Secret Little Sangti Valley in NE India

I’ve been traveling around India for three years, and after seeing so many places the thing I love to do most is going to places that I’ve never heard of… and neither have most people.

Sangti Valley is 15 km outside Dirang, buried in the Eastern Himalayas, and another stop in Arunachal Pradesh tourism that many won’t see as it’s often overlooked. For me, while traveling with Holiday Scout, it was less about the town or area I was in and more about the interactions. While touring the backwaters of Kerala became famous for its beauty and now everyone goes, one day when Arunachal tourism picks up, Sangti Valley will be flooded by tourists. It’s one of the most stunning places I’ve been.

I’m happy to have gone before that happens and suggest the same to you! What I mean really, is you can’t base a places worth on its popularity as there are still some secret places to visit in India even with its huge population. When you research about Arunachal Pradesh, you will most likely come across little bits about Sangti Valley, and previously written about Dirang, although both are so small that neither even have a Wikipedia page.

The people here are Mahayana Buddhist Monpas with a culture similar to people in Bhutan. As you can see they grow corn! They hang it out to dry to get the seeds for the next season. There are also apple and kiwi farms. You can buy bags of Kiwis here for the same price one is in South India! Between here and Dirang there are also Hot Springs, although I didn’t go visit them. Holiday Scout does “bespoke” tours so if you wanted to see them you just have to ask.

Sangti Valley is where the black neck crane comes each year. They breed here in the valley! It’s a rare bird that is only in India and Bhutan in the colder regions. It’s got a 7 foot wing span and it’s loved by Buddhists and a symbol in their religion. It also happens to be the state bird of Jammu & Kashmir.

We parked up on top and walked down into the valley. The area we parked at was a sheep farm. We got their just in time because after 10 minutes the man told Sange “It’s their bed time”. The sun goes down early in NE India, before 6 PM so I guess they get them inside before it gets dark. The guy whistled a unique call and all the sheep came running. A few got a little confused and went the wrong way but they eventually figured it out!

There are many of India’s North East places to visit that don’t have much information online which is why I decided to make posts about these places and not just do a quick mention. They deserve some attention, especially Sangti Valley!

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