slopeside grill steamboat David s Kitchen MULTICUISINE $$ (%2305736; Zarkawt; mains 80-140; h10am9.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-9.30pm S

Iora; the Retreat HOTEL $$$ (%262411; www.kazirangasafari.com; s/d from 3300/3900; aiWs) Not quite as discreet as you may imagine a place named the Retreat to be, this vast new place, to the east of the tourist complex, is almost as big as the national park itself, but despite this its deliciously quiet and subtly decorated rooms offer superb slopeside grill steamboat value for money. However, if you value a personal service you d best look elsewhere.

Despite being an oil-service town, Sivasagar exudes a residual elegance from its time as the capital of the Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for more than 600 years. The name comes from waters of Shiva , the graceful central feature of a rectangular reservoir dug in 1734 by Ahom Queen Ambika. Three typical Ahom temple towers slopeside grill steamboat rise proudly above the tank s partly wooded southern banks to the west Devidol, to the east Vishnudol slopeside grill steamboat and in the centre, the 33m-high Shivadol slopeside grill steamboat Mandir, India s tallest Shiva temple. Its uppermost trident balances upon an egg-shaped feature whose golden covering the British reputedly tried (but failed) to pilfer in 1823.

David s Kitchen MULTICUISINE $$ (%2305736; Zarkawt; slopeside grill steamboat mains 80-140; h10am9.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-9.30pm Sun) David s fine Mizo, Thai, Indian, Chinese and continental food, mocktails, friendly staff and pleasant decor will please everyone. The views aren t half bad either.

some impressive traditional buildings all set, surreally, slopeside grill steamboat under two giant mobile phone towers. Shingha slopeside grill steamboat Chingyuo village (20km, population 5900) has a huge longhouse decorated with mithuna (pairs of men and women) and deer skulls, three stuff ed tigers, and a store of old human skulls. Longwoa (35km) is spectacularly sited on the India Myanmar border, with the headman s longhouse actually straddling the two nations. Despite its popularity with tourists it remains one of the most interesting villages. Chui (8km) includes an elephant skull in its longhouse collection. Shangnyu village has a shrine full of fertility references such as tumescent warriors, a crowing cock, a large snake, a man and woman enjoying sex and, to complete the picture, a double rainbow. Langmeang village, with its stack of human skulls piled up in a wooden box, is also highly impressive.

shanty creek condos for sale The most accessible villages are the Konyak settlements around Mon. Traditional houses abound, and s

This famous (but not spectacular) Ahom ruin is 4km down AT Rd from central Sivasagar. Some 2km beyond a WWII- era metal lift-bridge, look right to see the rather beautiful Rang Ghar (Indian/foreigner 5/100; hdawn-dusk). From this two-storey oval-shaped pavilion , Ahom monarchs once watched buffalo and elephant fights.

The most accessible villages are the Konyak settlements around Mon. Traditional houses abound, and some villages have morungs and religious relics from pre-Christian times. Village elders may wear traditional costume and Konyak of all ages carry the fearsome-looking dao a crude machete used for headhunting shanty creek condos for sale right up until the mid-20th century. shanty creek condos for sale

Tucked conveniently behind the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) Bus Station (AT Rd), Solicitor Rd has half a dozen reasonable hotels. The Hotel Janata Paradise (%9435659461; Solicitor Rd; d 300) isn t quite as beautiful as the manager told us, but at this price you can t be too hard on the daffodil-yellow rooms. Its restaurant (h11am-4pm & 8-9pm) serves excellent-value 10-dish Assamese thalis (from 40).

st luc location From Lumla, 42km towards Zemithang, helicopters ( 3000, two hours, hMon-Sat) fly to Guwahati. APST b

From Lumla, 42km towards Zemithang, helicopters st luc location ( 3000, two hours, hMon-Sat) fly to Guwahati. APST buses leave Tawang 5.30am Monday and Friday for Tezpur ( 290, 12 hours), calling at Dirang st luc location ( 130, six hours), Bomdila ( 170, seven hours) and Bhalukpong ( 240, 10 hours). More frequent public sumos to Tezpur ( 500) depart at dawn.

For many a year accommodation in Mon meant the friendly, but sadly very scrappy and slightly overpriced Helsa Cottage (%9436433782; r from 1000) run by Aunty. At the time of research Aunty was about to shut the old place down and open a new (as yet unnamed) st luc location hotel near the market area. Another venture is the confusingly named Helsa Resort (%9436000028; r 1000), a couple of kilometres out of town on the road to Myanmar. It consists of four traditional thatched Konyak huts with springy bamboo floors, sparse furnishings and hot water by the bucket. Its generator is a huge plus. All the accommodation options serve meals.

Meghalaya Helicopter Service (%2223129; airport) has two to three daily (except Sunday) 557 flights to Shillong ( 1200, 30 minutes, 9am & 12.30pm plus 2pm Tuesday & Thursday). There are also services to Tura (Garo Hills, 1500, 50 minutes, 10.30am Mon, Wed & Fri).

chalets st gervais Just beyond, a left turning passes the Golaghar or Ahom ammunition store, the stonework of which is

Jam-packed chalets st gervais buses and vans ( 10/20) meet arriving ferries then drive to Garamur via Kamalabari where three-wheelers are easier to rent. For a few days consider arranging chalets st gervais a bicycle through Jyoti at La Villa.

