[gunin]

Background:

In December 2021, some of our relatives (brother in law, sisters in law and two nieces) from Karbi Anglong, Assam planned to visit us in Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh. They were visiting the state for the first time. My wife (Mandira) and I discussed Namsai, Roing, Mayodia as some places where we could take them for a small trip. I managed to get some days off from work and I proposed Mechuka as an alternate destination – my reasoning was they were visiting Arunachal Pradesh for the first time and I really wanted them have a great time. While Roing and Namsai are good destinations, they simply don’t compare to the landscape and view of Mechuka. Mandira and Nibir (our 5 year old son) were excited too as this was their first visit to the beautiful Mechuka valley.

Some pictures of Mechuka to start the log with:





Mechuka!

Vehicle:



My trusted Bolero 4wd DI Turbo was the choice for the rugged mountain tracks. With 8 people, out of who 6 were well fed grown-ups, space would be tight in my Bolero 4wd. I got the two jump seats fitted (borrowed from a friend’s Bolero) and we were ready for the trip. All passengers were full of excitement and kept the spirits high throughout the bumpy ride.

Day 1: Pasighat to Aalo

Distance: 115 kms

Road Conditions: A mixed bag (Varies from good wide two lane roads to narrow mountain tracks to bone jarring muddy roads) which takes around 5.5 hours to cover.



Starting off from Pasighat after breakfast

It was a very tight fit inside the Bolero. I was really enjoying myself as it was riding like a sedan with all the weight of 8 people on board. The leaf springs on the Bolero 4wd are designed for extremely heavy duty application I think- even with all the load the vehicle’s stance was like before only.

Our first stop was at Rengging Village for a quick orange break.



An hour’s drive and we reached Rottung Village where a part of the Highway was washed off in a landslide a few months back. So, an alternate track has been prepared running through the village. This track is very narrow and one must stop wherever possible to give way to oncoming vehicles. My passengers were somewhat scared and were wondering where I was taking them. I am a regular on these roads however and knew what to expect. What should have been a 2 minutes drive now turns into a 45 minute adventure.

Some pictures:



Where the main road has caved in



We have to take this alternate track.





Sample of the track. Taken in October 2021. I have my doubts about its longevity in the rains

We took a breather after Rottung near a beautiful river. There were lots of butterflies all flying off to some butterfly concert or wedding.



We soon reached Pangin and stopped for lunch at a Dhaba. There is a long hanging bridge here which I had never crossed before. This time, I crossed it easily (after all I have been in the state for 6 years now). The Siang was looking beautiful with its green water.



Suspension bridge over Siang



Nibir made it till half way.



I finally crossed it after all these years. View from the other side.




Good to see the Siang in its green state

Lunch was alright with chicken and fish. Brother in law tasted the local fish curry and gave a low rating for its taste and texture. We met a Karbi (one of our tribes in Assam) guy working in the Dhaba and he overheard our conversation and was very happy to meet Karbi folks so far away from home. I think he gave us extra portions of meat and fish and wished us safe journey

We soon reached the tri-junction for Aalo town and were soon on the pathetic road to the dusty town. The last 30 kms to Aalo takes around 1.5 hours in my Bolero and I drive as fast as possible on this part of the road- it would take longer if you decide to baby your car. The kids have named this road the Rock Garden.

We checked in at Hotel Min-ta for the night which is a good comfortable option in Aalo town. I keep visiting Aalo for work purposes and so decided to rest while others went around the town for shopping etc. Aalo really needs to improve its roads- at present it is too bad and dusty .

[gunin]

Day 2: Aalo to Mechuka

Distance: 180 kms

Road Condition: Not so bad. Road widening work is being carried out and there are timings for traffic. It will take around 6.5 to 7 hours without stoppage.

The night before, I had called up the homestay owner (Homestay Yargyap Chu recommended by bhpian Redliner) and he informed me of the road timings to Mechuka. We were advised to start at 5 am sharp to avoid getting stuck on the road for many hours.

