LIMITED SLOTS
Chef on the Road
Arunachal Pradesh
Food, Forest, and the Idu Mishmi Kitchen: A slow, immersive food journey through the Mishmi Hills
This edition of Chef on the Road brings us to Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley, where food is inseparable from forest, season, and community. Guided by Idu Mishmi families and local collaborators, this journey centres cooking, foraging, shared meals, and indigenous food knowledge—experienced across villages and camps in the Mishmi Hills.
Key details:
- 📍 Lower Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
- 🗓 7–13 March 2026
- 👥 Small group of 10 guests (limited seats)
- 🥘 Food-led, community-hosted journey
A Note from ChefTZac
“I’ve travelled researching food cultures for over a decade, but Elopa–Etugu, in the eastern reaches of Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley, asked something different of me. Food here follows forest rules, community decisions, and generational memory–it isn’t made to be explained or showcased.
The recce last year made it clear that this journey couldn’t be designed around us, the visitors. It had to be shaped around the land, the people, and the pace they’ve chosen. This Chef on the Road journey is an invitation to enter that world with care.”
— Thomas Zacharias (ChefTZac)
About Chef On The Road
Chef on the Road (COTR) is Chef Thomas Zacharias’ deeply personal exploration of India’s regional cuisines and food traditions. Since its inception in 2013, the series has aimed to uncover the untold stories of indigenous food systems while spotlighting sustainability and community-driven practices. Each journey brings together passionate travellers, curious eaters, and local communities in a shared celebration of food and culture.
Each COTR journey is different by design. Some unfold deep in forests; others move through farms, markets, and kitchens closer to our cities. What remains constant is the intent: to travel with care, learn through participation, and see food as culture, ecology, labour, and memory—not just flavour.
COTR Arunachal: Elopa–Etugu is among the most grounded expressions of this philosophy. Set within the Elopa–Etugu Community Eco-Cultural Preserve (EECEP) in the Lower Dibang Valley, this journey is shaped by Idu Mishmi communities who have chosen to conserve their ancestral land through customary law and collective stewardship. Here, food is inseparable from forest, river, and restraint. Participants are invited not to observe, but to take part—cooking with families, gathering ingredients, and sharing meals across homes and camps. This trip isn’t designed around explanation or display; it is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and encounter food within a living system of conservation, culture, and community decision-making.
Why Arunachal. Why Elopa–Etugu. Why Now.
A food system shaped by forest, river, and restraint
In the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh, food is inseparable from land governance, ecology, and survival. What is eaten, preserved, or shared reflects the rhythms of forests, grasslands, rivers, and seasons—and the decisions communities make about what not to extract. In Elopa–Etugu, food emerges from a landscape held collectively. Here, use is guided by customary rules, taboos, and long-term thinking rather than short-term gain.
This journey is rooted in that reality: food as an outcome of care, restraint, and continuity.
Cooking traditions held within a living conservation practice
A community managed eco-cultural preserve spanning 75 square kilometres, Elopa-Etugu is more than just a place of biodiversity. It is protected and governed by around 80 households from four Idu Mishmi clans. Established in 2022 through a Gram Sabha resolution, the Elopa-Etugu Community Eco-Cultural Preserve (EECEP) was created to protect ancestral land from external threats, restore degraded ecosystems, and ensure intergenerational transfer of cultural knowledge.
Idu Mishmi food traditions—fermentation, smoking, foraging, drying, preservation—exist within this framework. They are not isolated culinary techniques, but practical responses to forest life, climate, mobility, and seasonal uncertainty. Much of this knowledge is not written or formalised; it lives in daily practice, memory, and repetition.
This journey offers a rare opportunity to encounter these traditions contextually, within a landscape actively conserved by the community itself.
Learning through participation, not observation
This is not a trip where food is plated and presented. Learning happens through participation—gathering ingredients, cooking over fire, eating together in homes and camps, and listening to the stories that travel with recipes. Meals are shaped by what is available, permitted, and appropriate at that time and place.
