All you need to know – Arunachal Pradesh Travel Tips – India
Do you also want to visit the undiscovered Arunachal Pradesh? In this blog, I share all the Arunachal Pradesh travel tips you need to know before your trip to this beautiful state of India. From walking among the Tibetan flags, visiting the impressive tribes, meditating in a 7th century monastery to taking a momo workshop? Then Arunachal Pradesh is the place to be!
Arunachal Pradesh is located in north-east India and thus in the Himalayas. A state that was once part of Tibet and which still exudes that atmosphere today.
Do read why you want to visit Arunachal Pradesh too!
Going to the state of Arunachal Pradesh requires just a little more preparation than most other states in India. Having all the Arunachal Pradesh Travel Tips in one place does come in handy. Travelling to Arunachal on the off chance is out of the question if only because you need a special permit for certain parts. Read on if you too have the idea of travelling to impressive Arunachal Pradesh.
Did you know that Arunachal Pradesh is India’s first state to welcome the sun in the morning? The state’s logo therefore shows two tall mountains between which the sun shows its rays. Arunachal Pradesh is therefore called Land of the dawn-lit mountains.
Where is Arunachal Pradesh?
Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state in north-east India with 84,000 km4. It is part of the so-called Seven Sisters. These are the states of Aruchanal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
The capital of Arunachal Pradesh is Itanagar. This city lies in the small district of Papum Pare but is still the largest city in the state. It is a city really worth visiting for its cultural diversity.
National Symbols of Arunachal Pradesh
The capital of Arunachal Pradesh is Itanagar. This city lies in the small district of Papum Pare but is still the largest city in the state. It is a city really worth visiting for its cultural diversity.
In India, all states have national symbols and you can see these in symbolism here and there on the streets. The state animal is the Mithun (Gayal). It is common in the mountains of the Himalayas and can live well in the high mountains. It therefore symbolises prosperity and wealth.
The state bird is the double-horned hornbill. Its beaks and feathers were used in many tribal traditions. This beautiful bird now has a protected status. The state flower is the Foxtail Orchid. The orchid represents joy and fertility. And then we have the state tree, this is the Hollong. The tree has many medicinal uses and is considered sacred by several tribes.
The tribes of Arunachal Pradesh
There are as many as 26 main tribes in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, each also divided into several tribes. And then each tribe also has its own language. Can you imagine? Most tribes can only understand each other to a small extent. The language they fall back on is then Hindi or English.
What gets you very far in Arunachal Pradesh is: Tashi Dele, which means good day.
Read all your Arunachal Pradesh Travel Tips and travel well prepared to this great state of India
Wildlife in Arunachal Pradesh
The state of Arunachal Pradesh is largely impassable due to the Himalayan mountains. Its advantages are that wildlife and nature is still free from our interference. So you can still encounter panthers, tigers, elephants, rhinos but also the red panda if you go for a few days’ walk in the unexplored forests of Arunachal Pradesh. Special animals also found in Arunachal include the Takin (bovine chamois) and the White-Winged Duck.
Religion in Arunachal Pradesh
Originally, the Sun and Moon (Donyi-Polo) religion is the religion of the original tribes in north-east India and Tibet. This faith lives with nature, with the sun and moon, with the forces of nature that are found in everything and everyone.
Today, Christianity is the largest at 30%, Hinduism the second largest at 29, followed by Donyi-polo at 26%. With 11% then comes Buddhism, Islam with 1.9% and Sikh & Jain 0.1%
Why Arunachal Pradesh has a place in my heart
I was in Arunachal Pradesh and visited ancient temples there. Now I have visited ancient temples before but never so remote and, in terms of feeling, still in such an original state. The Lhagyala temple near the small village of Mersing…but still a few kilometres up the mountain into the forest. The whole temple breathed the old traditional state it was still in…. It really was like stepping back into the old days…. and as icing on the cake, I got time to meditate in the monastery. For me, these are truly moments I will never forget.
Did you know that the 6th Dalai Lama was born in Arunachal Pradesh? Not quite sure where but I have been to the residence where his mother lived! How special is that? And…in that house I had a simple lunch and also got time to meditate for 15 minutes in the old part.