Accordingly, we started early at 5 and before we were out of the Aalo town, most of my passengers had dozed off.



Aalo to Mechuka road


It was continuous driving till Pene where we stopped for breakfast. One can get rice and parathas here.



Pene



Puppies


A few kms from Pene, we reached the beautiful waterfall of Siko Dido. An army convoy had stopped here too and I kept ogling at the Tata Storme.



Siko Dido



Love the Storme



Near Mechuka

We reached Mechuka in the afternoon and we were put up in another homestay as the Yargyap Chu was fully booked. I was really surprised at the transformation of Mechuka from a sleepy valley when I visited last in 2013 to the tourist hotspot it had become now. The market area was full of tourists and I couldn’t help feeling a tinge of sadness at the commercialisation of the place. It has many years to go before it becomes something like Shillong but it is moving in the same direction. Mechuka is no longer a far flung adventure destination.





Rolling hills welcome us to Mechuka



Mechuka! It was very cold.



Stupa in the market place

After a quick lunch at a nearby line hotel (very good food), all of us retired to our rooms in the homestay- Damjinla. A fire was lit in kichen for us and all of us stayed there even after dinner.



Damjinla Homestay



Fire to beat the cold.

[gunin]

Day 3: Mechuka

The day was reserved for exploring the nearby places in the valley. As I had been here before, the homestay owner suggested that a guide would not be required. After a heavy breakfast, we set off to explore the valley.

New Gompa/ Monastery:

First on the list was the new Monastery of Mechuka. Like most monasteries, this one too is perched on top of a mountain giving panoramic views of the valley below.

Some pics:



Cute signboards



Way to new Gompa





View



The new Monastery



While praying or turning the prayer wheels always go clockwise. Nibir doing it right

We climbed a small mountain near the Gompa and the view was breathtaking. It gave us a good work out and warmed us against the cold winds. Our five year old climbed the hillock on his own and was extremely excited.



Climbing up



Great vistas from top



Happy campers



Tiny traveller



Cousins- Klarika, Nibir and Nicho

Old Monastery/ Gompa:

This is the monastery I was really excited about to show my family. The path leading to the monastery is a broken hill track- an improvement over last time when we walked the whole distance.

Some pictures:









Father and son





Old Monastery Mechuka

The museum of the Gompa has been closed to visitors as there was a theft a few years ago. It has a nice collection of old guns and other weapons. I will share some of the pictures in a separate post. After some time, we made our way back to the town.
















Returning to the town via a circle route

By the time we returned from the Gompa, it was already late and the kids were hungry. After a quick lunch, the small kids retired to the homestay while some of the grown-ups decided to use the afternoon exploring a little more. There is a hill where the words “MECHUKA’ are written in white and we decided to climb up that hill. The hill looked innocent enough but only two of us were able to climb to the top. The views are something to be seen from the top.



The climb up



A place to ruminate



At peace


Day 4 coming up.

[gunin]

Day 4: Mechuka to Lamang (the last point for civilians)

Distance: 30 kms

So far we had been seeing the snow-capped mountains from a distance. The kids really wanted to see snow in real life and we decided to visit the border post of Lamang for that. One needs permits from the local administration (ours were arranged by the homestay) to visit Yarlung and Lamnag. It is similar to Bumla Pass in Tawang sector where the final authority for visiting lies with the Armed Forces.

The weather so far in Mechuka had been cold and dull which was making me uncomfortable. However, on that day the sun was out lifting the spirits of all.



Sunshine after a long time

After a quick breakfast, we made our way towards Yarlung- the first entry checkpost. On the way we visited the Guru Nanak Taposthan. It is believed that Guru Nanak meditated here on during his journey to Tibet.

There is a story about a bear trying to attack Guru Nanak while he was in meditation. A rock face from the top ensconced him protecting him from any harm.



At Taposthan



Nibir offering his prayers. I have no idea who taught him to do it like that



Rock face resembling the turban of Guru Nanak

The river flowing nearby has a place where there are some black and white pebbles submerged in water. You have to make a wish and if you happen to pick a white pebble it would come true- that’s the story.



