Dzulekie is a picturesque village situated relatively close to Kohima, but yet untouched by the rigors of modern civilization. Dzulekie, with its small population of Angamis presents an ideal location for visitors to get a feel of rural life in Nagaland. With its quaint houses and beautifully laid out stone walkways and surrounded by forests and rice fields, Dzulekie provides an opportunity to experience village life and also enjoy nature in its relatively pristine form.

The village itself is small enough to walk around. It offers opportunities to observe firsthand Angami culture through the making of bamboo and cane baskets, weaving of cloth, traditional games and tasting local cuisine. The semi evergreen forests offer opportunities for bird and butterfly watching; nature walks and trekking.

Bird watching at Dzulekie

Village of Dzuleke is about 40 kms from Kohima. The village gets its name from the river Dzuleke that, during its course, goes underground once it reaches Dzuleke. ‘Dzu’ means water and ‘leke’ means underground in the local language. In this small village of 200 households, everyone is known to each other.

The village is special because even though it is traditionally a hunting community, the elders of Dzuleke decided to ban all hunting since 1999 to ensure that the wildlife in the area would be conserved. Visitors can get a glimpse of the Stump-tailed Macaque, Barking Deer and the Mountain Bamboo Partridge on a lucky day. They might even spot, in the forests of Dzuleke, the Blythe’s Tragopan, which is found only in Nagaland and is the state bird.

Camping is a latest trend in village, and is one of the best sites for camping in Northeast India. 10 kms from Khonoma, village is surrounded by lush green mountains with a lot of flora and fauna. Homestay are also available in area for visitors.