Arunachal Pradesh

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Tawang Monastery in the Himalayan foothills

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Overview

Virginal Arunachal Pradesh appears as a giant patch of green on India’s map. The country's wildest and least explored state, Arunachal (literally, Land of Dawn-Lit Mountains) rises abruptly from the Assam plains as a mass of improbably steep and densely forested hills, culminating in snowcapped peaks along the Tibetan border. Arunachal lures travellers with the promise of adventurous journeys to remote mountain valleys and encounters with some of its 26 indigenous tribal peoples. Tourism infrastructure – such as hotels or even homestays – has yet to reach many areas; this is travel far beyond standard tourist trails.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Samten Yongcha Gompa

Arunachal Pradesh

Thought to be about 400 years old, the charming wooden Samten Yongcha Gompa stands on a breezy hilltop 6km (as the crow flies) west of Mechuka, fronted by…
Tawang Gompa

Arunachal Pradesh

The magical Tawang Gompa, founded in 1681 in what was then a Monpa royal palace, overlooks the town from its ridgetop site. Reputedly the world’s second…
Namdapha National Park

Arunachal Pradesh

Namdapha National Park, spread over 1985 sq km of dense forest in far eastern Arunachal Pradesh, is an ecological hot spot with a mind-boggling array of…
Khinmey Gompa

Arunachal Pradesh

This beautiful monastery in a tiny village east of Tawang (9km by vehicle, 6km on foot) is well worth a visit. Its current head, the Thegtse Rinpoche, is…
Donyi-Polo Dere

Arunachal Pradesh

Around a quarter of Arunachal's population follows the Donyi-Polo (Sun-Moon) religion, an institutionalised form of traditional animist beliefs developed…
Urgelling Gompa

Arunachal Pradesh

The ancient if modest Urgelling Gompa, a 3km walk below Tawang town, is where the sixth Dalai Lama, a Monpa, was born in 1683. Before he left for Lhasa,…
Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum

Arunachal Pradesh

With two spacious floors of well-displayed exhibits, the state museum gives a decent representation of Arunachal Pradesh's tribal cultures, especially…
Gyangong Ani Gompa

Arunachal Pradesh

This friendly nunnery, with about 50 Buddhist nuns, was founded by Merag Lama (founder of the main Tawang Gompa) for his sister. It's connected to Tawang…