India is a truly enormous country absolutely bursting with colourful heritage, sights, sounds, and cuisine from corner to corner. However, many people focus purely on the cities. Every December, the northeastern hills come under closer attention, as Nagaland plays host to what’s known as the Hornbill Festival, which runs until the 10th.

It’s a fantastic chance to learn more about India’s tribal cultures up close, and if you’re planning to jet off somewhere warm before the upper hemisphere winter gets too bitter, it’s a fabulous excuse to grab a ticket and get exploring.

Of course, you should always pack an India eSIM before you head out to Nagaland - but before we go into why, let’s take a look at what the festival is all about, and why it attracts so many visitors every year.

The Hornbill Festival: A Brief History (and What You Need to Know)

To take part in the traditional festivities, you’ll need to travel all the way out to the Kisama Heritage Village, which is found in the northeast of India, in Nagaland. Every year, the 17 tribes of Nagaland set up traditional huts and offer a fantastic exhibition for visitors to learn more about their way of life.

Between December 1st and 10th, the tribes serve up music, sports events, food, and more as a part of this huge celebration of their heritage. That means you can expect war dances, tribal architecture and exhibitions, handicrafts, sports and games, authentic cuisine, and even the Hornbill International Rock Concert!

Many people come for the whole ten days of the festival purely because there’s something different happening every single day. For many, it’s a great excuse to break away from the city scenes to camp up and really immerse themselves in legitimate tribal culture.

The best part of the Hornbill Festival is that absolutely none of it is for show. The tribes carefully curate what they exhibit to visitors, with the aim being to educate, enthrall, and entertain. And, certainly, if you’re already travelling in the region this December, it’s well worth going an extra few miles for an unforgettable winter week.

And, believe it or not, you can still get access to mobile data even in the heart of tribal land, with many people able to connect to 4G in Kohima and in Dimapur nearby, thanks to coverage from carriers such as Airtel and Jio.

But why, you might wonder, would you be so concerned about data access when you’re meant to be immersing yourself in the Hornbill Festival? Because you may well need your phone and access to the internet more than you anticipate…

Why Get an eSIM Before You Go?

We get it. To really dive into traditional tribal displays and exhibitions, you’ll probably want to leave as much of your electronic trappings behind as possible! That said, from the moment you touch down in India, it will be important from all kinds of standpoints to make sure you have a stable internet connection.

Staying connected to mobile data no matter where you travel is important from a safety perspective, as well as from one of travelling and planning. You’ll ideally need some form of GPS to get around and explore India’s northern villages, unless you’re keen on going completely off-grid with a physical map!

And then, you’ll likely want to share your adventures with your friends and family. With an eSIM, you can stay connected to your loved ones as you explore wider India, all without having to risk potentially unsecured WiFi hotspots.

Beyond that, there’s costs. While most mobile networks now will help you connect to international data providers, there’s still a risk that you will spend over the odds on doing so, even with the most affordable-seeming bolt-on available. With an eSIM paid upfront, you’ve already settled up for the data you intend to use, and you won’t have to come back to massively high bills… just memories of hornbills (and yes, that pun was completely intended).

So, before you start packing your bags and getting flights and connections sorted for India, it’s important to figure out the best eSIM for your needs. Thankfully, that’s where SIMOVO can be of immediate help.

SIMOVO’s Indian eSIMs

As mentioned, some of the villages up in northeast India get access to mobile data without issue. We provide mobile data connectivity with up to 5G access in India itself, with coverage from the likes of AirTel, and 4G from Jio, IDEA, and Vodafone. While we can’t always guarantee you’ll have total coverage in the more rural reaches of India, we can at least give you access to data while you’re travelling through the country.

So, disclaimer: due to the rural reaches of India where the Hornbill Festival takes place, we won’t always be able to guarantee data coverage. But, if you’re travelling via the major towns and cities elsewhere, you’ll be able to connect directly to a regional network wherever possible.

Our main India eSIM covers you for between 1GB and 20GB of mobile data for between a week and 30 days, respectively. As mentioned, you pay for this data upfront, and if you run out, you simply top up again (and our friendly crew is always on hand to help).

If you know you’ll benefit from more data while you visit India, take a look at our unlimited India eSIM plans. These packages cover you from 500MB to 2GB a day from between one and 14 days, more than enough to take in the sights this December.

Just buy, scan the QR code, and wait for your phone to connect to a local network as soon as you arrive. You’re covered for browsing, streaming, GPS, and more.

Spend less time worrying about mobile data access this winter with our super-flexible India data plans - and, if you can, go take in some traditional festivals! December is a great time to explore the broader region, so make sure you grab an eSIM before you travel.