Things you should know before travelling to Arunachal Pradesh

If you are planning to travel to Arunachal Pradesh, one of the most beautiful states in North East part of India. Below are a few things which will help you to plan your travel. We highly recommend adding Arunachal Pradesh to your wish list.

How should I get a permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh?

You must get the Inner line permit from https://arunachalilp.com/onlineApp.do for the region you are planning to visit in Arunachal Pradesh. Also, you will have to give at least one reference of a local in Arunachal Pradesh while processing your ILP. Without the Inner line permit, you won’t be allowed to enter Arunachal Pradesh as it comes under the protected territory of India.

What would be the best time to visit Arunachal Pradesh?

We would definitely recommend winter time i.e. from October to April. Where you will get snow in Tawang from mid December to February. However, you can visit Arunachal Pradesh through out the year as well.

What food options I will get in Arunachal Pradesh?

Local food in Arunachal Pradesh differs from district to district. The most common food you get everywhere is rice and curry.

In West Arunachal i.e. Tawang district, you will get Churpa with Red Rice(our personal favourite), Thupka, and Momos as local food items. You will get many restaurants as Tawang is entirely commercial.

However, if you are a non-vegetarian, you have options for Pork in East Arunachal. East Arunachal is a bit difficult for visitors. Only locals are around so we recommend you go there well-planned and stuffed for emergencies. When you run out of all the options you’ll always get ‘Aaloo Paratha’ (Chapati with stuffed mashed potatoes with some herbs).

Will I get a Language barrier in Arunachal Pradesh?

Almost all the people in Arunachal Pradesh speak the Hindi language so we don’t think there would be issues regarding the language. However, if you are a non-Hindi speaker, we recommend having a guide or local person with you to overcome the language barrier.

What will be the transport options in Arunachal Pradesh?

We will recommend you opt for a private vehicle as there are very few public transport options available. However, if you want to make a budget trip and prefer to travel via government transport then we will suggest getting in touch with the locals as you won’t get much information about the schedule of government transport online.

Be prepared to have very long journeys while travelling in Arunachal Pradesh because of its mountainous roads. The longest and most continuous journey we had was 22 hours from Tawang to Guwahati via bus.

Where I will require an Army permit in Arunachal Pradesh?

While travelling to Bum La Pass you will require an army permit. You will get the same by visiting the Office of the Deputy Commissioner in Tawang district and then the Indian army cantonment of Tawang. Without an army stamp, you will not be allowed through numerous checkposts on the way to Bum La Pass.

What would be safety measures in Arunachal Pradesh?

We found Arunachal Pradesh very safe to travel. People here are so helpful and generous. We did not experience people fooling here. However, we still recommend being prepared with your own safety measure such as medical supplies. In the eastern region especially in the Anjaw district, there are very limited options in terms of hospitals/stay/food/markets etc.

What other things I should take care of?

First and foremost we should do is respect the tradition and culture of local tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. You will feel a huge difference between the culture of the Eastern and Western regions of Arunachal Pradesh. As humans, we should never judge or make fun of any traditions. Instead, we should always try to learn from them and make our life more prosperous.