"I imagine that every teenager today has heard of Stalingrad and Alamein and D-Day, but I wonder how many know the name of Imphal, that “Flower on Lofty Heights” where Japan suffered the greatest catastrophe in its military history? There’s no reason why they should; it was a long way away." - George MacDonald Fraser, Quartered Safe Out Here
Unfortunately, Mr. Fraser’s observation on general awareness of the Battle of Imphal still holds true. While we are working to try and change that, we are happy to point out that Imphal is no longer a ‘long way away’.
Air connectivity
The capital of the state of Manipur is today fairly well connected by air to two of India’s major cities – New Delhi and Kolkata.
There are four direct flights daily from New Delhi to Imphal (via Guwahati). The services are offered by Indigo Airlines, Air Asia India and Air India. You don’t need to change planes and the time taken from take-off in New Delhi to touch-down in Imphal is some three hours and forty-five minutes.
Imphal is also well connected by air to Kolkata, with at least two direct flights daily between the two cities, and to Guwahati in neighbouring Assam.
Free tip: If you are flying from Delhi, try and get a seat on the left side of the plane (any seat number A). The view of the Himalayas on the Delhi-Guwahati leg of the journey on a clear day is to be seen to be believed!
Rail and road connectivity
In terms of rail connectivity, the closest railway station is in Dimapur in neighbouring Nagaland. One can then take a bus or the like to Imphal via Kohima, which usually takes around 6 hours. A note of caution is in order: the Imphal-Kohima road is subject to frequent closures and disruptions, and so is not the most reliable way of getting here. Flying in is perhaps then the best way to get to Imphal.
As for hotels, while we may not book them, we do have our favourites here in Imphal. Feel free to ask us for a recommendation.