Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Immigration

I decided to enter Cambodia by road from Thailand as I was not sure how many days I would be there and wanted the flexibility of coming back to Thailand in case I had time to spare. I booked the bus through 12go and the bus company was Giant Ibis transport which turned out to be the right choice as it was very comfortable. Didn't feel the 8 hours it took for the ride. 

The immigration was a little choppy. Though I had an evisa, not too many people from India came by land. The bus coordinator did tell me that there would be questions for Indians, Pakistanis and other South Asians about availability of money and I needed a return flight ticket to get through the land route. I decided to take my chances and thought would book a return flight on the spot if asked to do so. The immigration officer asked me to show that I had enough cash for the visit. Luckily I had a wad of dollars and the officer took a photo and sent it to some higher up before he waived me through.  

Siem Reap

Arriving in Siem Reap, I checked in to the Yashodarapura residence, an upmarket hotel located about 5 Kms from the temples of Angkor Wat. The reception was welcoming and efficient. There was breakfast in the mornings and a nice pool which I was hoping to use.

Cambodian Hotpot

In the evening, I stepped out for dinner and chanced upon a restaurant nearby called Angkor BBQ/Srey Khouch which was quite busy. It turned out to be an all you can eat seafood hotpot and grill restaurant. Its popular in Cambodia and called  phnom pleung (hill of fire), which is cook-your-own meat over a personal barbecue and soup chhnang dei (cook-your-own soup in a clay pot).  I was shocked by the price which was all inclusive 7$. There were an assortment of sea food from Kalamari, shrimps, Octopus, fish to cut meats and assortment of vegetables for the hot pot. Apart from that there was a buffet spread along with desserts. 

The next day was to buy a driver's license and get oriented, so I went for a walk to the center of town. The town is neatly laid out in a grid with the river flowing on the East. There are beautiful cafes and restaurants. The French influence can be seen in the buildings and cafes. 

Angkor Museum

Before visiting the temples, I spent half a day at the Angkor museum in town. It's worth it as it gives a comprehensive overview into the different Khmer periods, kings, architecture and culture. It's a well organized museum and covers the main periods of Khmer, from Pre-Angkorian (includes Fu-Nan or Phnom and Chen-La periods), Angkorian (includes Kulen, Baphuon, Angkor Wat and Bayon) and post Angkorian periods. 

Temple visit plan

I bought a 3 day Angkor ticket from the official website and planned to join group tours over 2 days to visit the temples. On day 3, I would explore on my own based on how the 1st two days went.

Day 1 and 2

Since there was possibility of rain, I decided to visit the main two temple complexes Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom the next day and cover the rest of the temples on day 1. 

These included Banteay Srei, Pre-Rup and East Mebon temples which came before Angkor Wat. We also explored Preah Khan and Ta Som which were temples from the Bayon period that followed soon after Angkor Wat.

Tour Guide

We were 4 people on the tour, a mother and daughter of Polish origin from England, a South Korean and myself.  Our guide for the tour was a man named Pin Poch. He kept us engaged by telling us stories about his childhood when Vietnam had intervened and pushed out the Pol Pot regime, Cambodian customs and present political disposition. 

The next day was dedicated to the main Angkor Wat temple and the Angkor Thom Complex. Angkor Thom came after Angkor Wat during the Buddhist period and included Bayon and Ta Prohm temples. Ta Prohm is famously known as Tomb Raider temple (after the movie). 

We were a total of 10 people and included an assortment of 3 young men from Mauritius, 2 Australians, 1 French and 1 Dutch lady and 2 guys from Europe. One of the Australians was of South Indian ethnicity who told me he was unhappy that the guide didn't mention that in fact it was the Cholas from India who had built Angkor Wat! 

Day 3 and 4

On the 3rd day, I hired a bike and explored a group of temples 15 Kms South East of the main group in the 9th century city of Hariharalaya (Preah Ko and Bakong temples) and Prasath Beng Mealea, 40 Kms East built during the time of Angkor Wat. The round about route from the city to the Bakong temples, Prasath Beng Mealea and back is a pleasant ride of about 116 kms  

One of the best ways to feel the size of the Angkor kingdom is to drive around Angkor Wat and Thom which is what I did on day 4. The route is about 26 Kms and it can also be a way to see the temples, if one is not using a tour company (See Figure).

