Travel Guides and trips for arunachal pradesh hotels

The Sela Pass, is the high-altitude mountain pass located in Tawang District of Arunachal Pradesh and has an elevation of 4170 m (13,700 ft).The Jaswantgarh Army Memorial commemorates the bravery of the martyred Indian soldiers of the 1962 Indo-China War. Set in the scenic Tawang valley, the Memorial is dedicated to Rifleman Jaswant Singh of the 4 Garhwal Rifle. On arrival, check in to your hotel in Tawang. The rest of the day is at leisure to explore the beautiful town. Overnight in Tawang. (B)

Keeping our hopes high, we managed to reach the pass.The lake was frozen and so were we. We sipped a cup of hot noodles which which was rewarding. A small talk with the locals and some drivers going back , helped us chalk out a rough itinerary for Tawang. Energised, we took some pictures and started our journey downwards to Tawang.

Starting from Guwahati, we first visited Tawang(taking a halt at Bombdilla) . Its beauty was breathtakingly beautiful, serene and a pure untouched by people. Guarded by mountains circumferentially, the only way to enter it is through a pass that cuts right through them. If you have been to Nathula pass(Sikkim) , Rothang pass ( himachal Pradesh) and believe to have seen enough , you have been delusional all these years. To cross this pass is something only brave hearts can accomplish. Acute angled turns, cars constantly skidding on the snow-blanket roads, and no shoulders on the turns whatsoever will get your adrenaline spiked for a stretch of 150 kms.

 #Sela Pass This was the most beautiful, challenging , amazing and breath taking part of the trip. Just few meters before Sela pass memorial the road was nice and pretty with amazing view. You cross the gate at the sela pass and suddenly the whole world had turned white.

At Sela Pass we came across the Sela Lake which was frozen and some of the visitors were walking on the lake and taking pictures. From Sela we continued on to Tawang. The road was covered with snow in some places. We finally reached at around 4 p.m. We had to rush to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner to get permits for Bum La. Once we got the permits we had to get it signed by the Brigadier of the army. 

The road travels through places like Tenga and Senge and finally starts ascending towards the Sela Pass which is one of the highest motor-able roads in India. There is a famous Nag Temple on the way also.There is a story behind it,apparently a few constructors had killed a male nag while building this road in the sixties and soon after this,there was inclement weather and catastrophe and work had to be stopped. Finally Army built this temple and things came back to normal.The road as you go up has rhododendron bushes comprising flowers of different colours on both sides. Finally we reached Sela Pass which is 13700 feet above sea level. It was completely covered with clouds and fog and we could hardly see each other in it and it was very cold.

4. Sela Pass : On the way back, our sumo stopped at Sela pass, and swe clicked some quick photographs, with snow covered peaks and the beautiful Sela Lake as a backdrop.

Then you cross Tipi, Sessa, Bomdila, Sela Pass and some more small places, to finally reach your destination. That night was spent resting in the Hotel, as it was quite late to venture out. Our trip was cut down to 1 day due to heavy rains, but we managed to enjoy and explore as much as we can in that short time.Next day, we had planned for a tour of Tawang town, which includes all the major attractions listed below:

The Sela Pass (more appropriately called Se La, as La means Pass) is the high-altitude mountain pass. It is cold and there is snow scattered all around me.I looked around and thought if there is heaven on earth, then this should be it (apart from Kashmir of course). Surrounding me were cotton candy snow that have descended from the sky to earth covering everything from mountain peaks to grasslands, flowers and birds. The view was breathtaking I was wrapped in a world of white and the Sun coming out from two hills.As we continued on our way snow-clad mountains gave us company until we reached a glacier which opens to a gate guarded by dragons with bright colored flags fluttering all around.At around 6:00 PM, we reached to Tawang. At end of the day, had my Birthday Dinner with my new friends.Day 5 Tawang

The winds are freezing cold and during our vacation the temperature dropped to -1 degree. Next day morning we headed towards the China border, Ptso lake, tshengtsar lake, another quiet and isolated Gompa and a junction higher than the Sela pass at 15000 ft. The lakes are beautiful and there are plenty of them there. It is estimated that there are 108 lakes in Tawang itself and only some of them are famous but every lake is worth stopping by as they are equally beautiful. They were half frozen because of the early snowfall and some of them were newly formed after the 1971 earthquake. The valleys and roads are challenging. I remember only our car in the hilly terrains as there were barely any tourists and we owned the lakes. Oh yes, the faithful army is everywhere and it was beautiful to see the olive green huts covered with snow. If you are lucky enough, you see those tanks practising the peaceful firing and we witnessed a couple of them. They are mighty and gives a different feeling altogether. Photography strictly prohibited otherwise I would have definitely posed in front of one of them, but yes it was super fun. It is so untouched by tourists that we felt blessed to have reached that place and it was totally worth it. Our craze for more walk didn't stop. We continued to walk that day and then we took another taxi the next day to Assam. This was a trip I will cherish and honestly the dumplings I had in Bomdilla is still on my mind. Few local schoolgirls took us to a basement shop late at night, the shop did not have a name, but the momos - they were out of this world!

