Tawang is a town and administrative headquarter of Tawang district in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It lies on NH-13 section of Trans-Arunachal Highway. The town was once the headquarter of the Tawang Tract, which is now divided into the Tawang district and the West Kameng district. Tawang continues as the headquarters of the former. Tawang is the number one tourist destination of Arunachal Pradesh.
India occupied Tawang in 1951 and removed Tibetan administration from the area. China continues to claim Tawang as its region. It is situated 448 km north-west of state capital Itanagar at an elevation of approximately 3,048 metres (10,000 ft). It lies to the north of the Tawang Chu river valley, roughly 10 miles (16 km) south of the Line of Actual Control with China. It is the site of a famous Gelugpa Buddhist Monastery.
*Trekking. Tawang is an undiscovered trekker's paradise, offering breathtaking views, fresh mountain air, chill weather, and challenging or leisurely treks. For a rigorous trek (classified as hard), take the Jang - Thingbu - Mago - Goi ichen Base Camp - Mago (Back) - Luguthang - Sena Chakra - RA-I route. The easier trekking routes include the Mukto - Gongkhar - Gyamdong - Khet - Kharung - Bongleng - Kungba - Namsring - Kharteng - Lumla route, and the Tawang Gonpa - Gyangong Ani Gonpa - Bhramadongchung Ani Gonpa - Tawang routes. You can also trek along the Namet Village - Zarmang Ani Gonpa - Khromten Gonpa - Geshila - Klimta - Bomla - Y. Junction - Tawang route, which takes you close to the Chinese border outpost at Bomla. Trekkers are advised to come fully attired and prepared for the worst. *Visit the 400 year old Tawang Gompa. Turn the prayer wheels dotted outside small gompas. Meet and chat with the friendly lamas. *Take excursions around town to visit beautiful glacier lakes and smaller gompas with big histories. *Take a nap on a hillock if it's sunny but be prepared to be awoken by a grazing yak.
Tibetan delicacies like thupka, momos or simple and delicious paratha-sabzi eaten hot from the roadside shacks on cold misty days are a treat! Most restaurants in Tawang serve these. A small shack called Annapurna serves delicious alu (potato) chips.
The traditional Monpa cuisine uses a generous amount of chillies and fermented cheese, which has a strong flavour and is not for the faint hearted.
Some of the best food is found at the small, nondescript, sometimes not very hygienic, eateries, that serve authentic dishes at very affordable prices. They are sure to be authentic food of the region as they are most frequented by locals.
Tawang has a good range of tourist souvenir shops which sell Buddhist prayer wheels in colourful wood, chadars (wrap skirts worn by local women), beautiful bags, shawls, brassware and Buddha statues. Look for shops in Old Market as well as in the Tibetan settlement.
Unfortunately, Tawang like most hill stations in the North East is far from developed, so finding good accommodation here may be a challenge. However, the flip side is the lack of tourism leaves the place more virgin and unexplored.
Apart from Tawang Inn which is the most modern and comfortable option in Tawang, most other options are pretty basic. Hotel Tawang View has the best views from their second-floor basic rooms of both the Gompa and snow topped mountains. Most hotels are in the market area. It is worth trying your luck at the government rest-house, or if you are lucky, the Circuit house.
Getting around in Tawang can be divided into two categories. The first one is travel to local sites like Tawang Monastery, War Memorial, Emporium, etc. This can be done by booking a taxi (mostly Maruti OMNI) for half a day. Walking is also possible, but some sites are quite far. The second category is travel to sites outside Tawang, which include P T So lake, Shungetsar (Madhuri) lake and a visit to India-China border at Bumla. A bigger vehicle like a Tata Sumo or Mahindra Bolero should be hired for this, as roads are in bad shape. An entire day is enough to cover these sites.
Tawang has a population of 11,000 and is the administrative headquarters of Tawang district.