Hanuman Rock Face on the way.

We continued on our way and entered our details at the Yarlung Checkpost. There are two more checkposts – the last one being Lamang where visitor details need to be entered.



Road to Lamang

As we gained more elevation, we saw snow on the tree canopy making it looking like a dreamland. Nibir broke into a song- we wish you a merry Christmas! It indeed felt like Christmas.



Snow drive



Good roads after Yarlung



Break



A frozen waterfall



Surreal





Carry 8 people on tough roads without breaking a sweat. My beloved Bolero 4wd.

We soon reached Lamang where a parking space was cleared for visitors. The kids and the adults just ran off to play with the fresh snow. Tibet/ China is a few kms away from this point.



Freezing over




Snow finally



Nibir and his old man

It was late in the evening by the time we returned to our home-stay. Everyone was happy as we saw whatever we had wished for in the trip. For the kids it was snow and for me I was happy that everyone had a good time.

Day 5: Mechuka to Pasighat

Well nothing much to write about the return journey- we started at 5 am and reached Pasighat at 7:00 PM. Due to road timings, we didn’t stop much except for lunch.

Thank you for reading.

[gunin]

Mechuka during monsoons:

I am posting some pictures of our trip in 2013 which was done in June. I believe it is more beautiful in the rains than in the winter. If you can risk the possibility of landslides I would suggest to visit the place during summers.









You can read the log here:

https://www.bcmtouring.com/forums/th...pradesh.53625/

Thank you everyone!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Secretariat]

Oh No - Mechuka is turning touristy ?? It was the last Shangri La. If it becomes a Shillong, that would be a tragedy. Maybe that 30 kms on the road to Aalo should remain a contender for the worst road in India !! Might save Mechuka. You can bash that road in a Bolero, but imagine the torture in a sedan.

Lovely photos to drool over and remember the time I was there. In a different world, you could have driven past Lamang into Tibet, but sadly that's probably not going to be possible in our lifetimes.

Well done Nibir. Halfway through that hanging bridge at age 5 is excellent. After all Dad takes decades to go the full way !

[dingolphie]

Window to another world. Thank you for the pics and the narrative.

While it’s sad that tourism often kills of the spirit of the places it touches, I hope a new generation learns to care for and appreciate these bounties better than we have.

[Rajjay]

What a scenic place to visit. Your beautiful pictures inspire me to visit Arunachal Pradesh.

[Prakritij]

Loved the travelogue. Mechuka is on my wishlist since long. Maybe someday, someway.
Also the monsoon season is the time to visit Mechuka as you have said. Winters are arid.
Did you have to use the 4WD on the way anywhere? Maybe in the rains it will be necessary if not in the winters.

[mbilung]

Breathtaking pics. Cute doggos and Nibir offering their prayers melted my heart <3

[SanSabh]

Oh my God! This takes me back to my childhood during the seventies! The wild roads were right there at the start to Arunachal Pradesh
You're so truly fortunate to have had such a wonderful trip!
Thank you, @Gunin����

[OffRoadFun]

Such a lovely travelogue! What beautiful pictures, amazing scenery!
I wish I could visit that area one day! It seems to be unlike any other place in India. You are lucky!

[gandharjc]

Amazing trip. I'm sure you'll all remember this one for years!
What do you think is the next / remaining Mechuka?

[mr.sinha]

Thanks for the travelogue with the beautiful pictures, gunin.
Mechuka is one of the most beautiful places in Arunachal.
I have driven there in 2016 October with a friend. We loved it so much, we spent an extra day in Mechuka and simply spent the whole day along the banks of the river.

Did you get a chance to drive up to Menigong? There's nothing there, it's just the drive up the hill which is exciting - needs 4wd.

I never got to writing the travelogue on my trip, but here are a few picture from Mechuka including the drive to Menigong. Hope you don't mind my posting of pictures on your thread.