Tawang trip details

Hello All,

I've just been on a trip to north east covering Kaziranga, Nameri National Park and Tawang. I thought I must share a few details. I won't be writing a full "trip report" since there are already 3 or 4 excellent ones on Tawang. I want to cover some logistical details so they can help folks planning a trip by themselves(ie not through a travel agent).

Tawang is not quite as remote as it appeared sitting in Hyderabad. It's far away alright. The roads are treachourous; the region hasn't seen much development - but it's still not remote. Phones and ATMs can be found(though only BSNL mobiles work in AP), everyone knows and speaks Hindi, some can understand/speak English, I saw a few internet browsing centres as well; food is basic but not unavailable. It's perfectly possible to plan a trip yourself without hiring an agent if you know Hindi. Without Hindi you can manage the travel phase but you need Hindi for booking transportation and lodging.

Travel: We planned to leave for Tawang from Tezpur. We hired a sumo through Mirajahmad(/Meeraj Ahmed). The rough itenerary was:

• Day 1: Tezpur(actually we were parking in Nameri Eco camp which is about 30 km from Tezpur) to Dirang. Overnight at Dirang.
• Day 2: Dirang to Tawang.
• Day 3: Tawang and attractions around and nearby.
• Day 4: Dropping off at the Tawang helipad in the morning. Return by helicopter to Guwahati.

For Rs 9700(+ additional 200 for ILP) we hired a private Tata Sumo with a driver for those 3/4 days. This was all inclusive, for 2 persons. In reality I think there is some bargaining possible here. I fixed all this up over the phone and went by the lowest quote. [A lot of agents/operators I spoke to asked for money for the empty return trip for the taxi too.] Some quoted for dry car + fuel on actuals. I thought what Miraj quoted sounded hassle free. He also offered to bring us back (for Rs. 3800) in case the chopper trip got cancelled. In my brief meeting with him I got the feeling he was a decent and reliable guy - though a little slippery on a few minor details(see below).

* Our departure from Tezpur was delayed by 3 hours due to silly reasons that were clearly lame excuses. We got a "line" taxi(basically a taxi used as a shared vehicle doing daily trips to ferry local travellers) which was extremely rickety. But since we had already paid half the money as advance and we were starting from Nameri instead of the main Tezpur taxi stand, we couldn't do much about this.

* Helicopter from Tawang to Guwahati: The service is not terribly reliable so don't book flights from Guwahati the same day - leave a buffer and have a backup plan ready in case the chopper doesn't fly. The service can be cancelled either due to bad weather or VIP movement or some jerk who's grabbed your place by throwing his weight around.

* Stay at Dirang: You'll probably break journey at Bomdilla or the Dirang valley. Dirang is a relatively small place. It's best to book accomodation in advance if you plan to stay here overnight otherwise you might find yourself on the road and you would've already crossed Bomdilla. We stayed at the Yak research center guest house.

* Stay at Tawang: Hotels in Tawang are a runaway scandal - an indication of the growing popularity of the place. We didn't mind staying in basic accommodation but wanted it to be a clean place. Most hotels/lodges we saw didn't have hygiene standards consistent with the price they quoted. Book in advance if you want to play it safe but you might end in an overpriced and not so clean room. Otherwise land up in Tawang, look around a few hotels and choose. One can bargain a good 20-25% lesser than what the hotels quote. We stayed in Hotel Mount View, which is relatively new and run by a young couple who were very nice to us.

* Make a list of things to do/places to see, both around Tawang and on the way: Don't depend on the driver or the tour operator because they can cut corners. Do your own research and insist you be shown the places you've marked up. We realized our driver didn't take us to a couple of places stating funny reasons.

* If you're not engaging a taxi for the entire trip like we did, consider the option of hiring a taxi locally in Tawang for the lakes etc. Do this at the taxi stand directly instead of going through the tour operators in the Tawang market main road.

* Start your day early because it gets dark quite early and the town shuts down by 7.

* If you're staying more than 2 days in Tawang, try going out for some treks. The surroundings look really exciting and unexplored!

* Go armed with woollens and thermals. We travelled in March and snowed in Sela Pass and also near the lakes. If your cold tolerance is anything like mine, you'll be in trouble without them.

On the whole our trip was a lovely experience. We felt the people in this part of India were a lot more well mannered, helpful and forthcoming. They want to make quick money but they're not out to rob you like some touts you might meet in bigger cities. The place is still quite unexplored although we could already see signs of tourists littering.

Finally here are some contacts:

• Miraj Ahmed: ASTC affiliated Taxi operator/agent in Tezpur: 09435080318/09401263717
  
• Tawang accomodation: Hotel Mount View: Tsering <second name not known> : 03794 224304/09402616556. Clean large room for Rs 1200 per night including heater.
  
• Helicopter service: Siva Prasad - 09402065198/03794 224560
  
• Guwahati accomodation: Hotel Rialto, Pan bazar: 0361-2609671 - Very clean place. Our standard room was small and cost Rs 1000 a night but we weren't unhappy.

References: Trip reports here by Theyyamdancer, Ananya Binayak and Mikeincairns.
http://kallasiddharth.blogspot.com/2...wang-trip.html

Hope you enjoy your trip! Please ask if you have any questions.

Nice report. How much does the helicopter ride cost and how many passengers can it accomodate?

Thanks.

THe helicopter trip costs Rs 3000 per head and it can carry 18 people. I found their allocation system a little too random for my tastes - no formal reservation, etc.

Can you please tell me how much did it cost per head from tezpur and back