And if that is still unique enough…
How about the Buddhist monastery in Tawang? Here you will find Asia’s 2nd largest monastery. We spent a morning walking around it. We entered through the back entrance so we didn’t see the entrance until we walked out. That was really such a surprise too. What a beautiful old place!
Permits (ILP/PAP) to visit Arunachal Pradesh
To visit Arunachal Pradesh, you need a permit in some parts. The state of Arunachal is in the border area near China/Tibet at the top. Then it borders Bhutan on the left and on the right it also borders Myanmar for a little bit. Since China occasionally behaves provocatively, the borders have to be closely guarded. So the Himalayas are dotted with army bases.
You are not allowed to photograph an army base in India and especially in this border area.
So for that reason, you need permits to be in certain places. The ILP (Inner Line Permit) is for the Indian people and that allows you to get as far as the Chinese border. E.g. at Bum-La Pass. This is a point where I, as a Western, was not allowed to go because I could only obtain a PAP.
A PAP (Protected Area Permit) is for foreigners. It is valid for 30 days and the same for all sections.
How do you apply for a PAP?
In the Arunachal Pradesh travel tips this is a must to know! For Indian people, it is a bit easier to apply for these than for us foreigners. There are two ways. Through the tour operator, which I did through Holiday Scout, or by yourself. For this, you have to go in person to a counter in the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh (before 2pm). Copy your passport, visa for India with entry stamp and the completed application form. You can then collect it from the same office 2 to 5 days after that time.
Arunachal Pradesh and the sensitive border with China
In 1962, the Sino-Indian war raged briefly. China then crossed the Mc Mahon Line that the British had decided with Tibet in the Shimla Conference in 1947. China refused to sign and remains of the view that China continues down to the bottom of the Himalayas. So in 1962, they went into battle with India and after a month came a ceasefire. Most of what China conquered at that time is back in Indian hands but it left a deep impression. You will find many monuments in this mountainous area towards the border with China.
In Arunachal Pradesh, you have several dzongs, these fascinating villages dating back further. Dzongs are administrative and religious centres built like fortresses. The enclosure, a high wall, was built in the 17th century to protect you from enemies and wildlife. If you wanted to live inside, you naturally paid taxes, which benefited religion. We visited Dirang Dzong during our visit.
Travel Advice Arunachal Pradesh
For reason mentioned above, the travel advice for Arunachal Pradesh’s border area with China is for Dutch travelers orange. We are advised not to travel here. This is partly the reason that you cannot get a permit (PAP) to enter those areas. Do check your country’s advice for these border states of India.
A yellow travel advisory applies to the rest of Arunachal Pradesh.
Prepare yourself for high altitude destinations
Arunachal Pradesh is a state that is high up. You rise after driving into the state as quickly to almost 2,500 metres altitude. Especially if you are not used to that, it is good to acclimatise here and thus spend some days here. Bomdila is very nice and the area has plenty to offer.
If you then continue to Tawang, you will pass through Sela Pass, which is located at 4170 metres. After this, you also descend to 2600 metres in Tawang. But every day as you explore the area you easily climb hundreds of metres. For example, we visited the mountain village of Thingbu from Tawang, which is at 3350 metres.
All not extremely high but if you don’t acclimatise properly at first, you are likely to keep suffering from headaches or nausea. After all, that would be a shame during your tour in Arunachal Pradesh.
Read my tips on how to acclimatise at altitude
Travel Circuits Arunachal Pradesh
In these Arunachal Pradesh travel tips, I will touch upon a number of travel routes. There are a number of travel routes (circuits) that are commonly used by tourists visiting this state.
Sange from Holiday Scout, who I travelled around with, tips a number of circuits on his website. I will also highlight a few.
Tawang Circuit (West Arunachal)
1. Tezpur → Bhalukpong → Bomdila → Dirang → Tawang → Zemithang
This is largely the route we followed. Via Tezpur, after visiting Nameri NP, we drove to Bomdila with some stops in between. We explored that area by staying 3 nights in Bomdila. There we visited some beautiful off the touristic path spots that made me super happy.
We then moved on to Tawang and lastly visited the beautiful town of Dirang.
2. Ziro →Palin →Nyapin →Sangram→Koloriang
This is a circuit I would really like to do. This is because I would really like to visit the tribes in the Ziro Valley. In the Ziro Valley, you will find the Apatani tribe and I think it would be great to get to know them.
