BackRoads Himalayas

A Discovery of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh:

GUWAHATI - SHILLONG - TAWANG (1,500 km)

A brief exploration of Meghalaya's and western Arunachal's key locations. For those riders who are comfortable riding under the rain!

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL at GUWAHATI

All participants reach the airport at Guwahati, Assam. They will be taken by car to the hotel Taj Vivanta, our adventure starting point.

Whatever is left of the day is spent in preparations, briefing, getting used to the motorbikes, relaxing while sampling delicious Assam tea, and knowing each other. An appreciable moment of comfort before launching ourselves into the rough & tough!

DAY 2

Let's start easy. On this first day, we ride to Shillong, a very appealing hill station that goes back to the days of the British Raj. Located at 1,520 m atitude, Shillong is accessible through a hill road which is a rider's delight. This region is home to the Khasi tribe, known for it's artisanat, delicious food specialities and its matriarchal society, still functional today. In Shillong, the woman runs the show!

DAY 3

Today, we ride to Dawki and then, Cheerrapunjee where we will settle for the night. Dawki is the End of the world! The road ends at the edge of a 1000 m high vertical cliff, infinite to your right and to your left, and down below stretches till the horizon, the immense flat plains of Bangladesh. A unique vista! On the way, those who feel tempted can have a shot at an impressive zipline crossing a wide valley, usually adorned with drifting banks of fog. Just another kind of a ride... Let's not forget that Cheerapunjee is the location of the highest precipitations on earth, beating even the Amazon basin; It rains, I believe, about 300 days a year! This will be a wet ride, so, be prepared and make sure that you have your weatherproof biking coverall.

DAY 4

Return from Cheerapunjee to Guwahati, a 5 hours ride to return to the shores of the Brahmaputra. Drying wet clothes in the comfort of Taj Vivanta might be felt as a blessing!

DAY 5

Today, a long ride awaits us, so, we will have an early start at 6 am. We head towards Bomdilla, via Tezpur, crossing the border at Balukpong. As we reach Bomdilla in the evening, after many tea breaks, we will enjoy a well-earned sleep in a comfortable guesthouse overlooking Bomdilla, away from the noise of the town, and with a beautiful view. Warm clothing required from there on in our journey.

DAY 6

A very early start mandatory. Who hasn't dreamed to visit Tawang? When the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959, this legendary town has been his entry point into India. Since then, a very strong Tibetan culture has been preserved in the area, with an overlaying Buddhist presence. Witness to this is the Tawang Monastery which is the largest Tibetan monastery, just behind the Potala in Lhasa. However, for us bikers, an ultimate challenge stands in the way: the Sela Pass, at an elevation of 4,200 m. It is a known fact that at high altitudes in the Himalayas, one may encounter hail or snowfalls in any season. So, depending on our luck with the weather, this leg of the journey might take anything between 7 to 10 hours — be sure that not one minute of it will be boring! A beautiful black lake is nested at the top of the pass and some military shack will grant you a warm refuge with hot Maggi noodles and steaming tea.

DAY 7

We have earned a relaxing day at Tawang. Besides, considering its cultural heritage, it is not a place that should be skipped lightly. Tawang is a history-rich town, also the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Instead, we will mostly leave the motorbikes idle, visit the impressive Buddhist Monastery, other places of interest such as the massive Golden Buddha, and wander through the picturesque town's bazaar while tasting delicious momos and tupka. Free roaming and photography for all.

DAY 8

Early start at Tawang. We will cross the Sela pass again, but instead of staying in Bomdilla, we will drop off the main road some 30 km short, follow a kutcha road along the Sangti river and spend the night in a beautiful, remote Mompa village, Sangti. Yes, the very same village we revealed to the world while riding 'Kalki's Great Escape' in 2016. (Read my blog on this journey)

DAY 9

This will be our last riding day, but not the least. A long ride again (punctuated with plenty of stops and breaks and lunch and teas — we are reasonable people...); but no need to worry, by then your bum will be made of iron and you will find it, after all, less tough than on the way up a few days ago. Besides, there will be the smell of the stables! Starting early from Sangti we will return to the plains of the Brahmaputra via a different, western route and encounter the mighty river flowing now leisurely at Guwahati, where it has become truly magnificent, giving the impression of an ocean. For a change, we will enjoy the comfort of staying again at the Taj Vivanta and share a great parting dinner!