Five hours into the winding roads we reached Sela pass. We were lucky enough to get the season's first snowfall. The snowflakes landed right on our faces and we enjoyed it so much that we forgot about the thin oxygen that prevailed there.

But there was one thing, that calmed our nerves, or atleast thought that we could be rest assured was that, they were crossing Sela Pass by 3.30pm. We made sure that we cross Sela pass at any cost by max 12.30pm to avoid situations like what they faced. There was a stretch almost 5 to 6km towards Sela, with just 5 to 7m visibility, with heavy snow mountains on one side and big valley drop on the other with narrow road. This part of our journey was the most risky. We finally reached the great Sela Pass by around 11.15 am, well before our target! The feeling was out of the world, a feeling that we had achieved something very big, screaming loud with joy…!!!

The road to Tawang is filled as much with history as is Tawang itself. After crossing towns like Bombdila(known for its apple orchids) & Dirang(known for its therapeutic hot springs), we climb higher until we reach the gateway to Tawang, Sela pass. S

There had been a substantial amount of snowfall the previous night and Se La pass was colder than when I had come. After lunch at Padma, I reached Bomdila by 3 in the afternoon. I got a room in the tourist lodge for Rs.500/-. The administration of the lodge was very hospitable. I had made a great friend during the drive from Tawang to Bomdila, a proud local from Arunachal. She offered to take me around the quaint town of Bomdila in the evening. We went to a small restaurant in main market, hidden from the eyes of the tourists in the basement with a nearly non-existent hoarding, Hotel Chotan. The restaurant served excellent local delicacies. I had Thukpa and some Chhurpi along with salted tea. The Thukpa tasted a little bland, which is accustomed to the overload of flavours & spices in western India. The Chhurpi, a local dish prepared with dried smoked cheese had a tangy flavor to it. After dinner, I got back to my lodge, only to gaze at the moonlit sky from my porch in a state of being bewitched. The view of a clear sky is quiet magical from an altitude of 8,500 ft.I woke up the next morning and walked uphill to the Upper Gompa, which offered an enthralling view of the valley below. The monastery is undergoing renovation. I wandered around the monastery soaking in the tranquility & peace of the aura in the Gompa. I couldn't help overhearing an old woman telling a monk how she hated the overhead halogen lights which had been recently put up in front of the gompa. She thought that the tryst with modernity and ‘so called’ development might obliterate the true essence of a Gompa. Her honest opinion about such a simple yet profound thought had a great impact on my thoughts. It kept echoing in my mind, as I savored the taste of yet another cup of tea. By now it had become a habit of sorts to taste the tea wherever I went.I came downhill to the main market to have lunch. Hotel Sikkim was a recommendation by one of the locals I had met the other day. The dishes were so mouthwatering that I ended up having 3 plates of momos and 4 cups of coffee there. The restaurants in Bomdila had a very cozy and comfortable setting with small cubicles covered by wooden planks on three sides and curtains covering the open end. I walked down to the Lower Gompa, which is about 5 minutes from Hotel Sikkim. There is a palpable difference between the upper and lower gompa, since they followed different sects of buddhism. While the upper gompa was of Mahayana sect, the lower was of Himayana sect, one of the locals explained. The Mahayana sect believed that Buddha was a God, while the Himayana sect preached to Buddha as a teacher.

We stopped at a few huts, 3 Km after Se La pass. The hot salted tea, a specialty in this part of the country, was delicious. It is quite a must have to counter the cold. The lady at the counter was extremely delighted to announce to us that they function round the year despite the difficult weather conditions in this terrain and quite animatedly explained to me the religious importance of Se La pass. It is believed that about 101 lakes exist in and around Se La and each of these lakes has immense religious significance for the Buddhist community.

The view of the clouds drifting through the hills below you is a surreal experience indeed. As we got close the Se La, we saw roadways covered with a blanket of snow. At 13,700 ft, the pass was a spectacular sight of beautiful super-white snow covered rocks, stupas and shanty huts with smoke rings coming out from their chimneys. The unexplainable beauty got amplified exponentially with the sight of the lake on the rocky terrain covered with fresh snow. The view was breathtaking. The chilly wind, the untainted flakes of snow that settled delicately on my jacket, the unbelievable view, and the prayer flags echoing the messages of peace by Buddha was all it took to make me feel alive yet again.

