[Rigid Rotor]

• A riveting and extremely descriptive account of a road trip of covering almost most of Arunachal.
• The casual reader may not realise but the OP actually had the guts, grits and stamina to traverse across almost all the main valleys of Arunachal in the trusty Thar!
• What is amazing is the fact that the journey started from the South (Karnataka)!
• The very best choice of time to travel there would have been perhaps in October-to early November, which really is the driest season and the mildest.
• I have never had the good fortune to do a road trip there– however have flown over all of Arunachal – when flying across river valleys, we would spot, perhaps an occasional clearing with a few huts hundreds of kilometres apart from the other clearing, after flying across a veritable ocean of very dark green.
• The weather, especially in monsoons changes there with frightening rapidity- almost like a video file played in fast forward- and that is especially true of Tawang and Sela. All that moisture coming in from the Brahmaputra in nearby Assam, I suppose.

All the very best and wishing you many more happy and very adventurous miles in your Thar!

[nithishsaba]

A great travelogue, You literally brought Arunachal Pradesh in front of my eyes with your words!

[Contrapunto]

Originally Posted by Sonali Singh

WE drove through Assam the same day and reached Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, but not before picking up tea from wholesalers on the highway.
PS: For itinerary, recovery gear, logistics and tips, see attached document.

[ATTACH=Team BHP - Annexure.pdf]2308636[/ATTACH]

I don't know what you do for a living, but you do wield a magical pen. More power to you. Look forward to your December 2022 travelogue now.

[subie_socal]

I was invested in reading this wonderfully penned travelogue/adventure of yours for almost 3 hours; coupled with hot tea and the cold weather due to the incessant rains in my city.

Must say, this account should've piqued a lot interests for many of us.

[Sonali Singh]

Thank you for all the feedback. And glad you found it useful. This was simply my way of giving back to the community I have learnt from over the past years. And to inspire more on this forum to see that land before development makes it more like the other states.

There are flights from Guwahati to Pasighat and Tezu, where I am sure cars and bikes are available for hire, if time is a constraint.

Ray and I don’t work so taking out a month was possible for us. I have worked in the corporate sector on and off. Currently it is the off period, when I pursue interests that are not financially rewarding.

@Contrapunto Wow, to have flown over that terrain! That would feel unreal. #goalsfornextlifetime

[DicKy]

Made the mistake of opening this thread in the morning. Barely made it to work on time.

One of those threads, where more than the vehicles, trip or content, the words just keeps you glued. Wouldn't have complained even if there was no pictures, that is how good the writing is. Could almost smell those kitchens. A perfect combination of travel description and feelings.

Add to that, with a trusted friend and steed, no distance is too much.

[Sonali Singh]

Originally Posted by Rigid Rotor

• I have never had the good fortune to do a road trip there– however have flown over all of Arunachal – when flying across river valleys, we would spot, perhaps an occasional clearing with a few huts hundreds of kilometres apart from the other clearing, after flying across a veritable ocean of very dark green.

Sorry for addressing part of my last comment to someone else, ie on flying over Arunachal. Just realised it.

I was hoping to quote a few in my post and then decided against it (was getting confusing for a habitual lurker) and then deleted the wrong names. Gawd. I need a proof reader, and not just for long pieces.

[shipnil]

I am not a magician with words like you, even to pen couple of lines of appreciation but Sonali Singh thank you for sharing this wonderful travelogue with us. Arunachal has very few logs on the forum and I think this one was the most detailed one with beautiful narration.

[Siddy_1998]

I aspire, to be able to write half as good as you did.

It can be tricky to write a travelogue in a way such that most of the readers teleport to the location as they go through the words and you have pulled it off. It is the little things that count - the way you have decorated the travelogue by mentioning the little details on a typical roadtrip (children going to school, decorated trucks, cyclists etc.) which is usually absent in other travelogues - really makes a difference.

This travelogue is a crushing demonstration of how good things turn out to be, when your heart and head is into it.

The Annexure really was the cherry on the top. Writing all this must have taken a blend of so much time, recollection of memory and the right words, culminating into something like this.

Can't wait to see more of these. Keep it up.

[WeekSpeller]

This reads a like story, a novel. This is what happens when parents push kids for engineering and medical fields even though they wanted to be a writer. Really good writing.

[_DON_]

This is a long and detailed thread and I am only just getting started, so I presume I will continue to read it as soon as I can ( not yet finished ).

But I had to respond to some of the snippets I found.

First, the read so far is inspiring enough to think of such road trips myself ( which I was never dreaming of doing earlier )
So thanks for that.

And I loved the Sanjay Dutt Metaphor.
It was hilarious enough that I was found laughing aloud and the others around me, in my office were wondering what's the matter with me 😁

Great descriptions, thanks !!

[luvDriving]

Wow ! One of the best travelogues that I have read here or elsewhere. You have a very nice writing style - descriptions and bunching of events reminded me of some Agatha Christie writing. Thanks for taking the time and sharing this journey.

[SS-Traveller]

This is not a travelogue or travel story, nor a photologue where each picture is worth a thousand words. This thread reads like a novel, each paragraph of a few hundred (if not a thousand) words weaving a vivid imagery for the reader to visualize in his mind's eye. The photographs at the end of each post are like reaching the centre of a Center Fresh chewing gum, refreshing the scenery and experiences so tastefully described earlier in words. In a world of hurried posts and quick replies, this thread was a pleasant change, and I relished reading the entire travelogue slowly.

Take a bow, Sonali Singh; this thread gets a well-deserved 5 stars from me.

[xantia]

To see any writing without emojis these days is miraculous and here you are doing reams Sonali Singh. And then they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and here there are more words than pictures, which are almost cursory. Thanks for a very mello, meandering and soulful view of Arunachal. Do a few more trips, you know.

[cool_dube]

I rarely comment on travelogues, as most follow the quintessential template of context setting, detailed planning, loads of pictures of the ride/drive, food plates overflowing to the brim, etc. This travelogue is in a league of its own and dare I say, one of the best I have read on this forum till date. I read through it over multiple days so as to not hurry it up and savor each paragraph

Thank you ma'am for walking us through each moment of your wonderful journey. It was as if I was right there in the back seat of your Thar (was quite bouncy in there), traversing those roads and no-roads with the three of you. Sounds like just the perfect road trip - great terrain, lovely people, an apt vehicle, as many days at hand, and above all, a close friend for company. What else could one ask for?

Wishing you many more of such wonderful trips! Thanks once again.