For reasons including dense forests and Class IV rapids on the river, the Upper Siang region of Arunachal Pradesh has remained largely out of bounds for visitors. Last month, Radhika Tandon was on the rare commercial rafting expedition on this stretch of the mighty Siang, and returned to tell this tale.
We follow the roar of the Ningguing rapid on a narrow trail through the jungle, hop across a sea of boulders, and emerge on Purung beach, our first campsite. After three days of travel, we are close to Tuting, the farthest town on Arunachal’s international border where civilians are allowed. And now, we are at eye-level with the mighty Siang, in all its formidable glory.
