Arunachal Sojourn - Part 1

Introduction

Having completed two wonderful journeys with 50 Plus Voyagers - Odisha and Meghalaya - Geetha and I had made a quiet promise to ourselves: preferably one such trip every year. Each had opened new windows into India’s vastness - her people, food, terrain, and moods. This time, when the itinerary to Arunachal Pradesh arrived in our inbox, we signed up instantly.

The name itself carried a mysterious charm. “The Land of the Rising Sun” - a state we had only read about, never walked upon. Travel videos and online guides could tell us what to expect, but nothing can substitute the touch of cold air on one’s face, the chatter of local people, or the rhythm of roads that twist and turn through unseen valleys. Ten days may not make anyone an expert on a land’s culture or cuisine, but it does gift a feel - the pulse of a place, its temperament, its people.

And so began our preparations - woolens aired out, camera batteries charged, checklists revisited. November was calling, and Arunachal awaited.

Meet the Fellow Voyagers

Every 50 Plus Voyagers trip gathers an interesting mix of people, each carrying stories from a different walk of life. Our Arunachal Pradesh group was no exception. Together, we came from professions as diverse as science and law, education and finance, a vibrant mix of scientists, teachers, lawyers, engineers, corporate professionals, stockbrokers, chartered accountants, yoga teachers, and homemakers.

Our travel group for this journey comprised:

Sharan – Tour Manager
Sundari & Suri Jagannathan
Hema Shriram
Nalini Venkatesh
Dipti Patel
Vijaya & Girish
Poornima 
Jayashri & Supriyo Bose
Susmita & Subir Bagchi
Lokanath Kanade
Philip George
Surendra Kulkarni
Dilip Agarwal
Narayanamurthi

Geetha & Srinivasan

 

And leading us was Sharan, all of twenty-three, a postgraduate in travel and tourism, handling only his fourth assignment with 50 Plus Voyagers. Young, composed, and confident, he carried the air of one who had found his calling early.

Day 0 – Saturday, 1 November                                               

“The Race Against Time”

The excitement of a new journey always begins with small rituals, the quick temple visit, the double-check of printouts, the familiar nervousness before a flight. We left home before nine, said a brief prayer, and reached the airport by ten. Two large bags were checked in, and soon the waiting began, the sort every traveler knows too well.

Our flight, originally scheduled for 12:20 p.m., kept teasing us with delay announcements until it finally took off at 2:40 p.m. The immediate concern was the connecting flight from Hyderabad to Guwahati, a narrow window that now looked impossibly tight.

A chance meeting with a friend Bhavin Shah at the terminal added a friendly spark to the wait; he was off to Kochi while we munched on dry fruits, postponing lunch for the Hyderabad lounge.

When our flight finally landed in Hyderabad, the layover turned into a sprint. Had there been a stopwatch, we might have set a record! The Indigo staff were waving, the last boarding call echoing, and we reached the aircraft door just in time. Within half a minute, the doors closed behind us and the plane taxied off, as if to compensate for Mumbai’s long wait.

As the aircraft climbed, a single thought ran through my mind: Would our bags make it too?

They did. Indigo’s efficiency shone through; when we landed in a chilly Guwahati evening, our suitcases cheerfully appeared on Belt No. 2, looking as unhurried as ever.

The hotel was just a few minutes from the airport, a welcome relief. Dinner felt especially comforting after the day’s chase. It was there we met the Suris from Bengaluru, Suri Jagannathan and his wife Sundari, warm, pleasant people who introduced themselves as part of the same 50 Plus group. A friendly start to what promised to be a memorable journey.
 
Day 1 – Sunday, 2 November                                                

“Through Assam’s Heartlands”

The morning began unhurriedly. An alarm at seven, coffee in the room, bath, and breakfast of idli, chutney, and poha, simple joys before a long day. I played Rudram softly on my tablet, our small ritual every Sunday, and stepped out for a short local walk.

