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Old 3rd November 2017, 20:46   #76
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Re: Guwahati to Tawang : Tourist Circuit

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Originally Posted by dpkbehera View Post
This is one of the popular and upcoming tourist circuits in the North East after Assam - Meghalaya and Sikkim. I thought it would be prudent to have a dedicated thread which would suggest a suitable itinerary, provide route updates , weather updates, hotels etc.

Though i have not been on this circuit, on the basis of the research i came up with the following itinerary i.e.

Day 1 : Guwahati to Bhalukpong.
Day 2 : Bhalukpong to Dirang.
Day 3 : Dirang to Tawang.
Day 4 : Tawang
Day 5 : Tawang
Day 6 : Tawang to Bomdila
Day 7 : Bomdila to Nameri
Day 8 : Nameri to Guwahati

Hotels
Bhalukpong : Prashanti Cottage
Dirang : Hotel Pemaling
Tawang : Hotel Gakyi Khang Zhang / Yangzom Hotel / Hotel Mon Paradise
Bomdila : Hotel Nambrog, Hotel Elysium
Nameri : Nameri Echo Camp

I am clueless about the road conditions from Guwahati to Tawang. I would request other members to share their experiences/research.
If you are planning a trip that side would help if you get in touch with wanderornomad who knows that part of the country like the back of his hand and virtually planned our trip itinerary.

Have penned our experience covering assam/meghalaya and AP which could help you fine tune your plan if needed.

http://www.team-bhp.com/.../189034-n...ghalaya-assam- arunachal-2.html.

Cheers.

Vijay
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Old 3rd November 2017, 21:05   #77
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

While planning for a trip to Tawang, this was one of the first links that i read for my research. But somehow i did not grasp the information in entirety. After going through many links of research when i came back to this link, then i have kind of grasped the information and now it is kind of making sense .

Last edited by dpkbehera : 3rd November 2017 at 21:07.
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Old 3rd November 2017, 22:17   #78
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Re: Places to visit enroute and at Tawang

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Originally Posted by dhanushmenon View Post
Day 5- Tawang- Zemithang
Day 6- Zemithang- Tawang
You have strongly recommended Zemithang. Apart from an easy passage and scenic drive to Sangetsar lake, is there something to look forward to in this place. Do you have any contacts of home stays at Zemithang.

Also considering the itinerary that you have proposed i.e.
Day 1- Guwahati- Orang- Kalaktang- Bomdila (or Dirang)
Day 2- Bomdila- Sela - Tawang
Day 3- Tawang sightseeing, War memorial, Tawang Gompa, passes for Bum La visit (as applicable)
Day 4- Tawang- P Tso Lake- Bum La- Sangetsar- T Gompa- Tawang
Day 5- Tawang- Zemithang
Day 6- Zemithang- Tawang
Day 7- Tawang- Dirang- (Orchards) - Bomdila
Day 8- Bomdila-

Instead of doing Tawang- Dirang- (Orchards) - Bomdila, is it possible to stay at any place in the route Tawang- Dirang-Kalaktang. This will reduce the travel time on the final day i.e. Day 8 to Guwahati.
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Old 7th November 2017, 19:46   #79
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Re: Places to visit enroute and at Tawang

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Originally Posted by dpkbehera View Post
You have strongly recommended Zemithang. Apart from an easy passage and scenic drive to Sangetsar lake, is there something to look forward to in this place. Do you have any contacts of home stays at Zemithang.
Scenic drive; for me that is reason enough. As they say "Drive is the reason, destination is just an excuse".
As far as I last know of, there is only one government Inspection Bungalow at that place. Number- 03794280326 (Circle Officer).
I had tried a lot to get a booking there during my schedule of travel. However, no one picked up. I hear that there are few home stays which have sprung up now. Try your luck.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dpkbehera View Post
Also considering the itinerary that you have proposed i.e.
Day 1- Guwahati- Orang- Kalaktang- Bomdila (or Dirang)
Day 2- Bomdila- Sela - Tawang
Day 3- Tawang sightseeing, War memorial, Tawang Gompa, passes for Bum La visit (as applicable)
Day 4- Tawang- P Tso Lake- Bum La- Sangetsar- T Gompa- Tawang
Day 5- Tawang- Zemithang
Day 6- Zemithang- Tawang
Day 7- Tawang- Dirang- (Orchards) - Bomdila
Day 8- Bomdila-

