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Arunachal
Dawn lit mountains
TOUR OVERVIEW
This is a trip where your journey is your destination. Experience changing landscapes – from verdant valleys to high mountain passes, from flowing rivers to glacial lakes. Listen to the stories of war and peace. Get your dose of history at the war memorial and brush with spirituality at the Tawang monastery.
Feel calm as the prayer flags flutter and take your prayers up the mighty Himalayas. Come join us to let yourself be with all colours of nature and let that be a part of you.
Please read through the itinerary and information thoroughly. Ask questions.
Arrive at Guwahati by 11:00 AM on Day 1 and depart from Guwahati after 9AM on Day 9.
GALLERY
Day 1 - 23 Mar 2024
Reach Guwahati by noon and move more towards Nameri National Park (200 kms), on the border of Arunachal Pradesh. Check in to your log huts in Eco Campsite. Dinner and overnight at Balipara.
Day 2 - 24 Mar 2024
Start your day with beautiful Eco camp surroundings with a Forest walk and Boat ride across Jia Bhoreli River. This is a 3 hour guided walk around the Nameri National Park, spotting birds and revelling in the natural scenery. After breakfast start towards Dirang (185 kms). Reach Dirang by evening. On the way, visit the Orchid Gardens.Overnight at Dirang. .
Day 3 - 25 Mar 2024
Step out early to visit the Mandala Top. Also visit the Dirang monastery in Arunachal. After lunch, surrounded by Eastern Himalayan ranges, an area rich in dense forests and rivers, let yourself be with nature with the beauty of Sangti Valley. Overnight at Dirang.
Day 4 - 26 Mar 2024
After breakfast, start your journey towards Tawang(129 kms). This will be a long journey. Visit Sela pass. This part of the Eastern Himalayan range is special for the Buddhists as it is believed that about 101 lakes exist in and around Sela pass. Very close to Pass is Sela Lake, visit Jaswantgarh War Memorial and bridge. Jaswant Singh Rawat was an Indian rifleman soldier of 4 Garhwal Rifles, Uttarakhand who won the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously at the Battle of Nuranang during the 1962 India-China war. The story is awe-inspiring. Overnight at Tawang.
Day 5 - 27 Mar 2024
After breakfast, visit Tawang Monastery, Asia’s second largest monastery and India’s largest which controls 17 Gompas in the region. Spend some time meditating. Explore the local market and Craft Centre. Get on the ropeway to Ani Gompa. Go for a village walk in the nearby village of Monpa tribe. Overnight at Tawang.
Day 6 - 28 Mar 2024
Start a little early for the day. Visit Bum La, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 5,000m (16,500ft), if the road and weather permits. Shonga-tser Lake (45 kms), sounding difficult to pronounce, has a starry name to it. Also visit the beautiful P-Tso. Overnight at Tawang.
Day 7 - 29 Mar 2024
Start journey towards Bomdila(171 kms). Visit Nuranang Waterfalls on the way, one of the most stunning waterfalls in Arunachal Pradesh. If the weather permits, we will take a slight detour to see a 600 years old iron chain suspension bridge, Chag-Zam Bridge which represents a rare and remarkable architecture. Overnight at Bomdila.
Day 8 - 30 Mar 2024
Visit the Bomdila Monastery. After breakfast, proceed towards Guwahati(300 kms). It’s a long journey. Talk about experiences, memories, laughter. End the journey with a wonderful dinner. Overnight at Guwahati.
Day 9 - 31 Mar 2024
Catch the flight back after breakfast. Trip ends.
Inclusions
- Accommodation on double sharing basis for 8 nights
- Road transportation in a Tempo Traveller
- Local vehicle for visit to Bum La in Sumo, if weather permits
- Local vehicle (Maruti Omni) to visit the Chagzam Bridge if the weather permits
- Three major meals of the day and evening tea/coffee starting from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 9
- Monastery and Monuments entrance fees, parking charges.
- Inner line Permit for Arunachal and special permit for Bum La
- Guided Eco Jungle Walk in Nameri.
- Guide for local Tawang sightseeing and village walk
- Guidance of an F5 Tour Lead.
Exclusions
- Flights to Guwahati from your city of residence and return.
- Tea-time snacks and meals other than mentioned
- Packaged/Bottled water
- Tips and other expenses of personal nature.
- Accommodation/Stay/Food during Transit.
- Camera Charges for monuments
- Any expenses arising out of natural or man-made contingency. We will make arrangements to deal with the contingency, at extra cost.
- Anything not specifically mentioned in inclusions.
Terms & Conditions
REFUND AND CANCELLATION
- 15% of the trip cost if cancelled 90 days or more in advance.
- 25% of the trip cost if cancelled 89 – 60 days in advance.
- 50% of the trip cost if it is cancelled 59 to 16 days in advance.
- Last 15 days – no show – the entire amount will be forfeited.
- If you use our services to book flights, cancellation charges will apply
Disclaimer
- 50% of the trip cost is required to confirm the booking.
- F5 Escapes is in no way responsible for any untoward incident happening due to the ignorance/negligence of the guests, natural/man-made calamities, accidents or any other events that are out of human control during the trip.
- All our trips are well-researched, including identifying access to medical facilities. In case of a medical emergency, F5 will assist the traveller in getting medical attention.
