Yak country on the road to Sela

Above Dirang, the Tawang road climbs steadily through oak, rhododendron and fir. Around Nyukmadung, about 31 km from Dirang at roughly 2,700 m, the forest opens into pasture where yaks and yak-cattle crosses graze, especially in the cooler months when herds come down from higher ground. Brokpa herders, the traditional yak-keepers of the Monpa world, still move animals between seasonal grazing grounds.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has run a national research centre on yak at Dirang since 1989, with its experimental farm at Nyukmadung. It studies yak breeding, health and products such as milk, cheese and fibre. Formal visits to the institute need prior permission, but the drive itself often brings close views of herds beside the road. Do not approach animals too closely; yaks are calm but large and protective of calves.

Many travellers fold this into the Dirang–Tawang transfer, leaving early to stop for yaks, tea and photographs before Sela. If you are not continuing to Tawang, hire a taxi for a half day and return to Dirang by lunch. Carry warm layers: the temperature drops sharply as you climb, and frost lingers in shaded bends through winter mornings.