Tripura s most iconic building, the 1930 Neermahal, is a long, red-and-white water palace (admission/camera/video 10/10/25; h8.30am-4pm, until 4.30pm Apr-Sep), which is empty but shimmering on its own boggy island in the lake of Rudra Sagar. Like its counterpart in Rajasthan s Udaipur, this

Just beyond, a left turning passes the Golaghar or Ahom ammunition store, the stonework of which is held together with a mix of dhal, lime and egg. Beyond are the two-storey chalets st gervais ruins of Talatalghar (Indian/ foreigner 5/100; hdawn-dusk), the extensive, two-storey Ahom palace built by Ahom King Rajeswar Singha in the mid-18th century.

swedish chalet RAFTING IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY Another newly opened route is the Pasighat to Tuting road. Thi

# ChitrachalHillBharaluRiverBrahmaputraRiverKarmanasaIslandPeacockIslandJorpulkuriPondsSilpukhuriTankDighalipukhuriTankJudgesFeldNehruParkPaltan Bazaar Panbazar StationRd Solapara Rd GuwahatiShillong(GS)Rd AssamTrunk(AT)Rd BBaruahRd GNBRd MahatmaGandhi(MG)Rd PD Chalia Rd FCRd MDShahRd swedish chalet SRSRd ArgwalPath MSRd ManikChandra (MC)Rd UNBRd Train Station Sikh Temple NepaliMandir SattagarhMandir FancyBazaar Gandhi Mandap Panbazar Ghat Sukreswar Ghat Umananda Ghat Mosque Mosque swedish chalet Jain Mandir 6 8 4 3 25 20 16 18 15 17 7 21 22 23 1 19 9 10 11 12 14 13 431CBC24312BAADDGuwahati To Jungle Travels India (100m) To Mizoram House (1km); Arunachal House (1.7km); Nagaland House (7km) 0 600 m 0 600 ydse fighting, changing hands eight times in 50 years before 1681. In 1897 a huge earthquake, followed by a series of devastating floods, wiped out most of the old city.

RAFTING IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY Another newly opened route is the Pasighat to Tuting road. This route is all about two things: the River Siang and the mysterious Buddhist land of Pemako. Tuting, which sits near the Tibetan border, is the point at which the Tsang Po river having left the Tibetan plateau and burrowed through the Himalaya via a series of spectacular gorges enters the Indian subcontinent and becomes the Siang (once it reaches the plains of Assam it turns into the Brahmaputra). Tuting and the River Siang are starting to gain a reputation as one of the world s most thrilling white-water rafting destinations, but this ain t no amateurs river. The few people swedish chalet who have descended the river have reported that the 180km route is littered with numerous grade 4-5 rapids, strong eddies and inaccessible gorges. For those after adventure of a different kind Tuting also serves as the launch pad for searching out the legendary Buddhist land of Pemako. You will, however, need more than this guidebook and a compass in order to find it. Buddhist belief says that Pemako is a synonym for a hidden earthly paradise and that it s the earthly representation of Dorje Pagmo, a Tibetan goddess. It was said that this land of milk and honey was to be found in the eastern Himalaya and that to reach it you had to pass behind an enormous hidden waterfall. For hundreds of years outsiders knew that the Tsang Po river left Tibet and entered a huge, and utterly impenetrable, gorge before emerging from the Himalaya around Tuting, but what happened to the river inside that gorge was unknown until the 1950s. As it turned swedish chalet out the river did indeed tumble over an enormous waterfall and, what s more, it passed through a rich and fertile valley populated swedish chalet by Memba Buddhists, completely isolated from the rest of the world. Today, this vast region of northern Arunachal Pradesh and parts of south eastern Tibet remains almost utterly unknown to the outside world, but Pemako is out there and for those willing to endure days of incredibly tough hiking (and deal with reams of paperwork) it is possible swedish chalet to visit.

florence parry heide Mar The wildlife Oct The Himal-Dec Fierce Naga is at its most ayan vistas are warriors descend visib

Once you leave the outskirts florence parry heide of Shillong the road to Cherrapunjee passes through florence parry heide pretty scenery that becomes dramatic at Dympep viewpoint, where a photogenic V-shape valley slits deeply into the plateau.

Calling the Tawang Valley a valley just doesn t do justice to its incredible scale; it s more a mighty gash in the earth ringed by immense mountains. Patchworking the sloping ridges of the lower hills is a vast sweep of fields dotted florence parry heide with Buddhist monast eries and Monpa villages.

Mar The wildlife Oct The Himal-Dec Fierce Naga is at its most ayan vistas are warriors descend visible in Kaziperfect and the on Kohima for the ranga and other national parks. roads to Tawang and Mechuka remain snow-free. Hornbill festival (December 1 7).

eagle pine chalets Many private buses have ticket counters on nearby AT Rd. For Kareng Ghar, use a tempo ( 10, 45 minut

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 eagle pine chalets heritage bungalow on a working tea estate. Bookings are essential.

Many private buses have ticket counters on nearby AT Rd. For Kareng Ghar, use a tempo ( 10, 45 minutes), which depart from an unmarked stop on Bhuban Gogoi (BG) Rd, 300m north up AT Rd, then 50m right. eagle pine chalets

While each of these hotels have good restaurants, the cosy Dragon eagle pine chalets Restaurant (Old Market; mains 60-150) is the town s best eatery with freshly made local dishes such as churpa eagle pine chalets ( 150), a fermented cheese broth with fungi and vegetables that tastes much better than it sounds. Also don t miss the Tibetan tea. An acquired taste if ever there were one.

