Arunachal means the land of the rising sun. Quite literally this is the land that sees the first ray of sunlight in India. Arunachal is one of the easternmost states of India and also the largest among the northeastern states of India. Till very recently Arunachal was known as NEFA (North-East Frontier Area) and it used to be administered by the central government. In the year 1986, it became a separate state of India. Tourism in Arunachal is still at a nascent stage but with excellent potential.
Common tourist circuit: Tawang – Bomdila circuit.
Nearest airport: Tezpur (Direct flights may not be available)
Tour starting point: Guwahati to Guwahati (Airport/station)
Accommodation options: Budget to 3-star equivalent.
Note: There is no flight facility available to reach Tawang which is the main attraction of Arunachal Pradesh and the only way to travel to this part of Arunachal is by road.
The best time to visit the land of the rising sun from March to June and September to October.
Guwahati – Bhalukpong – Dirang – Tawang – Bomdila – Kaziranga – Guwahati
Guwahati to Bhalukpong distance is 240 km (6 hours)
Dirang to Tawang distance is 140 km (6 hours)
Bhalukpong to Dirang distance is 150 km (5 hours)
Bomdila to Guwahati distance is 335 km (10 hours)
Tawang to Bomdila distance is 190 km (8 hours)
|
Travel Circuit |
Ideal Duration |
|
Guwahati – Tawang |
6 – 8 nights |
|
Guwahati – Tawang – Kaziranga |
8 – 9 nights |
The road access to the Tawang-Bomdila circuit in Western Arunachal is through a small border town called Bhalukpong. The Bhalukpong town is on the border of Assam and Arunachal and close to river Jia Bharali (known as Kameng river in Arunachal). Bhalukpong can be reached from Guwahati (4 hours drive). The nearest large town is Tezpur (45 minutes drive). From Bhalukpong the tourist has to pass through Bomdila and Dirang before reaching Tawang.
Elevation of Tawang: Approximately 10000 feet above sea level
Biggest tourist attraction: Tawang Monastery (2nd largest monastery in Asia) and Madhuri lake.
The Tawang town is the ultimate destination of this circuit and this is only the main attraction of Arunachal Pradesh. The town is famous for its local people known as the Monpas, the local monastery is the second largest in Asia and the natural surrounding is amazing. Most tourists to this part of Arunachal travel further north towards the Tibetan border on a day visit from Tawang. The day tour takes your guests to high altitude lakes of Arunachal. The terrain here is similar to the Tibetan plateau and the beauty of the mountain and the lakes is breathtaking. The tourists have to return via the same route to reach Guwahati before moving onwards.
Apart from the Tawang monastery and local city tour, there are some other important and beautiful places located close to Tawang and China border. Madhuri lake or Sungster lake is one of these places which is located at an altitude of 14500 feet from sea level. Another important touring point is Bumla pass (Indo-China Border). Bumla pass is at 15000 feet from sea level and 45 km away from Tawang. This pass is one of the offbeat located mountain passes in the whole world.
Important Note: Please note that the vehicle which goes from Guwahati can not be used to travel Madhuri lake and Bumla pass due to some local restrictions. The separate local vehicle has to be booked from Tawang only on the additional cost to visit these two important sightseeing places.
After the Guwahati – Kaziranga – Shillong circuit, this is arguably the most popular tourist circuit in North East India. The two circuits can be combined together where travel agents guests may be taken to all the destinations as Guwahati-Shillong-Kaziranga-Bomdila-Tawang-Dirang-Guwahati. If a combination is to be made that would be less lengthy in duration, Kaziranga may be added to the Tawang Bomdila circuit as the National Park is just a couple of hours drive from Bhalukpong town.
Tourist facilities are not very highly developed in this part of the country. You can expect decent but basic accommodation and food. The number of hotel option is also quite limited. The road condition is also not very good but all of these are fast improving. The physical discomfort of traveling through a less trodden path is well compensated by the unspoiled natural beauty of the mountain.
The journey started more than a decade ago when a financial consultant, a social activist and a biology researcher came together to start a business in tourism that none of them knew about. But travel is something they loved and enjoyed, and so they decided to change the paradigms in their own way. And they remarked “travel is more than a profession, it’s a passionâ€. Read More [+]
