[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

...... there is a famous song from Satte Pe Satta called pyaar hume is morh pe le aaya but if you didn't spend your teenage in the 70s you wouldn't know this song.

......

Lol in keeping with the name - I saw it seven times! With different company each time. IIRC that movie was released in 1982, the year I finished my 12th.

I have tried to raise Hotel Central Plaza, Hill cart road on the net but met with no success. If you can give me their web-link or other contact details that will enable me to do the booking, I would be grateful as I wish to finish hotel bookings ASAP.

@ adc:According to most people it will be off-season in Tawang in December but accomodation in the lower altitudes will be difficult to come by during the holiday season. I hope you can make that planned trip of yours, we would love to meet you. In fact we wish we could foray into CCU and meet some fellow BHPians, but the thought of entering a major city is too daunting.

@ HVK: Thanks for your posts which keep pushing us ahead. I do have a doubt - will FWD cars do the drive to Tawang?

@ Sutripta: Thanks for the pointers and tips, I have brought the mto Arun's attention for doing the needful.

@ MC: Thanks mate for the tip and for asking the right questions! Perhaps we will do that North Sikkim drive sometime. (Remind me to get rid of my barge and get a decent 4X4!)

@ AKRoy : Desperately waiting for your inputs!

We are in business now - first hotel booking is done in Rambha . That leaves Siuri and Siliguri for the journey out. My jurisdiction ends with Siliguri and Arun has taken charge of Tezpur and beyond and knowing him - he will be working his cell phone overtime for this. Hyd Traveller (Mr. Bajaj) has kindly volunteered to look after things in Shillong and has thrown in some TLC for our cars. Thanks Bajaj sir.

Wish us luck, pray for us and keep channeling that energy in.

Thank you,

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

@ HVK: Thanks for your posts which keep pushing us ahead. I do have a doubt - will FWD cars do the drive to Tawang?

Here is your answer!

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Here is your answer!

Chief, you are different. You have made Jeepable roads also Matizable.

Not everyone is you

[akroy]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

@ AKRoy : Desperately waiting for your inputs!

I am in a different timezone so the delay. You will get your details by PM within a day.

If I remember correctly there is one nice Sharada Lodge and excellent food as well. I will PM you the other details.

Abhi

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

@ adc:According to most people it will be off-season in Tawang in December but accomodation in the lower altitudes will be difficult to come by during the holiday season. I hope you can make that planned trip of yours, we would love to meet you. In fact we wish we could foray into CCU and meet some fellow BHPians, but the thought of entering a major city is too daunting.

Tawang accommodation also might be shutting down for winter.

Might be in N. Bengal/ Assam around that time. So might be possible to meet up. Since you have started booking hotels, must have fixed up an itenary. Care to share?

Regards
Sutripta

[milindajp]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Tawang accommodation also might be shutting down for winter.

Might be in N. Bengal/ Assam around that time. So might be possible to meet up. Since you have started booking hotels, must have fixed up an itenary. Care to share?

Regards
Sutripta

Accomodation at Tawang during Dec. is not at all a problem - rather you will get a lot of discount due to off season. I myself was in Tawang during Dec and I think it is the best time in the year to visit.

Check http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ng-beyond.html - may get some informations.

[milindajp]

Sorry to add something more ....

Try spending the night at Dirang Valley and next day drive to Tawang because if you drive straight from Tezpur to Tawang, you can't enjoy the magnificient beauty of Sela Pass, Baba Mandir and Bomdilla due to time constrant. Cover the route in 2 days and do lot of photography.

While returning, start early from Tawang and stay a night at Nameri tiger reserve, then next day go straight to Kaziranga.

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Here is your answer!
....

LOL Chief, knowing you, you would probably take a Luna up there, that too in some crazy time like 6 hours or something. Thanks though - you did answer the question. The answer is "The cars can do it". The only question is how good are the drivers - we shall know in December.

Originally Posted by akroy

I am in a different timezone so the delay. You will get your details by PM within a day.

If I remember correctly there is one nice Sharada Lodge and excellent food as well. I will PM you the other details.

Abhi

Thanks Abhi, I got your PM too and shall be patient.

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Tawang accommodation also might be shutting down for winter.

Might be in N. Bengal/ Assam around that time. So might be possible to meet up. Since you have started booking hotels, must have fixed up an itenary. Care to share?

