BackRoads Himalayas

A Discovery of Wild Arunachal Pradesh:

GUWAHATI - MECHUKA - TAWANG (2,500 km)

This expedition will take you across the entire breadth of the state of Arunachal Pradesh, from extreme East to extreme North-West, including some highlights in Assam.

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL at GUWAHATI

All participants reach the airport at Guwahati, Assam. They will be taken by car to the hotel Taj Vivanta, our adventure starting point.

Whatever is left of the day is spent in preparations, briefing, getting used to the motorbikes, relaxing while sampling delicious Assam tea, and knowing each other. An appreciable moment of comfort before launching ourselves into the rough & tough!

DAY 2

An easy start at 7 AM, heading towards Kaziranga National Park. Once we reach the park we will get the chance to spot, among multiple forms of wildlife, elephants and rhinoceros, right from the road -- sometimes from a nerve-wrecking short distance: the Assamese Rhino in the wild is indeed a massive and powerful animal! 2m tall, 3.5 m long and weighing 2,5 tons -- a tank on 4 legs... We will stay in a peaceful guesthouse off the main road, where the sounds of the jungle prevail. Dinner around a camp fire.

DAY 3

We depart at a leasurely 8:30 AM to catch the 12:00 noon ferry across the Brahmaputra. An enchanting 45 minutes boat ride on the smooth waters of one of the mightiest rivers in the world will take us to Majuli Island. Majuli is notorious for being submitted to the whims of the river, large parts of it being regularly submerged when the river swells: be prepared for a lot of muddy riding, even more so if it's a rainy day! For the same compelling reason, most of the houses at Majuli are built on pilings, the whole structure based on a traditional bamboo construction. And that's where we will stay for the night, tucked under our mosquito nets, after a traditional dinner around the camp fire. A few courageous volunteers among us may even taste the local delicacies such as silk worms and snails! Don't worry, they are optional.

DAY 4

Departure at 6 AM. Today, we are heading to Pasighat. The first half of this itinerary is seldom used because of the road's tiny cross-section (more like a paved track) and the ricketty bridges that we will have to cross. Interestingly, the road surface is for the most part made of interlocking blocks, probably because of its flexible behaviour in frequently flooded regions. Some bridges, hum... we will leave to your appreciation! Altogether a worthy exploration.

We will cross the Arunachal Pradesh border at Ruksin. Every participant will be expected to produce his ILP (for Indian Nationals) or PAP (for Foreign Nationals -- as well as passport & visa). At Pasighat, we will cross the Siang River (as the upper Brahmaputra is named in Arunachal, where it is wild and punctuated with rapids). A steep off-road ride in the forest will take us to Abor Country Camp where we will settle for the rest of the day and spend the night: a beautiful, isolated spot in the mountains overlooking a wide bend of the Siang. Camp fire and delicious dinner made of localy grown foods.

DAY 5

Early departure to Aalo, a 5-hour ride through mountains and forest, following the course of the Siang and later, its tributory, the Syam river.

We will begin to discover the inner roads of Arunachal: mountainous, twisting, at times decent, at times, hum.. challenging.

DAY 6

The Mechuka Valley (sometimes called the Forbidden Valley) is our destination today. It will be a long challenging ride of 5 to 7 hours. Bordering Tibet, Mechuka is perched at 2,000 m above MSL. Teeming with wild horses, home to the Mithun (Arunachal's symbol animal), harbouring splendid waterfalls and wild waters ornate with daring suspension bridges, enclosed in a belt of white high peaks, Mechuka to this day remains one of the most unspoiled Himalayan valleys.

DAY 7

Return to Aalo. There is no other way, Mechuka Valley is a dead end hitting the impassable white wall of the High Himalayas. In fact, the access road to Mechuka is recent, going back in time to only a decade or so.

DAY 8

Itanagar, the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh is today's destination. Going down the hills, we will reconnect with the Brahmaputra plains and enjoy some relaxed riding on decent highways for a change. Rest reassured the challenges will resume soon!

DAY 9

Today we ride to Seppa, One of the most scenic backroads of all. Kucha road sections alternate with good tarmac where you will enjoy the rhythm of leaning your bike in the bends. A very pleasant ride of 5 to 7 hours. There will be tough moments, though, with some "strange", isolated regions where you might wonder where on this planet you stand! Read my Short Story: And the Road? "Mostly good", they say...

DAY 10

Seppa to Bomdilla. This one is tough! Or at least it was, the last time I rode it... At times when approaching Zero Point (the junction with Balukpong-Bomdilla main road) the road turns into something resembling a rough mule path of the old days, and thick fog is king in the area. Although the distance is only 135 km, it might be a long, long ride. We will enjoy a well-earned sleep in a comfortable guesthouse overlooking Bomdilla, away from the noise of the town, and with a beautiful view.

DAY 11

A very early start mandatory. Who hasn't dreamed to visit Tawang? When the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959, this legendary town has been his entry point into India. Since then, a very strong Tibetan culture has been preserved in the area, with an overlaying Buddhist presence. Witness to this is the Tawang Monastery which is the largest Tibetan monastery, just behind the Potala in Lhasa. However, for us bikers, an ultimate challenge stands in the way: the Sela Pass, at an elevation of 4,200 m. It is a known fact that at high altitudes in the Himalayas, one may encounter hail or snowfalls in any season. So, depending on our luck with the weather, this leg of the journey might take anything between 7 to 10 hours — be sure that not one minute of it will be boring! A beautiful black lake is nested at the top of the pass and some military shack will grant you a warm refuge with hot Maggi noodles and steaming tea.

Day 12 - Break/Visit

We have earned a relaxing day at Tawang. Besides, considering its cultural heritage, it is not a place that one should skip lightly. Tawang is a history-rich town, also the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Instead, we will mostly leave the motorbikes idle, visit the impressive Buddhist Monastery, other places of interest such as the massive Golden Buddha, and wander through the picturesque town's bazaar while tasting delicious momos and tupka. Free roaming and photography for all.

Day 13

Early start at Tawang. We will cross the Sela pass again, but instead of staying in Bomdilla, we will drop off the main road some 30 km short, follow a kutcha road along the Sangti river and spend the night in a beautiful, remote Mompa village, Sangti. Yes, the very same village we revealed to the world while riding 'Kalki's Great Escape' in 2016. (Read my blog on this journey)

Day 14

This will be our last riding day, but not the least. A long ride again (punctuated with plenty of stops and breaks and lunch and teas — we are reasonable people...); but no need to worry, by then your bum will be made of iron and you will find it, after all, less tough than on the way up a few days ago. Besides, there will be the smell of the stables! Starting early from Sangti we will return to the plains of the Brahmaputra via a different, western route and encounter the mighty river flowing now leisurely at Guwahati, where it has become truly magnificent, giving the impression of an ocean. For a change, we will enjoy the comfort of staying again at the Taj Vivanta and share a great parting dinner!