Mahindra Adventures Authentic Northeast Drive: A Road Trip To Remember – Part I

I consider myself a traveller, though I accept the fact that I am not a hardcore one. Of all the things that I consider essential for travelling, one constant companion has to be a CAR. A road trip is always welcome; though it may limit my interaction to a degree, there is always that sense of having traversed/experienced more in less time. It is easy to dismiss trips like the Authentic North East expedition by Mahindra Adventure as merely offering fleeting glimpses – although the participant of the 2016 season of the drive (including me) will tell you a completely different story.

My interaction with the organising team, consisting of Mahindra Adventure and Xtreme Sports Organisation (Team XSO) members, has been minimal before reaching our starting point in Guwahati. I do have a list of instructions sent two months earlier, laying out in detail the trip itinerary, things to carry, dos and don'ts etc - a respect for each other's professional and personal time shows through. 

A convoy of Mahindra cars greets me at the parking lot at the Radisson Blu Guwahati. Mahindra has spared no expenses - there is a promise of good stays with parking at all our halts throughout the 10-day long journey. Most of the cars in the parking lot are getting fresh stickers proclaiming 'Authentic North East 2016 - Mahindra Adventure', while there are some 'Authentic Bhutan 2016' stickers lying nearby. Most of the cars in the convoy have been brought here after completing a 6-day trip to the Himalayan Kingdom.

Being one of the fancier hotels in the city, it is also hosting a marriage celebration; I have time to kill - the ceremonial flag off is four hours away and there is a briefing later in the evening. Vinod Nookala, Senior Brand Manager - Thar & Mahindra Adventure, is going to the city - a perfect escape from the cacophony. We are going to the city centre of Guwahati to find an Assamese arts and crafts shop - getting lost even before the trip has begun. While Vinod busies himself with finding interesting gifts to give the participants, I have found an artefact that is bringing back a flood of memories. It is a simple foldable hand-held fan - the kind my mom used when we lived in Arunachal Pradesh more than two decades ago.

The participants are from around India and also abroad; a family of four Indians based in Australia decided to spend most of their holidays out of their ancestral home! Everyone is young at heart and eager to get into their cars (allotted by lucky draw) and drive off. Before that, though, everyone has to sit through a rather informative slideshow about most aspects of the trip presented by Mr Raj. Though it was informative enough, a practical demonstration would have certainly helped - instances later in the journey make me realise. After a brief introduction of the 22 participants, 4 media representatives and the Mahindra/XSO team, everyone shifts their attention to the scrumptious dinner.

The first day's drive is from Guwahati, Assam to Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh - a distance of around 385km. Dirang is a hill station situated at 4910 feet above sea-level; though there are some local sightseeing locations and a Yak Research Centre nearby which sounds interesting, it would only serve us as a night halt as we made our way to Tawang the day after. The first 230km is covered in just over four hours - 131km of which consisted of the smooth, 4-lane, NH27/AH1. 

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This stretch of wide roads gives ample time for the participants to get used to driving in a convoy - it is a new experience for most of them. Discipline is highly regarded, the disarray that follows otherwise is counterproductive for everyone involved. It was surprising to see the eagerness with which everyone followed the instructions and guidelines of convoy driving - a novelty at the beginning of the journey was to become second nature by the end of it. From Nagaon on till the Assam-Arunachal Border town of Bhalukpong, the road turns into a well-paved two-lane one. We reach our lunch stop at the Nameri Eco Camp well before lunch time - we are told not to skip it, even though we have only 80-odd more kilometres to cover. 

The roads from Bhalukpong onwards was what we would experience for the next four days. The two-lane NH13 towards Tawang consists mostly of broken or no tarmac with unexplained appearances of very smooth sections. Dramatic weather changes, seemingly random landslides and regular traffic could be causes of these changes in road conditions - nonetheless, the people at the Border Roads Organisation have to be given credit for all they have done to keep these lifelines open.

Throughout the second day, the convoy of Mahindra Scorpios and XUV500s seem unfazed by the changing road conditions, keeping a brisk pace on most stretches of road. Drivers were also kept alert and co-passengers entertained by regular chatter over the CB radios installed in their cars - instructions from the organisers, debates over various issues (often started by Vinod), general chit chat between participants etc. became a constant part of the drive. Radio silence was either specifically requested or happened when there was something amazing to see/hear around. 

There were a lot of things on the way to Tawang that left many of us speechless: We see the scenery change from that of tropical forests to shrubs and meadows to bare rocks. The sun is shining bright, the clear air makes it seem harsher than usual. The landscape is often dotted with yaks, some seem to have flown onto the ledges they are standing on. 

The highlight is the drive through Se La, the only pass connecting the town of Tawang to the rest of India. At 13,700 feet above sea-level, this is one of the highest points we encountered in our journey - everyone was cautioned not to exert themselves too much and constantly drink water to prevent dehydration. I do not know if it was the slight light-headedness that I was feeling or the natural beauty of Se La - but I was certainly feeling very happy. At 10AM, with clear skies, the temperature was hovering around the 12-degree Celsius mark - the windy conditions made it feel much colder, though. Sipping a cup of hot tea/coffee from the Army canteen nearby while munching on some snacks and watching the ghoulishly empty but beautiful landscape is a must do.

Lunch has been organised near Nurarang Falls (also called Jang Falls by some); I don't know how many were really interested in eating, though. Though the beginning of the waterfall is at a height of about 100 meters above the base pool, a slight rocky extension creates the second fall about halfway down - the resultant spray led to beautiful colours the likes of which I had never seen in my life.

It seemed like the night had fallen by the time we reached the cosy little hotel, Tashi Ga-Tsel, in Tawang - the watch told me it was 5:30PM! Most of the shops in town shut down by 6PM, so there was no point going out - a party around a crackling bonfire was entertainment for the night.

Check out the second part of our report of this trip over here (link to part II). We visit one of the most beautiful lakes in country, roam with the Rhinos of Kaziranga and dread the return back to our normal lives.