Overall, the scale and size of the ruins and the grand conception of the city by the Khymer is impressive and staggering. It was the largest city of its time and the accomplishments of the Khymer kings truly marked it as a world heritage site. The site is also well managed with top notch tourist infrastructure and ticketing system. Tickets are priced at a level that only the serious tourist can access the site and was a complete contrast in the way Hampi, another world heritage site in Karnataka and covering a similar area is managed. India has to learn a lot on how to manage and preserve our heritage and create a sustainable tourist infrastructure.

Hariharalaya - 9th Century

Preak Ko

Jayavarman II established first Angkor capital at Hariharalaya in the 9th century 1 5 Kms South East of Angkor Wat. Preak Ko was the first temple to be built and is a shiva temple dedicated to Jayavarman II and his father and Grandfather. It is in a dilapidated condition, but has some fine lintel carvings. 

Bakong

Bakong is an impressive stepped pyramid and reminded me of Prambanam and Borobodur. It is the first temple to be built using sandstone while the satellite temples are made of brick. The pyramid has 5 levels and the top tower was built later in the style of Angkor Wat. This is a temple worth visiting and since it's off the track, it's not very crowded. When I went, I saw a few tourists doing sketches of the brick temples in their sketch pads.

The pre Angkor Wat temples primarily used Laterite, brick, stucco and the frames and lintels used sandstone. These are primarily Shiva temples but have Indra and Vishnu related carvings. During the Angkor Wat period from 1100 AD, sandstones began to be used for the entire temple instead of brick and stucco. 

Yashodharapura - End of 9th Century onwards

Yashodharapura was founded by Yasovarman or the Leper king who moved his capital from Hariharalaya. He built the East Baray reservoir which is now dry and built temples on it. This along with West Baray which is still filled up and on which Angkor Wat stands are some of the largest hand cut water reservoirs on earth. 

East Mebon, Pre-Rup

Pre-Rup

East Mebon

East Mebon and Pre-Rup temples stand on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir. East Mebon has 3 tiers and free standing elephants at the corners with a central tower and 4 small corner towers at the top. The elephants and carvings are excellent. 

Banteay Srei

Similarly Pre-Rup has 3 step tiers with 5 towers at the top. Funerals were conducted in this temple and these towers had slits in the bricks for the smoke to come out. Pre-rup has extensive Laterite and brick and in the evening Sun, it glows like a jewel.

Banteay Srei

Banteay Sri is the prettiest of all temples and most well preserved. It is made from red sandstone and the elaborate walls and lintel carvings are intact. It was built in the 10th century and is a jewel of Khmer art.

Angkor Wat and Beng Mealea -  Suryavarman II

Angkor Wat

Suryavarman II was the first king who built temples dedicated to Vishnu. His enduring creation was building Angkor Wat, the  largest religious structure in the world, now a world heritage site. It was constructed in 1150 CE as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and later transformed into a Buddhist temple. The size of the temple complex with its Central Towers, four sided galleries filled with bas reliefs and the encircled moat is mind boggling. I visited the complex twice in 3 days to be able to do justice to it. Angkor Wat is a proud representation of Cambodia and is depicted in its National Flag.

Prasath Beng Mealea

Angkor comes from the Sanskrit word Nagara meaning city and the original name is Vrah Vishnuloka which means abode of Lord Vishnu. Unlike most temples which face East, he temples face west because Vishnu is the Lord of the West. Later during Jayavarman VII period when Angkor Thom was established, it became a Buddhist temple and continued to be so till its rediscovery by the world

Prasath Beng Mealea is another fascinating temple during this period and a must see. 40 Kms East of the city, It's a huge temple complex and completely in ruins with nature taking over the complex. It is one of the most fascinating sites that I have ever visited.

Angkor Thom - Late 12th century

Bayon Temple

Angkor Thom which was founded by Jayavarman VII came after Angkor Wat and was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. Jayavarman was the first king devoted to Buddhism and built the Bayon temple which is built in "Baroque style" compared to the "classical style" of Angkor Wat. Angkor Thom was sacked by the Ayutthaya kingdom after which the capital shifted to Phnom Penh. The entrance gateways to the city are impressive and each entrance has a causeway over the moat with devas and asuras churning the Ocean with Nagas.