Cooking becomes a way to understand how conservation, culture, and livelihood intersect—not in theory, but in everyday life.
Entering a community-governed landscape with care
Access to Elopa–Etugu is possible only because the community has chosen to open parts of their conserved land for measured, small-scale, community-led eco-tourism. There is a complete ban on commercial extraction, hunting, and destructive practices within EECEP. Rules are enforced collectively, with equal accountability for community members and outsiders alike.
This journey is designed in alignment with those values. Group sizes are intentionally small. The pace is slow. Expectations are set clearly. This is neither food tourism, nor spectacle. It is an invitation to learn respectfully, to move lightly, and to leave without extraction—carrying a sense of understanding rather than entitlement.
Elopa–Etugu Community Eco-Cultural Preserve (EECEP) is India’s first community-conserved wet tropical grassland and one of the earliest locally led Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) in East-Central Arunachal Pradesh.
What This Journey Explores
- Food-first, not sightseeing-first
The journey is shaped around food practices—how ingredients are sourced, cooked, preserved, and shared—rather than ticking destinations off a checklist. Landscapes are experienced through kitchens, fires, and meals, not viewpoints. - Meals cooked with, not for, you
Food is prepared alongside local families, hosts, and guides. Cooking is participatory, collaborative, and shaped by what the day and season allow, rather than fixed menus or demonstrations. - Ingredients gathered from forests, farms, and streams
Much of what is cooked is gathered locally—foraged, fished, harvested, or sourced from nearby farms and home gardens—in accordance with community rules and seasonal availability. - Cooking across homes, camps, and open fire
Meals are cooked in village kitchens, forest camps, and around shared fires. Techniques vary with place: smoking, fermentation, slow cooking, and simple preparations suited to forest life. - Food as memory, labour, and everyday life
Recipes are inseparable from stories—of family, migration, work, restraint, and survival. Food becomes a way to understand how people live, remember, and adapt. - Slow travel, deep immersion
Group sizes are intentionally small and the pace is unhurried. Time is built in for walking, waiting, cooking, eating, and conversation. This is a journey for those comfortable with slowness, shared spaces, and uncertainty.
Journey Flow
(This is a slow, immersive, food-led journey involving long forest walks, uneven terrain, and shared living. The flow of the trip may shift based on weather, forest conditions, and community needs.)
At a Glance
Day 1 – Arrival | Dibrugarh → Roing
Arrival, rest, orientation, first shared meal.
Day 2 – Village & Kitchen Day | Roing → Kebali → Roing
Village kitchens, farm-to-table cooking, ingredients, techniques, community meals.
Day 3 – Into the Forest | Roing → Elopa Plateau (Trek)
Town to forest, long forest trek, cooking and eating on the move.
Day 4 – Elopa Camp
Foraging forest ingredients, fire cooking, storytelling.
Day 5 – Descent & Second Camp | Elopa → Chembosa Camp
Shared labour, preservation practices, slower rhythms.
Day 6 – Return & Closing | Chembosa Camp → Roing
Final meals, reflection, closing dinner.
Day 7 – Departure | Roing → Dibrugarh
Journey Flow (Detailed)
Day 1 — Arrival
Dibrugarh → Roing
Arrive at Dibrugarh (DIB) Airport and drive approximately three hours to Roing, moving from river plains and tea estates into forested hills. The first day is intentionally gentle-paced. After settling in, we rest and begin to slow down. In the evening, we share our first meal together at the Roing Guesthouse, easing into the pace of the days ahead.
Arrival note: Please ensure your flight lands at DIB Airport no later than 3:00 PM.
Day 2 — Village and Kitchen Day
Roing → Kebali → Roing
The day begins quietly, often to the distant calls of hoolock gibbons. After breakfast, members of the Elopa–Etugu Community Eco-Cultural Preserve (EECEP) offer an orientation to the land, how it is governed, what is protected, and the rules that shape their daily life and food practices.
