[ABHI_1512]

Some destinations are sometimes very near to your eyes as well as heart but those places are seldom visited. Having spent my childhood in Arunachal Pradesh, it was a surprise that it took me so many years to visit a place that is seldom known outside Arunachal Pradesh. PAKKE KESSANG is an enchanting valley and is at a very close distance to Naharlagun and Itanagar, the twin capital cities of Arunachal Pradesh. One can get some mesmerising views when the weather is clear and the sky is blue. Although most of the times, the place is shrouded in mist and fog.

Arunachal Pradesh is not only about Tawang but is also about a Menchuka or a Dambuk or a Namdapha or even a Roing. I will slowly but surely try to write about the less fancied but equally enchanting places of Arunachal Pradesh as the time progresses. Pakke Kessang being the second place to be featured here beside the my Tawang travelogue that has already found a place in the forum.

Some pictures to start with and bring some colour to the post:

[ABHI_1512]

This drive of mine was a solo drive and I had the option of mixing work with some leisure. Never did I imagine that I would get the chance to drive to Pakke Kessang though. I had some work in Guwahati and hence as is my norm, started my drive on a friday evening. Got some traffic near Santragachi but overall that road has been widened enough to not hamper your drive too much for too long.

Stopped for dinner at my usual stop on the highway near Singur. Hindustan Dhaba has been my go to stop since long and as usual, the food was hot and sumptuous. The place has undergone some renovation in recent times and amenities seem to have been upgraded as well.

Newly renovated facade of Hindustan Dhaba.


Staple dinner on the highways.


Dinner done and it was the usual route to Siliguri through SH 7-Moregram- Farakka- Malda bypass- Islampur bypass for Siliguri. Since I was driving solo, it was music and me all the way. At some point of time in the night, I was even talking to D-BHPian Samba who was awake at the odd hours, only to get some wisecracks from him

Anyways, the roads have improved all along the NH34 and one of the dreaded stretches near Sujapur is now all four laned. Stopped for a refreshing cup of chai somewhere near Raigunj.

Morning views are the best views.


Mustard fields shrouded in the fog.


Baahon soaking in the atmosphere.


Domohona stretch towards Dhantola.


Discovered a new stretch while navigating the interior roads after Domohona.


The Domohona- Dhantola stretch is now majorly repaired but has still got some bad patches before Goagaon. Reached Dhantola and crossed the yet to be inaugurated Islampur bypass in a jiffy. This bypass will reduce one more bottleneck from NH34 and has since been inaugurated officially.

Islampur bypass.


The road surface all through from Islampur till Ghoshpukur is now very good. The two overbridges which were pretty badly damaged a few months back have now been completely repaired and relaid. Crossed Ghoshpukur and took the Fulbaari bypass to touch Gazoldoba- Odlabaari route. Around 2 kms of Fulbari bypass is completely bad and surface is non existent. Except that, the road is a hoot to drive. Odlabaari road is also widened now and once you touch NH31C, the road becomes brilliant to say the least. Stopped near the Teesta barrage at Gazoldoba and saw some evid birder's having their fill of joy.

The migratory birds were still there and hence the birder's.


Photographer's along with their weapon's on the boat.


Love the guides and their enthusiasm.


Teesta barrage.


Gazoldoba stretch.


Gazoldoba stretch is one of the most picturesque in these parts.


The road passes through this forest and is quite a stretch.


One of the most beautiful road stretches in the whole country- lovely Dooars


The brilliant surface of NH31C near Jaldapara



The progress was smooth and enjoyable till you reach the border of West Bengal and Assam. Some 10-15 kms after crossing over to Assam is bad and has many diversions. Road work is going on and once you reach the toll section, the road surface improves and so does your speed somewhat. Once the toll section starts, the road till Guwahati is good and decent speeds can be maintained. Reached Bongaigaon by the evening around 3 and Guwahati was not too far.

Guwahati not very far.


The progress was somewhat hampered by some nasty queues because of the Fastag implementation at few tolls before entering Guwahati. Reached Guwahati by around 7.30 in the evening and checked into my usual hotel- Landmark Guwahati. One of my childhood-mate and fellow BHPian RupakChowdhury came to pick me up from the hotel and we had some lovely dinner on the road and at the back of his Maruti 800.

Smoked chicken is found all over Guwahati but a particular place on GS Road makes it delish.


This is how you enjoy the food and the night views.


Came back to the hotel and crashed for the night. It’s a satisfying feeling to complete a long drive and then get a good night’s sleep.

