Introduction

A state abundant with prosperous soil, resilient valleys, and turquoise rivers, Arunachal Pradesh very much stands up to its name which means 'Blessed with the rays of the Sun'. Being a far-flung state in the country, it’s not a very popular tourist destination and has always been steeped in various degrees of curiosity, suspicion, and a general sense of “I wonder what life must be like out there?”

So you can imagine how when I was asked to go and visit the state as a part of the Trans Arunachal Drive 2021, I was excited and intrigued beyond belief.

Apart from the fact that I would get to explore a new place, this trip also appealed to the plant enthusiast in me as I would finally get to know why exactly this state was called a paradise for botanists.

So here's my experience of the Trans-Arunachal Drive-2021, and a glimpse of what a couple of days of fun on sandy soils alongside hundreds of roses, colourful orchids, golden ferns and lush green hills mean.

Day 1: Arrival

Dibrugarh Airport - Namsai

Before leaving for the airport, we had to do a Rapid Antigen Test as a part of the protocol to enter the state of Arunachal. A norm these days, travelling, although alluring, has become a bit tedious with all the covid tests, self-check-ins at the airport and extensive safety and hygiene precautions owing to COVID-19. Gone are those days when travelling meant just packing and enjoying the journey. But these precautions are definitely the call of the hour.

Anyway, after the hassled journey, we finally arrived at Dibrugarh, Assam and a 114 km drive from the airport later, we reached the town of Namsai. Having arrived late in the evening, it was just a quiet evening before crashing off to bed in anticipation of the journey the next day.

Day 2: Call sign Adventure 6

The next morning, our two-woman team was assigned a 2.2-litre diesel engine, LX4-STR hard top Mahindra Thar. As a long-standing Mahindra tradition at its driving excursions, our Thar was assigned the call sign, Adventure 6.

With the beast of a Thar at our disposal, we had a day to explore Namsai and that was kick-started with a scrumptious lunch that consisted of banana stem soup and red rice pudding cooked in a combination style of the Bengalis and Arunachalis.

We spent the rest of the day exploring Namsai's local market where we got a glimpse of some unique local greens and vegetables- oyek, karmva saag, etc. while also sampling some local delicacies like gooseberry pickle and onion papads.

Day 3: Speed= distance/time

Namsai - Pangsau Pass - Hayuliang

We, however, began our actual travel adventure on Day 3 where before the official flag-off, we were treated to a beautiful dance by the Tai-Khamati tribe of Arunachal Pradesh at Namsai's most popular tourist spot, the Golden Pagoda.

Post the dance, our drive was flagged off by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu. The first day's drive was the longest at about 321 km with Hayuliang being our destination.

About 80km into the drive, Mahindra informed us that we would be participating in a surprise time-speed-distance (TSD) rally. The group gathered up at a point on the route, where we were briefed and given our equipment accordingly.

The concept of a time-speed-distance rally is that you have to navigate using maps and a pre-set route book to cover a specified distance in a specified time. What shines in this test is the ability to balance speed and time. Of course, this being a Mahindra adventure, the majority of our route had no cellphone network making us rely on old school maps and completing the course as a joint effort between the driver and navigator.

In addition to adhering to all the intricacies of the TSD rally, we also had to deal with landslides that are quite common along the valleys here. This made some parts of the route quite challenging. However, the Thar with its superb off-road prowess and high ground clearance darted across everything like an excited mountain goat and got us home without breaking a sweat.

Moreover, the icing on the cake on this rather eventful day was that our car Adventure 6 won the TSD rally. It was a thrilling experience for us to win this race based on maintaining a calculated speed and reaching a certain distance on time.

In terms of whetting the appetite, we got to try out delicious dishes like sweet rice pancakes wrapped in banana leaves and vegetable cutlets as well as red tea. Finally, en route, we also got to see the Indo-Myanmar border at Pangsau-pass.