We then travel to a local village for a farm-to-table lunch, followed by moving through farms, forest edges, and village homes. Cooking, craft, and cultivation are encountered together—not as demonstrations, but as part of everyday life.
In the evening, we gather around a traditional hearth at Nani Heli Elapra’s home. This is a participatory cooking session, shaped by the day’s ingredients and energy. We cook, eat, listen, and sit together—our first deep immersion into Idu Mishmi kitchens, hospitality, and memory.
Day 3 — Into the Forest
Roing → Elopa Plateau (Trek)
After an early breakfast, we enter EECEP and begin on foot along the dry riverbed of Ishi-Afra, guided by Idu Mishmi community rangers. From here, we begin a long, steady trek to the Elopa Plateau (at an elevation of approx. 850 metres). This is a physically demanding forest walk with uneven terrain and elevation gain. The pace is slow and deliberate. Learning happens through movement—as forest knowledge, foraging cues, and stories of plants, fungi, birds, and animals emerge naturally along the way.
By evening, we reach camp and return to fire. Dinner is cooked together, eaten slowly, and followed by quiet conversation under the forest sky.
Day 4 — Elopa Camp
Food, Forest, and Flexibility
This day unfolds without a fixed schedule, shaped by weather, group energy, and what the forest allows.
Possible experiences include:
Cooking with forest and village ingredients; learning everyday preservation and fire-based techniques
Short walks along the plateau edges, observing landscape shifts and forest signs
Time with local research teams working with camera traps
Knowledge-sharing around traditional forest use and restraint
Rest, observation, and time around camp
Optional night walk in search of bioluminescent fungi (season-dependent)
We return to camp each evening to cook, eat, and sit together—food continuing to anchor the day.
Day 5 — Descent and Second Camp
Elopa → Chembosa Camp
After breakfast, we begin a slow descent toward Chembosa Camp, a three-hour walk through the forest into lower, stream-rich terrain. The afternoon is intentionally free. Some may choose to swim, observe aquatic life, or try traditional fishing practices. Meals remain simple and responsive to place—cooked together, shaped by what is available, and eaten without hurry. As night falls, we gather for our final forest meal and evening around the fire.
Day 6 — Return and Closing
Second Camp → Roing
We return to Roing at an easy pace, leaving the forest behind. The afternoon offers time to explore local markets and small businesses—seeing how food, trade, and everyday life intersect in the town. In the evening, we gather for a final shared dinner by the river—a closing circle of reflection, conversation, and shared memory.
Day 7 — Departure
Roing → Dibrugarh
After breakfast, we drive approximately three hours back to Dibrugarh Airport through villages, tea estates, and floodplains along the Brahmaputra.
Departure note: Please book return flights from DIB Airport departing after 11:30 AM.
Food and Drinks
Cooking within a living landscape
In Elopa–Etugu, food is not separate from forest, river, belief, or memory. What is cooked, gathered, fermented, or avoided reflects long-held rules of coexistence—ways of living shaped by land, restraint, and continuity. On this journey, food becomes a way to understand how culture, conservation, and everyday survival remain deeply entangled.
Cooking shaped by land, river, and restraint
Meals are directed by what the landscape allows in that moment—river fish, forest greens, millets, banana flower, bamboo, herbs, and seasonal produce. Some beings are ‘mishu’—animals such as gibbons and others that cannot be hunted or disturbed. These distinctions are not symbolic. They are lived rules that determine what enters the kitchen and what never does. Rivers like the Eze run alongside villages, nourishing both crops and cooking traditions. Forest plants, wild leaves, herbs, and spices aren’t seen as rare or exotic ingredients, but as everyday companions to meals.
Fermentation, preservation, and patience
Much of Idu Mishmi cooking is about time.