Instead of doing Tawang- Dirang- (Orchards) - Bomdila, is it possible to stay at any place in the route Tawang- Dirang-Kalaktang. This will reduce the travel time on the final day i.e. Day 8 to Guwahati.
Yes it will reduce travel time. But there is nothing at Kalaktang that I know of. It is a small laid back village, relegated to nothingness. I strongly recommend that you stay at Bomdila. Especially if you are with family.
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Old 4th February 2018, 10:24   #80
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

In my previous post, on the basis of the research i had shortlisted the following hotels in Tawang i.e. Hotel Gakyi Khang Zhang / Yangzom Hotel / Hotel Mon Paradise / Dolma Khangsar Guest House. However it seems that almost all hotels have both good and bad reviews. None of the hotels have consistent good reviews.

I would request fellow members on the basis of their experience to suggest hotels to stay and hotels to avoid.
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Old 23rd February 2018, 07:24   #81
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

Awesome travelogue, dhanush! Cant believe it took me a year to come across this! Better late, than never though.

Absolutely loved your pics, as well as the detailed writeup.
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Old 23rd February 2018, 12:10   #82
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

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Originally Posted by benbsb29 View Post
Awesome travelogue, dhanush! Cant believe it took me a year to come across this! Better late, than never though.

Absolutely loved your pics, as well as the detailed writeup.
Thanks a lot benbsb29 for your very kids words. Glad that you liked it.

There's another travelogue on the same drive; but which covers the other North East places I visited. That's more like an extension of this travelogue, minus the Tawang part.
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Old 15th March 2018, 11:26   #83
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

Amazing Travelogue with detailed information. Thanks, dhanushmenon.

By the way, came across this recent news related to Sela Pass.

Indian Army rescues 680 tourists stuck at icy Sela Pass.

Quote:
Mar 14, 2018, 09:42 IST
The army rescued nearly 680 people stuck in unexpected heavy snowfall at the 14,000-feet high Sela in Arunachal Pradesh. Army said that there was more than two feet of snow fell since and vehicles were stuck at sub-zero temperatures between Ahirgarh and Sela.
News Source:timesofindia.indiatimes.com

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/63295004.cms
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Old 17th April 2018, 08:21   #84
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

Excellent work. It's a oldish thread but I just read it. Luckily popped up on Google while I was searching for Tawang.

Well written, detailed, routes will be super helpful. And some very nice photos.

Could you detail a bit more about the food? And the kind of hotels available or any particular one you stayed at or recommend?

I'm especially curious because I might travel exactly at the same time I.e. December. Did you encounter road blocks due to snow? What about landslides? A majority of your pics don't seem to have any snow (except the waterfalls) - was the town of Tawang snowed in?

Last edited by Vandal : 17th April 2018 at 08:24.
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Old 5th June 2018, 10:01   #85
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

Thank You for such a detailed thread dhanushmenon.

I visited Tawang and Zemithang last month on a rented RE Himalayan from Guwahati.

Route Taken :
Guwahati - Balemu - Kalaktang - Bomdila - Dirang - Tawang - Bumla - Shungetsar Lake - T Gompa - Zemithang - Lumla - Tawang - Bomdila - Bhalukpong - Tezpur - Nagaon - Guwahati

The Kalaktang route was indeed beautiful, I absolutely loved the stretch from Balemu onwards. Thanks for the guidance.

Sharing a few pics from my trip :
Attached Thumbnails
Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know-30741096_10213696703884048_5045757085766123520_n.jpg  

Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know-30762636_10213715720039440_5935822090732044288_n.jpg  

Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know-30762692_10213715711559228_456875436715016192_n.jpg  

Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know-31064438_10213715719359423_3350775786024992768_n.jpg  

Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know-31131593_10213715719679431_6155836768336740352_n.jpg  

Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know-31164032_10213729636427341_5200980476608643072_n.jpg  

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Old 11th October 2018, 23:12   #86
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

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Originally Posted by //M View Post

I visited Tawang and Zemithang last month on a rented RE Himalayan from Guwahati.