Ta Prohm

Outside the Angkor Thom complex, there are a few notable temples to see of this period. Starting in the south is the Ta Prohm temple which is famously known as the Angelina Jolie temple. It's a Bayon style Buddhist temple and famous for its large ficus trees that have grown over the temples and walls. Looking at them I was reminded of the poem Ozymandias and how time can conquer even the greatest builders and bring everything back to dust.

Further north to the East is Ta Som which is famous for its four Gopurams with Bayon style faces and a stranger fig that has been taken over one of the Gopuras. The temple is largely unrestored. 

Prasat Preah Khan

Walkway to Neak Pean

Going westwards from Ta Som,  Neak Pean is a Mahayana Buddhist temple is in the middle of a massive tank called Baray and one has to go over a newly laid bridge to reach it. The temple is shaped like a coiled snake. It is one of the many hospitals that Jayavarman VII built and is based on the ancient Hindu belief of balance between Water, Earth, Fire and Wind. Originally, four sculptures stood on the floor of the lake. The only statue that remains is that of a horse representing Avalokitesvara.

Further west is Prasat Preah Khan . It was built on the site of Jayavarman VII's victory over the invading Chams in 1191. The temple is flat in design, with a basic plan of successive rectangular galleries around a Buddhist sanctuary surrounded by Hindu satellite temples. Like Ta Prohm, Preah Khan has been left largely unrestored, with numerous trees growing among the ruins. Highlights of the temple include Garudas holding Nagas on the outer walls, a hall of dancers and a two-storeyed structure with round columns which was the Granary.

Food and Shopping

Beef Lok Lak

I frequented the Angkor BBQ/Srey Khouch as I found it great value for money.  Other cafes and restaurants I explored were Crane which is a cute cafe with excellent Kombucha and Golden Pumpkin restaurant for local Khmer dishes.

Along the river behind the hotel, there is a walkway where one can sample local street food. I ran across a young man who started a roadside Cafe with coffee equipment which he ordered online from China. He was in college and then dropped out to start this. It's called Street Slow Bar. Excellent Coffee for a dollar. 

Street Slow Bar

The bars are all clustered around Pub Street which comes alive in the evenings. 

For shopping, instead of buying industrial souvenirs made in China, I went for a unique collection from a store called Jayavarman art. The store is located in a beautiful place Khmer house surrounded by a tropical garden. They have realistic replicas and items made from paper mache and I bought a Shiva head replica from the Angkor era. These are light as well as durable.

Travel to Phnom Penh 

After spending almost a week in Seam Reap, I boarded a bus at 7 am to Phnom Penh. There are many transport companies and I chose Larryta travels which has a good and safe reputation. The bus took around 5 1/2 hours and the drive was smooth. 

Cambodia - History and Culture

History and Politics

Prisoner Room
Genocide Museum

Cambodia is a country with a checkered and tragic past unparalleled to any country. A thousand years back it had the rule of the Khmer kings, the largest Empire during its time. And in the 1970s, it was the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, one of the most cruel despots that the world has ever seen. Today the story of the Khmer Rouge crimes is well known. Two million Cambodians, one-quarter of the nation's population, were killed during Pol Pot's three and one-half years in power. Eighty percent of Cambodia's teachers were killed and 95 percent of the doctors, along with almost everyone else who had an education. Cambodia, as Pol Pot liked to say, was returned to year zero.

Cambodia since the fall of Pol Pot has been dominated by the rivalry of three factions. 1st was Hun Sen who had taken refuge in Vietnam and was installed by the invading Vietnam as Prime Minister. Next was Sam Rainsy, who was supported by the west but who had limited support on the ground. The last one was Norodom  Ranariddh, who was the son of King  Sihanouk  and tried to use his position to create influence among the people.

However Rainsy and Ranariddh lacked the personal dedication, perseverance, and understanding of postwar Cambodia to compete effectively against Hun Sen. Hun Sen as head of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) controlled all the officials on the ground and ensured that he won all elections to date. Cambodia in essence is a single party state under total control by Hun Sen who is now the President with his son being the prime Minister. Among the opposition, Rainsy is in exile and Ranariddh died in 2021.

From conversations I had with people, most Cambodians don't like the Vietnamese and Chinese and 90% of people are against the CPP.

The country is riddled with corruption and with Chinese money coming in for the last few decades, there is a constant pressure between development and maintaining the pristine environment of Cambodia for future generations. 

Economy and Infrastructure

Cambodia is around 180000 sq kms which is almost the size of Karnataka state in India but has only 25% of its population at 17 million. The person capita GDP is around 1875 dollars which is half of Karnataka. It's therefore a lower middle income country like Vietnam and India. 

