In a village older than most Indian cities, where the Tawangchu River murmurs below and snow-capped peaks fill every window, a homestay rooted in Monpa tradition is quietly offering travellers something the rest of India cannot: the borderlands of the Eastern Himalayas, from the inside.
There is a road out of Tawang that most visitors never take. It heads west towards Lumla, descending from Tawang’s cold, high-altitude plateau through forested valleys where red pandas move through the canopy and over 400 species of birds fill the morning air. Forty-five kilometres and about ninety minutes later, the road reaches Hoongla — a village of the Monpa people that has been standing in these mountains for seven centuries, its houses built against the hillside above the Tawangchu River, its fields terraced by hands that have worked this same soil for generations.
This is where Hoongla Inn sits. And the fact that it sits here — in an ancient, largely undiscovered village at 6,500 feet, at the edge of India’s least-visited frontier — is the most important thing about it.
The Story
Hoongla Inn was born from a vision that is simple and quietly radical: to create a bridge between this remote, extraordinary village and the world beyond it. Not to extract Hoongla’s beauty for the benefit of outsiders, but to share it in a way that supports local livelihoods, preserves Monpa culture, and ensures that what makes this place exceptional endures.
The Inn was designed in harmony with its surroundings — Monpa architectural principles woven into its construction, five carefully crafted rooms built to feel rooted in the hillside rather than imposed upon it. The team, led by Wang Chu whose warmth and local knowledge guests consistently celebrate, works with villagers, artisans, and monks to keep the culture alive while welcoming guests into its heart. From organising the region’s first bird sound recording survey to supporting traditional crafts and hosting international kayaking championships on the Tawangchu, Hoongla Inn has positioned itself as a genuine guardian of this land’s future, not merely a business within it.
Why Hoongla, Not Tawang?
Tawang is justly famous — one of the most dramatic towns in India, home to the largest monastery in the country after Rumtek, sitting at 8,500 feet with the Himalayas massed around it. But Tawang can also be crowded, cold, and, at its altitude, physically demanding for those arriving from the plains.
Hoongla sits lower, at 6,500 feet. The weather is more pleasant, the air less thin. The village is quieter, older, and offers access to a landscape and culture that even most Tawang visitors never encounter. Tawang and all its monuments are a comfortable day trip away. The Zemithang valley, the Bhutan border, the Indo-Tibetan frontier at Bum La — all accessible from Hoongla, with the Inn’s team coordinating everything. What Hoongla offers that Tawang cannot is the texture of daily life in a 700-year-old Monpa village: the sound of prayer flags in the wind, butter tea in a village home, the distant belling of a monastery bell at dawn.
The Rooms
There are five rooms at Hoongla Inn, each thoughtfully designed to merge modern comfort with the aesthetic of the place. Local artwork, traditional motifs, and earthy tones give each room the warmth of a home rather than the neutrality of a hotel. Large windows frame panoramic views of snow-capped peaks. The Tawangchu River is audible below — that particular sound of mountain water that makes sleep come easily and departure difficult.
Each room has a private bathroom with shower, wardrobe, balcony, and mountain views. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout, along with an outdoor fireplace, terrace, and shared lounge. The property ensures full-day security, free parking, and reception staff fluent in English and Hindi.
Rates are approximately ₹3,500 per person per night.
Eating Here
Meals at Hoongla Inn are an introduction to one of India’s most distinctive and least-known culinary traditions. Monpa cuisine is rooted in the high-altitude produce of the Eastern Himalayas: buckwheat, millet, and rice formed into thick breads and noodles; yak meat and dairy; vegetables grown in the terraced fields that surround the village; herbs foraged from the surrounding forests. Butter tea — pungent, warming, deeply divisive among first-time drinkers, and quietly addictive thereafter — is the flavour of the borderlands.
Breakfast is a la carte, featuring local specialities alongside cheese and fresh fruit. Other meals are home-cooked with organic produce sourced from the village itself and prepared with the knowledge of someone who has grown up eating this way. Wang Chu’s picnic lunches, arranged for guests on day excursions, are specifically called out in reviews as a highlight — something that starts as a practical arrangement and becomes one of the memories guests carry home.
