Tawang is located in extreme North-East India on the china Border (Bumla Pass). The average temperature is 10°C. During winters the roads are closed due to heavy snowfall.
The best time to visit Tawang is between March to June, September & October. In this period you will not only witness the snow-covered mountain ranges but also will get a chance to see the beautiful flowers of the valley. Avoid visiting Tawang during Monsoons and Winters because the area is prone to landslides and heavy snowfall which may cause roadblocks.
Tawang town is at an altitude of 3048 m (10,000 ft). It is famous for being the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, and is home to the largest Buddhist Monastery in India. The Final destination is Bumla Pass which is at an elevation of 4600 m (15,200 ft).
Some of the top attractions for the Tawang Tour are:
Sela Pass
Tawang Monastery
Madhuri Lake
Bumla Pass
Tawang War Memorial
Jaswant Garh
Nuranang Falls or Jang Falls
Pangateng Tso Lake
Tawang Craft Centre
How to Reach Tawang:
Tawang can be reached from Guwahati by private vehicle. The nearest airport and railway station is Guwahati. Guwahati is accessible by regular flights from Kolkata as well as from some other major cities in India. Guwahati can be reached from Kolkata by rail route as well, but because of the long travel time, tourists generally prefer flights over railways.
Dispur, a suburb of Guwahati is the capital of Assam and hence it has all the amenities required for tourists. Tourists can spend one day in Guwahati to visit the famous Kamakhya Temple and can also visit some other attractions of the city. For complete sightseeing of Guwahati, tourists need at least two days. One complete day is required for Kamakhya Temple and the second day for local sightseeing.
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| Maa Kamakhya Devi Temple, Kamrup |
Guwahati to Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang)
While in Guwahati you can book your vehicle for the Arunachal tour. There are many tour operators as well as cab operators in Guwahati and you can negotiate with them for the best rates. You may get a lucrative bargain in the off-seasons.
If there are 7-8 people in the group it’s a good option to go for an 11 seater Tempo Traveller. It is comfortable for a long journey and also has ample space for luggage. Also, you should carry drinking water jars with you for the tour. You can purchase the jars from Guwahati or Tezpur. Packaged water is costly in Tawang.
Take your lunch at Tezpur because after this point you will start rising towards high altitudes. The tour starts in the morning and the first destination and night halt is in Bomdilla. Enjoy the foggy roads and lush green surroundings which are bound to calm your senses. There are some dhabas and hotels on the roads where you can have good food. You can rely on your cab driver as they know the area pretty well and always care for the tourist.
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| Foggy Roads en route Bomdilla |
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| Monastery at Bomdilla |
For hotel booking in Bomdilla, either book online or ask your driver for a good hotel. If you choose the second option you can check some hotels and book as per your budget.
The next day after breakfast you start your ongoing journey towards Tawang. On the way, you can visit the hot spring in Dirang. Have your lunch at Jaswant Garh in the military canteen. You can also buy some warm clothes from the military stores if you like. You can buy an army jacket from the store and it’s actually worth its cost.
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| Hot spring - Dirang |
Sela Pass is another halt where you can start feeling the icy chilled wind and can have the first glimpse of snow on the mountain tops and in the lake. If you like you can have light snacks in Sela Pass and don’t forget to taste their Maggie.
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| Sela Pass |
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| Sela Pass |
Before entering Tawang you will visit Jang falls or Nuranang Falls. The breathtaking view of the Jang river falling from 100 ft is something you will never forget. You can feel the splash of water droplets even from a distance of 500 mt from the fall. Photography is a bit difficult in this spot because of the water droplets but one cannot resist the temptation of shooting this magnificent waterfall.
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| Jang Falls |
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| Jang Falls |
For hotel booking in Tawang again you can rely on your cab driver. If you like you can book online also, but my personal experience says it’s always better to check the hotel and the locality before check-in, especially in such far-flung areas. There are many hotels in Tawang and you can get a hotel within your budget. Food is available in nearly all the hotels and so you need not go outside for meals.
The next morning you can go for local sightseeing in Tawan town. The Tawang Monastery is the biggest attraction in the town and is worth visiting. Tawang Monastery is the largest Buddhist monastery in India and the second largest in the world. It is situated on the top of a mountain at a fearsome altitude of 10,000 ft and gives a panoramic view of the entire valley. There are some other monasteries in the town which you should not miss. This is to understand Tibetan culture in a better way. You can also visit the Tawang craft center and the local market for some exclusive shopping.
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| Tawang monastery |
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| panoramic view from Tawang monastery |
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| Golden Buddha |
On the third day, you will head towards the Bumla Pass, the final destination of the Tawang tour. Bumla pass is around 20 km from Tawang city and the road is bumpy. On the route, you will enjoy the magnificent view of the Himalayas, the raging glacial rivers, and the colorful flowers in the valley. Bumla pass can be visited after obtaining a special permit and then tourists can roam in the breathtaking wilderness here. The place is covered by snow throughout the year.
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| En route Bumla Pass |
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| Bumla Pass |
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| Bumla Pass |
On the way back you will visit Madhuri Lake (Sungester lake). This is another tourist attraction of the region. This lake was created by falling rocks, boulders, and trees in an earthquake. The dead trunk of the trees can be seen protruding out from the lake even after so many years of the quake.
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| Madhuri Lake (shungatser lake) |
The next morning after breakfast you drive back towards Guwahati. Night halt is at Dirang. There are few good hotels available in the town but try to reach there by early evening so that you can have options for checking more than one hotel.
In the morning you head towards Guwahati and this time you may choose the Bhalukpong route, This is another adventurous route especially for first-time visitors. The lush green surroundings are bound to mesmerize you with its beauty. Also, this route is very prone to landslides. It is not uncommon for any vehicle to remain trapped in a landslide for hours together.
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| Lush greenery En route Bhalukpong |
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| Landslide in Bhalukpong |
The Border Road Organization (BRO ) works tirelessly throughout the year to keep the roads open for tourists and local people. Amid all these, this is the route you will always remember because of its scenic beauty and dangerous road conditions.
By evening you will reach Guwahati. You can have refreshments in between as per your choice and the next day you may travel back towards your destination.
By evening you will reach Guwahati. You can have refreshments in between as per your choice and the next day you may travel back towards your destination.
In this article, I have given an overview of the Tawang trip. If you want more details like suggested hotels and cab operators please feel free to drop a comment below.
Please share this blog so that other tourists can be benefitted from the experience.
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