CROSSING INTO BANGLADESH AT AGARTALA Border Hours The border at Agartala is open from 7am to 6pm. Foreign Exchange There s no exchange booth and Agartala eagle pine chalets banks don t sell Bangladeshi taka, so changing money is hit and miss; ask local traders eagle pine chalets or border eagle pine chalets offi cials. Onward Transport From central Agartala the border is just 3km along Akhaura Rd ( 50 by rickshaw). On the Bangladesh side the nearest town is Akhaura, 5km beyond, reached by baby taxi (autorickshaw). From Akhaura trains head to Dhaka, Comilla and Sylhet. Coming eastbound, be sure to pay your Bangladeshi departure tax at a Sonali bank before heading for the border. Visas Unhelpful, but the northeast s only Bangladesh visa office (%2324807; eagle pine chalets Airport Rd, Kunjaban; happlication 9am-1pm Mon-Thu, 9am-noon Fri, collection same day 4pm) hides down a small lane in Agartala, about 2km north of the Ujjayanta eagle pine chalets Palace.

creekside beaver creek Tripura s low-key capital, with its small- town atmosphere, feels like an India of yesteryear. The p

Sprawling Hapoli (New Ziro), starting 7km further south than Ziro, has hotels and road transport. Just below the Commissioner s office on a bend in MG Rd is an SBI ATM. There are a couple of internet creekside beaver creek cafes around the market area but connections are as rare as a tiger in the nearby forests. The small central market is well worth poking about in. As well as fruit, veg and clothing you can stock up on various insects and other delights to snack on.

Tripura s low-key capital, with its small- town atmosphere, feels like an India of yesteryear. The pace of life is much slower than in the towns and cities of the Indian heartlands and people are much more likely to swerve across the street to wish you a good day than to try and sell you something. The old quarter, which centres on the Ujjayanta Palace, has some impressive town gates and pretty tanks and gardens. Durga puja is celebrated with huge pandals (temporary temples built from wood and cloth).

salish village condominiums DON T MISS There aren t all that many places left in the world where the maps may as well have blank

DON T MISS There aren t all that many places left in the world where the maps may as well have blank spaces on them, snow- capped mountains remain unnamed and unclimbed, forests are filled with creatures that scientists have yet to lay eyes upon and hill tops are crowned with unmolested tribal villages, salish village condominiums but northeast India is one such place. As the region slowly opens up, don t miss this opportunity for genuine, undiluted adventure. Areas that are safe yet largely unexplored by tourists include almost all of rural Mizoram, large tracts of Tripura (check the security situation first), the furthest reaches of Nagaland and, best of all, huge chunks of steamy forests, alpine meadows salish village condominiums and high Himalayan wildernesses salish village condominiums have finally started opening up in Arunachal Pradesh. Top Festivals

The Pinewood Hotel (Rita Rd), a 1920s tea- growers retreat, is particularly representative and looks great at night. The 1902 All Saints Cathedral (Kacheri Rd) would look perfect pictured on a biscuit tin. Located nearby, the turreted Das-Roy House (closed to the public) lurks behind a traffic salish village condominiums circle that harbours five forgotten Khasi monoliths as well as a mini Soviet-style globe monument.

This Jewelled Land is home to Thadou, Tangkhul, Kabul, Mao Naga and many other tribal peoples, salish village condominiums but the main grouping is the predominantly neo-Vaishnavite Meitei. Manipuris are famed for traditional dances, spicy multidish thalis and the sport of polo which they claim to have invented. Manipur s forested hills provide cover for rare birds, drug traffickers and guerrilla armies, making it by far the Northeast s most dangerous salish village condominiums state.

Hotel Siroy Lily HOTEL $$ (%2608492; www.hotelsiroylily.com; Solapara Rd; s/d from 836/1083; a) Professionally run but tired-looking hotel with a pleasantly air- conditioned foyer, complimentary breakfast and free newspapers delivered to your door. Considering the price it s a pretty good deal.

snowmass newspaper A peaceful lane winding through forested hills and tribal settlements links Ziro to Pasighat via Alo

A peaceful lane winding through forested hills and tribal settlements links Ziro to Pasighat via Along. Highlights are dizzying suspension footbridges and thatched Adi villages around Along. Do be warned though that the attractions along this route are very low-key, the villagers around Along are much less welcoming to foreigners (and they don t sport the Apatanis tattoos and nose plugs) and the route, which involves three full days of travel, is very tiring. Unless you re going to be heading from Along to fabulous Mechuka or remote eastern towns and valleys such as Tuting or the Namdapha snowmass newspaper National Park then you may find this route something of a let down.

Tripura Sundari Mandir (h4.30am-1.30pm & 3.30-9.30pm), a 1501 Kali temple where a steady stream of pilgrims make almost endless animal sacrifices that leave the grounds as bloody as the temple s vivid-red shikhara (Buddhist monastery). Even more people come here at the big Diwali festival (October/November) to bathe in the fishfilled tank by the temple. The temple is 100m east of the NH44, 4km south of Udaipur. A rickshaw from Udaipur costs 50.

