[gunin]

The last time I went to Walong, Anjaw District, Arunachal Pradesh in 2017 I missed travelling to Kibithu and Kaho- border villages on the India China border.



Near Kibithu

This August, 2022, I got an opportunity to travel to Walong from Pasighat with two colleagues once again and decided to make up for the shortcomings of the previous trip.


The link to the previous Walong log:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...l-pradesh.html (Roadtrip to Walong, Arunachal Pradesh)


Since the journey is already well documented on many platforms including Teambhp, I will only try to provide some key information which might be useful to people planning a trip to the easternmost part of our country.

Road Condition and route:

Most of the stretch from Pasighat to Walong (nearly 400 kms) and even beyond to Kibithu and Kaho is good condition. The only stretch which is very bad is the 30 odd kms from Tidding to Khupa which took us around 2.5 hours to cover.

There is a new road to Tidding while travelling from Tezu. This is an alternate route to the Hawa pass one and will save one nearly one hour of travel time. The route is like this: from the Tri-junction above Tezu- Take the road leading to Parashuram Kund- Before reaching Parashuram Kund a new wide road is visible branching off the Kund route- Take that road to Tidding.

Petrol Pump:

Petrol pump is located at Khupa near Hayuliang. A new pump has been opened at Hawai, headquarters of Anjaw District as well. It is advisable to tank up before travelling further to Walong (Around 100 kms from Khupa).

Accommodation:

Although we completed our return journey in a single day (12 hours) from Walong to Pasighat, it is advisable to make a halt on the onward journey. One can stay in the following places on the way to Walong:

Khupa:The best stay option here is the Ampani Lodge which is a Circuit House. There is an IB as well in Khupa which is not in the best of conditions.

Hayuliang: Two private hotels are here but are not in good condition as per reports. It is better to stay in Khupa at present.

Hawai:There is a beautiful circuit house here and I would love to stay here some day. A beautifully located old IB is also here.

Walong: There are homestay options now in Walong although I have no idea of their quality. I stayed at the PWD IB and it is still my preferred choice for staying at Walong. There are Government tourist lodges in Tilam, near the Hot Springs some 5 kms from Walong. I think guests are able to stay there now.


Journey from Pasighat to Walong:

The route taken by us: Pasighat-Dambuk-Roing-Tezu-Khupa-Walong. We had packed some walnuts and dates for our journey and finished them up even before our halt for the day at Khupa. We passed through the beautiful Sisseri bridge near Dambuk with its clear green water. Lunch was at Tidding at Tidding- it was digested fully over the next 30 kms of bumpy roads/ tracks till Khupa.



Green Sisseri River, Dambuk




Tidding.

After checking in at Ampani Lodge, Khupa we went to the nearby town of Hayuliang. On the way we passed the District Hospital which looked eerily deserted- people are very healthy here was my guess. I was later informed that my guess was wrong.

Hayuliang is a small town which has a few shops and it is very clean. We bought some more of those dates we have come to love on this journey. Dinner was wholesome with rice and chicken. My DSLR decided to go kaput at this point.



Traditional Dao/ Knife of the Miju Mishimis. A gift

We made it to Walong the next day after a brief visit to Hawai-HQ of Anjaw District. Our Bolero gave us a scare with loud noises coming from the front wheel. I was confident that whatever the problem was it would be solved easily. It is such a simple vehicle. It turned out to be a small stone which had stuck itself to the brake disc. Hawai is another lovely and clean place with amazing views. We had lunch at the Circuit House with some tasty chicken. There was a party going on for the Solung Festival of the Adi tribe at the Circuit House. Anjaw district is mostly comprised of the Mishimis- mostly Miju Mishmi and Digaru Mishimi. Also, there is the Meyor tribe which practices Buddhism.



Checking for loud noises from front wheel



Tiny Culprit






At Hawai



Bridge at Chawngwanti to cross over to Hawai



View of the Lohit River


We also visited a residential school at Zero point, Hayuliang. We met the young boarders (eldest ones were in Class I) and were impressed with their discipline. I cannot imagine leaving my kid in a boarding school but can understand the situation of the parents where the only school might be day’s journey or more away. The kids seemed so happy and sweet- it warmed up our hearts.



Cute kids at Boarding School

Arunachal is very lightly populated-Anjaw District even more so. One can travel long lengths of time and not come across a local. The people I found to be very polite and helpful.





Near Walong



A wash in the wilderness for the Bolero 4wd.


At Walong, we took shelter in the PWD IB which is my preferred place to stay here. The evening wind made us wonder if we needed a light jacket while a day ago I was complaining about our non-functional AC in our Pasighat office.



Walong PWD IB



Landing ground Walong

We went walking nearby and I was happy that I was not running out of breath. We paid our respects at the war memorial (Hut of Remembrance) to our fallen heroes of the 1962 India China war.