Regards
Sutripta

We would love to meet you. Our schedule is
20.12 Dep. Hyd & N/H Rambah.
21.12 dep Rambah N/H Siuri.
22.12 Dep Siuri N/H Siliguri.
23.12 Dep Siuri N/H Tezpur.
24.12 Dep Tezpur N/H Dirang.
25.12 dep Dirang arr. Tawang.
28.12 Dep. Tawang N/H Dirang / Bomdila.
29.12 Dep Dirang / Bomdila N/H Tezpur.
30.12 Dep Tezpur - arr. Shillong by nightfall
1.1 dep Shillong N/H Siliguri.
2.1 Dep. Siliguri N/H Kharagpur (if we have airport drops in CCU N/H shifts to CCU - request Downsouth, Rajesh Rawal & senthil to confirm ASAP).
3.1. Dep Kharagpur N/H Vizag / Rajahmundry (this N/H depends on whether we stop in CCU or Kharagpur).
4.1 Arr Hyd by nightfall

Originally Posted by milindajp

Accomodation at Tawang during Dec. is not at all a problem - rather you will get a lot of discount due to off season. I myself was in Tawang during Dec and I think it is the best time in the year to visit.

Check http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ng-beyond.html - may get some informations.

Thanks milind, I did read your thread before I came up with this thread and found it very useful.

Arun - we need updates from you now.

@ MC - Loved your one about "Matizable" and to answer an older question of yours - the confirmed names (as you have prolly guessed by now) are Absynthguzzler, Pulsar56, Downsouth (Mrs. Downsouth is the frequent flier), the tentatives are Rajesh Rawal and non-TBHPian Senthil (both tentatives are frequent fliers) and yours truly, the child of course is our own speed maniac well known to Runway9.

Cheers,

E & O E!

[milindajp]

20.12 Dep. Hyd & N/H Rambah.
21.12 dep Rambah N/H Siuri.
22.12 Dep Siuri N/H Siliguri.
23.12 Dep Siuri N/H Tezpur.
24.12 Dep Tezpur N/H Dirang.
25.12 dep Dirang arr. Tawang.
28.12 Dep. Tawang N/H Dirang / Bomdila.
29.12 Dep Dirang / Bomdila N/H Tezpur.
30.12 Dep Tezpur - arr. Shillong by nightfall
1.1 dep Shillong N/H Siliguri.
2.1 Dep. Siliguri N/H Kharagpur (if we have airport drops in CCU N/H shifts to CCU - request Downsouth, Rajesh Rawal & senthil to confirm ASAP).
3.1. Dep Kharagpur N/H Vizag / Rajahmundry (this N/H depends on whether we stop in CCU or Kharagpur).
4.1 Arr Hyd by nightfall



You may stay back at ICAR Guest House. Very cheap but all basic facilites available.

National Research Centereon Yak (ICAR),
Dirang 790 101, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Telephone: (+91)03780-22259/22218
Fax : (+91)03780-22273
Email:director@nrcyak.ren.nic.in

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

(Remind me to get rid of my barge and get a decent 4X4!)

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

The answer is "The cars can do it". The only question is how good are the drivers - we shall know in December.

I'm sure that the cars can do it and so can the drivers. If not you can always take the best off-roader "Helicopter".

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

@ MC - Loved your one about "Matizable" and to answer an older question of yours - the confirmed names (as you have prolly guessed by now) are Absynthguzzler, Pulsar56, Downsouth (Mrs. Downsouth is the frequent flier), the tentatives are Rajesh Rawal and non-TBHPian Senthil (both tentatives are frequent fliers) and yours truly, the child of course is our own speed maniac well known to Runway9.

Cheers,

E & O E!

With such a line-up of experienced drivers, you guys shouldn't have any problem and the drive should be a breeze.

[Ravveendrra]

A quick update is in order:

Siliguri is in the bag! Traced out a telephone number: 0353-2516119 for the Hotel Central Plaza. Spoke to Mr. Aravind Kumar and booked two rooms for 22.12 and three rooms for 1.1.2010. BINGO!

Thanks Sudipto for giving that lead. Incidentally, your Esteem seems quite well known at the Central Plaza. (I gave your reference but "Sudipto" did not ring a bell so I mentioned that you like to drive to Sikkim etc. in your silver esteem and there was instant recognition).

Originally Posted by milindajp

......
You may stay back at ICAR Guest House. Very cheap but all basic facilites available.

National Research Centereon Yak (ICAR),
Dirang 790 101, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Telephone: (+91)03780-22259/22218
Fax : (+91)03780-22273
Email:director@nrcyak.ren.nic.in

Thanks for that wonderful lead, will get it followed up.

