Tribal Tour of Arunachal Pradesh

An experiential road trip through the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, blessed with bountiful rain and tropical forests – you will travel across the central tribal belt of the state which is inhabited by followers of Donyi-Polo; worshipers of the Sun & Moon. In the spectacularly 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. Land management is a high priority for the tribe as houses are built close to each other and paddy farms are surprisingly also used to rear fish. They also have an indigenous salt for their iodine consumption, prepared from the ashes of certain burnt plants. 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 large nose plugs. In Ziro, your stay will be at a homestay with a local family, thus giving you a deeper insight into the lives and culture of the Apatani people.

In the 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 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 do 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 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 to the hands of local guides, property owners, and artisans, thus encouraging them. Local festivals are promoted during some months where communities come together in glory and respect to the way of their ancients.