Hut of Remembrance



Never Forget



Shopping time


We heard a thud noise and no it was not a well built car’s door being shut. It was a bird- blinded and attracted to the light of IB it had crashed near our verandah. We picked it up and decided to release it in the morning. However, the caretaker’s IB did not have any suitable enclosure for the bird- he instead suggested to release it and his cats would take care of the rest. In the end, we switched off the lights and the bird flew off to a nearby orange tree.



Visitor



Tea with rice paste cake.




Friendly dogs at IB

Dinner was great at Walong IB with fish and rice. Easily the best cook out of the three places we had food in so far.

[gunin]

At Walong:

I went for a run in the morning and as I would pass groups of Army Jawans doing the same they would greet me with Jai Hind! At first, I was confused as to whom they were wishing but soon learned to wish back.

After breakfast, we set out towards Kibithu around 30 kms from Walong and also Kaho.

We went through the Namti plains and stopped at the war memorial there. In spite of the beauty all around, one can’t help feeling a little bit of sadness imagining what it must have been like for a soldier 60 odd years ago here.



Towards Namti Plains



War Memorial at Namti



Bolero 4wd. Slow but Sure.



Man and Machine





Towards Kibithu

We soon reached Kibithu and entered our details at the army check gate there. It is a small village with some shops including a bakery proudly proclaiming to be the easternmost of its kind. There are lots of rivers in Anjaw district and even more clear streams. We drank the clear and cold running water from such streams.



Easternmost road of India



At Kibithu Village





Kibithu Finally!





School at Kibithu

We then travelled to Kaho on the other side of the Lohit River. It is the closest village to the China border and found some signboards calling Kaho the first village of India. We went to the ITBP post and were allowed to use their binocular to have a look on the Chinese side- 4 mobile towers and a 4 storied building. Hawai onwards there is only BSNL network for reference.



To Kaho





Bridge over Lohit to reach Kaho

We had chowmein at a restaurant in Kaho. Since the normal chairs were taken up by an army party, we were invited inside the house and were sat in a traditional way with carpets on the floor.





Kaho Village. First village (from China border) of India.



Noodles time.

We later retired to the IB after spending some time near the Lohit River in the evening.

Walong to Pasighat:

We did this stretch in around 12 hours including stoppages. Since it had rained the night before, the Bolero soon got dirty. However, there are many waterfalls on the way which pour water on the road and these helped clean the Bolero. The drive back was event less except when a snake was trying to the cross the road and we (the snake and I) spotted each other at the last moment. The snake swerved left and I right and avoided any injury to each other. We also pulled out a stuck Tata Xenon CC which had backed too far into a ditch.







Rough roads



Xenon CC

Thank you for reading!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Red Liner]

Gunin my friend, you are back with another smashing travelogue from the east! What delightful pictures and equally refreshing narration. I felt like I was riding shot gun with you (hint hint haha)

But you have made one flagrant mistake. Why is there no picture of junior? Was this a boys trip?

[Dr.AD]

A fantastic travelogue. Arunachal Pradesh is so beautiful and your pictures do full justice to the beauty of the land. The roads there are lovely too. Those winding roads, rivers, and those bridges all form a magical composition on the backdrop of the rugged landscapes. Bolero 4x4 is the perfect car for traversing this region. Your car looks totally at home in those landscapes.

Living in the southern part of the country, far away from the magical northeast, I got an opportunity to visit that area only once so far. I would definitely love to visit it again. Till then, I can relive the memories of Arunachal only through such travelogues. Thank you very much for sharing this!

[dr_TJ]

Its always a pleasure to read your travelogues

That Bolero 4WD is just the perfect mate out there

[BhaskarG]

Gunin, your travelogues are something that I always look forward to. And this piece does full justice to that. Arunachal Pradesh (AR) is an unexplored paradise, and I prefer it that way without much commercialisation. Your pictures tell the story how raw this place is. Looking forward to being there with you in your next trip to AR.

[Hirohito]

Gunin it was great to meet you near Jonai last week. Thank you for the great travelogue and for refreshing my memories of our bike ride to that part of Arunachal almost a decade ago. We had stayed at the Walong IB too. The 1962 history of Indo-China war has several stories from Walong front, including how locals back then couldn’t distinguish between Indian and Chinese soldiers and ended up helping the aggressors unknowingly. Yet it’s good to see that both the army and the locals have moved on with the true spirit of unity and national pride.

[LONG_TOURER]

Great travelogue Gunin da. Arunachal Pradesh has always been on my bucket list. You are definately going to be my guide for the long pending trip to Arunachal !!