# # POLICEBAZAARWard'sLakeKacheriRd GuwahatiShilllongRd OaklandRd JailRd JailRdThanaRd RitaRdBouchierRd PoliceBazaarRd Camel'sBackRd QuintonRd BivarRd KeatingRd snowmass newspaper 8 19 10 12 14 5 6 7 11 13 2 3 4 Tirat Singh Syien (TSS) Rd 431CBC24312BAADDShillong eTo AllSaints' Cathedral(200m); Khasi Monoliths & Globe Monument (400m); Das-Roy House (450m) To Siat Khnam (1.1km) 0 400 m 0 0.2 miles

This Jewelled Land is home to Thadou, Tangkhul, Kabul, Mao Naga and many other tribal peoples, but the main grouping is the predominantly neo-Vaishnavite Meitei. Manipuris are famed for traditional dances, spicy multidish thalis and the sport of polo which they claim to have invented. Manipur s forested hills provide cover for rare birds, drug traffickers and guerrilla armies, snowmass newspaper making it by far the Northeast s most dangerous state.

breckenridge to aspen The Pinewood Hotel (Rita Rd), a 1920s tea- growers retreat, is particularly representative and looks

The Pinewood Hotel (Rita Rd), a 1920s tea- growers retreat, is particularly representative breckenridge to aspen and looks great at night. The 1902 All Saints Cathedral (Kacheri Rd) would look perfect pictured on a biscuit tin. Located nearby, the turreted Das-Roy House (closed to the public) lurks behind a traffic circle breckenridge to aspen that harbours five forgotten Khasi monoliths as well as a mini Soviet-style globe monument.

than a geographical area. Most foreigners fly into Imphal; it is also possible to drive in from Kohima (Nagaland) or Silchar (Assam) if you have a guide. Travelling east of Kakching towards the Myanmar border is not permitted.

Sprawling Hapoli (New Ziro), starting 7km further south than Ziro, has hotels and road transport. Just below the Commissioner s office on a bend in MG Rd is an SBI ATM. There are a couple breckenridge to aspen of internet cafes around the market area but connections are as rare as a tiger in the nearby forests. The small central market is well worth poking about in. As well as fruit, veg and clothing you can stock up on various insects and other delights to snack on.

Jam-packed buses and vans ( 10/20) meet arriving breckenridge to aspen ferries then drive to Garamur via Kamalabari where three-wheelers are easier breckenridge to aspen to rent. For a few days consider breckenridge to aspen arranging a bicycle breckenridge to aspen through Jyoti at La Villa. breckenridge to aspen

olga dedijer Iora; the Retreat HOTEL $$$ (%262411; www.kazirangasafari.com; s/d from 3300/3900; aiWs) Not quite a

Tripura s most iconic building, the 1930 Neermahal, is a long, red-and-white water palace (admission/camera/video 10/10/25; h8.30am-4pm, until 4.30pm Apr-Sep), which is empty but shimmering on its own boggy island in the lake of Rudra Sagar. Like its counterpart in Rajasthan s Udaipur, this

Assamese people might look Indian, but Assamese culture is proudly distinct: their Vishnu-worshipping faith is virtually a regional religion (see the boxed text, p 562 ) and the gamosa (a red-and-white scarf worn by most men) is a subtle mark of regional costume.

HEAD HUNTERS Throughout olga dedijer northeastern India and parts of western Myanmar the Naga tribes were long feared for their ferocity in war and for their sense of independence both from each other and from the rest of the world. Intervillage wars continued as recently olga dedijer as the 1980s, and a curious feature of many outwardly modern settlements is their treaty stones recording peace settlements between neighbouring communities. It was the Naga s custom of headhunting that sent shivers down the spines of neighbouring peoples. The taking of an enemy s head was considered a sign of strength, and a man who had not claimed a head was not considered a man. Fortunately for tourists, headhunting was officially outlawed olga dedijer in 1935, with the last recorded occurrence in 1963. Nonetheless, severed heads are still an archetypal artistic motif found notably on yanra (pendants) that originally denoted the number of human heads a warrior had taken. Some villages, such as Shingha olga dedijer Changyuo in Mon district, still retain their hidden collection of genuine skulls. Today Naga culture is changing fast, but it was not a government ban on headhunting that put an end to this tradition but rather the activities of Christian missionaries. Over 90% of the Naga now consider themselves Christian.

Iora; the Retreat HOTEL $$$ (%262411; www.kazirangasafari.com; s/d from 3300/3900; aiWs) Not quite as discreet as you may imagine a place named the Retreat to be, this vast new place, to the east of the tourist complex, is almost olga dedijer as big as the national park itself, olga dedijer but despite this its deliciously quiet and subtly decorated rooms offer superb value for money. However, if you value a personal service you d best look elsewhere.

chad voges Nestled before a curtain of luxuriantly forested foothills, Pasighat, which sits back out on the pla

GARO HILLS The lush, green Garo Hills in the far west of Meghalaya are well off the beaten path. The towns are not visually distinctive, but most houses in small hamlets remain traditionally fashioned from bamboo-weave matting and neatly cropped palm thatch. The Garo Hills are easier to visit from Guwahati than from Shillong. Sprawling Tura is the western Garo Hills regional centre and an unhurried chad voges transport hub. The tourist office (%03651-242394; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri) is 4km away towards Nazing Bazaar. Friendly staffoffer brochures and sketchy maps, and arrange guides for anywhere in the Garo Hills, including a three-day hike to Nokrek Biosphere Reserve where it s possible to watch for Hoolock Gibbons from a traditional-style borang (Garo tree house). There are some cheap and not very cheerful places to stay near the market in Tura or, for something a little more comfortable, try the Rikman Continental (%03651-220744; Circular Rd; s/d from 900/1080; ai). Almost on the Bangladesh border, Baghmara is the southern Garo Hills district centre. From Baghmara you can visit the Balpakhram National Park, 45km away, but jeep and guide hire will have to be organised in Tura.

Nestled before a curtain of luxuriantly forested foothills, Pasighat, which sits back out on the plains, feels more like Assam than Arunachal Pradesh. The town hosts the interesting Minyong-Adi tribe s Solung Festival (1-5 September). The internet cafe (per hr 60; h7.30am-8pm) is 50m from the Hotel Aane and there s an SBI ATM just along from the sumo stand in the central market area.

steamboat mountain map 583 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AR OUND S H ILLO NG CROSSING INTO BANGLADESH FROM DAWKI Border Hours The

Jam-packed buses and vans ( 10/20) meet arriving ferries then drive to Garamur via Kamalabari where three-wheelers are easier steamboat mountain map to rent. For a few days consider arranging a bicycle steamboat mountain map through Jyoti at La Villa.

