The heart wants what it wants and mine said fly fly away, To quaint tribal villages in beautiful valleys, high mountain passes and frozen lakes
The tickets were booked much in advance, keeping fingers tightly crossed
Payments made and the waiting began for holiday schedules to be published.
Dussehra, Diwali kept me busy with one and the 2 week break between the second allowed me the freedom to travel.
The unknown always leaves you anticipating the worst, so it was with the mystery of co-travelers
What we were informed to prepare for was extremely cold weather and lots of travel.
Bags were packed and repacked, wondering if coats and jackets and socks and thermals would be sufficient for the 9 days, spares were packed just to be on the safe side in those remote places.
Met one fellow traveler at the Bangalore airport and the rest on landing at Guwahati
It was a tight fit in the vehicle with bags, baggage and jackets.
The long journey through parts of Assam and Meghalaya took us to our first halt for the night with the first shocker of the trip
Sundown at 4:00 PM
Tezpur gave us time to relax and eat and drink the night away. The first of many such nights to come!
An early breakfast and we started off towards Arunachal Pradesh
Our first stop was Dirang, the land of the Monpa tribe.
All the while we followed the Kameng river, orange orchards and verdant sheep breeding farms
Sessa Orchid Sanctuary gave us an opportunity to see some unique indigenous flowers and the national flower of the state
We ate the food the locals ate and relished the simplicity and taste of home grown vegetables and freshly caught fish and succulent pork
The homestay was a marvel, a huge bungalow and farmhouse with the river down below,
The night was well spent wrapped in wollens and warming ourselves over a campfire and hot local rum listening to the owners local gossip and history
Two crazy us, woke up early to experience the 4:00 AM sunrise of the east
We were treated to a glorious sight, the sun rays on the mountains, the early morning glow lighting up the skies, the lakes glittering.
Worth the freezing cold morning
A heavy breakfast and hot tea and we set off for our village exploration
Thembang was full of fun twists and turns and plenty of colour and we visited the Dirang dzong
We drove to Sangti valley and were enchanted by the beauty of the village, its stone houses and the lazy river flowing by along paddy fields and pine forests.
Picture postcard views throughout our drive
An overnight stay at Dirang again and the early sunset still a surprise for us
Day 4 took us on a long drive to Tawang via Se-la Pass
The road moved along the Dirang River for 10 kms and then the road climbs towards Sela Pass. Situated at an altitude of 14,000 ft. this route to Sela Pass from Dirang is sparsely populated and the forest cover is alpine.
This famous pass is covered with snow for most of the year as is Paradise Tso
The drive was bewitching with piercing snow peaks towering above us, waterfalls at every corner and a gushing Nuranang river accompanying us most of the way.
We stopped at the Nuranang waterfalls, one of the most spectacular falls in eastern Arunachal made famous by the movie Koyla
and its magical rainbow.
We could have spent hours there listening to the gushing river and being sprayed by the water from the falls
An overnight stay in Tawang and to keep the cold at bay we had our now much needed local rum and the kerosene powered room heater and double blankets each
The next day we set off to Zemithang
We were now quite used to the cold and had bundled up in multiple layers
Zemithang at an altitude of 2150 meters, sandwiched between Bhutan and China, lies in the remote and isolated north-western corner of Arunachal. This region also has high cultural and historical significance. As there has been very little impact of urbanization in the village, it provided an opportunity to experience the traditional lifestyle and culture of the indigenous Monpa tribe.
Numerous water streams and falls are there and one can enjoy the view of Nyamjanchu rivers that meander down below the ranges of mountains of different colors. We Spent the cold afternoon exploring the village to see the traditional lifestyle of the Monpas. Evening we drove to the Gorsam stupa and enjoyed the tranquil setting of the stupa, measuring 120 feet in width and 100 feet in height.
Overnight we stayed at a Zemithang village homestay
We stayed with the locals, eating in their wood fire kitchens, sitting at their low tables and chairs, with no electricity for most of the day or night and simple tasty food,rice is a staple and so is the watery dal.