On the way to tawang you'll pass through the Sela pass which is at a height of 13500 feet, higher than most of the other passes in India.

Sela pass at 14000 ft above Sea level is 45 kms from Dirang on the way to Tawang and an absolute treat to the eyes and senses. Sela Pass is the world's second highest motorable pass at an altitude of 14000 ft.

The next day we set off for Tawang, which was one of my favorite parts because we pass Sela Pass on the way. Oh that beauty !! More about it in my detailed itinerary. The journey back from Tawang goes via the same route you came up by. So in case you missed anything on the way, you can always take a look on the way back.

I have always wondered why the most beautiful places are also the least visited ones. In the case of Tawang, the pretty little Himalayan town in Arunachal Pradesh, I pretty much get the reasons. For starters it is situated in the most neglected part of this country- the north east. Tawang is also a very remote place and getting there needs a lot of permits and proper guides to the roads (The best way to get into Tawang is through the Sela Pass.) Tawang is also a very disputed area politically and geographically. China has always claimed Arunachal Pradesh was a part of their territory and Tawang was an important target during the Indo-China war. Today, marks of that war still lie on Tawang's soil in the form of the McMohan Line.But, all of these reasons seem redundant once you enter Tawang's beautiful landscapes. The unexplored and raw charm of Tawang draws you in as you enter the cradle of the Himalayas. There is just so much to cherish in Tawang, natural and cultural, that in one sense it fits into almost all of the traveler's fantasies. Tall mountains, Glittering white snow, Deep blue lakes, warm and welcoming locals, an untouched culture and ancient monuments. It is hard to imagine how all of these aspects can fit so carelessly in one place. But, that is before you reach Tawang Valley.

Next day I set off towards Tawang. Yaks of different colours walked past. As the car neared Sela Pass I noticed the road, mountains and the pine trees were drenched in white. Sela had received its flurry of snow and she looked mesmerizing and beautiful.

Another year, and it was time for another adventurous bike ride. The planned ride was in the forgotten land of northeast India, especially Arunachal Pradesh. And this time, we chose to ride in the worst possible weather - the winter. A lot of crazy things happened in the 20 day trip, but the most memorable experience that was etched in our memories was the crossing of Sela pass. Sela pass is a high mountain pass on the route between Bomdila and Tawang, about 100 km from Bomdila. This pass soars to a maximum height of 14000 ft, and is a part of northeastern Himalayan mountain ranges. This pass would always be covered in snow during winters, and the temperature dropped to -15 degree c many times. We started early in the morning from Bomdila, aware of the extreme weather conditions on the route. The ride till Dirang was as expected - generally mediocre, with a few bad stretches in between, but not too chilly. We had stopped for tea after Dirang, where the locals, having found that we would be riding to Tawang, adviced us not to take the route, as the snow on the Sela top had hardened and its nearly impossible to cross it. Well, we were aware something like this would happen, having planned to visit the place in extreme weather, so we continued further, taking note of what they advised. But the early seeds of doubt had already been sown in our minds about crossing Sela pass. As we ascended further towards Sela pass, patches of snow started to appear on the sides of the road, and the weather started to become more chilly and foggy. Visibility was barely 20 feet, and the amount of snow increased gradually as we ascended further, till everything around us was just snow. I was excited to see such a sight, and at the same time scared as well. We stopped here and there for photographs, and continued our ascent. Snow started appearing on the road further up, and the inevitable happened – both our bikes slid on the ice covered road, and took a fall. We were exhausted pretty soon and struggled a lot to lift both of our bikes up, due to the cold, the slippery road, snowfall and the very thin air. After much struggle, we were finally able to lift our bikes back up (we were literally sweating at this point, even at sub-zero temperatures) and continued the ascent carefully. We finally reached Sela top at 1:15 pm, about 6 hours after we started from Bomdila. We relaxed for a good amount of time on the top, talking to the armymen present there. We drank coffee, ate samosas at the army - run Prahari Cafeteria, clicked some photos. After spending a good 45 mins at the top, we started the descent. We were glad, thinking that the worst was over and the route downhill was easy, but as it turned out, this is where hell started for us.As we descended further, we noticed more and more hardened snow formed on the roads, making it more slippery. As we were close to Nuranang, about 16 km from Sela, we met two bikers from Guwahati who were coming in the opposite direction. We had a nice little chat with them, and they informed us that the road further down till the next 2 km was completely covered with black ice. Black Ice is a form of ice that had hardened due to a lot of vehicles passing through the snow covered route, hardening the snow and turn it to ice and stick to the road.

