-Arunachal Pradesh

Bomdila-Itanagar-Namdapha National Park

Right at the top of north-eastern India, crowning its six clustered sisters like a protective helmet, is Arunachal Pradesh, the `Land of the Dawn-lit- Mountains.' This is the first Indian soil to greet the morning sun. Dawn first illuminates Arunachal's border with China: a long border which stretches all the way from its east, over to its northern boundaries and down to its north- western edge where it merges with Tibet. To its west is Bhutan and on its southern end it touches Assam, Nagaland and Burma before sweeping up to Calcutta.

Altitude: Naharlagun- 200 meters, Itanagar- 750 meters. Climate (Degree C.): Summer- Max. 40, Min. 18. Winter - Max. 12, Min. 5. Rainfall: 266 cms. Best Season: October to April. Clothing: Summer - Cottons; Winter- Woolens. Languages spoken: Indigenous languages, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali & English.

Places Of Interest: Naharlagun: Polo Park and Zoo. Itanagar: The Buddhist Temple and Ganga Sekhi Lake.

Reach - By Air: The nearest airport is Lilabari in Assam, 57 kms from Naharlagun and 67 kms from Itanagar. By Rail: The nearest railway station is Harmuty- 23 kms from Naharlagun & 33 km from Itanagar and North Lakhimpur in Assam, 50 km from Naharlagun & 60 km from Itanagar. By Road: Guwahati- 381 kms, Shillong- 481 kms, Agartala- 980 kms, Aizawl- 901 kms, Kohima- 350 kms, Imphal- 495 kms. Bomdila Starting at the airport of Tezpur in Assam. The road passes through low wooded slops about 60 kms beyond Tezpur. Anglers or those who want a brief rest should wait till they encounter the broad spread of the Bharali river as it emerges from the mountains into the wooded upper plains. On the banks of the river, at an elevation of 190 meters is Tipi, a glass house with over 7,500 orchids. From here the road is fairly steep as it soars up to the small headquarter of the West Kameng district Bomdila at a height of over 2530 meters. It has a tourist lodge, a Craft centre, Apple orchards and Buddhist Gumphas. There are also views of Himalayan landscapes and Snow clad ranges. Bomdila is a good place to rest over nights. Reach - By Air: Nearest airport is Tezpur- 160 kms. By Rail: Bhalukpung (M.G)- 100 kms. By Road: Guwahati, Tezpur, Tawang and Itanagar. Itanagar Itanagar the capital of Naharlagun is enchanting. The people of Itanagar are the greatest attraction of this beautiful land. The Nishi warriors wearing their 'bopiah' hornbill caps, carrying their 'chokh' bearskin bags with their 'oyjo' knives in their monkey-skin 'burkhey' scabbards are worth seeing. Itanagar captures the spirit of this desire to minimize the conflicts that arise when a traditional society is guided into modernity. Traditional huts are scattered amongst the more recent constructions and between them lie the administrative offices, shops, the bazaar and thatched huts. It's all very low-profile and unassuming and even the most diffident tribal from the remotest village is unlikely to feel uneasy when he comes to the capital. Itanagar has been identified with Mayapur, the capital of the 11th century AD JItri dynasty. Namdapha National Park For the truly dedicated wilderness and wildlife fan, a visit to the Namdapha National Park is a challenging goal. An unique feature of the park is that it is the only one park in the world in which four of the great felines are found viz., the tiger, the leopard, the snow leopard and the clouded leopard. It is also an ideal for trekking and hiking. Area of the park: Altitude: 200 meters to 4500 meters. Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max. , Min. Winter- Max. , Min., Clothing: Summer- cottons, Winter- woolen. Languages spoken: Tangsa, Singpho, Assamese, Hindi, English. Best season: October to April. Reach: By Air: Nearest airport Dibrugarh- 140 kms. By Rail: Nearest railway station Margherita is connected by local passenger train with Tinsukia which in turn is connected with major cities of India. By Road: Dibrugarh- 140 kms, Tezu- 182 kms, Sibsagar- 199 kms, Guwahati- 561 kms.