ChaloHoppo to an Arunachal Pradesh Full of Oranges
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It is not every day that you get to visit a geographic location that remains cut off from the rest of civilisation for half the year due to the lack of a motorable land. In winters nature allows you to enter Dambuk and use the dry river bed as a road. Hope you have an appetite for oranges!
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Reviews 2 Reviews5/5
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Vacation Style Holiday Type
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Arunachal Pradesh
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Backpacking
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Culture
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Nature
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Activity Level Leisurely
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Group Size Medium Group
All about ChaloHoppo to an Arunachal Pradesh Full of Oranges.
Dambuk is special. You may not have heard about it and it doesn’t yet feature in the traveller’s list of top places to visit in the northeast of India, but the promise of Dambuk is real. Dambuk happens to be a small region in the Lower Dibang Valley of the most unexplored state in the country, Arunachal Pradesh. Comprising mainly of Adis and some Idu Mishmi tribes, Dambuk becomes a prisoner of nature from early April to late October when two rain-fed rivers – Dibang in the east and Sisar in the west – wall it in with water. (a beautiful description we found from a journalist’s notebook) The only way one gets to visit Dambuk in the summer is on a country boat, a helicopter or on elephant back. In the winters, however, nature allows you to drive to this magical village using the dry river bed as a road (an experience we can promise is going to be thrilling).
Total Cost for Package A – Rs. 15,500 (Guwahati to Guwahati)
Total Cost for Package B – Rs. 10,000 (Without Train and Transport)
The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
What is included in this tour?Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
- Stay in comfortable, clean and hygienic accommodation, mostly homestays and traditional cottages.
- All entries, parking, tolls
- Transport from Guwahati to Dambuk and back
- Rafting in Dambuk
- Train tickets to and from Guwahati
- Guide wherever required
- 1 ChaloHoppo guy to lead the tour
- Inner line permits to enter Arunachal Pradesh
- Breakfast
Whats not included in this tour.Items that are not included in the cost of tour price.
- Excess stay & meals due to bad weather conditions or strikes, resulting in the delay of flights or any other form of transport
- Soft drink charges, table drinks, bottled water, laundry, cigarettes, telephone expenses, beer and liquor charges
- Lunch and Dinner
- Any other item not mentioned in the “Cost Includes” section above
- Shopping
- Alcohol
- Your Personal Purchases
- Any insurances
Homestays
Bomjir
Huts that could lure kings to stay in them. Thanks to the proximity of the Dibang river, you won’t need white noise to put you to sleep.
Though vegetarians may not have the luxury of tasting all the local foods as these are mostly meat-based. You have nothing to worry you will get all kinds of basic sabji, dal, rice, roti, papad, salad etc. Your cravings for butter paneer or mushroom Manchurian may not be fully satisfied but you will do just fine. You must ensure that you are trying out all the available seasonal fruits and local wild leaves.
Entry to Arunachal Pradesh will require an inner line permit for domestic travellers. Foreigners visiting Arunachal Pradesh have to get a protected area permit or PAP.
Extra nights can be booked based on availability. You can also visit our Custom trip section to plan a different trip.
A most definite yes, as long as you are okay travelling in a mixed group of other solo travellers or small group of friends.
The sources of such warnings should be checked and speaking from the perspective of locals living in the region we can say that though some parts of Northeast India do have cases of groups clashing against government forces from time to time, it doesn’t affect a tourist as long as the route is chosen wisely and hours of commute are decided smartly, much like travelling in any other part of the world.
If you have seen warnings in the advisory pages of governments, then we would like to remind you that governments (of different countries)will always take precaution and not be in sync with the real situation. Northeast India is absolutely safe with warm and welcoming locals. You should have no issues even going to the most interior places. As with any other tribal dominated region, respect the local culture and don’t hurt their sentiments, and you will have a great time in a beautiful place.
Because so less is known about the region in general, it may be a wise idea to get in touch with some travel experts before you plan your trip.
The roads in Arunachal Pradesh are like most mountain roads in India, i.e. not in a great shape. So your cup holders in the car may not really work. But the roads aren’t risky to be driving on, just a little uncomfortable.
Homestay: Please understand that you will be staying in homestays and not hotels, and hence you are requested to treat the host and the family not as professional staff but as a family that is hosting guests.
Avoid plastic: Please avoid buying mineral water, since it is a major cause of pollution in the delicate eco system of the places you are visiting. Carry a reusable water bottle and fill filtered water or spring water. The hosts and your guide can assist you in showing where the water can be found.
Respect local culture: You are travelling to remote parts of the country where people speak freely and sometimes it comes across as rude, but understand that their intention isn’t to hurt your sentiments, just that they perhaps lack the skill of sugar coating and diplomacy. During your tour you may see things that may surprise you like a cat roaming around in the kitchen while you eat. But understand that many of these things are part of the way of life here and hence respect the same.
More than 45 Days prior to arrival: 75% refund
30 -45 Days prior to arrival: 50% refund
15- 30 Days prior to arrival: 25% refund
Less than 15 Days prior to arrival : 0% refund
Overall Rating
5/5
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Rafting on the Dibang river
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Dry river bed leading to Dambuk.
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bomjir, near dambuk
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River Siang as seen from Pasighat town in Arunachal Pradesh
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A Dambuk orange
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Dibang river in Dambuk
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A country boat rests on the Dibang river
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Rooftop-ing through the bends of Arunachal Pradesh
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Bus in Arunachal Pradesh
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A country boat rests on the Dibang river
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On the way to Dambuk
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Murlen national park
If you are looking to unearth some gems in north east , then chalohoppo are the guys to go to. You could get the best local taste with them with added twist by host. I will have to comeback to them for any of my future travel to north east. Cheers!!
To every traveler out there, I would like to share my recent travel experience. Me along with five of my friends had traveled to northeast part of India. We have covered popular places in meghalaya, Arunachal and Nagaland in 15 days. I am not going to write a lot about what all places we have covered in the trip instead I want to mention about how this whole trip was executed with utmost finesse by Chalohoppo team. It has started with a casual WhatsApp message with these guys but the level of engagement they had displayed is commendable. I would like to call out few names which are worth mentioning. John-The planner, has helped me in curating my trip. He suggested some exotic stays which are tough to find on google maps but one can definitely find some peaceful time after a long day. Ankur- The man in action, he was our driver for the trip but calling him as driver would be so underrated. He is a cool and funny guy. He keeps you active by sharing interesting stories and kicking off some intriguing conversations. I believe this trip wouldn't have been same if it wasn't for this guy. Nishant- The Boss. This guy definitely know what it takes to make a customer happy. The way he works out a problem and return with a solution is a delight to experience. If you are looking to explore northeast as a traveller rather than a tourist, do some fun filled activities and visit beautiful home stays, you should read more about Chalohoppo before you can think of anything else. These guys always got a plan B and ready to get their hands dirty to bring an everlasting experience to their customers. I never thought that I would write such a big review for anyone but trust me these guys deserve it. Chalohoppo- keep rocking as you always do.