10. Sela Pass

As soon as you see the board of “Welcome to Tawang”, you get to know that you have already reached Sela Pass. Sela Pass is one of the highest pass in Arunachal Pradesh and is at an altitude of 13700ft. There is a beautiful lake with crystal clear water beside the pass and the view of the lake with those colourful prayer flags is just amazing. We were already informed that it is going to be a bit cold in this region and to our surprise, we were lucky enough to enjoy snowfall here. We stopped here for a while to have tea and enjoy the grandeur of nature.

Sela Pass was officially my favourite part of the entire trip. Its absolutely gorgeous !! We were lucky to get a clear day with fresh snow from the previous height. So Sela Pass is a high altitude (13700 ft) mountain pass which connects Tawang to Assam. The story behind the name says that there was once a Monpa girl named Sela, who helped the Indian army during the Indo-China war.

On the way back, our sumo stopped at Sela pass, and we clicked some quick photographs, with snow covered peaks and the beautiful Sela Lake as a backdrop. The view was one of the best that I have ever witnessed. White fluffy snow scattered all over. The huge mountains, the long swirling roads, occassionally you can witness a Yak here and there. It was just so so heavenly. So, with this, my journey to Tawang ends and I carry back fresh memories.

Finally to the adrenaline part of this trip. The sela pass is teh second highest motorable pass in the world. Time for some adventure travel. Situated on an altitude of 14000 ft, this drive is scary and gorgeous. Sela pass is a great way to enter Tawang to Guwahati. In fact, this is the only road that connects Tawang to the rest of the country. The pass takes you through lakes, monasteries, mountains, valleys, meadows and all there is to the Himalayas. It is literally a ride through the Himalayan beauties. Some consider the road a bit scary to drive on but, I couldn't et enough of the view to divert my attention anywhere else.

One of the soldiers told us about how the post operates and how the army has been safe guarding the place even in the most adverse conditions. His words gave us goose bumps. We then spent some time around and then rested for a while. After having spent nearly an hour, we trekked down to our car. We then headed for Sangetsar Lake. Sangetsar Lake was formed after an earthquake and is located at around 12,500 ft. The most amazing thing about this lake was the tree trunks that stood out of the water in the middle of it. The lake was semi-frozen and the view was very soothing. The driver asked us to not linger for too long as he wanted to avoid snow fall on the way back. We also stopped at the PT TSO Lake, one of the many other lakes which dotted Bum La. We came across some other tourists there, who were playing in snow and joined them. We then took some snaps and then finally headed back to Tawang.

There is also, the all famous Sangetsar lake, commonly referred to as the “Madhuri lake”, which got its name after the film Koyla was shot here. Unfortunately, there were heavy rains the previous day, and we could not make that trip, due to landslides. So, the Tawang trip remains incomplete as some parts were missed out ;( . I plan to revisit Tawang again in near future, also to enjoy the beauty of heavy snowfall, may be in Oct-Nov (which is the best time to visit, as told by locals). So, the 3rd day, we started our journey back.

We went to Madhuri Lake next which is one of the most beautiful lake of the region due to the roots coming out of water. The lake lies in a valley and receives no sunlight and hence is at low temperature.

Another 40 kms through the snow covered route and we reach Sangester lake, also known as Madhuri lake since one song from the Bollywood movie Koyla starring Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri was shot here. Can’t say much about the glamour quotient but with the fog down, and dead trees protruding, it is one of the most breathtakingly and sinister looking lake.

We rested for the night while our Driver arranged for a local cab and permit for Bum La Pass and Madhuri Lake. We started very early next morning for Bum La Pass and Madhuri Lake. Bum La pass is at a height of 15150 feet and one of the highest Pass of India. The road during winters is terrible but scenic. Someday you may find 3 feet of snow on roads. We were lucky enough to find none.