No chicken and meat available at these remote locations, plenty of cabbage and cauliflower grown locally served for all our meals
Tea was served hot and milky!
Red tea a hot favourite
No outside vehicles are allowed to Zemithang, hence we used our host as driver and his vehicle to travel around
Bhutanese wines and rum helped us warm ourselves for the night
After breakfast and much needed Tea, we set off to Tawang via the high-altitude route and we witnessed some of the most spectacular high-altitude scenery on the way while stopping at the high-altitude PT Tso and Tsungatsar Lake or Madhuri Lake again made famous by Madhuri in Koyla
No outside vehicles are allowed to Zemithang, hence we used our host as driver and his vehicle to travel around
Bhutanese wines and rum helped us warm ourselves for the night
After breakfast and much needed Tea, we set off to Tawang via the high-altitude route and we witnessed some of the most spectacular high-altitude scenery on the way while stopping at the high-altitude PT Tso and Tsungatsar Lake or Madhuri Lake again made famous by Madhuri in Koyla
Tanhai Tanhai
This is an extremely scenic drive with a bird’s eye view of Tawang township below. Late afternoon we visited Tawang Monastery, an important seat of Mahayana Buddhism. This famous monastery of the Gelukpa was founded during the 17th century and it is also one of the largest monasteries in the world. We spent time at Tawang monastery exploring and experiencing its history and architecture. Overnight at Tawang again with our wonderful hosts and their delicious food.
On Day 7, After breakfast and several cups of tea to warm us, we drove to Bomdila, a place of misty mountains, lush forest, apple orchards and Buddhist monasteries. Bomdila , the district HQ of the West Kameng district, is located at a height of 2,530m.
We also experienced freshly falling snow on our route and worried about sudden snowstorms which are common in these areas
The lake which was flowing when we had seen it a few days back, was now frozen! The trees covered in snow were a lovely sight to behold
In the evening we experienced the local flavor – heading out on walks and visiting the Bomdila Monastery. The tea was hot and milky and sweet!
This is an extremely scenic drive with a bird’s eye view of Tawang township below. Late afternoon we visited Tawang Monastery, an important seat of Mahayana Buddhism. This famous monastery of the Gelukpa was founded during the 17th century and it is also one of the largest monasteries in the world. We spent time at Tawang monastery exploring and experiencing its history and architecture. Overnight at Tawang again with our wonderful hosts and their delicious food.
On Day 7, After breakfast and several cups of tea to warm us, we drove to Bomdila, a place of misty mountains, lush forest, apple orchards and Buddhist monasteries. Bomdila , the district HQ of the West Kameng district, is located at a height of 2,530m.
We also experienced freshly falling snow on our route and worried about sudden snowstorms which are common in these areas
The lake which was flowing when we had seen it a few days back, was now frozen! The trees covered in snow were a lovely sight to behold
In the evening we experienced the local flavor – heading out on walks and visiting the Bomdila Monastery. The tea was hot and milky and sweet!
The Overnight stay was at Bomdila at the monastery
Much warmer and more comfortable in our normal clothes now!
Next day was off to the crowded airport and a long flight back home,
bags were filled with local goodies, the heart was happy with the memories, the soul filled with calm and tummy loaded with fish and rice and the liver crying for mercy!
Much warmer and more comfortable in our normal clothes now!
But the food served was bland and tasteless, making us wonder about the monk's life!
The last day of travel saw us on the long drive from Bomdila to Guwahati back to the plains, we made a stop at the Bhutan border where happiness was just a step away
The hotel had the best view of the city and the open terrace was a pleasure to sit in at night with clear warm skies
The last day of travel saw us on the long drive from Bomdila to Guwahati back to the plains, we made a stop at the Bhutan border where happiness was just a step away
The hotel had the best view of the city and the open terrace was a pleasure to sit in at night with clear warm skies
Next day was off to the crowded airport and a long flight back home,
bags were filled with local goodies, the heart was happy with the memories, the soul filled with calm and tummy loaded with fish and rice and the liver crying for mercy!
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