If you want to mix a long-distance walking trip while retracing the footsteps of history, then read on. Organised by Sampan Travel, “39 Hours to Kohima” is a unique 10-day endurance trek through the Naga Hills in north east India which follows the historic route of the Assam soldiers in 1944.
Taking place in 2025 from 27 March to 5 April, the trek will go from the village of Jessami on the India-Myanmar border to Kohima, the capital of the north east Indian state of Nagaland. A maximum of 12 “trailwalkers” will cover more than 100 kilometres through the dramatic landscape of the Naga Hills.
The history
At midnight on 1-2 April 1944, a band of soldiers raced over the Naga Hills of north east India. Dodging Japanese gunfire, they succeeded in making it back to the small garrison at Kohima. Without rest or respite, they had covered a distance of more than 100 kilometres, in 39 hours. These soldiers were of the Assam Regiment – aka “the Assam” – raised in 1941 during the Second World War. Most of the soldiers were Nagas but there were also men from the other tribes of north east India: the Lushai, the Khasi, the Kuki. Sampan’s 39 Hours to Kohima is a recreation of their exploit in 1944.
Lieutenant Colonel “Bruno” Brown was the Commanding Officer at Jessami. His granddaughter, Charlotte Carty, had the idea in 2023 to commemorate the bravery of the Assam soldiers, by recreating their journey from Jessami to Kohima on foot. “It’s about passing on the torch of remembrance,” said Charlotte, who completed this feat in April 2024 and will host the trek in 2025.
The route
The route from Jessami to Kohima War Cemetery covers 124 kilometres. There will be checkpoints throughout the trail, with each checkpoint located no more than 12 kilometres from the previous one. A Control Team and the Forward Team will set up the checkpoints in advance of the trailwalkers. Light refreshments will be available at each checkpoint, while full meals will be available at some. There will also be a simple campsite set up just over the halfway point.
This long-distance hike in Nagaland is mainly along empty tracks over the Naga Hills, on quiet asphalt roads and very occasionally on forest paths. Vehicles and additional emergency medical assistance will never be far away, and guides will be in constant contact with the Control Team.
The goal is to try to complete the entire distance as accomplished by the Naga soldiers of 1944 – on foot and in 39 hours. Guests can sign up for the endurance trek in their own “teams” or individually, and they will then be assigned to a team (minimum of two people). Each team will be accompanied by local Naga guides, as well as their own drivers and cars arranged by Sampan. This ensures that each team can independently move at their own pace and return early to Kohima by car if they wish.
The highlights
- Fully supported endurance trek through the Naga Hills
- Three nights deep in the Naga Hills in Jessami
- Expert historical tours of the Battle of Kohima and Jessami
- Opportunity to scale Mt Puliebadze, highest peak in Kohima
- Welcome and celebratory dinners in Kohima
- Opportunity for extensions pre- and post- tour to other parts of Nagaland and north east India
For more information see sampantravel.com
Main image: Nagaland in India (Credit: Sura Jadhav/Sampan Travel)