A seldom visited and remote corner of the Indian Himalaya, nestled between Bhutan and China, with green valleys filled with lush temperate forests and vast tracts of old growth silver firs that are home to primulas, cobra lilies, towering cardiocrinums, flamboyant roscoeas, orchids, a diverse woody plant flora and a richest assortment of stunning meconopsis. High passes have wonderful alpines, dwarf rhododendrons and delicate lilies. Improvements to infrastructure now mean it's possible to visit more easily and we will explore the superb complex of valleys and passes around Jang and Tawang. A unique and truly off the beaten path destination.
Limited places.
Following arrival into one of India’s major hubs, an internal flight will bring us to Guwahati in Assam. From here we continue through the hot lowlands to our overnight right on the border with Arunachal Pradesh. Overnight Bhalukpong.
The remoteness of Arunachal Pradesh means just getting into the area takes some time and today we begin our climb into the foothills, passing lush roadsides with the wild cane orchids, Arundina graminifolia, climbing steadily into pine clad valleys until we reach a higher pass with Rhododendron maddenii and Cautleya gracilis. Humid slopes will also have the spectacular Cardiocrinum giganteum with the orchid Vanda undulata on the rockier banks. Overnight Dirang.
Botany gets into swing with some lovely orchids, more towering Cardiocrinum giganteum, several different cobra lilies including Arisaema concinnum, A. consanguineum and A. tortuosum together with the flamboyant Roscoea megalantha and the dainty bells of Streptopus simplex. Fine trees of Cornus capitata will be laden with creamy-bracted flowers too. Higher up, the vegetation changes to subalpine forests of silver fir (Abies densa) with an understorey of rhododendrons and though most species flowered earlier in the year now is the season for fiery Rhododendron keysii, a times strung with white Clematis montana. Overnight Dirang.
Boulders encrusted in pretty Corallodiscus lanuginosa and showy patches of Roscoea megalantha start a rich day as we climb to the Sela Pass, finding an array of alpine plants including Rhododendron cinnabarinum, Lilium nanum, plentiful Galearis spathulatus, turf dressed thickly in the snow of countless Cassiope selaginoides, bristly Meconopsis merakensis and the incredible Swertia grandiflora among drifts of Primula dickieana. Overnight Jang.
Vast tracts of pristine silver fir forest can still be found in the inner valleys made even more magical by the frequent afternoon mists. A rich woody plant flora includes fiery Rhododendron keysii, R. camelliflorum and R. anthopogon as well as Buddleja colvelia, Hydrangea aspera and more. Immense candelabras of Meconopsis paniculata burst from the turf, Pleione hookeriana clings of boulders and we hope to find the peculiar flowers of Aristolochia griffithii. Overnight Jang.
Passing under prayer flags we enter a beautiful forested side valley with Clematis tongolensis strung across the woody plants. Our route continues to subalpine clearings with Podophyllum hexandrum and stands of purple-blue Meconopsis gaykidiana, surely one of the most magnificent of all blue poppies. Ivory Primula alpicola grows by streamsides and P. waltonii and P. sikkimenis were also be starting to flower amongst swathes of P. dickieana. Overnight Jang.
A side track leads off to extensive Rhododendron bhutanensis shrubberies and alpine turf where we find the lovely Primula jonardunii. Wonderful views of pristine alpine lakes are enhanced by boulders with Diapensia himalaica, mats of Potentilla microphylla and more Meconopsis merakensis and wondrous drifts of Primula dickieana. Other locations have mauve Meconopsis simplicifolius, tiny Primula glabra and remarkable population of robust Swertia grandiflora. Overnight Jang.
A sinuous back road takes into lush woods and then along below cliffs with stunning views across the landscape and back to Sela Pass. There are the huge flowers of Rhododendron dalhousiae var. rhabdotum, stands of Euphorbia sikkimensis, rocks encrusted with the big leaves of Bergenia ciliata, Notholirion macrophyllum, vines of Aristolochia griffithii and some wonderful fern-clad oaks. If we arrive in time we will also visit the large Tawang Monastery situated above the town. Overnight Tawang.
The hills rise behind the town, the slopes with abundant Primula prolifera and we hope to see half a dozen different primula today as well as four different Meconopsis including the diminutive and lovely M. ludlowii and cliff hugging M. bella. We will take a walk into a scenic side valley to find these and Primula wattii. On our return we will stop for Cathcartia villosa, an elegant poppy. Overnight Tawang.
A few additional delights can be found up in the lake land above the town including delicate Primula sappharina, its equally diminutive but lovely cousin P. jigmediana and altogether larger white P. obliqua. Hopefully also the first reddish bell flowers on the impressive Swertia hookeri. Overnight Tawang.
Leaving Tawang we once again climb to the Sela Pass where we take a walk past towering cliffs the rise above a steep valley. Rocks by fast flowing streams have blue Corydalis ecristata, Chrysoplenium forrestii and the wet cliffs are the habitat for the unusual Meconopsis bella which might have started flowering. A unique plant. Above on the turf are lovely clumps of white Anemonastrum polyanthes too. From here we descend to spend the night in Dirang.
A leisurely start has us descending to the lowlands once again for a night in Tezpur.
Depending on flight times we'll depart from Tezpur to drive to Guwahati for flights to international hubs.
Price TBC.
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