There is literally no road up to the pass. The officer, whom I’ll not name, suggested that India has never been an offensive country. I was left to understand the rest. I came back and headed out to Shonga-tser lake. I met with a local there who informed me that there existed a thriving village, however, after the 1950 earthquake the river/stream changed its course and the lake was formed. One can still see the trees in the middle of the lake.First view of the Shonga-tser LakeEvery lake has a name. However, I don't remember the name of this lakeBanggachang Lake...and this too...and this tooAnother view of the Pankang Teng Tso LakeI spent 2 more days in Tawang complying with lunch and dinner invitations from the friends that I met in the shared Taxi. They insisted that I stay with them but I stayed at my hotel saving them from what I felt would be an inconvenience.Sela Lake

Beyond Tawang one needs to drive through mountains to reach Sangetsar or Shungetsar Lake with temperatures reaching sub zero and oxygen levels dipping down. As I ran around taking pictures Uddhav warned me that I might soon feel breathless due to the low oxygen level and should avoid exerting myself. With permission attained at Y Junction from the army personnel the bone rattling drive took me through valleys and mountains that have sparse vegetation. Stunted shrubs were found and the region was peppered with lakes that were frozen.I could rarely sight any locals. The car was started by warming the fuel tank with a bonfire lit below it. Fog lights had to be kept on always as visibility was bad. The 101 lakes in this area are considered pious and holy by the Buddhist Lamas. Sangetsarlake is said to have been formed after an earthquake hit the region. Army jawans camp near the lake and offer tea, coffee and snacks to the visitors. They were friendly and we did strike a good note as they were not used to seeing civilians near the lake.Arunachal Pradesh had stirred the explorer in me. The locals with limited resources live a hard life but they teach us that a life of contentment could be lead despite all the odds. The journey had been tiring but at the same time exhilarating. Life in the mountains is difficult but it is worth it. I had visited the forgotten paradise of India that few dare to visit. Its harsh climate and difficult terrain makes it an arduous trip but towards the end you have this sense of fulfillment that you have seen the best of India as it indeed is Paradise on earth.How to reach there –One can fly until Guwahati and then travel by road. There aren’t State Transport buses plying in this region hence it is best to hire a car with 4WD.Note – All the photographs in this article have been taken by me.This trip was originally published on Rathina's View Space.

When we were in Tawang, the area experienced heavy snowfall. We were unable to visit Bum la and Madhuri Lake, because the army declared it a no movement zone. However, we were able to visit PT Tso and Nagula lake. I guess its a matter of chance..

Next day, I booked myself an Omni Van to visit the famous string of lakes upwards of Tawang. A word of caution; never take an Omni up the mountain. It has small tyres, low power and it slips like it’s perpetually rolling on a banana skin. After a lot of getting down and pushing the Omni and a plethora of lakes, we reached the checkpost at Y junction. Y junction, as the name suggests, is a two way split, one leads to Bum-La; the Indo-China Border and the other leads to Shonga-tser lake (popularly known as Madhuri lake after the shooting of the film Koyla). In 1962, the Chinese infiltrated through this route. I spoke to the jawan at the checkpost and he introduced me to his senior. We talked about Delhi and how difficult it is to man this side of the border.

Apart from absorbing the beauty of the place, there are quite a lot of places to visit in Tawang Valley. Most of them can be reached very easily. There are too many lakes here and it might be difficult to visit all but the Madhuri Lake and the Pakang Teng Tso are not to be missed. Moreover, the Jung Falls will make you feel grateful that you visited Tawang altogether. So will the local tribal people, with their love.

Sangetsar Tso was on our way back. Commonly known as madhuri lake, it was formed as a result of an earthquake. The tree trunks still stand tall in the middle of this lake, and that is what make this lake alluring. Walking along the circumference of the lake is blissful and divine. There is a small army run cafeteria, where you can get momos and cholle bhature, tea and coffee.

1.5 hour from tawang is the place called Shungetsar.it is called stage 2 at 14500 ft. its freezing cold upto -11 degrees. thats the place to stay, place for camping/ trekking in extreme cold conditions. So tawang is stage 1, Shungetsar is stage 2 and wait for it,yes you guess it right..there is stage 3 also. on the way to shungetsar from tawang, there is a Y-Junction where you can get snacks and tea at cafe rajputana Stage 3 is not for civilians,but we had our contacts with army persons so they took us to forward post-last indian post from where we can see Chinese drones camps and posts.Can't disclose the name of the place. There is a place at stage 3 to visit for civilians, it is bumla, india china border

Shungetsri lake, popularly known as Madhuri lake because of a bollywood movie that was shot here. The lake was created a s a result of an earthquake and it is breathtakingly beautiful. There are these migratory birds known as Golden ducks, which come from England to this lake.

This lake was formed during the earthquake of 1950. Situated in the Eastern Himalayas, this lake is considered to be holy by the Buddhists. The lake is also known as Madhuri lake, after a famous song from a Bollywood film starring the Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit was shot here. We enjoyed the sight of the lake nestled in the mountains.. It was also really cold and windy but the weather just added to the fresh beauty of the place. This is one of the few remotest high altitude lakes in the area and is quite close to the border of China. Since the lake is sacred to the Buddhists of India as well as Tibet, both come here on pre-defined days. The lake is quite a beauty though.