Phnom Penh City

Cambodia’s economy grew at an average annual rate of 7.6 percent between 1995 and 2019, driven largely by tourism, manufacturing exports, real estate, and construction, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Post Pandemic, growth has slowed down and it is expected to be around 5.8% in 2024.  In the ASEAN region, Cambodia is tracking as having the 3rd strongest GDP growth in 2024 (behind Vietnam and India). It is the only economy in the region expected to grow stronger in 2025.

The highway infrastructure is good and well maintained. The broad highways of Thailand gave way to mainly 2 lane roads. Some upcountry roads were dusty at places due to no proper kerbing. The countryside was filled with rice fields unlike the corn fields I saw on the Thai side. 

Infrastructure in cities like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh is good and well maintained with pavements, proper drains and sidewalks unlike Indian urban cities which have a lot to be desired.

Bank QR Codes

One unique characteristic is that all prices are both in USD and the Cambodian Riel. The primary transactional currency is the US dollar with the Riel being used only in small amounts with a value of 2000 Riel to the dollar. Dollarization emerged spontaneously because public confidence in the Riel eroded due to the Khmer Rouge's destruction of all infrastructure and subsequent mismanagement of the economy. The hyperinflation of the 90s worsened the situation and currently only 5% of deposits and loans are in Riel.  The price of goods is more expensive than Vietnam and Laos considering its economy and I would put it as equivalent to India and slightly lower than Thailand.

Digital infrastructure is also good with mobile and internet coverage and QR code payments are used everywhere unlike Vietnam which is a cash economy. Even small vendors had a clutch of bank QR codes which reminded me of India although there is no unified payment interface like UPI here. 

The Central Bank has now launched a blockchain based system called Bakong. While consumers can still choose to pay using a banking app, if they scan a KHQR code, the payment backend now goes via the Bakong blockchain payment system and participant banks all support the new format. However from what I saw, a clutch of QR codes still continues.

Culture

Cambodia today is heavily influenced by their Hindu past. One of our guides shared this interesting story when we chanced upon a wedding during the tour. It was the legend of the Indian king. I researched the story further. 

 The Khmer wedding ceremony has been inspired by the beautiful legend of the marriage of the first Khmer prince Preah Thong and the Naga princess Neang Neak. Preah Thong was an Indian prince, who set sails to the east to find his own land. One day, his ship approached an island. The prince  decided to moor the ship and got off to explore that island. In a full moon night, Preah Thong accidentally caught a strange sight, when the ocean's surface suddenly rippled and there was a group of people emerging from the underwater. They were princess Neang Neak – the daughter of the Naga King, and her maids and servants.

The prince and princess fell in love with each other at the first sight and they went to Neang Neak's underwater kingdom to ask permission from her father. After the Naga King approved, a big wedding celebration was held for three days and three nights. The king then used his magic power to swallow the water to form the land that is now known as Cambodia and presented it to the newlywed couple. From then, Preah Thong and Neang Neak started to build their own kingdom and lived together happily ever after.

Many Khmer wedding customs and ceremonies are believed to be influenced by the marriage of these two legendary figures.

While India has a historical cultural connection, today it is China which is  gaining influence over Cambodia through the BRI trade. There are currently over 100 Chinese educational institutions in the country and more than 100,000 Cambodian learners. Around 280 Chinese teachers and 1,900 volunteers are being sent to Cambodia annually. China's vocational education and training (VET) model is also being used to align education with economic needs and support Cambodia's goal of becoming a regional manufacturing and service hub.

 Meanwhile France is also trying to influence its erstwhile French colonies through a common agenda. In the recent 2024 Francophonie Summit in Paris, Cambodia was officially selected to host the next Summit, which will bring together 84 member countries and 26 observer states in 2026.

The only news I saw about India is how dubious firms involved in fake recruitment job offers are trafficking Indian nationals to Cambodia and other nearby countries and making them to carry out cyber crime and other illegal activities from scam centers operating in these countries. About 1000 plus Indian nationals have been rescued and released by Cambodian authorities over last 3 years as per the Indian Embassy in Cambodia.