Rice wines such as yuchi, yu aachi, and yutuhi are made using local grains and wild yeast cultures gathered from forest herbs. Their strength and character change with the kind of method employed—squeezed, strained, or left to ferment longer. Smoking, drying, and fermenting are not techniques for novelty; they are responses to a humid, forested life where food must move across seasons, not just meals.
Cooking as shared labour
Meals are cooked collectively—over fire, in homes, and at forest camps.
Tools are simple and precise: bamboo tongs (atapra) for grilling, leaves for wrapping and steaming, fire and stone instead of stoves. Ingredients such as king chilli (inchi mebu), fiddlehead ferns (anjichu), banana flower (appapoo), and wild spices like apushi-anjita (dried fermented bamboo shoot and ginger) and atashi (citrusy, aromatic) shape food that is bold, restrained, and deeply local. Cooking here is not performance. It is labour, memory, and care—shared with those who are willing to learn respectfully.
Dishes as stories, not recipes
Meals may include dishes such as:
Eliso Yamba Puhi — pork cooked with finger millet in bamboo
Anga Eka Anunu — river fish cooked with eka millet
Aeto Ashumbrihi — local chicken cooked with pounded corn, blood, ginger, chilli, herbs, and wild spices
Apapu-Idishi-Inchi — burnt banana flower with ginger, chilli, and wild olive (seasonal)
Each dish carries more than flavour. It carries landscape, season, belief, and adaptation. Elders often speak of how the loss of stories leads to the erasure of identity—and how food becomes one of the last living archives of memory. Through initiatives like ‘Taju Taye’, oral histories are being carried forward, reminding us that protecting food knowledge is inseparable from protecting culture itself.
Drinking with meaning
Rice wines and spirits are not consumed casually.
Certain spaces—sacred lakes, ritual sites, moments of remembrance—demand restraint. Shamans (Igu) act as intermediaries between worlds, and food and drink hold meaning within these belief systems, even as practices evolve or fade.
What you drink, where you drink, and with whom you drink all matter here.
A food system rooted in care, not extraction
This journey sits within a wider Idu Mishmi–led, rights-based approach to conservation—one where food, livelihood, and ecology are held together, not separated into modern categories.
The aim is not to preserve tradition as a relic, but to carry it forward with care—bringing the traditional into the present without breaking its relationship with nature.
You will not leave with recipes alone. You will leave with a deeper understanding of how food functions as governance, memory, and quiet resistance against erasure.
Our Hosts and Guides
This journey is held by a small team of Idu Mishmi hosts, researchers, and facilitators who know this land through lived relationships. Learning happens through shared time—walking, cooking, gathering, and listening.
Naba Jibi is an Idu Mishmi sustainable tourism practitioner based in Roing, and a key figure in strengthening community-led protection of the Elopa–Etugu landscape. His work has focused on building ecotourism models that create local livelihoods without compromising community control or customary rights. He hosts the group at his guesthouse in Roing and helps set the tone for the journey—offering context on why these forests are being protected, how local values shape conservation choices, and what it takes to practise long-term stewardship in a rapidly changing region.
Iho Mitapo | Community Guide (EECEP)
An Idu Mishmi grassroots conservationist and local eco-entrepreneur, Iho Mitapo brings lived insight into how this landscape is governed collectively by the four clans, and what it means to return to ancestral land many families were once forced to leave. A recipient of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation’s Wildlife Service Award (2018), his work spans wildlife research, community organising, and locally owned ecotourism initiatives in the Dibang Valley. His guidance grounds the journey in community rights, conservation practice, and lived history.
Eha Tacho | Nature Guide (EECEP)
Eha Tacho is an Idu Mishmi researcher and field guide working closely with EECEP’s conservation and research efforts. He helps participants learn to read the forest beyond the visible—from gibbon territories and wildlife signs to cultural codes around restraint, taboo, and coexistence. His perspective bridges ecological research with Idu ways of understanding the land, offering a quiet but deeply informed lens on how knowledge is gathered, held, and practised.
