Arunachal Pradesh Tourism

Tawang

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Tawang is one of the top stops in the state for tourists.  Located high in the Himalayas, this scenic town features one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in the world and is a holy city for Tibetan Buddhists.  Although China claims the town, it is governed by India and has been peaceful for decades.

It is sometimes hard to get to the town, and special Inner Area permits are needed which can be obtained in the city of Guwahati in the neighboring state of Assam.  To get to the town, one has to either drive from Tezpur, Assam through the Sela Pass, which, at 13,700 feet, is an adventure unto itself, or take a helicopter service from Guwahati are also available.  The trip by road is difficult and is definitely an exeprience, and local foods like momos, a Tibetan dumpling, are available for purchase along the road.

Tawang also has a fantastic Orchid sanctuary with thousands of the beautiful flowers.

Itanagar

Itanagar is a great staging ground for trips into the countryside.  As the regional capital, it's the largest town in the area and cheap bus tours going throughout the countryside are easy to come by.  The famous Ledo Road, a lifeline to China during World War 2 when they were fighting the Japanese, is accessible from here, and the impressive sight of the road winding up the giant Himalayas is a sight not to be missed.   There are ample opportunities for trekking and hiking, with some of the most tranquil areas in all of India, including vast pine-filled valleys, towering ice-capped mountains, and idyllic rice farms.  

Namdapha National Park

The town of Itanagar is one of the only ways to get to Namdapha National Park, the only park in the world which has a 4,200 gain in elevation within its borders.  It's also the largest park in India and the only place in the country where all four cat felines can be seen: tigers, leopards, snow leopards, and clouded leopards, though the last two are very rare sights indeed.  Called a "botanist's dream", Namdapha has a wide variety of beautiful plants with vibrant displays of color, as well as a very large and thriving bird sanctuary.  Additionally, Hoolock gibbons, a type of monkey, make the National Park's slopes' home.

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Roing

The small town of Roing is close to the famous Mehao Lake, buried deep in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh.  It's a quaint village with the imposing and ancient Bhismaknagar fort, a local heritage monument, and has a multitude of quiet attractions such as the peaceful ancient ponds throughout the town.  There's also a great forest lodge for visitors.  An excellent getaway, the town can be reached through the town of Sadiya, some 24 miles away.

Changlang

This town near the border of Myanmar and India is an ideal location to relax and spend the day hiking the beautiful countryside.  It's close to the towns of Margherita and Tinsukia, and has wonderful views of the Tirap river valley.

History and Culture

Arunachal Pradesh is largely made up of hundreds of Tibeto-Burman and Tai-Burmese tribes spread out in its many valleys and forests.  These peoples have lived here for millennia, many remaining isolated from the modern world.  Before historic records began, many of these groups migrated down the Himalayas from Tibet into the region, giving Arunachal Pradesh and its sister states  in Eastern India a unique blend of South Asia and the Far East.  One of the most diverse regions in the world, Arunachal Pradesh has a wide variety of cultures and faiths, with Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Animism, and Christianity all having significant presences.  In fact, it is one of the most heavily Buddhist areas in India as well, with roughly 1/10 people following the faith, a testament to the influence of Tibet, Myanmar, and China; the sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was even born in the Arunchal town of Tawang.  About 20% of the state practices Christianity, a legacy of missionary work done by the British and other Europeans.  Another 20% are Animists, a variety of religions structured around beliefs of animal spirits.  Like most of India though, Arunachal Pradesh is largely Hindu.

Recorded history did not begin until relatively late, with the first clear references available in the 16th century, although some tribes, such as the Monpa and the Sherdukpen, have maintained records for hundreds of years of their histories.  In any event, however, the north was long controlled by Tibet and Bhutan, the neighboring princely state, whereas the south often was ruled by Myanmar and Assam.  Unification came during the British era, when Arunchal Pradesh, along with the other states of the so-called Seven Sister states, the most eastern states of India which are connected by a very narrow strip of land between Bhutan and Bangladesh with the rest of the country.