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I'm sure that the cars can do it and so can the drivers. If not you can always take the best off-roader "Helicopter".

With such a line-up of experienced drivers, you guys shouldn't have any problem and the drive should be a breeze.

LOL MC - chopper is plan C for us diver logaan and thanks for the compliment.

Cheers,

[johy]

Bumped into the thread late. If you guys want to head on to Jalpaiguri (as someone suggested earlier) instead of putting up at Siliguri, would be able to suggest some hotels there by tomorrow.

Edit: I would recommend Siliguri though. Central Plaza is a good place.

[pulsar56]

Ravvs, Thanks for the wonderful news on the hotel bookings!

Just for documentation purpose.. Found some links while Google'ing!

Tawang : The Switzerland of North East India

Kaziranga, Tezpur & Shillong

Trip to Tawang: Part 3: Seven Sisters waterfall, Cherrapunji and Tawang monastery, Tawang Arunachal Pradesh AdmirableIndia.com

my room: LAKES AND WATERFALLS.......TAWANG



P.S: I will have to be at work this weekend and the next too!

[robimahanta]

I would recommend the Ginger Guwahati for your accommodation as its just a few kilometers from the highway and you don't have to face any traffic (you'll barely enter Guwahati, if you stay at Ginger)

The road upto Nagaon/Nowgong(115kms from Guwahati) is not in perfect shape esp. the Sonapur-Jagiroad sector as in lots of places 4 laning is going on. There is an alternative route to Jagiroad from guwahati..tough a tad longer, the road is perfect (via chandrapur-mayeng). Still you wont need more than 2-2 1/2 hrs from Guwahati to Nagaon, whichever route you choose. Then you'll need around a hour or so to reach Tezpur (the road being perfect)..road condition to Kaziranga from Tezpur is perfect as well. Lots of new resorts coming up in Kaziranga like Iora, Grassland etc for accomodation besides the others perhaps known to you.

And as HVK sir has pointed out..avoid the bongaigaon-nalbari highway while coming in from siliguri..take the goalpara-boko-chaygaon-mirza route

Regarding shillong, definitely visit/stop-by at umiam/barapani lake..you can have lunch either at the orchid resort or the rikynjai resort(darn expensive but a great scenic resort..all the major rock bands like Scorpions, Mr.Big coming to shillong stay at this place). As for accomodation in Shillong, christmas is a peak time so rates would definitely be on the higher side..so if you are unable to book early just plan to reach Shillong before 4 in the evening to get decent accomodation(a lot of people will be coming in to shillong during that time of the year..so expect traffic) Morever, the sonapur-jorabat sector is sometimes swelling with truck traffic (mainly due the enormous hyundai, maruti trailers in those windy roads). The point being start as early as possible from Tezpur if you want to reach Shillong early and stop over at place like Nongpoh, Umiam lake etc on the way.

I'm just giving you a mixed bag of information which may or may not be pertinent to you..even then if you do have queries let me..

lastly, pm me you mail id/cell no so that we can meet when you are in guwahati..

I am planning a Kaziranga trip within the next month, so I'll be glad to pass on info about present road conditions/accommodation etc


some pictures..
the umiam lake


enroute to kaziranga


tea estates enroute


during the elephant safari

[adc]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

Tawang accommodation also might be shutting down for winter.

Originally Posted by milindajp

Accomodation at Tawang during Dec. is not at all a problem

Tawang is surely becoming more like Changu Lake with season and off season boundaries becoming blurred. But still with the biting cold around that time, things shouldn't be a rush

And by my own logic, most tourists should be leaving from Guwahati for Tawang on 25th or 26th. Have to be ahead of them by at least 1 or 2 days and then rooms would be available.

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

@ adc: I hope you can make that planned trip of yours, we would love to meet you.

Likewise would love to meet you all out there - lets see IF I can eventually make the tour.

Originally Posted by milindajp

Try spending the night at Dirang Valley

Had gone through your travelogue. To choose between Bhalukpong and Bomdila, which one would you prefer. And at Dirang did you stay at that ICAR - you had written about wonderful views from the hotel room at Dirang.

Originally Posted by johy

If you guys want to head on to Jalpaiguri (as someone suggested earlier) instead of putting up at Siliguri, would be able to suggest some hotels there by tomorrow

That would be good, will come in hand if I need to stop.