What to See and Experience
The Zemithang excursion is Hoongla Inn’s most significant day trip — a drive into one of the most remote and historically charged valleys in India. At Kenzimane, guests can stand at the exact spot where His Holiness the Dalai Lama first crossed into India in 1959, fleeing Tibet. The Gorsam Chorten, one of the largest stupas in Arunachal Pradesh, stands nearby in a setting of extraordinary remoteness and beauty. The village of Zemithang, close to the Indo-Tibetan border, offers a glimpse of frontier life that few Indian travellers ever access.
The Bum La Pass — at 15,200 feet on the India-China border — requires an Inner Line Permit and is accessible only for Indian nationals, but is among the most dramatic border experiences in the subcontinent. The team at Hoongla Inn facilitates all the necessary permits and logistics.
Tawang Monastery, the largest Buddhist monastery in India after Rumtek, is a day trip from the Inn — vast, ancient, perched above the town with Himalayan ranges spreading in every direction. The Urgelling Gompa, birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama, the Nuranang Falls, the Madhuri Lake, and the Sela Pass are all within reach. Closer to the Inn, the hidden monasteries of Chungtok and Pangchen offer more contemplative encounters with the region’s Buddhist heritage.
Birding at Hoongla is exceptional. Over 400 species have been recorded in the area — Himalayan monals, rufous-necked hornbills, fire-tailed myzornises, laughing thrushes, and numerous migratory rarities pass through the forests, wetlands, and alpine meadows surrounding the village. The Inn’s involvement in the region’s first bird sound recording survey speaks to the depth of its commitment to this landscape.
Village walks, farm visits, traditional Monpa craft workshops, Buddhist prayer ceremonies, and cycling on in-house bicycles through border villages and forest routes complete an experience list that is among the most genuinely immersive available anywhere in India’s northeast.
Why It Stays With You
Hoongla Inn is situated at the intersection of three of the most compelling things a traveller can encounter: extraordinary natural beauty, ancient living culture, and the charged, particular atmosphere of a borderland. The Monpa people have lived in these mountains for centuries, between Tibet, Bhutan, and India, carrying a tradition that is Buddhist in faith, Himalayan in temperament, and entirely their own in expression.
To stay at Hoongla Inn is to be received by people who are genuinely proud of where they come from and genuinely glad you have found your way to them. It is the kind of hospitality that the Eastern Himalayas produce and that the rest of India struggles to replicate — unhurried, warm, and rooted in the conviction that this place is worth knowing.
Plan Your Visit
Address: Village Hoongla, Near Hoongla Primary School, Lumla Circle, Tawang District, Arunachal Pradesh — 790104 Website: hoonglainn.in Booking: Direct via website or via Booking.com, MakeMyTrip
Check-in: 2:00 PM · Check-out: 11:00 AM Rates: From ₹3,500 per person per night
Rooms: 5 — all with private bathrooms, mountain views, balconies, wardrobe, and free toiletries Meals: Breakfast (à la carte, local specialities) · Lunch and dinner on request — traditional Monpa home cooking with organic local produce Facilities: Free Wi-Fi · Outdoor fireplace · Terrace · Shared lounge · Free parking · 24-hour security · English and Hindi-speaking staff
Important: Arunachal Pradesh requires an Inner Line Permit (ILP) for all Indian nationals and a Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreign nationals. Arrange these before travel. The team at Hoongla Inn can advise on the process.
Getting There — The nearest major airport is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, Assam — approximately 15 hours by road. — Tezpur Railway Station is the nearest major railhead — approximately 12 hours by road. — From Tezpur or Guwahati, the route follows the same mountain highway used to reach Tawang, via Bomdila, Dirang, and Sela Pass, before turning off at Lumla towards Hoongla. The road is scenic and dramatically beautiful. — From Tawang town: approximately 45 km — around 90 minutes by road. — Private cabs are the most practical way to travel in this region. Coordinate with the Inn in advance for recommended drivers and logistics. — The route is subject to landslides during heavy monsoon. Best to avoid travel in July and August unless road conditions are confirmed.
Nearby — Tawang Monastery: 50 km · Zemithang and Gorsam Chorten: 30 km · Kenzimane (Dalai Lama entry point): 30 km · Bum La Pass (India-China border): 70 km · Nuranang Falls: 40 km · Sela Pass: 90 km · Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary: 3 hours
Best Time to Visit: March to June for clear skies, blooming rhododendrons, and accessible roads · September to November for post-monsoon clarity and excellent birding · Avoid July–August (heavy monsoon, landslide risk) and January–February (heavy snowfall, limited access).