583 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AR OUND S H ILLO NG CROSSING INTO BANGLADESH FROM DAWKI Border Hours The border is open from 6am to 5pm. Foreign Exchange There s no official exchange booth but ask at the Bangladesh steamboat mountain map customs offi ce. Onward Transport The border post is at Tamabil, 1.7km from Dawki market (taxis are 40-50). Coming from Bangladesh, beware steamboat mountain map that Tamabil has no Sonali steamboat mountain map bank, so prepay your Tk300 Bangladeshi departure tax in Sylhet or in Jaintiapura. There are frequent Tamabil Sylhet minibuses. rooms but no hot water. More rooms were under construction at the time of research. A daily bus leaves nearby Laitkynsew village for Shillong ( 40, 6am). Going the other way it leaves Shillong at 1pm. Otherwise a taxi from Cherrapunjee costs 250 to 300.

river run sports The beautifully forested hills around Itanagar hide the attractive Ganga Lake (5km), a local picnic

Trafik BAR (GNB Rd; beers 70; h10am-10pm) This underlit bar has a vast screen for cricket matches or filmi (slang term describing river run sports anything to do with Indian movies; in this case, Bollywood music) clips.

The beautifully forested hills around Itanagar hide the attractive Ganga Lake (5km), a local picnic spot. Further away (20km) is Poma village, which is about the closest place to town to see the traditional architecture of bamboo longhouses (although many of these are being slowly replaced with concrete box houses).

Bus & Sumo Distance buses leave from the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) 8km east of Guwahati. Private bus operators run shuttle services from their offices to the ISBT. With extensive networks are Network Travels river run sports (%2522007; river run sports GS Rd), Deep (%2152937; Heramba Prasad river run sports Borua (HPB) Rd) and Blue Hill (%2601490; HPB Rd). All companies charge the same regulated fares. river run sports

o la la chalet Kohora village is closest for Kaziranga s central range with an obvious Rhino Gate leading to the Ka

Tawang town is a transport hub and service centre for the valley s villages; its setting is more beautiful than the town itself. Nonetheless, colourful prayer wheels add interest to the central old market area. These are turned by apple-cheeked Monpa pilgrims, many of whom sport traditional black yak- wool gurdam (skullcaps that look like giant Rastafarian spiders). In the market area is M/S Cyber (per hr 30; h9am-6pm), which has internet sometimes. There s an SBI Bank with an ATM just past the market on the road to the monastery.

374 bird species have been recorded in the park, including such rarities as the whiterumped vulture (which may now be extinct in the park), greater spotted eagle and the white-winged duck. Of the big mammals, wild elephants are present as are numerous deer species and a few rarely seen tigers. However, for many mammal-spotting naturalists, the park s most exciting resident is the critically endangered dwarf hog, which, after many years of absence has recently been returned to the wild thanks to a successful captive breeding project run by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (www.durrell.org). Park fees include the compulsory armed guard. Access is from Potasali, 2km off the Tezpur Bhalukpong road (turn east at one-house hamlet Gamani, 12km north of Balipara).

Kohora village o la la chalet is closest for Kaziranga s central range with an obvious Rhino Gate leading to the Kaziranga Tourist complex 800m south. Here you ll fi nd the range offi ce, elephant-ride booking offi ce (h6-7pm, book the previous night) and jeep rental stand (rental from 1200). Pay your fees at the range office before entering the park, 2km north.

chalet ariel Bustling Jorhat is the junction for Majuli Island. Gar-Ali, Jorhat s commercial street, meets the ma

RAFTING IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY Another newly opened route is the Pasighat to Tuting road. This route is all about two things: the River Siang and the mysterious Buddhist land of Pemako. Tuting, which sits near the Tibetan border, is the point at which the Tsang Po river having left the Tibetan plateau and burrowed through the Himalaya via a series of spectacular gorges enters the Indian subcontinent and becomes the Siang (once it reaches chalet ariel the plains of Assam it turns into the Brahmaputra). Tuting and the River Siang are starting to gain a reputation as one of the world s most thrilling white-water rafting destinations, but this ain t no amateurs river. The few people who have descended the river have reported that the 180km route is littered with numerous grade 4-5 rapids, strong eddies and inaccessible gorges. For those after adventure of a different kind Tuting also serves as the launch pad for searching out the legendary Buddhist land of Pemako. You will, however, need more than this guidebook and a compass in order to find it. Buddhist belief says that Pemako is a synonym for a hidden earthly paradise and that it s the earthly representation of Dorje Pagmo, a Tibetan goddess. It was said that this land of milk and honey was to be found in the eastern Himalaya and that to reach it you had to pass behind an enormous hidden waterfall. For hundreds of years outsiders knew that the Tsang Po river left Tibet and entered a huge, and utterly impenetrable, gorge before emerging from the Himalaya around Tuting, but what happened to the river inside that gorge was unknown until the 1950s. As it turned out the river did indeed tumble over an enormous waterfall and, what s more, it passed through chalet ariel a rich and fertile valley populated by Memba Buddhists, completely isolated from the rest of the world. Today, this vast region chalet ariel of northern Arunachal Pradesh and parts of south eastern Tibet remains almost utterly unknown to the outside world, but Pemako is out there and for those willing to endure days of incredibly chalet ariel tough hiking (and deal with reams of paperwork) it is possible to visit.