3. Along-Mechuka Circuit (West Siang District)
Pasighat → Along (Aalo) → Mechuka
Highlights during this round trip include the Mechuka valley, a valley at an altitude of about 1,800 metres. Drive along the Sipu and Siyom rivers where you can admire the beautiful ancient hanging bridges of Aalo. And don’t forget the beautiful Samten Yongcha monastery.
Aalo is also a place where spas settle due to the fine cool summers and the altitude at which Aalo is located.
4. Pasighat-Tuting-Galling Circuit (Siang Valley)
Dibrugarh → Pasighat → Yingkiong → Tuting → Gelling
In Pasighat, you will find many old, indigenous suspension bridges over the Siang River and through the Himalayas, you will of course encounter several waterfalls. You will also find the Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary and Mouling NP, where you can of course go wildlife spotting. Who knows, maybe you will see the red panda there?
You will also find the most magnificent Buddhist monasteries in this area up to some 5,000 metres high!
And the last circuit I want to highlight in these Arunachal Pradesh travel tips is:
5. Anjaw District Circuit
Tezu → Hayuliang → Hawai → Walong → Kibithoo → Dong → Kaho
Earlier I mentioned that in Arunachal Pradesh you can see India’s first sun in the morning, right? To be exact, that’s in Dong where you can catch India’s first rays of sun in the morning!
And did you know that Kibithoo is India’s first village? Seen from China, that is. A border post of China can be seen from Kibithoo. Unfortunately, as non-Indians, we are not allowed to enter this place but the area is great to explore.
If you do a search on tourist circuit Arunachal Pradesh, you will come across several routes. Some of the routes include places where we Western tourists are not allowed to go. Then bits of the route come too close to the border of China. It’s not that you can’t do the whole route then but a part of a day is then inaccessible to us, for example. There is always a village or monastery to visit which is also worthwhile! If you book your trip with Sange from Holiday Scout, this will be taken into account and nice alternatives will be chosen.
Coming & Going Arunachal Pradesh
There are a number of national flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata that go to Donyi Polo airport. This is the only airport in Arunachal Pradesh, it is located near the capital Itanagar.
If you are coming from abroad and flying through, then the most logical route is to go to Guhawati in Assam. This is also the most common option from India as this is where most flights go. Starting your Arunachal Pradesh tour here can have advantages as you start lower in altimeters and can also visit wildlife parks in Assam like Nameri NP or Kaziranga NP.
What kind of transport will you choose during your trip? Are you the backpacker who will also explore this state by public transport? You can navigate between major cities by bus and then arrange the various excursions by taxi from there.
There are several options for that: e.g. shared taxis can be booked, Sumo Taxi. Check out this site for travel tips for Arunachal Pradesh
Best time to travel to Arunachal Pradesh
The best time to visit Arunachal Pradesh is September to May. In that, I can recommend not going full in winter. I was there in January and it is quite cold. Especially when you consider that there is no central heating in any of the houses. Apart from that, though, it is often so nice during the day with sunshine that the jacket could be taken off again.
Plan your trip to Arunachal Pradesh preferably in spring/early summer and after the rainy season (i.e. mid-Feb to May and October/November). Maybe you can tailor your trip to a festival? For example, the Ziro festival / Tawang festival/ Torgya festival.
Since you need in permits to travel around Arunachal Pradesh and these are difficult for foreigners to apply for themselves, it is more convenient to travel around with a local guide and/or travel agent. I travelled with Sange from The Holiday Scout and can say that this made me very happy.
Travel with Sange from Holiday Scout
Sange knows an incredible amount about Arunachal Pradesh and passionately shares his knowledge with you. Born and raised in Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, Sange has been running The Holiday Scout for several years, through which he encourages travellers to go off the beaten path. To look beyond the highlights and instead explore the surroundings at leisure. Sange gave me the time and permission to meditate in various monasteries. This does represent the ultimate slow travel I can imagine and makes you feel a place so much better … And can be really present in the moment.
That’s why I can recommend Sange (The Holiday Scout) with all my heart. And that’s also why I’m in the process of organising a trip of my own to offer in collaboration with Sange. To further explore this beautiful area and of course introduce you to it.
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