Sharing a few pics from my trip :
Thanks a lot //M for sharing your stupendous snaps. Indeed brought back a lot of warm memories.
I still can't believe that I missed your post on my thread for four long months!

I apologise.
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Old 1st November 2018, 11:52   #87
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Re: Places to visit enroute and at Tawang

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Originally Posted by dhanushmenon View Post
Sunset will be around 1630- 1700 hrs. However, the twilight hours are pretty short and it gets dark pretty fast since surrounded by mountains.

Below are a few places which you could consider visiting in & around Tawang and enroute.
Then of course, the essence of a thrilling road trip is on spontaneity and the excitement of the unknown. Therefore, the places below is not exhaustive at all.
For, a careless wanderer finds the most beautiful views.

Enroute Tawang

Bomdila Monastery- Bomdila. Atop a hill. Car can be driven all the way up. Good views on a clear day from atop the hill.
Kiwi and Orange Orchards- Dirang. The town of Dirang lies by the Kameng river. At the town, take a bridge to cross the river. After the bridge, take left and drive around 5-6 Kms to reach the orchards. You can better ask around and locals will direct you happily. The orchard we visited was part of a resort (Norphel retreat) and the owner gleefully allowed us to see around.
Sela Pass- Sela. Wonderful place to be. Ideal stopover for break and food from the Sashastra Seema Bal canteen. Good place for photographs.
Sela Lake- Sela. Again a naturally photogenic place. Just point and click, the snap will be good.
Jaswant garh
Nurunang Falls. I didn't like it much. I won't recommend if you don't have much time.
Chillipam Monastery- Rupa. Must visit place. Wonderful drive up the hills. Peaceful place and wonderful views. (Few photos on post #2). If taking the Kalaktang route, it can be clubbed along on the route (with a small diversion).

Note:- To go to Chillipam monastery enroute the Kalaktang route, follow the default google maps. The newly built road (which is not charted in gmaps) will traverse through the bottom of the hill whilst, the monastery is atop the hill.
{refer map on Post #2, google erratic 2). The Blue line is the one which will pass through Chillipam monastery. The red dotted lines is the shortest and fastest route though.

At Tawang

War Memorial
Tawang Monastery- check prayer timings before your visit. When we visited, prayer started at 1515 hrs. Thats the best time to be there
Urgelling Monastery
Ani Gompa
(monastery of ladies)
Local market for curios shopping

Around Tawang

Bum La- China Border
Sangetsar Lake- Lake formed out from an earthquake. Restaurant available.
P Tso lake- Before Y junction. Beautiful. Worthy enough to spend 30 minutes here enroute.
Zemithang- Takes around 6 hours to reach, River crossings in between. Lot of waterfalls and scenic drive. Also, the place of red pandas.
Tak- Tsang Gompa- After Sangetsar, 7 kms further. Located on the ridge of a hill. Wonderful view from the top.

Suggested Itinerary
Day 1- Guwahati- Orang- Kalaktang- Bomdila (or Dirang)
Day 2- Bomdila- Sela - Tawang
Day 3- Tawang sightseeing, War memorial, Tawang Gompa, passes for Bum La visit (as applicable)
Day 4- Tawang- P Tso Lake- Bum La- Sangetsar- T Gompa- Tawang
Day 5- Tawang- Zemithang
Day 6- Zemithang- Tawang
Day 7- Tawang- Dirang- (Orchards) - Bomdila
Day 8- Bomdila- .......

That said, be prepared for a rocking ride as you start climbing the hills. Especially, Sela Pass to Jaswant Garh; and Tawang to Bum La/ Sungetsar.
Tawang is unique in its own ways. It awakens the explorer in you. It urges you to travel and explore further. It is one place which shouts out to reaffirm the saying: "Not all who wander, are lost!"
Dhanush,

Wonderful travelogue !! Awe inspiring and inspired to do in Dec'18. Where did u stay in Tawang. Was it at multiple places - do you have any references or recommendations.

Can you please PM me your no. I have PM'd you on tbhp the same. Though I'm a petrol head can't think of taking my own car to drive to there. Plan is to fly to Guwahati and make that as base probably and travel Tawang and around. Suggest your opinion also.

