Sela Pass, Tawang Monastery, and Two Senior Citizens at 13,700 Feet: Pritha's Arunachal Pradesh Trip with Thrillophilia
Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKDJWO00HUU
Rating: ★★★★★
Travellers: Pritha Chatterjee, Sangeeta Sharda and Divyanshi Sharda
Trip Duration: 7 Days | 6 Nights
Date of Travel: 23 May 2025 to 29 May 2025
Package Booked: Scenic Trip to Arunachal Pradesh | Group Tour Package
The state that most Indian travellers leave for later is Arunachal Pradesh.
Bali comes first. Then Thailand. Then Kashmir or Kerala. Then maybe Sikkim. Arunachal Pradesh tends to be the trip that gets pushed back year after year, partly because of the logistics. The Inner Line Permits are required even for Indian citizens. The Restricted Area Permit for foreign travellers. The basic hotel facilities in the Northeast region. The narrow mountain roads. The unpredictable weather at Sela Pass is at 13,700 feet.
Pritha Chatterjee decided to stop pushing the trip back. She booked 7 days in Arunachal Pradesh for the last week of May 2025, travelling with Sangeeta and Divyanshi Sharda.
The team configured the basic trip outline right away: a triple-sharing room across five different hotels and a private sedan with one driver-cum-guide across the full week. The route ran through Bhalukpong, Dirang, Tawang, Bomdila, and back to Guwahati.
Although she was apprehensive at first, the pre-departure briefing was everything to her. It covered exactly how the trip would flow, what are the different metrics Thrillophilia would be handling for them, and how to contact them in case of any issues.
By the time Pritha set out with her friends, her mind was clear of all its apprehensiveness, and all she was concerned about was how to have a good time.
Her review afterwards was short and clean.
"The whole trip was well planned. Everything was perfect."
Bhalukpong Was the Soft Opener
They landed in Guwahati on the 23rd of May. The sedan was waiting at the airport.
Settled into the hotel within a short period, Pritha couldn't help but notice the smoothness of it all. Their driver eased them into Meghalaya's scenery and rhythm while on the way to their hotel and recommended local restaurants for them to try. But above all else, his politeness is what reassured her of their transfer-heavy itinerary's success.
The first day was kept at leisure. Three women on a Northeast trip do not need to rush into adventure on arrival day.
Dirang Brought the Orchids and the Monasteries
Day two was the drive up to Dirang. The Tippi Orchid Research Centre was the morning stop, with its 500-plus species of orchids housed in the conservatories. The Nag Mandir snake temple followed for a brief visit. The road continued climbing into the Dirang valley, where the cold air settles in early in the afternoon even in May.
The Dirang sightseeing covered the Dirang Monastery, the Kalachakra Gompa, and the apple and kiwi farms at the edges of the valley.
The Long Climb to Tawang
Day three was the long drive to Tawang. This is the day every Arunachal trip is built around. The route runs through Sela Pass at 13,700 feet, which is the second-highest motorable pass in India. Snow lines the road on both sides, even in late May.
Nuranang Falls on the way down is the photographic stop. Tawang itself sits at 10,000 feet. Hotel check-in was in the afternoon. The rest of the evening was for acclimatisation.
Tawang Local and the Madhuri Lake Day
Day four was the local sightseeing. Shonga-tser Lake (better known as Madhuri Lake after the Madhuri Dixit song was shot there). Taktsang Gompa. The Tawang Monastery itself, founded in 1681, is the largest Buddhist monastery in India and one of the largest in Asia.
By this time Pritha and her friends had all slipped into a comfortable rhythm where they were covering destinations at their own pace. Because of this flexibility, none of the destinations felt rushed or overwhelming , and Pritha was having the time of her life.
Bomdila and the Road Back
Day five was the drive south to Bomdila. The Gontse Rabgyaling Monastery (Upper Gonpa) and the Thub-Chog Gatsel Ling Monastery (Lower Gonpa) filled the afternoon. Bomdila is small enough to walk through in an evening.
Day six was the long drive back to Guwahati. The landscape transitions from the Arunachal hills to the Assam plains over five hours, including a few Assam tour package extensions. The evening was free for the Fancy Market or the Paltan Market.
Day seven was the Kamakhya Temple visit before the airport drop, which was the closing stop for a trip that had been about Buddhist monasteries for six days.
Where Thrillophilia Made the Difference
Vishakha at Thrillophilia handled the booking. The Inner Line Permits were sorted in advance. The triple-sharing room was confirmed at every hotel. The Sela Pass crossing was timed for the morning, so the weather window held. The two-night Tawang stay gave the group altitude acclimatisation time. The basic facilities reality of Northeast hotels was communicated upfront in the advisory section, which meant the group arrived prepared rather than surprised.
This was a trip that Pritha needed to be perfect, and that's exactly what it turned out to be.
Also Checkout: A Solo Traveller, and the Road to Tawang: Ritu's Arunachal Pradesh Trip with Thrillophilia