Day 4: Unpredictable weather

Hayuliang - Kaho

The very eventful drive the previous day ended with a night under the stars as Mahindra had arranged for us to stay in tents along the banks of the beautiful turquoise-coloured Lohit River. The next morning, after refuelling the car, we left for Walong which is about 100km from Hayuliang. En-route, we witnessed Thar's 4x4 prowess as we crossed the rocky roads leading to Walong.

While the sky had held itself over the last two days and gave us a brilliant blue canvas for our drive, the third day made it look like it was about to let it all go. Having spent my entire life in the confines of Mumbai and its predictable climatic patterns, it was fascinating for me to try and understand the unpredictable weather of the hills. Our night halt at Walong, another campsite, had to be evacuated due to flooding. We were fortunate to find a homestay that late at night and were grateful to be warm inside as we all watched the heavens rain down its might on the town.

However, before the rains unleashed their fury, we had fun at the campsite and were entertained by local dances by the female artists of Walong and a fashion show by the youth groups of the local tribes.

Day 5: Border View

Kaho - Dong - Walong - Hayuliang

Our main destination on Day 5 was the village of Kaho, the highlight of which was seeing the Indo-China border. Upon reaching the village, we were warmly welcomed by the local tribe Meyor with rice chivda ‘kakum’ and 'choy' i.e. tea, traditionally made with yak milk and butter. Surprisingly, while the official language of the village is Meyor, we discovered that they spoke really good Hindi, greatly bettering our ability to interact with them and learn their ways. Another local highlight is that there are hot springs in Walong where you can go and enjoy an amazing natural hot spa. Sitting behind the wheel of the Thar, on this day of the drive, I also enjoyed vast stretches of empty roads and the scenic views as there was hardly any traffic on the roads, a far cry from the crowded by-lanes of the city I called home.

Day 6: Last stop

Parashuram Kund - Tezu - Bomjir

Our final day on this Trans Arunachal Drive saw us make an excursion to the mighty Parshuram Kund. Huffing and puffing my way up the 360 steps to reach the shrine was well worth the effort and something I’m quite proud I took up.

With that ticked off my list, our next stop, and my last one on the drive was the village of Bomjir. The route comprised of a three-lane highway and it is here that I got to test out the Thar’s highway manners. After my drive along the rural valley, it was a great joy to do three-digit speeds constantly all while getting fuel efficiency in the range of 15 to 19kmpl.

At the final campsite for my leg of the tour, we were welcomed by the women of the Adi community with folk songs and folk dances. In their traditional costumes, while flashing innocent smiles, the performers sang beautifully marking a fitting end to the drive. Once the songs and dance were done, we also got a chance to visit a local distillery and see how rice beer was brewed traditionally.

Fin.

Throughout our journey of about 800km from Diburugh to Bomjir, I thoroughly enjoyed getting behind the Thar almost every type of terrain. Be it the hills, valleys, rocky paths, or water-filled paths, the Thar did not break a sweat at all and was instead revelling in the glory of all the challenges that were being thrown at it.

Overall, the beauty of this state, which shares its border with three countries- Bhutan, Myanmar, and China, was further enhanced by the friendly behaviour of its people. Locals say that you would find a different language and tribe every other mile. However, while they may speak different languages, the innocent smiles and friendly behaviour of the locals made us feel welcome everywhere we went. Also, as a part of their tradition, everything from birds to rodents are delicacies. So don't be surprised if someone serves you silkworm stir-fry or dry rats on your plate at the dinner table. The kiwi and peach wine too are popular local drinks. All in all, this place is quite an experimental paradise for non-vegetarians, however, vegetarians would find themselves searching for good options. And, along with a truly fun-filled drive experience, you also carry forward the memories of serene visuals of those uncivilised magnificent mountains.

Our real hero of the drive was really the Mahindra Thar. While I got to experience it as a long-distance cruiser on the rural roads of Arunachal Pradesh, to get an in-depth look into the vehicle and how it performs in the confines of the city, do read our review or watch our video below.