[kaushik_s]

Nice read Gunin and beautiful photographs. Refreshed memories of my own trip long back. Always wanted to go back as we missed many places that time as we were not aware of places like Hawai, Kaho etc. Hope to visit the Eastern Arunachal soon. It was really a beautiful place with nice people.

[chinchu.c]

Awesome pictures to accompany an informative and captivating travelogue.
Wish you many more

[gunin]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Gunin my friend, you are back with another smashing travelogue from the east! What delightful pictures and equally refreshing narration. I felt like I was riding shot gun with you (hint hint haha)

But you have made one flagrant mistake. Why is there no picture of junior? Was this a boys trip?

Thank you Red Liner! I like the subtle hint haha. I will definitely join you the next time you are here. This trip was indeed an all guys trip- so no photos of the kiddo.

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

A fantastic travelogue. Arunachal Pradesh is so beautiful and your pictures do full justice to the beauty of the land. The roads there are lovely too. Those winding roads, rivers, and those bridges all form a magical composition on the backdrop of the rugged landscapes. Bolero 4x4 is the perfect car for traversing this region. Your car looks totally at home in those landscapes.

Living in the southern part of the country, far away from the magical northeast, I got an opportunity to visit that area only once so far. I would definitely love to visit it again. Till then, I can relive the memories of Arunachal only through such travelogues. Thank you very much for sharing this!

Thank you Dr.AD for the appreciation. Arunachal Pradesh is indeed one of the most beautiful states of the North East- so much so that I was not overly worried when my DSLR conked off on the first day of the trip itself. I was sure the mobile pictures would turn out to be decent. The Bolero is in its elements on such mountain tracks where Bhp figures don't really matter. The road infrastructure has improved vastly over the last few years here and you should visit the state again .

Originally Posted by dr_TJ

Its always a pleasure to read your travelogues

That Bolero 4WD is just the perfect mate out there

Thank you dr_TJ for the kind words. The Bolero and rough mountain tracks are like partners. It is simple and reliable.

Originally Posted by BhaskarG

Gunin, your travelogues are something that I always look forward to. And this piece does full justice to that. Arunachal Pradesh (AR) is an unexplored paradise, and I prefer it that way without much commercialisation. Your pictures tell the story how raw this place is. Looking forward to being there with you in your next trip to AR.

Thank you BhaskarG for the appreciation. Arunachal still some way to go before it gets commercialised. Many places are still hard to reach with bad roads and lack of stay options. Not that I am complaining and I hope the place maintains its rugged nature.

Originally Posted by Hirohito

Gunin it was great to meet you near Jonai last week. Thank you for the great travelogue and for refreshing my memories of our bike ride to that part of Arunachal almost a decade ago. We had stayed at the Walong IB too. The 1962 history of Indo-China war has several stories from Walong front, including how locals back then couldn’t distinguish between Indian and Chinese soldiers and ended up helping the aggressors unknowingly. Yet it’s good to see that both the army and the locals have moved on with the true spirit of unity and national pride.

Thank you Shishir! It was very good to meet you too the other day. Walong on a bike would have made for a great adventure I am sure. About the stories from Walong- I am not too surprised. Sixty years ago the identification with a state or nation must have been at a nascent stage in the remote corners of the area-where a person identified with his village and nearby areas only.

Originally Posted by LONG_TOURER

Great travelogue Gunin da. Arunachal Pradesh has always been on my bucket list. You are definately going to be my guide for the long pending trip to Arunachal !!

Thank you Rishiraj! You should definitely visit Arunachal Pradesh. I will be happy to be your reference point.

Originally Posted by kaushik_s

Nice read Gunin and beautiful photographs. Refreshed memories of my own trip long back. Always wanted to go back as we missed many places that time as we were not aware of places like Hawai, Kaho etc. Hope to visit the Eastern Arunachal soon. It was really a beautiful place with nice people.

Thank you Kaushik da! I too missed a lot of places during my first visit to Walong. If I ever go back again, I will trek to Dong Village as well.

Originally Posted by chinchu.c

Awesome pictures to accompany an informative and captivating travelogue.
Wish you many more

Thank you chinchu for the appreciation!

[rajshenoy]

Stunning pics and beautiful travelogue. I Wish to explore the beautiful north east some day.

[fawad0222]

Dear Gunin, Awesome captures by the camera. Arunachal is mesmerizing with its pristine mountains, clouds, snow capped peaks, blue rivers and jungles. I just feel like relocating to this place. Thanks for letting me enjoy its beauty till that happens

regards

[haisaikat]

Wonderful and heavenly place with equally beautiful pictures. Envy the children studying in the Kibithoo middle school. The Walong to Pasighat is very scenic as it seems.

This is another 5 star read and eagerly waiting for the next one. Thank you for bringing it to us. On public demand please consider covering the Ziro Music Festival this year.