some impressive traditional buildings all set, surreally, under two giant mobile phone towers. Shingha Chingyuo village (20km, population 5900) has a huge longhouse chalet ariel decorated chalet ariel with mithuna (pairs of men and women) and deer skulls, three stuff ed tigers, and a store of old human skulls. Longwoa (35km) is spectacularly chalet ariel sited on the India Myanmar border, with the headman s longhouse actually straddling the two nations. Despite its popularity with tourists it remains one of the most interesting villages. Chui (8km) includes an elephant skull in its longhouse collection. Shangnyu village has a shrine chalet ariel full of fertility references such as tumescent warriors, a crowing cock, a large snake, a man and woman enjoying sex and, to complete the picture, a double rainbow. Langmeang village, with its stack of human skulls piled up in a wooden box, is also highly chalet ariel impressive.

Silk Route HOTEL $$ (%2503301; www.hotelsilkroute.com; Keating Rd; s/d from 1200/1440; W) This small hotel has memorably colourful chalet ariel rooms kept ship-shape by the enthusiastic cleaners. The stylish bathrooms contain big rain showers. It s popular, chalet ariel so book ahead.

Bustling Jorhat is the junction for Majuli Island. Gar-Ali, Jorhat s commercial street, meets the main east west thoroughfare Assam Trunk (AT) Rd (NH37) in front of a lively central market area. AT Road is also home to an SBI ATM and the Netizen Cyberspace ( 20 per hr; h9am-8pm)

chalet book 1 Sights Ujjayanta Palace PALACE (admission 5; h5-7pm) Agartala s indisputable centrepiece is this s

1 Sights Ujjayanta Palace PALACE (admission 5; h5-7pm) Agartala s indisputable centrepiece chalet book is this striking, dome-capped palace. Flanked by two large refl ecting ponds, the whitewashed chalet book 1901 edifice chalet book was built by Tripura s 182nd maharaja. It looks particularly impressive floodlit at night, but for security reasons only the gardens are open to the public.

1 Sights Ujjayanta Palace PALACE (admission 5; h5-7pm) Agartala s indisputable centrepiece is this striking, dome-capped palace. Flanked by two large refl ecting ponds, the whitewashed 1901 edifice was built by Tripura s 182nd maharaja. It looks particularly impressive floodlit at night, but for security reasons only the gardens chalet book are open to the public.

grand chalet wayne Assamese people might look Indian, but Assamese culture is proudly distinct: their Vishnu-worshippin

Assamese people might look Indian, but Assamese culture grand chalet wayne is proudly distinct: their Vishnu-worshipping faith is virtually a regional religion (see the boxed text, p 562 ) and the gamosa (a red-and-white scarf worn by most men) is a subtle mark of regional costume.

10pm) Best of several closely grouped options. Tripura Tourism (%2225930; www.tripura tourism.in; Swet Mahal, Palace Complex; h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, 3-5pm Sun) Helpful and enthusiastic with many great-value tours.

chalet europe hotel oHeritage Hotel HERITAGE HOTEL $$ (%9774416649; www.theheritage.in; Offi cers Hill; r/ ste 1800/3500

567 NORTHEAST TRIBAL chalet europe hotel STATES W E S T E R N A R U N AC H A L P R A D E S H THE LAST SHANGRI LA? Recently the government chalet europe hotel of Arunachal Pradesh has opened up a couple of new areas to foreign chalet europe hotel tourists. Possibly the most exciting of these is the road from Along to the small, remote town of Mechuka, close to the Tibetan border. In the past the Mechuka valley, which until recently had no real road connecting it to the rest of the state, was called the forbidden valley or even a Last Shangri La. Populated by the Buddhist Memba peoples, Mechuka, sitting on the banks of the West Siang River, lives up to its Last Shangri La status and is notable for both the 400-year-old Samten Yongcha Monastery and the stunning landscapes surrounding chalet europe hotel the town, which culminate in a massive hulk of snow- draped mountains running along the border. For the moment tourist facilities (and tourists!) remain virtually non-existent but sumos now ply the 180km from Along ( 300, seven hours, chalet europe hotel 5.30am). The only accommodation is the Circuit House, chalet europe hotel but if that is unavailable then it s likely that local people chalet europe hotel will put you up be generous in your donation. the owners of which have realised that it is possible to buy new tins of paint a fairly revolutionary thought for many hotels in the northeast. Otherwise try the plusher chalet europe hotel

oHeritage Hotel HERITAGE chalet europe hotel HOTEL $$ (%9774416649; www.theheritage.in; Offi cers Hill; r/ ste 1800/3500; W) Back in colonial days this was the home of the deputy commissioner and, with roaring open fires taking the chill off a cold winter night and hunting trophies and tribal arts adorning the walls, it retains something of the flavour of those times.

oHeritage Hotel HERITAGE HOTEL $$ (%9774416649; www.theheritage.in; Offi cers Hill; r/ ste 1800/3500; W) Back in colonial days this was the home of the deputy commissioner and, with roaring open fires taking the chill off a cold winter night and hunting trophies and tribal arts adorning the walls, it retains chalet europe hotel something of the flavour of those times.

