Discover Arunachal Pradesh – The Tribal Lands

"The austere serenity of Shangri-La..." describes James Hilton in his 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, "allured by a land of milk and honey in a hidden valley in the Himalayas." Over the years, this has led explorers to venture deep into the Himalayas, scouting one valley after another, and founding their own perceptions of a paradise on earth. For some, this search brings them to Arunachal Pradesh.

Arunachal Pradesh, due to its easternmost location on the map of India, is called "the land of dawn-lit mountains". The entire terra firma falls under the eastern Himalayan landscape, a land of supreme natural beauty and rich in ancient traditions. The altitudinal and climatic variation of the state results in a variety of landscapes and forests which harbors one of the planet's last great biodiversity.

An experiential road trip through the mountains of central Arunachal Pradesh, blessed with bountiful rain and forests – you will travel across the tribal belt of the state which is inhabited by followers of Donyi-Polo; worshipers of the Sun & Moon. In the spectacular landscaped valley of Ziro, you will meet the Apatanis, peaceful hill people who still give importance to their ancient customs and sustainable ways of life. Conservation, productivity, and respect for nature are at the core of their culture. Even today, the elderly tribeswomen can still be seen in their traditional dresses, bearing tattoos, and wearing large nose plugs. In Ziro, your stay will be at a homestay with a local family, thus giving you a deeper insight into the mysterious lives and culture of the Apatani people.

In the mesmerizing and lush Subansiri Valley, you will come across the Tagins. Smoking skillfully handcrafted pipes and wearing intricate cane hats, they appear proud, like kings of their land. In the Siang Valley, in the most splendid Himalayan countryside, you will meet the Adi sub-tribes, a warrior tribe justly proud of ambushing British advances many a time during the colonial era. Here, the Siang River forms a mighty valley as it enters from the high plateaus of Tibet after having traversed about a thousand miles from its source, the holy Mount Kailash. The Adis have built complex bridges of cane and bamboo to cross the Siang. Sustainable as they are, they have inspired many early explorers like W Robinson who wrote, "The skill in constructing these bridges is really surprising, and is such as would not discredit to the more civilized nations." The Adis are also one of the few tribes who do not practice shifting cultivation, carving beautiful terraced farms in the mountains. In Tibetan Buddhism as well, the Siang is considered a very mysterious entity, a beholder of the Beyul of Pemako; the most important of Buddhist paradisiacal realms.

This region of central Arunachal Pradesh remains the last frontier of ancient traditions and forests, a treasure trove in terms of diversity of natural and cultural elements. A responsible low-scale approach to tourism acts as an inspiration to preserve the richness of the area, bringing steady income directly into the hands of local guides, property owners, and artisans, and thus encouraging them. Local festivals are promoted during some months when communities come together in glory and respect to the ways of their ancients.