A dreamy getaway to Dibang Valley, Arunanchal Pradesh. #notinnorth #northeastindia

This January my husband and I decided to ditch the usual vacation spots and take a trip to my home town, Dibrugarh, Assam and Lower Dibang valley in Arunanhal Pradesh. The fact that it was Magh Bihu time in Assam, a harvest festival celebrated with yummy feasts and merry making with friends and family, added charm to our trip.

Dibrugarh is a beautiful town in Upper Assam. Surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra on one side and tea gardens on the other, the place is a gateway to the lesser known valleys of Upper Assam and Eastern Arunanchal Pradesh. It is also the hub of all trade in Upper Assam with tea and oil being its primary industries. The Bogibeel bridge which is the fifth longest bridge in India is the newly added tourist attraction connecting the northern and southern banks of Assam.

We spent two lovely days in Dibrugarh before heading out to our next destination, Roing and Mayodia Pass in Dibang valley.

The next day we booked a cab from Dibrugarh and headed out for Roing. On our way we crossed lush tea gardens, beautiful forests and valleys. Thanks to the newly constructed Dhola Sadiya bridge, which is the longest bridge in India, we were able to traverse the distance in a matter of a few hours. The beam bridge is the first permanent road connection between Upper Assam and Eastern Arunanchal Pradesh. Earlier it would take 6-7 hours by ferry just to cross the border ! We crossed the Lohit river and entered the last district of Assam, Sadiya before entering Dibang valley in Arunanchal. The moment we entered Arunanchal, we were greeted by the majestic snow capped mountains set against the clear blue skies. It was a sight to behold !

Once we reached Roing, our first stop was Sally lake. With its azure green waters and the setting sun at its backdrop, the lake glistened. When the soft golden rays of the sun hit the waters, it gleamed like an emerald. We spent a dreamy afternoon and dusk soaking in the atmosphere and beauty and headed to our resort.

Jia Organic resort in Jia village, around 10kms from Roing is exactly what you need to unwind and relax. It is literally in the middle of an organic tea garden ! Instead of rooms, it has individual bamboo cottages. Organic vegetables are grown in the property and we had the most amazing view of the snowcapped mountains right from our porch. A bonfire was specially arranged for us under the starry night sky that night. We sang, drank, danced, ate to our hearts content before retiring in our cabins.

We woke up at the crack of dawn after a night of restful sleep. That morning, I took a short exploratory tour of the tea gardens. My appetite worked up, I had a hearty breakfast before checking out and getting on the road again. Our destination for today was Mayodia Pass, a spot at the Indo China border, famous for snowfalls and picturesque views of the mountains. In local language, "Mayo" means mother goddess, "di" means water and "ya" means land.

Though it is only 60kms from Roing, the roads are treachrarous and bumpy. It took us almost 3 hours to reach the peak. But it was worth it because the valley is absolutely stunning and remote with medicinal plants and roadside creepers the size of a human ! Our efforts were rewarded handsomely as it had snowed the night before. We played in the snow and just loitered, admiring the beauty all around us. We spent around 2 hours at the peak and bid adieu to carry on with our return journey to Dibrugarh.The icing on the cake was the steaming hot Maggi and the majestic golden sunset at 4 pm that we enjoyed later :)

It was beautiful and peaceful at the same time. The snow, the mountains, the sunset, the greenery, us, it was all so dreamy ! We had travelled to a remote corner of the country ditching the usual hill stations and it was the best decision ever.