[ABHI_1512]

Next day morning was a surprise. I slept like a log the previous night and missed some calls as well. Among the few calls, there was one from BHPian Reeturaj Yogi as well. Despite of his busy schedule (owing to a wedding in the family), he came to see me at the hotel and we had a wonderful morning over some delightful Assam tea. He couldn’t stay for long but it was wonderful gesture from him to come see me.

Happy posing with our respective horses in the background, Reeturaj is a real sport


We will have to take a trip together to make up for the short duration soon. After the lovely morning surprise, got down to some work and some visits around the city. It was time for another surprise in the evening when BHPian SamitMukherjee (who was incidentally in town) came visiting at the hotel. And as usual, we had a wonderful time over, what else but smoked chicken

Another round of smoked chicken


Samit and your’s truly after devouring the plateful


The two night stay in Guwahati became a meeting point for BHPians and we really had some wonderful time. It is these small meeting of minds which are the food for the soul. Anyways, another day gone and next up was my visit to Naharlagun-Arunachal Pradesh.

Fresh morning and after finishing the breakfast at the hotel itself (Landmark Hotel has a varied buffet), I started for Naharlagun leisurely around 11.30 in the morning. It’s a six-seven hours drive depending on the driving style. Route was Guwahati- Nagaon bypass- Tezpur- Gohpur- Gumto- Naharlagun.

Filled up the tank at Jorabat (Meghalaya) since the rates are cheaper than what you get in Assam. Stopped for lunch at one of the hyped Dhabas on Nagaon bypass. Food is good but a little overpriced. Nevertheless, ambiance is good and the presentation is good too.

The first toll after leaving Guwahati.


Roads are fabulous and with prominent signages.


Baahon posing gleefully amidst familiar surroundings.


One of the beautiful stretches between Guwahati and Nagaon.


Brilliant surface with signages on the bypass.


This road passes through some forests as well, this stretch after Jagiroad.


Assamese thali at Anurag Dhaba.


That’s a local Rohu fish curry.


Another of speciality fish fries of Assam, the Bengali in me was jumping inside.


Red and White combo, the new Thar has got some serious presence.


Views from the mirror.


The sun setting amidst the lovely flowering cotton trees near Tezpur.


Reached Naharlagun at around 8.30 in the evening. There was some congestion along the route since the Assam CM was on the road due to the election campaign and as a result, stoppages took some time from the journey. Had some sumptuous dinner and crashed for the night.

[ABHI_1512]

I finally got some time for a drive nearby after few days of work and went to Itanagar to see some friends. Incidentally, there was a local festival called NYOKUM which happened a day before. I was invited for the festivities by some of my friends and it was some wonderful time spent along the fire and the finger licking food. Sharing some pictures of the frolics as well as some from the garden where we sat for the evening.

Dahlia in full bloom looks fantastic.


Dahlia again.


One kind of Chrysanthemum.


Zinia blooming with all it's might.


Bougainvillea.


Pork meat being put on the fire.


Final result-smoked pork.


There is some comfort beside the fire in the cold.


Smiling face of a dear friend.


Singing beside the fire place.


Smoked Pork with sesame seeds.



Good food and good friends are often the best combination and if they are from your childhood, than there is nothing better than that. The evening was spent with some future planning and everyone making a promise to meet soon.

Baahon amidst the riot of colours.


The wonderful roads between Itanagar and Naharlagun, now four laned.


Childhood memory- the point is known as ‘thelamara’ and stands between Itanagar and Naharlagun.

[ABHI_1512]

And finally, I had a day to spare before returning back to Calcutta. So decided to have a day trip to Ziro Valley but got some information from friends that roads were in pathetic condition due to road widening work. But then, the weather warranted a drive. So, instead of Ziro it was Pakke Kessang which is almost equidistant from Naharlagun.

The road is NH 13 and the road goes all the way to Seppa and passes some small towns like Hoj and Sagalee. The roads have undergone massive transformation since my younger days. The road journey which used to take around 12 hours or more now, takes no more than 4 hours. Pakke Kessang has got some real wonderful valley views and is shrouded by mist and fog. The views are majestic under clear skies and the journey is worthwhile only for the views en route.

Football is played all over the north east with great zeal.


Here is some kids having fun with the football.


Dikrong Hydel power project and the resultant collection of water.


Beautiful vistas around the water.


Since I was driving solo right through, apologies in advance if one finds too many photos of the car Of course, Baahon will only feature where it can add glory to the picture clicked.