Bangkok - Enroute to Cambodia

Overall Plan

I planned to visit Cambodia in July and decided to fly to Bangkok and then travel to Cambodia by road. This was because I was not sure how long I would stay in Cambodia and wanted the option of traveling in Thailand on my way back. I did a stop over in Bangkok for a few days and while I was there, met up with two of my ex colleagues who were currently working in Bangkok. 

Sukhumvit

I stayed in the Sukhumvit area which is a lively place and where all the major hotels, restaurants and entertainment options were. Food options are plenty and include excellent Western, Thai, Burmese, Indian, middle eastern, Ethiopian, Chinese and Japanese restaurants. I and a big fan of Adam Gottschalk who is a journalist-turned-chef and runs the OTR channel on YouTube. In one of his programs, he had covered Burmese food and I wanted to ensure that I ate at least one Burmese restaurant. One of the first things I did was to visit ThaNaKa Myanmar Restaurant and taste its food. I tried the picked tea leaf salad which was flavorful and crunchy and had Pork with sour Bamboo shoot curry with rice. It was wonderful and reminded me of North East Indian food. 

I was told Bangkok had over 20 lakhs Indians who had settled when the king had given them land near Sukhumvit at very low rates. Now this part of the city has become the main area and very expensive. These Thai Indians can be differentiated from their Indianized names. I asked my friend about his experience working in Bangkok. He said that today there are people from across the world working here including Indians. The school system is very good where the medium of instruction is Thai and there are also international schools. In many ways like India, society favors respect and politeness for individuality and creativity. Therefore while Thais are good at Tourist and services related activities, the level of innovation and use of Technology within the country is limited. Most technology companies are mostly from Singapore and Indonesia. 

City Pillar and Wat Pho

The city Pillar is where the foundation of the city is kept in the form of a Lingam and is common across Thailand and Laos. Both this temple and Wat Pho which is one of the important Wats in Bangkok are just outside the royal palace area and I spent a few hours in both these places. I had visited the Royal Palace and the Emerald Buddha temple several years back and I decided to give it a miss.

The city pillar was set up by Rama I, the founder of the Chakri dynasty and the city of Krung Rattanakosin or Bangkok. The shrine also has five guardian spirits including interestingly Chao Chettakup or Chitragupta who is an assistant to Yama, the God of death and keeps a record of all the deaths of a person. 

Wat Pho was built by King Rama I and contains his ashes. It has the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand including the famous reclining Buddha. It was also a Center for public education and has illustrations and inscriptions for public instructions. 

The best time to visit these places is early morning before the day gets hot and the tourist crowds start pouring in. Before going to these places, I stopped for breakfast at the Trok Mor Morning Market which is near the Palace and has got great street food. 

Wat Arun and Souksiam

While exiting Thailand back to India, I made it a point to go to Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn which I had visited a few years back but at that time it was being renovated. It is an impressive structure on the other side of the Chao Phraya river and is very popular for photo shoots. Dedicated to Aruna, the charioteer of Surya God and the father of Jatayu, the temple is very impressive with its colorful tiles and the towering 200 ft spire of the main pagoda. 

It's a day well spent traveling along the river and the best way to do it is to buy an all day river pass on the tourist blue boat at Sathorn Pier. One can hop in and out of the various sites. One of the stops I made was to Iconsiam, a stylish mall and one of the best places to taste Thai street food from across all regions in an airconditioned Souk called Souksiam. I would highly recommend it to every visitor. 

City Parks and Art

Bangkok is a world class city with great food and entertainment destinations. What I also liked was its many parks where you could go for a morning run or evening strolls. I loved going to Lumphini park for my morning runs and Benchakitti during the evening where there is a beautiful lake, walkways all across the park and a main Amphitheater where there are free shows on Saturdays.  

If you love art and antiques, River City Bangkok is the place where I spent half a day wandering around its wonderful art galleries and antique shops. I bought a modern painting from MT Gallery which has a decent collection.

Before exiting, I had to make a stop at Thaniya shopping Center which is a mall just for Golf equipment and accessories. It is a customary place for me and my friends to visit when in Bangkok and a great place to shop for Golfing gear.

 

 

In and around Tawang

 The Road to the Tibet Border

The road to Tawang from Chug Valley took around 6 hours and we took the Sela Tunnel instead of going up the pass. We would cover Sela Lake on our way back. Passing by JaswantGarh War Memorial, we reached our homestay late evening.

