One of the most famous tourist attractions in all of Northeast India, Tawang is a charming little town nestled in the lap of the Himalayas. Housing India’s largest monastery, It has a rich blend of history and culture. Also considered a Buddhist Pilgrim, Tawang has a picturesque landscape, filled with lush pine groves, far-stretched valleys, and uncharted terrains. 

31-year-old, aspiring YouTuber, Csang Lafaru lives in Itanagar and has his own business. Working several years in corporate has taught him one among several things, that life is short and you need to live it today! Working in the business sector, he manages to take out a few days for himself. With a profound love for travel and exploring the unexplored, he along with his friends planned a long weekend away in Tawang. Let’s tag along on his vacation, shall we?

Day 1: Itanagar to Bomdila  

Starting the morning early, they left the house and got on the road. Travelling by their own car, it was easy to manage the routes and stops in between. What is not fun about the road trip, especially when the route is laced with lush greenery, forest line, calming river, and ethereal waterfalls. Stopping time and time again, to take pictures and enjoy the pristine beauty of nature, it took them about 7-8 hours to reach Bomdila. 

By the time they arrived at Bomdila, most of the daylight had gone, so they decided to stay the night here. After check-in and brief refreshment, they headed out to visit the nearby market, local sightseeing and Cafes. 

Day 2: Bomdila to Tawang

At the first flush of the morning, they restarted their road trip and the next main stop was Tawang. Northeast is nothing but beauty, en route they made multiple short stops at Sela Pass along with Jang and Jaswantgarh en route, where one can take a view of the splendid Nuranang Waterfalls, Nyukmadung War Memorial, and the serene lake in Sela Pass. After brief visits to these scenic locations, they finally made their way to Tawang. 

By this time they were tired and sore from all the drive, so they called it a day. 

Day 3: Tawang

Finally making it to the Eutopia, their main adventure began! On their first day exploring Tawang, the first place on their checklist was the Tawang Monastery.  The Buddha statue inside the main prayer hall is something to look at. If you explore it right, the monastery itself will take half of your day. 

Home to the Sixth Dalai Lama, the place is heavily influenced by Tibetan culture. With the sight of maroon-robed monks, the calm took over the air and everything was quiet all of a sudden! The next stop was the Hanging bridge. Made of ropes, and bamboo, a walk over the bridge promises to enthral and mesmerise at the same time. 

After some local sightseeing and hitting other famous tourist spots, they returned to their hotels. 

Day 4: Tawang

Tawang is definitely not the place that can be explored within a day, says Csang. For their second day, they stopped at Bumla Pass. A border pass between China and India is not open for foreigners and requires gaining a permit even for Indians to visit. However, the wilderness is breathtaking and worth the hustle. This is the same route through which the Dalai Lama entered India. Make sure there is a sign of rain when you make a plan to visit this place, and not to mention, photography is not allowed. 

Next, they stopped at Shonga-tser Lake. Also known as Madhuri Lake, it offers a scenic view of snow-covered mountains. This is an ideal place for photography. Pankang Teng Tso Lake is yet another famous tourist attraction near Tawang. With meandering clouds, gushing water, dense forest, and snow-clad mountains as its backdrop, it is nothing but the pure beauty of nature!

Csang and his friends were captivated by what they saw! An experience of a lifetime, Tawang is so much more than a small tourist spot of Arunachal Pradesh. Having an eventful trip, they left the next day for home. 

So this was an amazing journey of Csamg at Tawang! For more photos and videos, check out his page @csanglafaru. 

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