- F5 reserves the right to cancel the trip under certain conditions – in such a case, the amount will be refunded in full.
Arrival & Departure timings:
Arrive at Guwahati by 11:00 AM on Day 1 and depart from Guwahati after 9AM on Day 9. Hotel check out on Day 9 is at 12 noon.
Weather:
March is a colder month in Arunachal. The weather till Dirang will be pleasant but as the altitude gets higher, temperatures will drop. In Tawang the minimum temperatures may go down to subzero and it might be snowing. Be prepared with fleece/down feather jackets, thermal wear, and complete winter gear.
About your stay:
Balipara – An Eco Camp close to Nameri National Park.
Dirang – Beautifully appointed cottage rooms run by a local women
Tawang – A well reviewed hotel
Bomdila – Tastefully done homestay run by a local family
Guwahati – A well reviewed hotel
Note on double sharing – Most places of stay in this circuit will have double beds instead of twin beds. We will ensure that you have separate blankets to sleep in.
Fooooood!
Mostly local food like thukpa and momos. Rice, Dal and locally grown vegetables. Cornflakes and Eggs will be available for breakfast. If you have special dietary requests, please let us know beforehand. Please note that the staple in Arunachal and Assam is rice so rotis will not be available as easily. Their local breakfast is fried rice. So they serve mostly eggs, bread and cornflakes for the guests. Your trip lead will carry some fruits.
Note about Smoking & Alcohol:
Everyone joining is an adult and we realise that we cannot dictate the behaviour on how you should enjoy the trip. Each destination offers a locally brewed wine or beer and we would love for you to try them. All we ask is to drink responsibly. Alcohol on higher altitude can make you extremely dehydrated. And even smaller quantities can cause a hangover. At a destination where it is bright and sunny at 5:30 am, hangover delays are going to cost a lot, and will not be tolerated at all.
So please do not test your limits and enjoy in moderation. Also, do respect your roommate’s comfort levels with the alcohol smell and avoid drinking in the room if she is not comfortable.
If you smoke, please do so outside the room, even if the rooms have ashtray. Smoking at high altitude is not recommended.
Note > Prepare > Accept > Embrace:
- Culture in Arunachal is laid back. The food is prepared fresh and the order needs to be placed at least an hour in advance, especially for group travel. Please cooperate with your trip lead.
- Breakfast will not be the dishes you are used to. It will be hard to get aloo parathas, idli, poha or upma in those parts. Eggs and toast are mostly what are served in all hospitality establishments. Your trip lead will carry Cornflakes and Fruits so that you can have some variety in breakfast.
- Higher altitudes require a certain level of fitness. We are not strictly trekking anywhere but even climbing up the stairs to the monastery will feel like treks, given the altitude (around 8000 to 16500 ft altitudes). Tawang is at 10000 ft. If you can walk briskly for 2 kilometres regularly, you should be okay. If walking at steep places is an issue for you, please reconsider.
- Bum La Pass is at 16,500 ft and Sela Pass is at 13,700 ft. While there is no trek required to visit these places, being at these altitudes will be exhausting due to oxygen rarity and low temperatures. We are reaching these places by road and so there will be a steady acclimatisation for your body. Your night stays are not above 10,000 ft.
- We will share with you the do’s and don’ts of travelling to high altitude place. Please consult your physician regarding the same and get prescription medicine if required.
- The roads in Arunachal are not that great. Given the terrain and the altitude, they are non-existent in some places. The average speed will be less than 20 kmph. The rewards more than make up for it, though! The journey will be tiring. Please reconsider if you have back issues.
- There is road widening work going on in Arunachal for the past few years. We might have to take diversions.
- In line with the ideology of F5 Escapes, we will be staying in some homestays during our trip. Please come with an open mind about sharing someone’s home and maintain the sanctity. This trip is about actually understanding a culture which is different and yet, is our own.
- Arunachal is a remote and organic state and people there live as naturally as possible. All stays will have water heating facilities and in case of a power cut, the hosts will provide you hot water from wood-fired heaters. Please do not insist on a diesel run generator and have patience.
- Room heaters, while available, may not work due to power cuts. Please carry hot water bottles so the beds can be kept warm.
- Sun rises early and sets early in North East India. In fact, the first rays of morning in India, fall in Arunachal Pradesh. So our days will start early and end early. To cover everything that is promised, it is important that we maintain the timings. Although distances are less, the mountain roads make it difficult to maintain the average speed of more than 20 kmph.
- Mountain states may get rainfall/snowfall unexpectedly sometimes.
- If on Day 9, you have time before you fly out, we can suggest and plan your sightseeing in and around Guwahati, at extra cost.
- Owing to the army’s presence, unpredictable weather patterns or any other condition, the permits for Bum La are assigned a day before. In case the roads are closed that day for some reason, we will still be doing other sightseeing as mentioned in the itinerary.
‘F5 Escapes’ is a Bangalore-based, experiential travel company, with a focus on redefining the way women travel in India. The premise of F5 is an ambitious dream – to put India on the global travel map as a preferred destination for women from across the globe.
F5 Escapes offers fixed departure all-women group tours, customized itineraries for families, groups and solo travellers. We also do in-city engagements which include #JustGo travel meetups, workshops to educate women on travel safety, sustainable menstruation, motorbiking etc.