Eja Pulu brings the forest to life through stories. An active member of the EECEP and one of its most passionate advocates, he speaks from a deeply Idu Mishmi perspective—where nature and culture are inseparable. Warm, generous, and endlessly chatty, Eja has a way of making long walks feel lighter and conversations unfold naturally. His storytelling offers insight into how animals, spirits, memory, and land are woven together in Idu life.
Nani Heli Elapra | Community Cook, Farmer, and Forager (Kebali)
Nani Heli Elapra is one of the primary community cooks for this journey and among the most knowledgeable food practitioners in the region. A highly skilled cook, hardworking farmer, and expert forager, her knowledge sits at the intersection of forest, field, and kitchen. Participants will visit her home in Kebali village, where much of what we cook is grown, gathered, or intimately known—from fruits on her land to forest-linked ingredients such as thupurna (wild leafy greens cooked boiled or fried), mundrana, marsana, atashi, chekapu-na (pumpkin leaves), bama seteka (wild bitter eggplant), and other seasonal plants.
Members of the EECEP community team and ranger group support movement, safety, and logistics within the preserve. They guide how to move through the landscape respectfully—what can be gathered, where one can walk, and how shared spaces are held.
Shreyas Danappa supports on-ground coordination and execution for the journey, drawing on several years of living, travelling, and working closely with Idu Mishmi communities across the Dibang landscape. He stitches together logistics, access, and daily flow—from movement and camp transitions to coordinating with local hosts, guides, and support teams. His work with Map My Stories has also shaped a strong sensitivity to place-based storytelling, helping the journey stay attentive to community rhythms and the realities of the land.
ChefTZac (Thomas Zacharias) | Founder, The Locavore
ChefTZac joins the journey as a guide and co-traveller. He cooks, walks, and lives the experience alongside the group, helping hold space for reflection and conversation throughout the journey. His role is not to interpret local culture, but to ask thoughtful questions, share context where useful, and help connect everyday food practices to larger ideas around ecology, memory, and place—always grounded in, and led by, community voices.
Where You Will Stay
Stay and Camps
Accommodation on this journey is chosen to support rest, safety, and immersion without insulating you from the landscape you’ve come to experience. Comfort is balanced carefully with remoteness, and expectations are set early on.
Roing | Riverside Guesthouse
In Roing, we stay at a simple, comfortable riverside guesthouse that serves as our base at the beginning and end of the journey. Rooms are clean and functional, with basic modern amenities that allow you to rest, reset, and transition gently between travel days and time spent in the forest. Evenings here are unhurried—shared meals, conversation, and quiet reflection before and after our days on foot.
Elopa Plateau and Second Camp | Forest Camps
As we move deeper into the journey, we stay at forest camps near Elopa.Accommodation comprises well-maintained tents set up specifically for the group, in locations chosen by the community for safety and minimal ecological impact. Facilities are shared and basic, as expected in a remote forest setting.These nights are about proximity—cooking over fire, sleeping under open skies, and waking to the sounds of the forest. Hot water and electricity may be limited or unavailable, depending on conditions.
What to Expect
- Twin or shared accommodation throughout
- Clean, hygienic, non-luxury facilities
- Shared toilets at campsites
- No room service; no insulation from forest sounds
- Warmth from fire, not central heating
This is not a comfort-first or luxury stay. It is thoughtfully planned, well held, and deeply memorable. The simplicity is intentional—it keeps the food, the forest, and the shared experience at the centre of the journey.
Is This Journey For You?
This journey is intentionally designed for a specific kind of traveller. Please read this section carefully—it matters as much as the itinerary.
