First time in Northeast — heading to Tawang slow travel style, need honest advice
Solo traveller from Mysore. Done plenty of slow trips across South India — Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra. First time going this far. Fluent in Hindi, carrying a tent, very okay with basic living. 15–20 days, tight budget.
Planning Guwahati to Bomdila to Dirang to Tawang to high altitude meadows (Bumla, Shonga-tser, Madhuri Lake). Want to go slow, maybe find families to stay with, camp where possible.
Weather — Best month to do this route? Are the high meadows around Tawang accessible in monsoon or should I avoid it? How cold are nights at Tawang and the lakes — I have a tent but no sleeping bag yet.
Hitchhiking — Does it work on the Bomdila to Dirang to Tawang stretch? Army trucks, locals, anyone? Works well for me in South India but I know it's different up there.
Finding hosts — Realistic to find Monpa families in Dirang or villages around Tawang who'd host for a few days in exchange for help? Or is that too optimistic?
Camping — Can I freely camp around Shonga-tser or Madhuri Lake or will the army turn me away? Any spots along the route that are good for wild camping?
Permits and checkposts — How strict are they on the ILP in Arunachal? I'll get it in Guwahati. How many copies of Aadhar should I carry?
General — Anything culturally important before entering Monpa villages? ATMs — heard Tawang's only ATM is unreliable, how much cash should I carry in from Guwahati?
Not looking for a packaged itinerary. Just honest ground-level advice from people who've actually been there.