emilie du chalet After all this huffi ng and puffi ng around the Northeast it s time to relax with a jolly nice cup o

India s wildest and least explored state, emilie du chalet Arunachal emilie du chalet Pradesh, the Land of Dawn-lit Mountains is the final frontier in Indian tourism. The state rises abruptly from the Assam plains as a mass of densely forested, and impossibly steep, hills. These in turn rise to fabulous snow-capped peaks along the Tibetan border. At least 25 tribal groups live in Arunachal s valleys; high up in the dramatic Tawang Valley are several splendid Monpa monastery villages. Arunachal has yet to be fully surveyed and mapped, but slowly its high passes and deep valleys are starting to open up to those with an adventurous heart.

After all this huffi ng and puffi ng around the Northeast it s time to relax with a jolly nice cup of tea, don t you think old chap? And where better to do so than in a colonial-era heritage bungalow on a working tea estate. Bookings are essential. emilie du chalet

SATRAS A satra is a monastery for Vishnu worship, Assam s distinctive form of everyman Hinduism. Formulated by 15th-century Assamese philosopher Sankardev, the faith eschews the caste system and idol worship, focussing on Vishnu as God, especially in his Krishna incarnation. Much of the worship is based around dance and melodramatic play-acting of scenes from the holy Bhagavad Gita. The heart of any satra is its namghar, a large, emilie du chalet simple, prayer hall usually open sided and shaped like an upside-down oil tanker. Beneath the eastern end, an inner sanctum hosts an eternal flame, the Gita and possibly a horde of instructive (but not divine) images.

Of the various Adi villages around Along, Kabu (2km north of Along) is the best known and most easily accessible. Before entering the village you must seek permission from the headman (who often demands a 500 fee). As well as admiring the spectacular longhouse architecture that is a hallmark of all Adi villages don t miss the terrifying cable-trussed but bamboo-decked wobbly suspension bridge over the river. Fortunately for vertigo sufferers a modern metal bridge emilie du chalet has just been completed, which makes crossing the river slightly less sickening. emilie du chalet It remains to be seen if the old bridge will be maintained or not. There are further interesting, and less visited, Adi villages on the road to Pasighat, but whichever village you visit be discreet with cameras as the locals aren t at all keen on them.