Zemithang

Zemithang is the most remote village in West Arunachal Pradesh just a few kilometers from the border with China. There is nothing much there apart from a monastery and a few houses. But since I have this overwhelming urge to ride my motorcycle to the extremities of India, I added Zemithang to the itinerary of our North East ride.

The ride to Zemithang from Tawang was very scenic. We rode through a few small villages and passed by a number of beautiful waterfalls. On the way we stopped at Lumla. The Commanding Officer of the army base there had helped arrange the Bum La permits for us and invited us for breakfast. He was also kind enough to arrange lunch for us at an Army detachment near Zemithang.

The help and hospitality we received from the Indian Army on this ride was quite simply amazing. When I asked my college mate, a Colonel in the Indian Army, for assistance in planning our North East ride, he said to me, “Send me your itinerary and I will figure out everything.” At that time I didn’t realize that “figuring out everything” would involve escorting us to the Gurudongmar and Tso Lhamo lakes in North Sikkim in an Army jeep, treating us like dignitaries at the Nathula border, arranging the Bum La passes for us at Tawang in advance so that we don’t waste a day running around the Collector’s office and Brigadier’s office and hosting us for breakfast at Lumla and lunch at Zemithang.

We can’t thank the Indian Army enough. This ride was a total and complete success due to them. Not to forget the amazing help we got from Karma Tenzing as well.