Pasighat

Pasighat, founded by the British in 1911, is the oldest town in Arunachal Pradesh. It sits where the mighty Siang river — the Yarlung Tsangpo of Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam — leaves the mountains and spreads out across the plains. The river views, especially from the bridges and ghats at sunset, are the town's signature.

Pasighat is the cultural centre of the Adi people, whose villages with stilted bamboo houses and community halls (musups) are scattered through the surrounding hills. The Adi celebrate Solung, their main agricultural festival, around 1 September, with dances, rituals and feasts, and Aran in March. Visitors can see traditional cane bridges and weaving in nearby villages.

Nature lovers can visit the Daying Ering Wildlife Sanctuary on the river islands, a refuge for migratory birds in winter. Pasighat is also a starting point for the multi-day Siang rafting expeditions and for road journeys north to Aalo and Mechuka.