A small Shiva Mandir nearby caught our attention, its majestic Nandi statue glinting in the mild sunlight. 

By mid-morning, we had checked out, and at the airport met Sharan, our young tour manager. His bright smile and easy manner quickly reassured everyone.

We started our journey in a convoy of Innovas. Geetha and I shared a car with the Suris, my co-passenger Suri was also a Chartered Accountant, and our conversation flowed effortlessly around familiar professional anecdotes and a bit of travel talk.

By noon, we stopped at Dams Restaurant for our first Assamese lunch, a thali that was simple, local, and delicious. Rice, dal, lightly spiced vegetables, and a tangy chutney, flavours that would stay with us through the trip.

After lunch, the drive towards Tezpur resumed. En route, we encountered an unexpected gridlock near a memorial dedicated to the late singer Zubeen Garg. Fans from across the North-East had gathered in thousands, turning the highway into a sea of vehicles and people. Our driver, Babul, half amused, half exasperated, explained that this now happened almost every Sunday.

After nearly an hour inching forward, we finally broke free of the jam and stopped for a tea break, ginger, lemon, or masala teas chosen according to each voyager’s taste.

By the time we reached Tezpur at 6 p.m., darkness had already descended; here, daylight fades before 4:30 p.m. Check-in at the hotel was smooth, followed by a briefing session by Sharan, who outlined the next day’s plan with practiced clarity.

Dinner was cheerful, laughter had started to replace introductions. Later that night, as we watched the India vs South Africa Women’s World Cup Final, the corridors echoed with spontaneous cheers and even a solitary firecracker after midnight. The camaraderie of strangers was already beginning to form.
 
Day 2 – Monday, 3 November                                          

“Rivers, Roads, and Rising Hills”

Sharan’s gentle voice during dinner the previous evening still echoed,  “Breakfast at 7:15, check-out by 8:45, please.” True to schedule, alarms went off at 5:30 a.m., and the morning unfolded with mechanical precision, coffee, bath, breakfast, luggage check, and finally boarding the Innovas.

The drive from Tezpur to Dirang began at 9:15 a.m. The road was smooth, lined with lush greenery that rolled by like a slow-moving film. Our driver, clearly a devoted fan of Zubeen Garg, had his songs playing almost throughout the drive.

Around 10:40 a.m., our convoy made a brief detour and stopped by the banks of a wide river. The water shimmered silver under the sun, the air was crisp, and everyone stretched, breathed, and reached for cameras. Group photographs, solo poses, laughter - it was our first real pause since leaving the hotel.

A little later, we crossed the border into Arunachal Pradesh, showing our Inner Line Permits at the check-post. The change in terrain was immediate, the land began to rise, the air turned cooler, and the roads snaked through emerald hills.

We stopped for tea at a small roadside shack. Each cup seemed to come with a personal twist, black, lemon, ginger, or masala; with or without sugar. The chatter had grown easier now; jokes were shared, and names remembered.

As the drive continued, fog began to flirt with the hilltops. I smiled at the familiar BRO (Border Roads Organisation) boards flashing their witticisms:

“After Whisky, Driving Risky.” “Be Mr Late, not Late Mr.”

Around mid-afternoon, we stopped for lunch, then continued through undulating terrain dotted with waterfalls. One particularly striking cascade drew a collective gasp, the perfect group-photo spot. Cameras clicked, and the Innovas lined up against the backdrop of mist and mountain.

We reached Hotel Rigsel in Dirang at exactly 5 p.m. The precision was Sharan’s trademark. The hotel was surprisingly plush - large rooms, wooden interiors, and views that could heal a tired soul.

Evening settled softly. After freshening up, Geetha & me spent a few quiet minutes in deep breathing, a way to absorb the day. Dinner followed soon, and by the time we retired, the mountains outside were cloaked in a serene hush.

Tomorrow would take us deeper into the heart of Arunachal.

End of Part 1 

continued in Part 2