Participating in Sangken Festival, Visiting Namdapha National Park & A Culinary Demonstration.

The Sangken Festival is celebrated around the 14th of April every year, which marks the beginning of the New Year in Arunachal Pradesh. Mainly celebrated by the Khampti tribe, this festival is also regarded as the ‘festival of water’; and it is believed that sprinkling water shows a sign of respect and is a cleansing ritual to welcome the New Year.

This morning, after breakfast, guest’s may witness the various local festivities as part of the festival or travel forward towards Namdapha National Park. Namdapha National Park is the largest protected area in India and an Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot harbouring the northernmost lowland evergreen rainforests in the world.

The area is known for extensive Dipterocarp forests and many of the rare species of animals including snow leopards, clouded leopards, common leopards, tigers, Red Pandas and Himalayan bears. Our guests are driven through the National Park. Following this, an exclusive culinary demonstration will be arranged for our guests at a nearby village, situated close to the entrance of the National Park. Here, our guests will interact with the locals as they prepare & cook some of the local delicacies of the state. Guests may, per their discretion, also help prepare few of the dishes & learn about their local culinary skills!

This is followed by a leisurely lunch further to which guests are driven back the hotel. Rest of the evening will be at leisure, followed by dinner & overnight at the hotel.

Morning Prayers with the Monks, Brunch at a special Lodge en-route to Pasighat, An Evening of Storytelling and a Curated Dinner.

Early in the morning, our guests are escorted to the Golden Pagoda to offer morning prayers with the monks of the monastery. This is followed by breakfast at the hotel.

As our guests check-out of the hotel in Namsai, they will be driven to Pasighat. En-route Pasighat, we stop at a serene riverside location. Here, the guests have option to go for a riverside walk or simply sit at the restaurant and
admire the nature! An early lunch will be served to our guests, following which they will be driven to Pasighat.
Pasighat, the oldest town of Arunachal Pradesh, is blessed with lush, green forests, small streams & waterfalls, hanging bridges and majestic mountains, along with the beautiful Siang River, which adds on to its enchanting scenic beauty!

Upon arrival at Pasighat, our guests are assisted to check-in to the hotel. In the evening, a special setup is arranged for our guests with an interactive session with our host, who will share insights about the culture & heritage of Arunachal Pradesh!

This is followed by a specially curated dinner. Overnight at the camp in Pasighat.

Tea Factory visit & tea – tasting at Donyi Polo Tea Estate, a traditional lunch & interactions with the locals & witnessing the rudimentary art of tea extracting at Ledum village

This morning, after breakfast, we drive out to visit the 429 hectare Donyi Polo Tea Estate (34 KM, 1 hour drive). The guests are escorted for a walk with the master planter or a tea connoisseur of the garden to get a first hand  explanation about Tea history. This is followed by a tea tasting session.

The tea story of Arunachal begins with Donyi Polo, which has grown famous for its speciality teas and the record prices they fetch. In 2019, their Golden Needles sold for ₹75,000 a kilogram. Proof of the garden’s exalted status comes from the fact that its teas are available at the hallowed Mariage Frères, the Parisian gourmet tea company set up in 1854. We also visit the Tea Excellence Centre and learn the art of specialty tea.

Following the visit of the tea estate, guests are driven to the village of Mirem. Here, a traditional lunch will be arranged for our guests. Post lunch, a tea-tasting session with the locals is organized, where they demonstrate the rudimentary method of extracting tea from the tea leaves, which they still follow.

Our guests are then driven back to their camp. Based on the guest’s preferences, we could suggest a few activities by the camp including a light trek, fishing or cycling!

Rest of the evening is at leisure and dinner & overnight at the camp.

Visiting Yamne Valley – a special lunch & experiencing a Sundowner by the Siang!

After an early breakfast at the camp, the guests are driven for approximately 80 KM to reach the valley of Yamne to visit the Suspension Bridge. Built from traditional cane and bamboo, the bridge hangs across the Yamne River. Situated at a scenic location, this bridge offers spectacular views of the river & the surrounding green hills and is ideal for people looking for some tranquility.

Further, the guests are escorted for a walk to Yamne Abor Eco Lodge. This solitary eco-resort is surrounded by the forest & offers splendid views of the valley. A special, freshly-cooked, home-style lunch is arranged here for our guests with ingredients from the lodge’s organic garden!

After lunch, the guests are escorted back to their camp. Towards the early evening a special sundowner experience is organized by the banks of the river. After witnessing the grandeur of the sunset by the Siang, our guests are escorted back to their camp. Dinner & overnight at the camp.

After breakfast at the camp, the guests check-out & are driven to Dibrugarh from where they embark on their onward journey OR they could consider an extension tour within Arunachal Pradesh or Assam!