Our urban life is of a certain kind—filled with dust, smoke, deadlines, and meetings. It has its comforts, but it lacks greenery. To experience the touch of nature, we need to venture far from the big cities. Life in those places may come with its own set of challenges, but there, amidst nature, one finds a sense of unfiltered freedom.
Once again, through this series, I will take you deep into the enchanting beauty of Northeast India. Here, nature itself feels like a living character in a story—it smiles with joy one moment, weeps in sorrow the next, and carries an air of mystery that transports us to an ethereal world. Staying in the homes of the indigenous tribes, tasting their home-cooked meals, and experiencing the unknown wilderness up close will be an integral part of this journey. And in this endeavor, you, my readers, will be my companions.
Starting today, on WIT, I bring you the stories of Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
This time, I embarked on this trip alone instead of traveling with family. Supratim dropped me off at the airport early in the morning. A thick fog covered the city. Upon reaching Dum Dum Airport, I checked in my single trolley bag and collected my boarding pass. I was flying with Air India, heading to Dibrugarh. I had left home at 6:30 AM, preparing my son’s school tiffin while also making a quick bowl of Maggi for myself. My flight was scheduled for 10 AM, so I sat down for breakfast before security check.
As per the new regulations, only one cabin bag weighing up to 8 kg is allowed. Usually, apart from my small sling bag, I carry two separate bags for my camera and laptop, which are relatively light. However, cramming everything into a single bag makes it quite heavy to carry on my shoulders. Fortunately, the Air India executive simply asked how many bags I had without being too strict about the rules. What are your thoughts on this new cabin baggage policy?
The flight departed on time, stopping at Imphal Airport before heading to Dibrugarh. Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendant handed out breakfast packets. Since I had already eaten, I saved mine for later. The packet contained a veg sandwich, sauce, water, and mango-flavored sweet yogurt. After a brief nap, I opened my laptop to get some offline work done. The view of the hills from the Imphal sky was mesmerizing, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Most passengers disembarked at Imphal, leaving only a handful of us on board. After a quick cleaning and preparations, new passengers started boarding. The flight from Kolkata to Imphal took 1 hour and 10 minutes, and from Imphal to Dibrugarh, it was another 50 minutes. As the plane took off from Imphal, the sight of the mountains’ folds from a bird’s-eye view was captivating. The sky was crystal clear, dotted with fluffy clouds, which reminded me of Sukumar Ray’s playful descriptions. The flight attendant soon offered cookies, and I decided to eat my saved breakfast then, as I wouldn’t have time for lunch after landing. The sandwich was decent, but the mango-flavored yogurt was especially delicious.
I landed at Dibrugarh Airport ahead of schedule. Though my flight was set to arrive at 1:15 PM, I had already collected my baggage and was free by 12:40 PM. Oh! I forgot to tell you where I was heading—Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh! It’s not a widely popular tourist destination. Here, a birding meet-up is being organized by Titli Trust NGO in collaboration with the local Epam Sirum NGO. The cost of this seven-day tour is INR 25,000, covering airport pickup, accommodation, meals, and travel.
Our first stop was Gobuk village. Four Scorpio vehicles were arranged for us. I’ve provided the vehicle rental details in the description—those planning their own trip can directly contact the drivers. There are also shared vehicles from Dibrugarh for INR 900, but they require waiting until morning and searching for available rides at the stand.
We departed at around 2:15 PM. In Northeast India, daylight fades quickly, and by 4 PM, the sun was already setting. Long before reaching Pasighat, we stopped at a small Assamese-style roadside tea shop. The shop was neatly arranged in front of a little house. I enjoyed a thick, sugarless milk coffee before resuming the journey. To be honest, I hadn’t done much homework about this place. There wasn’t much information available online about its bird species or tourism in general. This trip was bound to be unique in every aspect.
As our vehicle moved along the winding mountain roads, we stopped briefly to stretch. The pitch-dark sky was illuminated by twinkling stars, a sight that mobile cameras fail to capture. After nearly six hours of travel, we finally arrived at Gobuk around 8 PM. Upon arrival, the organizers handed me an ID card with my name, a brochure on the region’s birds and butterflies, and a beautifully hand-drawn postcard from their library.
We walked to the community hall, where all events are held. After a round of introductions, dinner was served by the fire. The meal included rice, dal, a potato-soybean curry, salad, pickles, and boiled eggs. The food was served on a traditional single-layered leaf placed in a bamboo basket—a simple, eco-friendly alternative that also eliminates the hassle of washing dishes.
After dinner, I headed to my homestay. The people of Gobuk village belong to the Adi tribe and speak the Adi language. They are incredibly warm-hearted. In the evenings, they cook a large pot of pig feed using rice husk and pumpkin, which also helps keep their homes warm. The homestay owner even taught us a few Adi words.
Glimpse of Gobuk Village
Professional homestay tourism is still a new concept here, but with time, such offbeat destinations are opening up to visitors.
There are different types of homestays available. Basic village homes without geysers cost INR 1,200 per night, including all meals, while slightly better-equipped homestays are INR 1,500. I’ve provided contact details in the description.
One more thing to note—while phone networks work here, electricity is unreliable. Make sure to carry a fully charged torch, headlamp, or power bank!
Love Butterflies? If yes, then this is for you https://wildindiatravels.com/butterfly-checklist-of-namdapha-butterfly-meet-2021/
My Youtube Videos
| EP: 1 আকাশপথে অরুণাচল | কোথায় থাকবেন গোবুকে | https://youtu.be/booHqLFRNTY |
| EP: 2 এমন গ্রামে আগে থাকিনি | Gobuk Village | https://youtu.be/tyfgCvkOBEU |
| EP: 3 অরুণাচলের পাখি প্রকৃতি | https://youtu.be/xBvS9cgTWlg |
| EP: 4 জীবনে প্রথম এইভাবে থাকলাম আর খেলাম | Likor Village | https://youtu.be/saU167uj88M |
| EP: 5 এই গ্রামে প্রথম ঘুরতে এসে কেমন ব্যবহার পেলাম | Likor Village | https://youtu.be/2hLvXt8lTqk |
| EP: 6 এত অপূর্ব জায়গায় আমি কখনও যাইনি | Likor to Gobuk Road | https://youtu.be/yn3qPFT2nIM |
| EP: 7 দারুণ জায়গায় তাঁবুতে থাকলাম | Ramsing, Simong | Mouling National Park | https://youtu.be/SwPBl_l_OZ0 |
Some Important Phone Numbers
okit sitek (Tour Arranger)- +91 7629 966 531
Homestay where I stayed – Airaokom Homestay 9402766668
Stay: 700 (Food charge as per order)
2 types of Homestays
1) Rs, 1500 ( fifteen hundred only) including food 3 times ( breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
2) Rs 1200 ( twelve hundred only) including, breakfast and lunch
Vehicle in package above 4 days 1, Rs 3000 ( three thousand per day disel must be filled by tourist, vehicle like, Scorpio, Inova, Bolero and Xylo Pickup and drop
1) Rs 6000( six thousand per day Dibrugarh to Siang landscape (sedan cars)
2) Rs 10000( ten thousand) For suv cars like Scorpio Inova Bolero and Xylo Driver list
Driver details
1)Munna – 8811816148
2)Lom Tekseng – 6009182147
3) Mintu Das – 9957788897
4) Faiyaz Alam – 8099956011
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