I AM A CITY GIRL who loves her occasional getaway to the mountains and beaches. I enjoy everything, from bare-bones camping to whiskies in infinity pools. But I always return to the chaotic, fast-paced life of the city. This changed when I found myself on a 10-day road trip through eastern and central Arunachal Pradesh, as part of the Trans-Arunachal Drive 2021. For motoring and offroading enthusiasts, the Trans-Arunachal Highway (NH13), currently under construction, is, frankly, a dream stretch.
It covers 2,407 kilometres, and is proposed to connect Tawang in the west to Kanubari in the east.
The Trans-Arunachal route takes you through regions untouched by commercial tourism, from crystal-clear gurgling rivers to forests too dense for the sunlight to penetrate. It makes for an experience of a lifetime.
LAND OF PAGODAS
Our journey began in Namsai in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, a 120-kilometre drive from Dibrugarh Airport in neighbouring Assam (Arunachal Pradesh doesn’t have operational airports). Home to the Tai Khamti and Singpho tribes, Namsai is located close to Nao Dihing River. Relaxing at Arun Jivitta Hotel, we indulged in some delicious dishes of Khamti cuisine —shutki maach (a Bengal-inspired dried fish dish), shredded koi boyle (banana stem), and black rice kheer (milk and jaggery pudding). At the hotel’s bar, we tried ZumZin Peach Wine, a product of Bhutan. Tart, yet pleasant on the palate.
Bu hikaye Discover India dergisinin September - October 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Discover India dergisinin September - October 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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