# # POLICEBAZAARWard'sLakeKacheriRd GuwahatiShilllongRd OaklandRd JailRd JailRdThanaRd RitaRdBouchierRd PoliceBazaarRd Camel'sBackRd QuintonRd chalet europe hotel BivarRd KeatingRd 8 19 10 12 14 5 6 7 11 13 2 3 4 Tirat Singh Syien (TSS) Rd 431CBC24312BAADDShillong eTo AllSaints' Cathedral(200m); Khasi Monoliths & Globe Monument chalet europe hotel (400m); Das-Roy House (450m) To Siat Khnam (1.1km) 0 400 m 0 0.2 miles

snowmass festival 571 HORNBILL FESTIVAL Nagaland s biggest annual festival, the Hornbill Festival (1-7 December) is ce

The surrounding snowmass festival grassy moors justify Meghalaya s over-played Scotland snowmass festival of the East tourist-office soubriquet, although they re dotted with Khasi monoliths and scarred by quarrying. Much more impressive is the series of grand canyon valleys that plunge into deep lush chasms of tropical snowmass festival forest sprayed by a succession of seasonally inspiring waterfalls. The Nohkalikai Falls, fourth highest in the world, are particularly dramatic, especially in the monsoon when their capacity increases 20-fold. You can see them easily enough without quite entering the official viewpoint (admission/camera 10/200; h8am-5pm), 4.4km southwest of Sohra market.

oHotel Tripura Castle snowmass festival HISTORIC HOTEL $$$ (%2501111; Cleve Colony; s/d from 3600/3720, ste 7200; aiW) Tucked away on a wooded hillside is the distinctively turreted summer villa of the former Tripura maharajas. It s this private castle that features snowmass festival in hotel brochures, but accommodation is actually in a mostly new, if pseudo-heritage building behind. Pine-framed rooms have a gently stylish vibe with period snowmass festival furniture and a level of service that s hard to beat. For the full maharaja experience opt for a suite. The hotel is 2.5km southeast of the centre.

571 HORNBILL FESTIVAL Nagaland s biggest annual festival, the Hornbill Festival (1-7 December) is celebrated at Kisama snowmass festival Heritage Village (see below) snowmass festival with various Naga tribes converging for a weeklong cultural, snowmass festival dance and sporting bash, much of it in full warrior costume. Of all the festivals in the northeast this is the most spectacular and photogenic. Simultaneously, Kohima also hosts a rock festival (www.hornbillmusic.com). snowmass festival has simple yet immaculate rooms. It s the little touches that set it apart from the competition, such as cups of tea brought snowmass festival to you in bed in the morning. There are great views over the town from the garden, friendly and helpful staff and a superb restaurant.

chalet chanteclair Draped across the dazzling hills and valleys of the India Myanmar border regions is Nagaland, an oth

This open-air museum (admission 50; h8am-6pm May-Sep, 8am-4.30pm Oct-Apr), which hosts the annual Hornbill Festival, has a representative selection of traditional Naga houses and morungs (bachelor dormitories) with full-size log drums. Kisama is 10km from central Kohima along the well- surfaced Imphal road.

Draped across chalet chanteclair the dazzling hills and valleys of the India Myanmar border regions is Nagaland, an otherworldly place where until very recently some twenty headhunting Naga tribes valiantly fought off any intruders. Today the south of the state is fairly developed, but in the north, tribesmen in loin cloths continue to live a lifestyle chalet chanteclair that is normally chalet chanteclair only seen within the pages of National Geographic magazine.

Northern Nagaland, the most unspoiled part of the state, is the reason you came to Nagaland. This rugged and divinely beautiful country is home to many diff erent villages composed of thatched longhouses, many of whose inhabitants are adorned with tattoos and continue to live a fairly traditional hunting and farming lifestyle.

gold river chalet All around Shillong gambling booths offer Forecast odds on Siat Khnam. This is a unique sport. A sem

Tripura gold river chalet is culturally and politically fascinating, and the state s handful of royal palaces and temples draw a growing flow of domestic tourists. For the moment though foreign tourists remain very rare indeed. There s a large Bangladeshi refugee population in Tripura and much of the more accessible western parts of the state look and feel much like its near neighbour.

577 Agartala Sights 1 Jagannath Mandir.A2 gold river chalet 2 Tripura Government Museum.A3 3 Ujjayanta Palace. B1 Sleeping gold river chalet 4 Hotel Chandana. B1 5 Hotel Welcome Palace.A3 Eating 6 Abhishek Restaurant.A2 Restaurant Kurry Klub.(see 5) Transport 7 Air India. B1 8 Motor Stand.B3 Hotel Chandana HOTEL $ (%2311216; Palace Compound Lane; r 210)

All around gold river chalet Shillong gambling booths offer Forecast odds on Siat Khnam. This is a unique gold river chalet sport. A semicircle of weatherbeaten gold river chalet Khasi men fire hundreds of arrows gold river chalet at a drum-shaped straw target for a set time before a canvas curtain is raised to keep further arrows off the target. Those that stick in are counted and bets predict the last two digits of this total. It s effectively gold river chalet a lottery but the shooting is a gently fascinating spectacle. Shoots are usually scheduled at 4pm and 5pm every day, timings can vary somewhat by season. The easy-to-miss Siat Khnam site is a small grassy area approximately opposite the big Nehru Stadium on the south river bank.

