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-   -   Safari 2.2 VTT-TMT -4500 km self-drive Central Arunachal exploratory expedition, 2012 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/124703-safari-2-2-vtt-tmt-4500-km-self-drive-central-arunachal-exploratory-expedition-2012-a-4.html)

Man your thread is going bonkers. Absolutely amazing , Stunning captures , nice ride(SAFARI), you really really really need to have guts for this kind of trip that too with family.

Brilliant stuff sir, this thread has been bookmarked for my research once I am back on land. Intend to cover all of north east next year.

Anirban,
one more masterpiece of a travelogue from you, yet another addition to my list of bookmarks. I have all your travelogues in that list.
Some day,one day... I dream to retrace your footsteps, or rather your VTT's tiremarks. Until then, let me relive it through you.

Wonderful travelogue and nice pictures! Thanks for sharing this adventure in Arunachal!

ADC, you are having some adventure on NE. Mechuka looks really beautiful and ticked as the next place to go. Have been thinking about doing Arunachal trip for a long time but haven't been able to. I had Tawang (on the west Arunchal) and Walong/Kibithu on the east Arunachal in mind for a long time and now adding Mechuka also to the list. BTW, I hope that road condition will be good during October time-frame.
Thanks for sharing the log and eagerly waiting for the rest of it.

You are amazing adc.
You've taken me through the region I would only fantasize. << fingures crossed >> someday I would go there myself..

The pic that made my day was on page 3 - pic no. 7997. A truly master stroke - any artist would love to paint that on canvas.

Keep it coming adc. And hats off to your family - can I see jr adc coming up with his own T-bhp account and little travelog soon? clap:

Yingkiong to Tuting, Upper Siang, Arunachal Pradesh

We are now in Yingkiong, the district headquarters of the remote district of Upper Siang.

As would readers recall we have come here direct from Mechuka with a lunch break at Along, having driven for around 12 hours. We will now proceed more northwards towards the Tuting and then later on towards the India-China LAC at Gelling.






However, for going to Tuting either from Along or Pasighat, one need NOT need enter Yingkiong or go towards the other side of Pangin bridge. As said, we had a night halt at Y'kiong not Along on our drive straight from Mechuka. The red arrow shows the boat taken to cross from Y'kiong, took a chance though with overnight rain it was dicey as otherwise would have go quite a roundabout way from Y'kiong to Jengging and then to Tuting.



Overnight torrential rain fell. Early morning after taking directions from the hotel owner, went ahead in search of the boat that will help us cross. It was a treacherous drive to the river bank with packed sand washed, dont know how i crossed that slide but remember the rear tyre almost went in.



Done that Safari VTT and us all up on the boat for crossing the mighty Siang [Bhramaputra].



The boat operator along with us and VTT with a local with a scooter set out to the other side on a early overcast foggy yet enchanting morning at Y'kiong



We were headed towards the opposite bank and all that sand made me think how to go up to the road other side



Excited was all of us and son particularly checked out the engine and surroundings to his satisfaction.





Fantastic wilderness surroundings early morning as we crossed River Siang, on an overcast morning, April 2012






The other side too the torrential rains have washed away the packed sand and had definite worries about getting stuck here, but somehow it was just okay - that's all I remember!





Caught up with the road to Tuting that come through Jengging, and pass . Mouling National Park entrance



And soon cross a few tea gardens - from N Bengal to Assam and now in Arunachal.



However soon the few settlements pass by as we move towards Tuting through narrow rainforest road/track



Siang River which originates from Tibet and forms the main flow of the mighty Brahmaputra



and that bend as seen on wikimapia.



And our journey continued through most lonely rainforest roads and tracks...







and we stopped where we liked - absolute wilderness yet enchanting as we continued towards Tuting.





contd...

Layman's question: How are you keeping your son amused/occupied/high-spirited all these while? I have a daughter of similar age, and half an hr into our journey, she has all the problems in the world. Please dont tell me he is also a natual travel nerd like you.

Absolutely mesmerizing travel adc, another feather in your already full cap :), but then ofcourse it can never be full, ready to put in one more always. Glued to it.

How can things get better than this, really!




"Siang River which originates from Tibet and forms the main flow of the mighty Brahmaputra"

=> Siang is Brahmaputra, isn't it?

I hope you went as far as its entry into India?

@ADC,
Wish I could have joined you. You have now seen more of Arunachal than I have!

Regards
Sutripta

@ADC, Now, I really suspect that you drive a heavily modified Safari 2.2 with AWD, and ondemand 4WD with low range, and not the usual one we ordinary mortals drive.