This journey is likely a good fit if you:
- Care deeply about food—how it’s grown, gathered, cooked, and shared
- Are curious about food as culture, ecology, and everyday labour, not just flavour
- Enjoy slow travel, unstructured time, and shared experiences
- Are comfortable with basic living conditions and limited amenities
- Are open to learning through participation—cooking, walking, listening, adapting
- Are physically prepared for long days of trekking, including forest hikes of above-moderate difficulty levels with uneven terrain, elevation changes, and variable weather
- Can travel in a small group with patience, flexibility, and respect for community rhythms
This journey is not a good fit if you:
- Are looking for luxury, comfort-first, or convenience-driven travel
- Prefer fixed menus, advance meal choices, or restaurant-style dining
- Are uncomfortable with camping, shared facilities, or limited access to hot water and electricity
- Expect tight schedules, guaranteed outcomes, or sightseeing-led itineraries
- Are unwilling or unable to walk long distances on forest trails or carry a small daypack
- Approach food, people, or culture as something to be consumed rather than engaged with
This is a food-led, community-held, physically demanding journey. Those who come prepared often find it deeply rewarding.
What to Carry
Please read this carefully and pack only what’s listed. This journey involves long forest treks, camping, and basic facilities. Packing correctly is essential for your comfort, safety, and the group’s experience.
Personal Hygiene
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap (to minimise single-use plastic)
- Toilet paper (non-chemical)
- Bath towel
- Personal medications (allergies, motion sickness, infections, etc.)
- Odomos spray repellent (especially useful against leeches and ticks)
- Sunscreen
Food and Reusables
- Reusable water bottle (single-use plastic is not allowed)
- Tiffin/lunch box and spoon (for packed meals)
- Protein bars or personal snacks (optional)
Clothing
- 2–3 pairs of breathable clothes for warm days (quick-dry T-shirts, trousers)
- Breathable cotton socks (multiple pairs)
- 1–2 sets of warm insulating layers (temperatures can drop to approx. 10°C at night):
- Insulating jacket
- Merino wool cap
- Muffler/bandana
- Thick woollen socks
- Gloves
- Water-resistant trekking trousers (denim jeans are not recommended)
- Rain jacket and waterproof/resistant trousers or a poncho
- Appropriate swimming clothes
- Hat or cap for sun protection
- A pair of slippers
Footwear
- High-ankle, good-grip trekking shoes (only if you already own a pair)
- Rubber boots / gum boots for rain (can be bought locally in Dibang for approx. ₹500/pair)
- Two pairs of comfortable insoles (for use inside gum boots)
Bags and Gear
- Rucksack with waterproof cover (Suitcases, duffle bags, carry bags, and trolley bags are not allowed)
- Small waterproof daypack for hikes (or protect with a poncho)
- Sleeping bag (only if you already own one)
- Sleeping bag liner
- Fully charged torch or headlamp
- Trekking pole (only if you already use one)
Protection and Utilities
- Mosquito repellent / Odomos spray
- Two large plastic bags:
- One for soiled clothes
- One to carry back any single-use plastic generated or found during the trip
(Plastic cannot be disposed of in the mountains and must be carried back to the nearest town in the plains)
Documents
- Original ID (Indian Passport / Aadhaar / Voter ID)
- 4 printed photocopies of your ID
- 4 printed photocopies of your permits for Arunachal Pradesh
(Permits will be arranged by us)
What This Exciting Trip Will Cost You
Accommodation
Twin-sharing accommodation at the guesthouse in Roing and shared tents at forest camps for the duration of the journey.
All Meals
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on all days—including meals cooked with local families, forest camp cooking, and shared community meals. Food is shaped by season and availability.
Local Transport
All ground transportation during the trip, including shared airport transfers to and from Dibrugarh (DIB), and travel between Roing, villages, and forest entry points.
Experiences
All planned experiences as part of the itinerary—village visits, cooking sessions, foraging walks, forest treks, and community-led activities.
Local Hosts and Guides
Hosting and guidance by Idu Mishmi community members, including cooks, foragers, forest guides, and EECEP community rangers.
COTR Facilitation
On-ground facilitation by ChefTZac as part of the Chef on the Road journey.
What the Cost Includes
Accommodation
Twin-sharing rooms at Ranchi Gymkhana Club and twin-sharing tents at the Jonha campsite.