The next set of pictures feature BAAHON under various surroundings :





















The road throughout is a dream to drive. Sagalee is the one small little town where you can get small eateries to have some refreshments. The entire route is devoid of any populace apart from the small towns and for the entire route, there is only one Dhaba which is situated just after crossing Sagalee. Basic amenities are there but strictly average. One should just enjoy the drive and it's surrounding, the beauty will surpass anything actually, even your hunger pangs.

View point of Pakke Kessang.


Every view was shrouded in mist and fog.


A playground in every town is a hallmark in this part of India.


The small hamlet of Pakke Kessang showing up.


Jhoom cultivation trajectory along with the view.


River flowing by silently.


A typical tribal home near Sagalee.

[ABHI_1512]

The drive was fantastic through almost empty and twisting roads. After reaching Pakke Kessang, stopped at a road side shop and enjoyed a hot bowl of Maggi beside a roadside stall. The view point also had a stall selling some chai and Maggi. It is always a warm feeling to have some noodles while soaking in the atmosphere.

















Spending some time with the locals and after having a cup of instant tea, it was time for the return drive. I had plans to go till Seppa as well but due to fading light and paucity of time, I had to forego the plan.

Caught a glimpse of the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh in the wild. It is called MITHUN in local parlance and it is extremely rare to find the animal in the wild these days.






This is how local fruits and drinks are sold across besides the roads.


While returning, stopped for some more photo opportunities since the weather was all foggy throughout. Had hoped for some clear skies, but the weather gods had different ideas that day !!














In fact, while returning I even stopped and went to the river bed of Dikrong river just to make up for the disappointment of the clear skies !! It was fun getting down to the river bed.





Milestone announcing the road to Ziro. Alas, couldn’t take the road this time but then there is always a next time. Who knows, may be the Ziro music festival is the one which is calling me !!



Returned back to Naharlagun around the evening time. Next day was the drive back to Calcutta and my plan was to reach Calcutta directly from Naharlagun skipping Guwahati.

[ABHI_1512]

Okay, the next day morning was overcast and it was raining as well quite heavily. Route for the day was Naharlagun- Balipara- Phulbari- Mangaldoi- Baihata Charali- Rangia- Siliguri- Calcutta. Now since it was raining, I decided for a late start. So instead of staring early morning, I started around 7.30 in the morning after the rain stopped.


This was the hanging bridge that I as a child used to take to cross the Barapani river, now lying in a dilapidated condition since a new bridge is coming up beside.




Baahon can be seen posing beside the same bridge in the first post of this thread. This hanging bridge used to be fun for us because of the shakes that the bridge generated while someone was upon the bridge. Many childhood memories came rushing by while I stopped near the bridge to have a glimpse.

The roads were clear and good after the rains as I entered Assam.


But then, the overnight rains had created havoc and the result was in front of me near Gohpur.


The uprooting of the tree killed some precious time before movement started again after the guys from forest department came with their mechanised saws. The progress was smooth afterwards and after passing through Balipara and Phulbari, I stopped for a late lunch near Mangaldoi and at a fine dhaba named Repose.







The Dhaba is a welcome addition on that route and is wonderfully good with top notch amenities. The place has a open area sitting place along with the closed restaurant area. Apart from being a Dhaba, the place also has bakery section and one can get huge variety of cookies and cakes to their liking. I ordered a Fish thali and boy, it was good. So good that I had my fish eating craving taken good care off by the thali itself. Leaving some pictures of the place here :



















After a hearty meal, started out leisurely and was able to touch NH 31C at Baihata by the evening. Reached Siliguri around 8.30 in the night and spent the night at a friend’s place after his persuasion skills won over my intent to move to Calcutta directly. Anyways, it’s always fun to be with friends. The night went on with some chit chat over some good food again. The next morning left Siliguri at around 8 in the morning and made it to Calcutta by around 7 in the evening.

This was the first time I was driving during the day on this once dreaded section of Calcutta- Siliguri after more than a decade or even more. I was mighty surprised by the time taken for this drive. Islampur bypass and Sujapur four laning helped a great deal in achieving the wonderful time. With the future completion of Raigunj and Dalkhola bypass, I hope this once dreaded NH34 becomes the road we all aspire to drive on. Below are some pictures from the tea gardens near Biswanath Charali and which are absolutely smashing colours of nature.









The wonderful stretch of SH 7.


Rice fields of Bengal and the sun set.


