Tawang
The drive over Sela Pass (4,170 m) — one of the highest motorable passes in the world — is the gateway to Tawang and a legendary high-altitude journey in its own right. The road passes through the crystal-blue Sela Lake, frozen in winter, before reaching the windswept pass marked by prayer flags and a small refreshment stall. The nearby Jaswant Garh War Memorial, dedicated to rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat who held off Chinese forces single-handedly in 1962, is a deeply moving tribute to extraordinary individual courage.
Sela Pass is at extreme altitude — stop here for no more than 20–30 minutes and carry warm clothing even in summer. The Army canteen at Jaswant Garh serves excellent hot tea and simple food.