All Meals
All group meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 4 (including community meals and campsite dinner).
Local Transport
All ground transportation during the journey, including group airport transfers within the specified arrival/departure windows, and travel between Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Jonha.
Experiences
All planned experiences—market visits, workshops, walks, community-led activities, and campsite programming.
On-ground Facilitation
Facilitation by The Locavore team and partners as part of the Chef on the Road journey.
What the Cost Does Not Include
Flights to and from Dibrugarh (DIB)
Guests must arrange and book their own flights. Please ensure your flight lands at Dibrugarh (DIB) Airport no later than 3:00 PM on 7th March, and your return flights depart from DIB airport after 11:30 AM on 13th March.
Personal Expenses
Any personal purchases, shopping, snacks outside group meals, medicines or individual expenses.
Travel Insurance
Strongly recommended, but not included.
Permits for Foreign Nationals
Protected Area Permits (PAP) for foreign passport holders are not included. We can assist with arranging these at an additional cost (subject to change).
Porter for Personal Luggage
Porters carry common camping and cooking equipment. A porter for personal luggage can be arranged at an additional cost, subject to availability.
Unforeseen Costs
Expenses arising from weather delays, landslides, roadblocks, political unrest, or other factors beyond our control.
Anything Not Mentioned Above
Any item or service not explicitly listed under “What the Cost Includes.”
Important Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions apply to all participants booking and joining the Chef on the Road journey to Arunachal Pradesh, curated by The Locavore in collaboration with local community partners. By registering for and participating in this journey, you agree to the following terms in full.
1. Booking and Confirmation
- To express interest, participants must complete the registration process as outlined on the website or via email.
- Once selected, participants will receive a confirmation email with payment details, timelines, and key information.
- A booking is considered confirmed only after full payment of the tour fee has been received.
- The Locavore reserves the right to refuse participation to any applicant if the journey is deemed unsuitable for them, based on physical preparedness, intent, or alignment with the values of the trip.
2. Payment Terms
- Full payment is required at the time of booking to secure a spot.
- Payments must be made through the official payment methods shared by The Locavore.
- Prices are quoted per person and are exclusive of GST unless otherwise stated.
- Any bank charges, currency conversion fees, or transaction fees are the responsibility of the participant.
- The journey is priced based on shared group transportation aligned with the official itinerary. Participants who arrive later than the designated arrival window on Day 1, or who wish to depart earlier than the scheduled departure on Day 7, will be required to cover the cost of any additional or private transportation arranged outside the group schedule. These additional costs will be communicated in advance where possible and must be borne by the participant.
3. Cancellation and Refund Policy
- All bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable, including in cases of illness, injury, personal emergencies, or changes in travel plans.
- If a participant is unable to attend after booking, no refund or credit will be issued.
- The Locavore is not responsible for costs incurred by participants due to flight cancellations, delays, or changes made independently.
This policy exists because the journey is community-led, capacity-limited, and involves advance commitments to hosts, guides, and local partners.
4. Changes to Itinerary
- The itinerary shared is indicative and may be modified due to:
- Weather conditions
- Forest access restrictions
- Community needs or decisions
- Road conditions, landslides, or natural disruptions
- Safety considerations
- The Locavore and local partners reserve the right to adjust the schedule, experiences, or accommodation as required.
- No refunds will be provided for itinerary changes that do not materially affect the overall duration of the journey.
5. Physical Fitness and Participation
- This journey involves long days of walking and trekking, including above-moderate difficulty forest hikes, uneven terrain, elevation changes, and variable weather.
- Participants are responsible for assessing their own physical and mental fitness prior to booking.
- By joining the journey, participants confirm that they are medically fit to undertake the activities involved.
- The Locavore reserves the right to remove a participant from an activity, or from the journey entirely, if their continued participation poses a risk to themselves, others, or the community. No refund will be issued in such cases.
