This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to blogger and traveler Upasana Kakati from www.unconventionalandvivid.com!

Today's destination: Seven Lakes Trek, Arunachal Pradesh!

Nearest Airport: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Intl Airport - GAU

Nearest Railway Station: Naharlagun Railway Stn (NHLN)

Prerequisites - Inner line permit is required (https://itanagar.nic.in/service/inner-line-permitilp/)

Packing - Sleeping bags, odomos, hat, rain gear, gum boots, trekking gear, backpack, raincoat, down jacket, trekking pole (optional), waterproof clothing

Time of the year - Monsoons are the best time

Length of the itinerary: 8 days

Itinerary Highlights:

1. Upasana talks about the seven lakes trek in the Dibang valley in Arunachal Pradesh, one of the most pristine and beautiful treks in the country.

2. The trek lasts for at least 8 days and covers 7 alpine lakes, the highest one being located at a height of over 14,000 ft. done with Emudu trekkers.

3. Upasana does the trek in October, one of the nicer months to do this trek, however monsoons might be a great option to consider given the offbeat nature of this expedition.

4. The nearest village is Anini, where the group gathers and heads to the trailhead at Emuli village. Day 1 involves trekking through a grassland and camping at the base of the forests for about 4-5 hours.

5. It is best to have a hat, a walking stick and odomos as there are dam dims or insects in the grasslands that could cause itchy bites.

6. The first base camp is Aniku where the group spends the first night at. The next day, the team starts walking through the grasslands. It involves 4-6 hours of trekking, and is filled with the cacophony of insects and birds making loud sounds.

7. The second campsite is called Emudu camp site and has a beautiful logwood cabin in the middle of the rainforest.

8. The third day included trekking through the rain forest and ascending uphill to scale rocky mountains. It is one of the longest days of trekking along with some technical climbs accompanied by winds and rain.

9. The first lake - Kahmu-yu lake is accessed from this basecamp. The next campsite is after a fairly easy trek through the rolling hills, the 2nd lake Emuh-ya lake is next to the campsite. There are also wonderful views including waterfalls, streams and fog covered peaks that one can see from this campsite which is base for the next 3 days and serves as the basecamp to trek to the remaining 5 lakes.

10. The team fills up on tin fish, dal, rice, pickle, rotis, leafy vegetables and maggie for meals with the aim of ensuring enough nutrition for the treks. Sitting by the campfire and gazing at the night sky was another of the moments to remember.

11. The next day includes a trek to lake 3 (Koyombo lake) and lake 4 (Dinu lake). Dinu lake is the most gorgeous of all the lakes, situated at 14,000 ft, deep blue colored and sandwiched between two mountains.

12. After return to the camp and refreshing to have a go again the next day to the final three lakes, lake 5 (Che-ne lake), and lake 6 and 7 - Huhu I and Huhu II. This culminates in a very beautiful sight, Huhu I which is located at a higher altitude, flowing down to Huhu II, engulfed by mist all around.

13. The return journey retraces the initial trek, making stops at campsite 2 before heading back to Anini.

Links:

Upasana’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unconventionalandvivid/

Upasana’s blog:: https://unconventionalandvivid.com

Blog post on the 7 lakes trek: https://unconventionalandvivid.com/guide-to-seven-lakes-trek-dibang-valley/

Upasana’s podcast: https://unconventionalandvivid.com/travel-podcast/

Emudu Trekkers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emudutrekkers/

Video series by Geetfreebird on the 7 lakes trek experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k93Ohent6Ts&list=PLZSzUvvwYwnducSpiBEW28wq_ronomF0Q

Cover Photo by Upasana Kakati

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