So a wonderful solo drive came to an end and I hope people reading the log don’t get bored by Baahon’s picture all over

Till the next one good people, cheers.

Some takeaways :

1. Roads in large part of Assam and Arunachal is in great shape. Road widening and relaying in both the states are going on fine. I hope it remains this way since toll collection have started on many sections.

2. Solo drives are a great way to find your focus back to everything although I did mix work with a day’s pleasure.

3. Once the road widening work on Ziro- Potin sector is over, the road to Ziro will be a hoot to drive. The bikers will specially love the winding turns.

4. Pakke Kessang will certainly entice avid travellers with beautiful vistas and valley views all around and one can even go towards Seppa to get to view the mountain views.

5. Arunachal Pradesh is vast and blessed with nature. The entire state is a tourist’s paradise should the explored while it’s still untapped.

[vb-saan]

Thread moved from Assembly Line to the Travelogues section. Thank you for sharing!

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

So a wonderful solo drive came to an end and I hope people reading the log don’t get bored by Baahon’s picture all over

Getting bored? Man, you must be kidding. Your travelogue? In a word, "Wah!".

For quite some time, I have been in a rather slumber mode in the travelogue section of Team BHP. Your log just pushed me out of my lethargy to post this comment. I would need to read it once more after lunch to fully soak it in. Keep writing and travelling.

Best,

[haisaikat]

Another 5* TL, this time the focus on how you narrated the entire story with each incident leading to the next chain of events is really captivating. When I saw you posting guidance on the Kolkata Siliguri thread I was hopng for something good to come up, needless to say the results are indeed great. Missed those smoked chickens, so looking forward to having them in Kolkata, some day.

I envy your work around how it opens up opportunities to explore the country and provides option to meet and reunite with old friends, makes me hate my profession even more. The picture of Bahon with the foggy farmlands is probably the best in this TL, such a wonderful capture.

Eagerly waiting for the next one.

[turboNath]

Thanks ABHI_1512 for being a window to the breathtaking North East for many of us here. This seemed like the best possible way to beat the Monday blues ! Baahon looks stunning as usual, especially in that foggy mustard field shot. Gazoldoba is one of my favourite haunts in North Bengal and it's great to see the hand propelled boats once again since I missed it this season. Every year it throws up surprises in the form of ultra rare finds ! The Pakke valley looks mystical and unexplored like so many other gems from NE. We were planning to visit Pakke Tiger Reserve in March 2020 and sadly that didn't happen due to Covid. Hope to drive along those beautiful roads real soon !

Thanks for taking us all through this amazing journey ! Rated it a well deserved 5 * !

[Shaq]

Such a glorious post @ABHI_1512 - loved every bit of it.

This destination goes straight to my bucket-list; thanks to you & the mesmerizing photos you have posted.

The farthest I've driven from Mumbai/Thane, with family, has been to Cherrapunji.

The Pakke-Kessang seems to be the perfect destination for a drive yet again.

Thank you for your share!

MOD NOTE - u = you. No SMS language please.

[Samba]

Another excellent stuff! Rated 5*.

I still remember, you sent me a video at night 3 am and I replied, it's Sh7, you replied me with an affirmative yes! At that time, I knew another awesome travelogue from the hills is in progress! Few video's of the foggy winding hill roads, you sent me during this trip, with those lovely songs playing in the background was worth cherishing.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

The Dhaba is a welcome addition on that route and is wonderfully good with top notch amenities. The place has a open area sitting place along with the closed restaurant area. Apart from being a Dhaba, the place also has bakery section and one can get huge variety of cookies and cakes to their liking. I ordered a Fish thali and boy, it was good. So good that I had my fish eating craving taken good care off by the thali itself. Leaving some pictures of the place here :

Is it Khar Khua after crossing Mangaldoi? Going by the pics, I feel we stopped here too while coming from Dirang to Guwahati.

[H0RSEPOWER]

Nice trip report, thanks a lot for sharing!

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Discovered a new stretch while navigating the interior roads after Domohona.
Attachment 2131226

On a lighter note, so at last we could find out the village described in the movie ‘Dhonyee meye’! (Bengali old movie buffs would understand it!)

[BhaskarG]

Thank you. Such a wonderful travelogue! Lapped up everything and still wanted to go on reading. Unfortunately it had to end.

Most of these are familiar places for me that I have visited before, but seeing it from the viewpoint of someone else is fulfilling experience in itself.

You have inspired me for a solo road trip. Friends-foods-landscapes, you described it perfectly. Waiting for future stories from you!