6. Responsibility, Risk, and Liability
- Participants acknowledge that travel in remote forested regions carries inherent risks, including but not limited to:
- Slips, falls, and injuries
- Wildlife encounters
- Weather-related disruptions
- Limited access to medical facilities
- The Locavore, its partners, facilitators, guides, and hosts are not liable for any injury, illness, loss, damage, delay, or inconvenience faced during the journey.
- First aid kits will be available, but advanced medical care may not be immediately accessible.
- Participants travel at their own risk and are responsible for their own health, safety, and well-being at all times.
7. Travel Insurance
- Travel insurance is strongly recommended for all participants.
- Insurance should cover medical emergencies, evacuation, trip cancellation, and personal belongings.
- The Locavore does not provide travel insurance and is not responsible for any costs arising from the absence of insurance.
8. Permits and Documentation
- Indian passport holders will be assisted with necessary Arunachal Pradesh permits.
- Foreign passport holders are required to obtain a Protected Area Permit (PAP).
- PAP fees are not included in the trip cost.
- The Locavore can assist with the process at an additional cost.
- Participants are responsible for carrying valid original ID and required photocopies at all times.
- Failure to obtain or carry required documents may result in denied entry, without refund.
9. Accommodation and Facilities
- Accommodation includes:
- Twin-sharing rooms at a guesthouse in Roing
- Shared tents at forest camps
- Facilities at campsites are basic and shared.
- Hot water, electricity, and mobile network may be limited or unavailable.
- Participants acknowledge and accept these conditions as part of the experience.
10. Food and Dietary Restrictions
- Meals are shaped by season, availability, and local food practices.
- The Locavore will make reasonable efforts to accommodate dietary restrictions if communicated in advance.
- However, due to the remote setting and community-based cooking, all dietary needs cannot be guaranteed.
- Participants with severe allergies or highly restrictive diets must carefully consider their participation.
11. Community Conduct and Respect
- This is a community-held journey. Participants are expected to:
- Follow local customs, taboos, and guidance
- Respect boundaries around food, foraging, photography, and movement
- Refrain from extractive, intrusive, or disrespectful behaviour
- Hunting, fishing, foraging, or collecting any material without explicit permission is strictly prohibited.
- The Locavore reserves the right to remove any participant who behaves in a manner that disrespects the community, environment, or group.
- Use of Knowledge and Research Outputs
Any information, observations, recordings, or learnings gathered during this journey—including food practices, ecological knowledge, oral histories, or community processes—may not be published, cited, or submitted in academic research, media publications, or institutional publications without prior written permission from the Elopa–Etugu Community Eco-Cultural Preserve (EECEP) committee. This includes (but is not limited to) academic journals, conference papers, dissertations, reports, policy briefs, and institutional platforms. This condition exists to protect community-held knowledge and ensure that any external use is consensual, contextual, and aligned with EECEP’s governance and values.
13. Photography, Video, and Media Use
- Participants may take photographs and videos for personal use.
- Consent must be obtained before photographing or filming individuals, homes, or sacred spaces.
- By participating, guests grant The Locavore and its partners the irrevocable right to use photographs, video, and audio recorded during the journey for documentation, editorial, and promotional purposes, across all media, worldwide, without additional compensation.
- Participants who do not wish to appear in the documentation must inform the team in writing prior to the journey.
14. Accessibility
- This journey has low accessibility for wheelchairs or mobility aids.
- Due to the terrain and activities involved, it is not recommended for young children or elderly participants.
- Participants with specific access needs should reach out prior to booking for clarification.
15. Force Majeure
The Locavore shall not be held liable for delays, cancellations, or changes caused by events beyond reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, political unrest, strikes, pandemics, or acts of God.
16. Governing Law
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of Indian courts.
17. Agreement
By booking and participating in this journey, you confirm that:
- You have read and understood these Terms and Conditions
- You agree to abide by them fully
- You accept the nature, risks, and responsibilities of this journey
Have any queries? Reach out to us at connect@thelocavore.in!
Login with Google