Regards
Prsn
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Old 1st November 2018, 15:26   #88
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Re: Holiday in Tawang: All you need to know

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Originally Posted by Vandal View Post
Excellent work. It's a oldish thread but I just read it. Luckily popped up on Google while I was searching for Tawang.

Could you detail a bit more about the food? And the kind of hotels available or any particular one you stayed at or recommend?

I'm especially curious because I might travel exactly at the same time I.e. December. Did you encounter road blocks due to snow? What about landslides? A majority of your pics don't seem to have any snow (except the waterfalls) - was the town of Tawang snowed in?
Thanks a lot for your very kind words. And very sorry for the very delayed reply. I just can't make sense as to how I missed your post. Earlier I missed one of //M, and now you!

You get the staple North East food there. Maggi is anyway available everywhere too. We sampled on local cuisine. Then, it might not suit everyone as it's more of an acquired taste per my opinion.

I stayed with the Army as a friend of mine was very kind enough to arrange me one. Therefore, I do not know of any hotels to stay.

I did not face any difficulty of road blocks. Snowfall or otherwise. No landslides too. Though it's cold in December, Tawang is a good place to visit during winter. Take adequate precautions for the cold climate and be adviced about fog en-route, especially after around 3 PM. Otherwise, it's a beauty. The town of Tawang wasn't snowed out at all.

We got snow at a few places- Sela pass, enroute Sungetsar lake et al. Dozer services are active throughout and I don't see much difficulty due to reasons of nature.

Quote:
Originally Posted by prsnck View Post
Dhanush,

Wonderful travelogue !! Awe inspiring and inspired to do in Dec'18. Where did u stay in Tawang. Was it at multiple places - do you have any references or recommendations.

Plan is to fly to Guwahati and make that as base probably and travel Tawang and around. Suggest your opinion also.

Regards
Prsn
I stayed with the Army at Tawang with help from a very kind friend of mine. Therefore, I don't have any references for hotels there. That said, there are enough and more hotels at Tawang and Bomdila.

For you to reach Tawang from Guwahati will take two days. If you attempt to reach in one day, you will be a battered man by the end of day. There are many places where you can stop for photos enroute. And to should; if not for photos, atleast to take in the awesome spread of nature.

Once at Tawang, cater for a day for permits to Bum La et al and local visits. One day for Bum La Sungetsar visit and one more day for local Tawang visits (if you wish).
If you have two more days at hand, you can visit Zemithang too and return to Tawang before setting back to Guwahati.

The return journey, if you wish, can be done in a day. However, I suggest that you stay at Bomdila enroute and also visit Sangti valley if time permits.
Chillipam monastery near Rupa is also a wonderful drive and a scenic location.
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Old 20th April 2019, 20:50   #89
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Re: Tawang- through Kalaktang- Rupa- Bomdila

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Originally Posted by dhanushmenon View Post
The Wonderful Drive Through Kalaktang

.

Hi dhanushmenon,


Stunning travelogue. I am planning to do visit the Guwahati -- Bomdila --Tawang - Bombila -- Kaziranga -- Guwahati circuit in June 1 - June 9 of this year.
I will be taking the Kalkatang route for the Guwahati - Tawang side of the trip and via Bhalukpong for the return trip via Kaziranga. Planning to try to make it to Zemingthang if time permits.

I will be renting a Scorpio from Guwahati airport and this will be a 9 day trip. I'll try to post some details and pics once I am back. Just praying that the rain gods don't play spoilsport with my trip.

Last edited by Eddy : 20th April 2019 at 21:18. Reason: Quoting a large post hampers readability
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Old 22nd April 2019, 22:51   #90
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Re: Tawang- through Kalaktang- Rupa- Bomdila

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Hi dhanushmenon,

I will be renting a Scorpio from Guwahati airport and this will be a 9 day trip. I'll try to post some details and pics once I am back. Just praying that the rain gods don't play spoilsport with my trip.
All the best for your journey. I'm sure you would have done your planning to the T. Since you are renting a car to drive, do enquire in advance about the permits to Bum La and Zemithang.

Also, don't rush through the drive. Time permitting, do spend sufficient time enroute to take in the beauty of the place.

Starting early is strongly recommended. Especially since it gets dark earlier in those parts of the county.

Drive safe.
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