Arunachal Pradesh-I still doesn’t understand why people miss out on this state when they are here for a trip, especially the Tezpur-Tawang section. How can you miss such a beautiful section of Himalayas-the beauty is pretty close to Sikkim’s but different. Sela pass remains the route’s highlight, with Bomdila having a lovely landscape and Tawang showing the upper Himalayan sector.
9 reasons why you must visit Tawang:
- Tawang is mainly known for its monastery, Asia’s second-largest monastery, and is a significant place for Mahayana Buddhism. It has a 28-foot high golden statue of Lord Buddha and an extensive library of historical manuscripts and books. Some other gompas are Singsor Ani Gompa,Taktsang Gompa and Brama Dung Chung Ani Gompa .
- Urgyelling Monastery is of utmost significance as its the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama- Tsayang Gyatso.
- If you want to explore the region’s culture, look no further and visit the Monpa tribe, known for their friendly behaviour and religious beliefs.
- If you are in here, how can you miss the famous majestic 13700 ft Sela Pass, which has a beautiful Sela Lake or Panga Teng Tso as well!
- Nurannang Waterfalls is the only powerful and famous waterfall in the entire region with majestic landscape and beautiful rainbows.
- Thingbu Hot springs are not visited by many, but if you have spare time, visit this place, taking a diversion to the right of Tawang Road from Jang.
- Visit Bumla Pass-5000 m pass which embarks India China border from where Dalai Lama entered India in 1962.
- It is known for its unique food dishes like Zan, Thukpa, Khura and Gyapa-khazi, among others, Do taste them!
- A trek to rugged Gorichen Peak in Arunachal will do some justice for avid mountain lovers!
Location: Tawang is close to 400 km north of Tezpur, a town in the Assam state of India.
Tourist Attraction on the spot:
Tawang Monastery ,Nuranang Falls, War Memorial, Panga Teng Tso Madhuri Lake, Bomdila Monastery, Buddha Park, Bomdila War Memorial, Jaswantgarh, Bumla Pass
Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:
You can visit Bhutan, Itanagar, Mechuka, Gangtok, Majuli, Shillong, and Darjeeling within a 300-400 km radius.
Distance Charts:(From Tawang)
- Guwahati(450 km)
- Ukhrul(830 km)
- Loktak Lake(800 km)
- Dimapur(550 km)
- Itanagar(450 km)
- Imphal(750 km)
- Kohima(620 km)
- Gangtok(880 km)
- kolkata(1350 km)
- Agartala(950 km)
- Aizawl(860 km)
- Shillong(570 km)
- Darjeeling(840 km)
How to Reach Twang:
Road Routes:
Tezpur-Bhalukpong-Bomdila-Dirang-Sela Pass-Tawang
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:
1)Tawang should be ideally visited by road as there are must-visit tourist places like Jaswantgarh, Bomdila and Sela Pass, which have historical and tourist significance.
2)Spare 2 days in Tawang to explore places like Bumla pass and Shonga-the Lake(Madhuri Lake) as these are equally beautiful places to be.
3)Roads are super-terrible, nasty and landslide-prone, so no rash driving -drive slow and safe throughout! Have plenty of water and snacks too!
4)Have spare tyres, petrol/diesel, and mechanical instruments as there aren’t many mechanical shops at bay
5)Make sure to start early, say four am-day starts early-start as soon as possible, be it any place in North East India.
RAIL: Rangapara North is the nearest railway station to take public transport.
You can watch the below video to get a better idea! Do like and share if you find it worth it…
AIR: Tawang can be reached from Guwahati/Tezpur via helicopter service. (Need to check once/will be costly as well)
ROAD: There is only one way to reach Tawang, and that’s by a landslide-prone Bomdila-Sela Pass road. It takes a whole day, considering how pathetic the roads are! However, APSTS BUSES can be checked out if you want to travel by public transport.
Map:
Time to Visit:
Best time to visit will be around March to May and September to November.
Spend Time With:
Family,Friends,Solo
Food and Lodging:
Hotels are not many like other hill stations, but yes, for the tourist inflow, the number of hotels is adequate, and you won’t face issues. You can go to Goibibo, Makemytrip, or Easemytrip if you need to make a booking. For food, I highly stress having snacks and water all day when you go for Tawang from Tezpur. It’s a long day without much help all the way!
Expense:
For a 3 day trip to Tawang,following is the expense:
Food: INR 100/person/day(3 times a day)X3
Transport: Consider INR 1600 for 2-way shared car trip from Tezpur to Tawang; if you book a car for local sightseeing, add 4000 INR for that.
Lodging: INR 700/day X2 at Tawang(two nights stay)
Entry Fees include various places: Consider INR 100,
Total: 8000 INR(4000 INR in case you opt out of sightseeing)
Nearby Attractions(Tawang) :
- Guwahati(450 km)
- Ukhrul(830 km)
- Loktak Lake(800 km)
- Itanagar(450 km)
- Cherrapunji(620 km)
- Thimpu-Bhutan(790 km)
- Imphal(750 km)
- Mechuka-Arunachal(980 km)
- Kohima(620 km)
- Gangtok(880 km)
- Agartala(950 km)
- Aizawl(860 km)
- Shillong(570 km)
- Darjeeling(840 km)
- Bomdila(180 km)