Solo Travel to Tawang – Part 2: Snow, Yaks & Survival Mode

After soaking in the surprising beauty of Dirang, it was time for the main event – Tawang!

Turns out, the only available way to travel to Tawang is via a shared Sumo taxi.I got lucky (relatively speaking) and managed to grab one of the front seat - a prime spot that came with extra legroom and a full windshield view.

Once the vehicle was stuffed to its maximum stranger capacity, we began our journey at the crack of dawn.

Driving into the Clouds – Literally

After a quick breakfast stop, the real adventure began. The higher we climbed, the foggier it got with near zero visibility, and for all we knew, we could’ve been driving on a cloud... or straight off a cliff! I, of course, panicked internally, while our Sumo driver remained completely unfazed.

Yet, despite my silent panic, we made it to Sela Tunnel—a breathtaking feat of engineering at 13000 ft providing all weather connectivity to Tawang. Shoutout to the Border Roads Organization for maintaining such high-quality roads in such extreme terrain and weather!

Driving through winter wonderland

The moment we crossed Sela Tunnel, BAM! It was like stepping into a different world. We were surrounded by pristine white snow-covered landscapes - Trees, houses, roads, my hopes and dreams—was covered in snow.

Snow-covered roads meant one important upgrade—chains on the wheels! We had to stop and add snow chains to the wheels just to keep moving.

As we made our way down the snow-covered roads, we could see yaks casually chilling by the roadside. Naturally, I did what any responsible tourist would do—I jumped out to take selfies.

Arrival in Tawang & Powerless Survival

Another few hours of sliding through this winter wonderland we finally reached Tawang! I found a homestay, which—fun fact—had no power since the previous day due to unprecedented snowfall. Welcome to survival mode!

Undeterred (and partially frozen) and hungry, I decided to explore Tawang on foot. Found out the hard way that walking on snow is not as easy as movies make it look and much touted branded shoes turned out to be useless in snow.

Most shops were closed due to the power outage, but I managed to find a tiny eatery run by an old man who cooked up some steaming hot chowmein and hot chai. Best meal of my life? At that moment, YES.

Upon further inquiry, I found out that most of the places I wanted to visit—including Bum La Pass (China border)—were closed due to the heavy snow.

Finally I retired to my cold room. By evening, alas the electricity was restored! Thankgod! Even with the room heater on, it was still freezing in the minus degrees.

So, with not much else to do except freeze slowly, I made the wise (survival-based) decision to head back the next day.

Luckily, I found a friendly group who agreed to give me a ride back. Because after surviving a foggy Sumo ride, I wasn’t about to test my luck again.

Morning Magic & A Promise to My Kids

The next morning, I woke up to one of the most breathtaking sights of my life —fresh snowfall.

Seeing snowfall for the first time in my life was a magical moment. Obviously, I had to video-call my kids and show off. They were equally amazed and for once, they probably felt like letting me escape solo was a not a bad decision at all. They demanded I bring back snow in a bottle!

With that impossible promise hanging over me, I had a quick breakfast, said goodbye to Tawang’s snow-covered beauty and taking home memories (and slightly frozen toes) set off on the return journey—cold but happy.

Final Thoughts – The Ice-Cold Adventure of a Lifetime

Despite the near-death foggy drives, frozen toes, and unexpected plan changes, this solo trip was totally worth it. Tawang was stunning, the people were warm (unlike the weather), and the memories? Priceless.

Would I come back? Absolutely. But next time, I’m bringing my family and proper snow boots.

Until the next misadventure—cheers!