What to Expect Driving to Tawang | Famous Sela Pass

The main attraction of Arunachal Pradesh and maybe all of NE India is Tawang, pronounced Tawong. To get there you fly into Guwahati and drive north for a very long time. It is what used to be Tibet. To get there you pass over Sela Pass which is 13,700 feet above sea level. The drive itself is worth talking about! It was 6 hours from Dirang up to Tawang.

Driving in Arunachal Pradesh takes a lot more time to get from point A to point B than you would think. While looking at the map, you’d think you could cover the whole state in 10 days but you truly can’t. A short distance takes a long time because of bumpy, muddy, and curving roads. The infrastructure isn’t good yet as Arunachal Pradesh tourism doesn’t yet exist.

Things to See on the Way to Tawang

Nuranung Waterfall

We stopped to see the Nuranung waterfall which has a unique story. Legend has it that when the Chinese were fighting here during the Indo-China war of 1962, there eventually came a time when they almost gave up. Little did they know the Indian side had only 1 fighter left, the last man standing. Two girls from a local Monpa tribe, sisters, went to help. Later, their father who was a traitor would tell the Chinese there was only one man left. One girl was called Sela (hence the Sela Pass) and one girl was called Nuranung (the name of the waterfall).

Sela Pass

The Pass just means that it’s a place to cross. It’s not necessarily a tourist site, but sometimes it’s closed because of weather. People will ask “is the pass open”? If it’s not you could be stuck on one side for some time. The views in this area were really amazing.

Jaswant Garh Memorial

Remember that last Indian soldier? This is for him! It’s a war memorial and to be honest there wasn’t too much to see so I don’t have too many photos to share.

Those are the main stops you want to make on your way to Tawang. Keep in mind with the bumpy roads, you won’t get any sleep in the car because the bumps are very bumpy. I can usually sleep through anything, but not this! The best thing to do is take good music and enjoy the views- because they are spectacular.

Also, take time to play with animals each time you stop! Cats, dogs, goats, baby cows!

Another thing I want to mention about driving in the North East of India is that when you stop for food or a toilet, because there isn’t yet Arunachal tourism, it may not be up to standards you are used to.The toilets tend to me of the outhouse type with a squat toilet. Take your own tissues in the car to bring with you.

You will have lunches that are made to order like noodles, eggs, momos, or the special of the day (whatever local food they have ready). You can have Maggi noodles if you won’t want to risk getting sick on anything. I will eat anything that’s put in front of me, but that doesn’t mean you should haha. You will find potato chips, bottled water, snacks, chai, and more.

roadside kitchen

delicious chopsuey, momos, and thupka

momos & kittens at Sela pass

I got bored, so there was some selfie taking. Also, I ate a lot of Maggi but I actually really like it when they add onions, tomato, and a few chilis. 

Because the roads are so curvy, the drivers are not like the ones in the rest of India. Before each “passing” the car behind will honk and wait for the car in front to turn on it’s right blinker which means “it’s safe to pass”. Only then, the driver will pass the semi truck in front. It’s all very considerate and safe.

At some steep turns, there were trucks loaded full that just weren’t going to make it. A couple boys would jump out of the truck. They would grab big rocks and when the semi would try to go forward a foot they would jam rocks under the wheels so the truck wouldn’t roll back down. Then, he’d hit the gas and go another foot- the boys would hurry and put the rock under the wheel again. It was insane!

Do you spy the yak?

I also loved the road signs. I’ve seen ones in India like “Don’t go to hell, mate. Wear a helmet.” and “This is a highway not a die-way.” Both signs I’ve seen in Maharashtra. Here I was seeing signs that said…

“When you share your sorrow it divides. When you share your happiness it multiplies.”

…and I thought wow these monks are really peaceful. Then I saw…

“Speed is a knife.. that cuts your life.”

…and realized I was still in India! The signs were funny the whole way. As we started to see snow, we worried about the tires since most people don’t have 4-wheel drive, including our car. We said will we get ropes on the tires? The driver stopped and bought rope which he said would do. Indian Jugaad at it’s best!

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