Arunachal Pradesh: Three Ways To Enjoy The Great Outdoors

If you have ever been to Arunachal Pradesh, any part of it, you will agree when I say this--there isn't a single aspect of Arunachal that makes you feel lazy. The moment you reach, the moment you look at those gushing rivers, those unending ranges of tall hills, dark forests, even the little towns for that matter, they all scream adventure. It's just so raw and vibrant and one would hardly want to stay indoors. And if you are the outdoorsy kind, get ready to have the best time of your life.

River Rafting

When we speak of rafting in Arunachal Pradesh, grand rivers like Brahmaputra, Subansiri, Lohit and Siang comes to mind. Flanked by stunning landscapes on both sides of these rivers, the experience becomes a heady mix of huge adrenaline rush and a visual treat. Experience the might of Brahmaputra River as you raft your way from Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal. Enroute you will come across splendid views of rainforests and rapids like Big Drops, Riffles, Roaring Rikor, Zebra Rock, Cherring, Toorthfairy and Karko. Subansiri River, although, is best left for experts. Rafting on this river means experiencing the raw power of the wild river and high grade rapids. A little more than 150km stretch on this river is what you are looking at, so be prepared to do some heavy work. Sippi, Taliha Camp and Daporijo are places from where one can opt for rafting on this river. Rafting on Siang River means you will be tackling with Grade 3 and 4 rapids and Grade 4 and 5 on Lohit River.

Trekking

Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it will feel like your chest is on fire. Such is trekking in Arunachal Pradesh. Some of the most popular trekking routes are Mechukha trek, Daporijo-Taksing, Talley Valley Trek, Ziro Valley Trek, Bomdila-Seppa and Along Mechukha to name a few. The routes will take you on some of the best trails with beautiful views of snow covered mountains, river valleys, rainforest and a smattering of villages here and there.

Angling

Yes, you can do fishing and angling to your heart's content in Arunachal Pradesh. And on those wild rivers of Arunachal, it is nothing short of an adventure. But as Spider-man was once advised, "With great power comes great responsibility", one can and should apply this while angling in the state. Arunachalis take the activity pretty seriously and so there are a lot of local rules and regulations. Best time is from October to April, the period after monsoon. Here the rivers are pristine, meaning more fishes. Most sought after fishes are golden mahseer and brown trout. But remember you need a proper fishing and angling permit from the state government. Permits can be obtained from the state's Department of Fisheries. This is done in order to keep a check on the fish stock. Siang River is known for a healthy population of the golden mahseer.

The Information

Although tourist friendly, for security reasons, official permission is required to enter Arunachal Pradesh. Visitors (other than natives of Arunachal Pradesh) are required to obtain an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to enter the state.