Excellent T-Log, on some of the most beautiful parts of the NE India. Kudos to your family who share the love of adventure and travel with you!

Am surprised that you managed to get the front bushes fixed in such remote locations!

Yingkiong to Tuting, Upper Siang, Arunachal Pradesh contd...



As the journey continued, one of the first main village that comes is that of Janbo



We were searching for a tea shop, and soon met a local teacher, a Bengali from Tripura, who in that village school doubles up as multi-subject teacher. He also runs a Sumo service and had diesel, so tanked up around 10 L out here. We had a great talk here with this gentleman settled now settled in Arunachal.



And from here a local requested a pickup to his farm by the riverside somewhere some 10 km further - and had some good chat about Jhum cultivation and this and that.



And our journey continued. It had been raining here for the past 7 days



Soon caught with the first traffic on this route till now. A convoy of Army trucks lumbering along that jungle track of a road. Coming from Jengging they are headed to Tuting, and then to Gelling LAC.





This journey had that rainforest track drive feeling!






As long as there exists a single road, I am okay. Now suddenly this jungle track of a road bifurcates - thought to wait here and ask the military trucks when they come, but after overtaking them they were quite some time behind. Some tyre marks went on the down road and took that one



The milestone confirms it to our relief after some distance travelled




Another turn of the might River Siang - In Arunachal, Bhramaputra is known as Siang




and still the journey continued...








Tuting now 8 km away






So after a stupendous river cross and a drive, we enter Tuting, some 7 hours later [We stopped quite a lot as we pleased, so driving times are not indicative as such].



And the drill was the same. Went in search of the circuit house, one room was there but flatly was refused by the caretaker - said he has no powers to give, the keys are at police station since this is a sensitive area. To bring the keys, we need to have some permission from the the circle officer, who most luckily was there and was just about to go out. Permission given and room given, and as dusk fell we soon retired early - it has been a fantastic day of drive starting with that boat ride.

Tomorrow we plan to go further, towards Gelling, literally on the India-China LAC.


contd...

Mechuka is a must. As said, it has that Ladakh feeling and still with greenery and pristine envoirnment. October should be okay. Kibithu will be covered by us next on the Eastern Arunachal trip.



Definitely you would one day, Arunachal is a pure driving destitation travel - particularly with a bike if solo. Eastern Arunachal is still left!



He is and we all three are! Safari was bought just that we could travel as a family. But what i berate him for is that moving around all these places in a vehicle he is absolutely now dislikes trekking - but again he has the whole life in front for that.

Unless a child also takes interest in the trips and whats going in terms of places and people, they are going to get bored sitting all time inside the vehicle, particularly with journey times of 12 hours each day in these arunachal trip. And other times he has his drawing set or whatever, and he keeps busy in the back seat with those. But again he likes a journey in a Safari so that makes the going much easy, and this also helps us to enjoy the drive fully, knowing that he is managing himself okay.

He still gets enough kudos from his mother for being such a sport as we were stuck for 2 nights at 13,000 feet at Zojila, inside the Safari - busying himself with either with seeing the surroundings during day or playing with the mobile and like during night. Those stuck days and nights at Zojila are there in this video.

Zojila Movie_0001.wmv - YouTube





It is just a matter of another trip or antic that i would one day get stuck royally somewhere! So all said and done, anyday if I could have afforded would have gone for a 4wd.

And another thing is that though we do give these trips "expedition" name for the feel good factor, the fact is that the few local Sumos are going on these routes even during monsoon times. What would worry me more about, if I think about it too much, that if we get stuck over here due to some malfunction -- there's no support miles around.

Bushes and bearings are common for Sumo and Safari, so could postpone that maintenance in Kolkata and did that over there in Daparijo.




Yes, Tsangpo in Tibet becomes Siang in Arunachal at Gelling and Bhramaputra in Assam. Details about Gelling in the next post.

Speechless, absolutely speechless! That's how I felt seeing the awesome locations you've brought in front of us mate. :thumbs up

And thanks for the relevant info. Feeling so inspired and depressed at the same time. :Frustrati

One correction

The opening post picture is of River Siyom of West Siang and not of siang river.


Mighty River Siyom, Interior West Siang, Central Arunachal. River Siyom or Yomgo is formed by joining of River Yom and Go. Siyom joins Siang at Pangin.




Mighty River Siang, Interior Upper Siang, Central Arunachal. Siang is also known as Dihang.



Another place and another turn of the mighty River Siang - In Arunachal, Bhramaputra is known as Siang



I have reported the post for correcting the river name on 1st page.