we want you to experience the travel and not be a mere tourist. These stories turn into unique ChaloHoppo travel itineraries.
The essence of ChaloHoppo
We are those who have seen the city life and figured we were better off going back to where we belong, and we belong to the woods.
Our promise
We strive to give you a worry free experience and do our best to show you a side of the country long ignored while being absolutely honest and transparent. These core values guide us in achieving the same:
You are not a customer but our guest. | We give you quality over quantity. | We always have a plan B.
Our expectation
We believe that tourism is much more than a group of people or individuals coming for a holiday and going back with great pictures. We want travellers like you, to truly understand the ethos of the place in its entirety and go back humbled. Our simple appeal to you:
Leave everything a little better than you found it. | Empathise and respect traditions and culture.
``In case you are wondering, what ChaloHoppo translates into, that’s a story we’ll tell you when we meet you on this side.”
Handpicked Routes
Every itinerary, every accommodation and every experience has been tried firsthand by the at least one member of the ChaloHoppo team and it is only then that we present it to the travellers. We may not have 100 itineraries but the ones that we have are handcrafted with love.
Authentic Local Experiences
Since we are travellers first and entrepreneurs second, all our itineraries focus on authentic experiences like trying local cuisine, buying handicraft from the artisans themselves, visiting traditional huts and involving in community activities. We aren’t the ideal travel partners if you are looking for a traditional ‘tour package’.
Alternative Stays
We believe that hotel experiences do injustice to Northeast India by insulating travellers from the real place and its people. Hence we hunt for cozy homestays and quirky resorts. If we can’t find them then we simply put up a campsite and make it as comfortable for you as possible.
Collaboration With Locals
We emphasise on working with the locals and giving them their dues. All our journeys involve finding new potential partners in the region and hence the hosts, guides or even drivers that we provide may be different from ones provided by other travel companies in the region.
Before you go, meet the ChaloHoppo team
Chetan
Chetan is vegetarian. So, reading this should also make you realize that vegetarians can not only survive but actually thrive in the region. Eating greens gives Chetan the uncanny edge in matters of decision making and problem solving. His loves for greens, not the kind you are thinking of, made him plant the seed that is steadily growing into ChaloHoppo. Apart from his fascination with northeast India he loves cricket and witnessed the historic world cup win in 2011 from Wankhede stadium. We still don’t know why he loves Delhi so much. Ask him?
Nishant
Nishant may not be a name that evokes images of someone eating crunchy spiders or gorging on boiled hornet’s larvae. You can definitely picture him playing a tabla but he does it all, including writing about himself in third person. No, he can’t swim. The ethos and pathos of Northeast India is close to his heart and he wishes that he comes to be addressed as the ChaloHoppo guy. When he isn’t busy crowdfunding to help someone you can ask him about how many fractures and stitches he has on his body.
John
John barely has anything he can’t do. From crunching numbers to remembering dates that not every one cares about, to waking up at odd hours to do whatever needs to be done. Apart from the fact that he absolutely loves Manchester United one will never know what else he loves or is passionate about, no it’s not even ChaloHoppo. But the fact that the man has left God’s own country to settle in the eastern fringes and misses Onam Sadhya without making a fuss and gladly chugs his apong speaks volumes of his love and dedication to the region.
Devraj
With looks that could break a marriage and diction that will make your jaw drop, Devraj is a man on a different mission, one that involves finding rough gems from the far-flung corners of Northeast India. While he is on these trips and even otherwise Devraj enthusiastically talks about and brews the perfect cup of lal cha. With the tag of being the best host and armed with a feature phone that has a vast directory, Devraj is that Assamese friend you ought to have. Would he let you open that vintage bottle of coke he has? Only time will tell.
Gargi
She would sit quietly on her desk. So quiet that you may forget that Gargi is around but not if you have sharp ears. You will hear her typing away with dedication, churning out content and being on top of the social media game. She is the master of sneak attack, in a good away. With her personal hard drive loaded with 1 terabyte of anime stuff and a Netflix account to satiate the further hunger for Japanese art, she is truly born in the wrong country, maybe. Since speaking isn’t how Gargi likes to express herself, it comes out through her sketching and paper quilling. Do you know what ophidiophobia means? Well, don’t ask her!
Mike
Fate brought Mike to ChaloHoppo. It had something to do with guests from Mumbai who had a connection in Ahmedabad and boom Mike enrolled as an intern. Hornbill festival 2018 was baptism by camp slot allocation for Mike who prefers to call himself Neko Kami or reanimated Mike. Yes, he is into anime and that makes Gargi and Mike a team. With the underplayed gangsta swag and the uber-mysterious persona, this boy from Tura is quite a fun character to be around. Especially if you can understand his choice of memes. Well, most of us in the office don’t but we respect the diversity in the sense of humour. What happened during ‘that’ Dzukou valley trek? Ask him exactly this.
Arnamitra
With a smile on his face and belief in his heart, Arnamitra is a man to count upon. He is always up for a challenge and that is what makes him the backbone of the experiences we strive to create at ChaloHoppo. Dealing with multiple stakeholders from different walks of life at work and then taking care of multiple canines at home keeps Arnamitra occupied. Yes, dogs are his love but that hasn’t diminished his love for humans one bit. Being the only married member of the team bears testimony to that. Does he miss all the free food coupons he got while at Uber eats? Hmm, we wonder.
Leena
Wandering solo in Arunachal Pradesh for about 2 weeks moved something in her. It moved her enough to find ChaloHoppo and in no time, ChaloHoppo got engaged with Leena. We always need someone to lean on (said Dj Snake and Major Laser) and we agree. When she isn’t telling us tales of her glory days driving her Mahindra Scorpio with pizzazz and go neck and neck with BEST bus drivers (we don’t mean the superlative of good here), she gives us insights and perspectives, a much needed zoomed out view from her base in Mumbai. The fact that she is a passionate traveller with a special penchant for rustic travel is what made the connect so instant. Now, if you want to know what her full name is then you have to ask her yourself!
Abhishek
You must be familiar with the expression, ‘wearing your heart on your sleeves’. When you meet Abhishek, you know that you are seeing someone who ‘wears his heart like a jumpsuit’. As much as he likes making friends with everyone starting from the vegetable vendor to the strict principal of a school in Mizoram, he could be equally non-social. Try searching for his Facebook account and you will know what we are talking about. The nomad from Jhansi who made the mountains of North India his home for a while is now infatuated with the hills and people of Northeast India. Will this ever become a love story? Only time will tell.
Deepika
From Hyderabad to Guwahati. From donning the lawyer's coat to living in trek wear. From the High spirits of Pune to the emerald blue waters of Meghalaya. Deepika has made a long journey across the breadth of the country to become a crucial member of team ChaloHoppo. Convincing someone to do what they would never do on their own is her forte, of course, good things only. As meticulous as she is when it comes to scanning paperwork, the same focus is applied while partying. Yes, she is a party human, not so much an animal. Did we tell you that you should be wary of challenging her to a game of basketball?