Kohima: A new platform called Blue Vanda is bridging the gap between Nagaland visitors and local businesses. The website hosts homestays, guesthouses, hotels, resorts, cafes, and tours. It even lists local events and the annual Hornbill Festival. Singapore-based founder Kenei Kuotsu started the site with co-founder Dr. Emmanuel Kenneth David. They want to simplify how travelers find hidden local gems.
Kuotsu developed the idea after traveling through Dzüleke with friends from the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. He noticed many great spots lacked an online footprint. He realized, “if you’re a visitor coming from outside Nagaland, how would you even know that some of these places exist?” The platform fixes this by putting everything in one place.
Business owners manage their own pages. They can update photos, change rates, and communicate with guests via WhatsApp. Listing requires no technical skill. If you can use social media, you can use Blue Vanda. The company handles all site maintenance, saving owners the high costs of building independent websites. It costs between 30,000 and 50,000 rupees to build a basic site. Blue Vanda charges a promotional annual fee of 5,000 rupees.
Current listings include the Meet the Craftsman Tour in Sovima, the Experience Naga Kitchen in Chedema, and a pickleball court managed by Deo Longchar. Dreamz Unlimited will launch a promotional reel for the platform on Facebook and Instagram this month. Kuotsu encourages local businesses to join before the push. He hopes the project keeps tourism money in the hands of the people who call Nagaland home.
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