Chagzam Bridge
CHAGZAM BRIDGE:- Tangton Gyalpo, a disciple of first Dalai Lama, popularly known as Lama Chag-Zam Wangpo (1385-1464) was an architect, Philosopher and an Iron chain bridge builder. He is credited to have built more than 100 iron bridges all over Himalayan region. During 1420-1430 he built the bridge over Tawang-chu river to make a passage through Kitpi and Mukto. The bridge that exemplifies the finest metallurgy is about 25 Kms away from the town.
Photo Gallery
How to Reach:
By Air
1. By Helicopter:The Arunachal Pradesh Helicopter Service is operational from Guwahati Airport and presently the Helicopter services operate from Tawang to Guwahati and back on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. However due to the limited number of seats (on an average 10 – 12 only ) it is advisable that the tickets are pre-booked by calling the Counter at the Guwahati airportor the Aviation officer at Tawang and thereafter paying the ticket charges at the Counter as till now online booking of tickets has not been started by the State Government. The Helicopter journey to Tawang over Bhutan takes around 55 minutes and local transport at Tawang can be arranged by the concerned Hotel / Tour Operator.
By Road
By Road:The 543 Kms. long Guwahati-Tawang road journey is quite long and takes around14-16 hours. The long duration of the journey makes it necessary to have a break in the form of night halt en-route. The suggested road travel plans are described below: Passengers arriving at Guwahati on or before 12 P.M. and preferring to travel on the same day. Option 1: Drive to Tezpur:Tourists may drive down to Tezpurwhich is around 198 Kms from Guwahati. The expected duration of the road journey to Tezpurfrom Guwahati Airport is around 3 and a half hours. Tezpur, being a major Army hub has a wide variety of good quality hotels and restaurants for the tourists. Option 2: Drive toBhalukpong:Tourists may alternatively drive further down to Bhalukpong which is located approximately 260 Kms. from Guwahati with a travelling time of around 4 ½ hours. Compared to tezpur the stay and dining options at Bhalukpong are limited though the next day journey to Tawang is reduced by approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours. However, it is advisable to reach Bhalukpong in the evening before nightfall due to security advisory of the Government. Tourists / visitors arriving Guwahati before 12 P.M. or starting their journey from Guwahati in the morning: Option 1 : Drive to Bomdila:The tourists / visitors can opt to drive down to Bomdila( 390Kms), which is approximately an 8 hours drive from Guwahati. It has a good number of Tourist accommodation of the Govt. alongwith Private Hotels. Midway one can have refreshment / Lunch at either Tezpur or Bhalukpong. The next day’s journey to Tawang (188 Kms) takes approximately 5 ½ to 6 hours. The visitors may have a light break at either Baisakhi Brigade (2 and a half hours away) or JaswantGarh( 3 and a half hours away). Option 2 : Drive to Dirang: The tourists / visitors can alternatively decide to take a night halt at Dirang (Approx. 430 Kms.) which is approximately a Nine hour drive from Guwahati. It has a few good hotels for stay. Midway the tourists can have refreshment / short break at either Tezpur or Bhalukpong. The next day journey to Tawang (Approx. 144 Kms) is around 4 to 5 hours long. The visitors may take a short break / refreshment at either the Baisakhi Brigade ( one and a half hours away) or Jang ( 3 and a half hours away). With the gradual improvement in the road conditions enroute, it is expected that the abovementioned travel times would also gradually reduce.