Tseten Homestay is a lovely place located at the entrance of Tawang Town about 3 Kms before the Market area. This would be our base for the next 2 days as we explore Tawang and its nearby sights. Next day morning, we decided to travel to the Indo-china border as there was a possibility of rain the day after and we didn't want to take the chance.

Way to Holy Waterfalls

There are various border points and most tourists go to the Bumla Pass which is the route the Dalai Lama had taken to escape to India. However, we travelled up to Chumig Gyatse Holy Waterfalls, where recently a border road has been built. 

The Holy Waterfalls has significance in that it is a sacred place in Arunachal Pradesh which was blessed by Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche by the Tibetans), the great yogi and tantric master who lived in the 8th century AD. It is also the location where the Yangtse clash took place between the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army on the night of December 9, 2022. Violent clashes took place between the two armies which confronted each other with nail-studded clubs on a ridgeline above the waterfalls.

At the Waterfalls

To reach here, we travelled towards Bumla pass, then 6 kms before Bumla, one takes an eastward turn. The scenery around the lake and the pass (at an altitude of 4,200 meters) leaves you spellbound. Of course, one encounters a heavy military presence, due to the proximity of the border and the constant Chinese belligerence. 

The drive goes past Panga Teng Tso lake and we stop for a bit at Gribtsang Tso (Nagula Lake). Then after driving through the high plateau, one reaches grazing grounds and further ahead a thickly forested area with extremely old and tall pine trees. From there, we can see the gorges further down with the river flowing below after which sharp turns on the road high above climbs up to the ridge.

Chug Valley and Bishum-Phudung

Chug Valley

The Chug Valley is about 10 Kms from Dirang and offers an unique experience of Monpa culture and its culinary practices. Once we reached there, we were greeted by Lekyi, a Monpa woman from a neighbouring village who took us around the fields and the valley. 

We first went to see a Chuskor which is an indigenous technique of Monpa community to grind millets and grains by using flowing water to run a wooden turbine. We then got to know about making Mon Shugu which is a traditional handmade paper used in Monasteries and prayer wheels. All around were fields where we could see oranges, kiwis and other seasonal fruits being grown. 

We then went up to the Village Gompa. In the Center of the fields was an impressive sitting statue of Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. 

After walking through the fields, we went up to the old village. Enroute, we met some locals who were dry roasting corn to make it into a snack (Kakung) and we stopped to watch and taste it. 

The old village was a quaint collection of original Monpa houses. We were led to a 100 year old house for lunch and it was an unique fusion dining experience blending traditional Monpa cuisine with contemporary culinary techniques. Run by a group of ladies from the village, this curated experience turned out to be one of the top highlights of our trip.

Shergaon and Sherdukpens

The Travel Route

Every year I pick up a state in North East India and go for a visit through Chalohoppo, a travel experience company based out of the North East. Last two years, I had been to Nagaland and Meghalaya and this year I chose West Arunachal Pradesh. September was a good time as the Monsoon would be receding and it wouldn't be too cold. I reached out to two of my friends from College who joined me and we booked our slots and flight tickets. 

The 3 Musketeers with Ashiq

Three other women solo travelers were in our group and I was happy that two Trip Leaders who I had met in my earlier travels were joining us. One was Nick Doley who is from Majuli, Assam and Vikho was from Nagaland who I had met during the Nagaland trip 2 years back. We also had Pawan who was from Manipur and joined Chalohoppo recently. Ashiq was our driver whose patience and happy disposition was crucial for a smooth drive through the long roads of Arunachal. 

The plan was to drive up from Guwahati entering Arunachal and moving alongside Bhutan's eastern border to Tawang. Enroute we would be staying at Shergaon and Dirang before reaching Tawang, our final destination. We would also be going to the Indo-Chinese border from Tawang on one of the days. The overall round trip was for 8 days.

Arunachal Pradesh - Land of Tribes

Arunachal has a huge diversity of population and about 23 major tribes and 100 sub-tribes live in the state. To categorize the cultural spheres broadly, West Arunachal Pradesh is populated by the Monpas, a tribe who follow Tibetan Buddhism. In the lower areas near Shergaon, there is a Buddhist Animist tribe called Sherdukpen. Central Arunachal Pradesh is populated by the Tani tribes who are a Sino-tibetan ethnic group and migrated from their homelands into Arunachal and Assam. They are animists and have their own religion called Donyi-Polo. The Eastern part of Arunachal is populated by the Mishmi tribes who are predominantly animists.