Arunachal Pradesh: Insider Travel Guide and Tips
Being one of the seven sister states of North East India, Arunachal Pradesh is yet another beautiful destination nestled in the Himalayan region. Such charming scenes nature presents to the travelers over here that the state is also referred to as the Orchid State of India and a Paradise for Botanists.
Arunachal word literally means Land of Sun and Mountains (Arun means Sun and Achal means mountain) and being so the state has a good terrain and ecosystem for beautiful flora species to bloom and that’s why it is called with the names mentioned above.
Sharing boundaries internationally with three countries i.e. Bhutan, China, and Myanmar apart from the Indian states of Nagaland and Assam, Arunachal Pradesh has been the hotbed of some important battles in the recent history due to its strategic importance.
Having said all this, let’s take you through the state with this quick travel guide:
Table of Contents
Best Time to Visit in Arunachal Pradesh
As is for the mountainous region where it is tucked, Arunachal Pradesh is at its best in the months between October and April when the weather is good enough for travel and exploring the space around.
You can go for sightseeing at various tourist destinations which are well accessible during this time or you can try out adventure sports like camping, trekking, river rafting, etc.
During the months of the rainy season (i.e. the months of June to September), a trip is not recommended because the terrain becomes very difficult to tour and some parts of the state can be cut off in terms of communication and commuting due to heavy rainfall.
There is also a good possibility of a landslide occurring at Sela Pass during the rainy season (comes in between the road journey to reach Arunachal Pradesh starting from Tezpur, Assam)
How to Reach Arunachal Pradesh
You would have to take an indirect route to reach Arunachal Pradesh if you wish to travel by air. You can take a flight to any of the two airports- Guwahati and Dibrugarh and then can continue your travel to the destination state by road. There are daily buses from Guwahati to Bomdila and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh (departing time of bus is usually between 6 to 7 a.m.).
By road, you can either take the bus mentioned above from Assam or you have another option to take a shared vehicle which starts its journey from Tezpur in Assam (at 5:30 a.m.) and reaches Bomdila and Itanagar. Also, there is a helicopter service that operates from Guwahati city to reach cities like Pasighat and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
Shopping in Arunachal Pradesh
Shopping can be a delightful experience as you go about a shopping spree buying the state’s specialties:
Woven goods
Weaving is a traditional art pursued by women in Arunachal Pradesh for ages. Goods are usually produced in colors like black, yellow, green, dark blue, etc adorning beautiful geometric patterns. Some of the famous weaved goods are Adi skirts and bags, Mishmi shawls and blouses, Wancho bags, Apatani jackets, and scarves, etc
Wood Carving
Wood carving work done to produce goods like cups, dishes, fruit bowls etc is pursued by some tribes of the state. There are also wood carved masks that look magnificent and are a display of grandeur and traditions during the ceremonial dances.
Cane and Bamboo craft
You can shop for baskets, vessels, and other kitchen items like mugs in cane and bamboo work. Also lovely wearables like hats, belts, ornaments are available for you to take back home as souvenirs.
Festivals in Arunachal Pradesh
Siang River Festival
Earlier observed as Brahmaputra Darshan Festival, this festival is celebrated to promote harmony and eco-tourism in the state. Offering a lot of fun activities like river rafting, food festivals, cultural shows, paragliding, traditional boat race, etc. this festival will be a treat for the ones looking to have a deeper cultural experience on the land of North-East
Pangsau Pass Winter Festival
Started in 2007, this three-day festival is celebrated in the month of January every year. This festival is pretty much the cultural exhibition for Arunachal Pradesh but the factor that differentiates it is that Myanmar also gets to showcase its cultural riches here.
Ziro Music Festival
Being Arunachal’s version of Sunburn, it is a happening place to be. Artists from India as well as across the globe participate in this festival which goes on for four complete days.
Solung
This is an agricultural festival celebrated in the month of monsoons. If you see the 10 day long festivities then you would feel that it is celebrated to pray for a good yield and for basic cleaning and attracting positive vibes.
There are other festivals also celebrated in the state like Nyokum, Dree, Boori Boot etc. The festival Losar i.e. Tibetan New Year is also celebrated in the state with much fervor and joy.
Tourist Attractions in Arunachal Pradesh
Ziro Valley
This is a scenic valley that comes alive with traditions and rituals in the month of January and March every year. The reason is that the tribes inhabiting this land Apatanis observe their rituals in these months. One thing you will be amazed to see is the older women and men of the Apatani community sporting tattoos and nose plugs on their faces.
Pashighat
Enter into the world of picture-perfect Pashighat as it is one of the favourite haunts of the photographers who would like to capture extraordinary natural scenes through their camera lens.
Bomdila
Adventure junkies will fall in love with this place as Bomdila is good for trekking around the months of October till February. River rafting can also be tried here as there is a good water current supporting the sport.
Tawang
Being an off-beat tourist destination, Tawang has been the place of various TV shoots in the past, the most notable one being Roadies Season 10 (a popular youth-based reality TV show aired on MTV India).
There are various tourist spots to be explored in Tawang but the ‘Not to miss’ sightseeing places include Anni Gompa (being peculiar in the sense that it is a Buddhist monastery maintained by nuns), War Memorial (dedicated to the soldiers who laid their lives while defending against Chinese intrusion in 1962), NooraNag Falls and Madhuri Lake.
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