Glaw Lake with Akanksha Siwach

The Musafir Stories - India Travel Podcast

WINNER OF GIVEAWAY FROM NASHIK EPISODE

RIKIN MERCHANT

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with Akanksha Siwach, solo traveller, amateur gardener and a terrific storyteller who blogs at https://talesofthehiddentrails.wordpress.com

Today's destination: Glaw Lake, Arunachal Pradesh

Nearest Airport: Dibrugarh Airport, DIB

Nearest Railway Station: New Tinsukia Railway Station, NTSK

Prerequisites - Inner Line permit, Permit for the trek/camping

Packing - Pack light, good shoes/gumboots, rucksack, tent, sleeping bag and SALT - watch out for those leeches!

Time of the year - October - March

Length of the itinerary: 2 days

Itinerary Highlights:

Akansha takes us on a trek to the mystical Glaw lake in Arunachal Pradesh. Glaw lake is situated in the Wakro town of eastern Arunachal Pradesh, in the Lohit district - a sparsely populated region, still pristine with flora and fauna.

The lake is situated in the middle of Kamlang Tiger reserve, close to the Burmese and Tibetan border. The reserve is filled with thick forests full of exotic plants and animals - plantains, dry fruits like Chahal, oranges, elephant apple, butterflies, gibbons, the Great Indian hornbill, Himalayan monals among others.

Akanksha’s guide was a local student from Arunachal - Bethem, who helped navigate through this 7-8 hour trek (one way). Important pit stops include the forest hut, the suspension bridge over the Lohit River, trekker’s hut in Kalai among others.

Legend goes that Glaw lake welcomes anyone visiting the lake for the first time and is welcomed by showers, which was true in Akanksha’s case as well. Another legend goes that no one ever drowns at the Glaw (also no one swims at the Glaw!) and the lake never gets dirty!

The team arrives at the site of the lake just after noon, and spends time exploring around the lake. The team also meets up with a couple of local Miju Mishmi fishermen who help with breakfast the following day.

Akanksha and team also get a chance to share a meal with the fishermen and try out some of the local food. The views of the Glaw lake the following morning at sunrise are something to treasure - the mystical lake covered with mist and crystal-clear water as the first rays of the sun shine on the camping area. Akanksha also has a chance to go on a short boat ride on a raft made by the fishermen.

Miju Mishmi are one of the prominent tribes of the north east and are a very hardy people surviving on the resources from the mountains and forests. Akanksha shares some background about the tribe and their ways of life.

Akanksha also shares further details about places in the vicinity that one could visit, including Parashuram Kund, Walong, Namti plains, Golden pagoda and a few more places in the vicinity

Links:

Link to Akanksha’s blog: https://talesofthehiddentrails.wordpress.com

Link to the blogpost: https://talesofthehiddentrails.wordpress.com/2021/03/11/glaw-lake-the-secret-of-kamlang-that-youve-got-to-know/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akankshasiwach/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AkankshaSiwach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akanksha.siwach.7

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