Several trains serve Dimapur gold river chalet (sleeper/3AC/2AC from 166/401/531, four to six hours), Jorhat (sleeper/3AC 202/521, seven to 11 hours) and Dibrugarh gold river chalet (3AC/2AC/1AC 926/1206/1970, 11 hours). Trains to Jorhat and Dibrugarh cut through Nagaland, but you don t need a Nagaland permit as long as you stay on the train (the same rule doesn t apply for buses however).

gus chalet The impoverished hill town of Mon is in a gorgeous setting but feels like a frontier town. There s a

The impoverished hill town of Mon is in a gorgeous setting but feels like a frontier town. There s an SBI ATM in the town centre but don t rely on it working. The little village market is well worth exploring and like so many markets in the northeast, it s the exotic food items that stick longest in the memory. Of the numerous tribal villages in the area the closest is Old Mon village, a mere 5km from town. Tamgnyu village (13km) is a rarely visited, yet easy to reach, village with a friendly headman, a couple of human skulls left over from headhunting days and

The beautifully forested gus chalet hills around Itanagar hide the attractive Ganga Lake (5km), a local picnic spot. Further away (20km) is Poma village, which is about the closest place to town to see the traditional architecture of bamboo longhouses (although many of these are being slowly replaced with concrete box houses).

lone eagle land brokerage 560 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AS S A M NORTHEAST TOURS The vast majority of foreign tourists visiting

Private buses to head to Guwahati ( 700, 20 hours, 10am) and Dimapur ( 400, 10 hours, 10am) via Kohima ( 300, five hours). If you re heading to Aizawl you must change in Dimapur first. All the bus company offices are found on North AC Rd.

Forty-five kilometres north of Kohima is the small town of Tuophema, which can make a useful overnight stop on the road to Mon if you leave Kohima late in the day. Although the town itself is nothing special, the

560 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AS S A M NORTHEAST TOURS The vast majority of foreign tourists visiting the northeast states travel lone eagle land brokerage as part of an organised lone eagle land brokerage tour, and indeed for four of the states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram), independent travel in the normal sense of the word is almost impossible. Instead, the only realistic way of getting lone eagle land brokerage permits is to enlist the services of a tour company. Once you have a permit, travelling around independently is not normally a problem, but you re unlikely to find a tour company who ll help you get permits without lone eagle land brokerage fi rst hiring a car and driver/guide from them, thus making real independent travel in the permit states pretty much impossible. Most tour companies are based in Guwahati and all of the following can organise permits and tours throughout the northeast. Traveller s Point (Map p554; %2604018; www.assamtourism.org; Prashaanti Tourist Lodge, lone eagle land brokerage Station Rd) If you re staying only within Assam then Assam Tourism s commercial booth runs a variety of city- and state-wide tours including lone eagle land brokerage day excursions to Hajo via the silk-weaving centre of Sualkuchi. Network Travels (Map p554; %2605335; www.networktravelsindia.net; GS Rd; h5am9pm) A highly experienced agency whose operations cover the whole of the northeast with tailor-made and fixed-itinerary tours. Organising permits is a speciality. Jungle Travels India (off Map p554; %2667871, 9207042330; www.jungletravelsindia.com; 3b Dirang Arcade, GNB Rd) Another experienced agency covering the entire northeast with tailor-made tours and fixed-date departures. It organises all the permits, but can be slightly disorganised in this regard. With two boats, it runs Brahmaputra cruises (see www.assambengalnavigation.com) for four to 10 nights at US$350 per person per night, and also runs the Bansbari Lodge in Manas National lone eagle land brokerage Park. Rhino Travels (Map p554; %2540666; www.rhinotravels.com; M Nehru (MN) Rd) This agency lone eagle land brokerage offers lone eagle land brokerage set-date tours in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It also offers two- to four-night river cruises. 4 Sleeping & Eating

Assam State Museum MUSEUM (GNB Rd; admission/camera/video 5/10/100; h10am-5pm Tue-Sun, until 4pm winter) This museum is worth a visit. It has a large sculpture lone eagle land brokerage collection, while the upper floors are devoted to informative tribal culture displays. You get to walk through reconstructed tribal homes.

tignes location Northern Nagaland, the most unspoiled part of the state, is the reason you came to Nagaland. This ru

Northern Nagaland, the most unspoiled part of the state, is the reason tignes location you came to Nagaland. This rugged tignes location and divinely beautiful country is home to many diff erent villages composed tignes location of thatched longhouses, many of whose inhabitants are adorned with tattoos and continue to live a fairly traditional hunting and farming lifestyle.

tural and natural history ephemera. Tribal tignes location costumes, royal clothing, historical polo equipment, stuffed carnivores in action and pickled snakes compete with a two-headed calf for the attention of visitors.

alpha fitness chalet oHeritage Hotel HERITAGE HOTEL $$ (%9774416649; www.theheritage.in; Offi cers Hill; r/ ste 1800/3500

oHeritage Hotel HERITAGE HOTEL $$ (%9774416649; www.theheritage.in; Offi cers Hill; r/ ste 1800/3500; W) Back in colonial days this was the home of the deputy commissioner and, with roaring open fires taking the chill off a cold winter night and hunting trophies alpha fitness chalet and tribal arts adorning the walls, it retains something alpha fitness chalet of the flavour of those times.

The ASTC bus station (cnr AT & Temple Rds) has frequent services to Jorhat ( 35 to 45, one hour), alpha fitness chalet Dibrugarh ( 51 to 69, two hours), Tezpur ( 189, five hours), Guwahati ( 310 to 390, eight hours, frequent from 7am).

Tripura s most iconic building, the 1930 Neermahal, is a long, red-and-white water palace (admission/camera/video 10/10/25; h8.30am-4pm, until 4.30pm Apr-Sep), which is empty but shimmering on its own boggy island in the lake of Rudra Sagar. Like its counterpart in Rajasthan s Udaipur, this

rotui Guwahati is considered the site of Pragjyotishpura, a semi-mythical town founded by Asura King Narak

India s Northeast States, dangling way out on the edge of the map and the national perception, are strictly rotui for explorers who want something different from their India experience. These remote frontier lands, rotui where India, Southeast Asia and Tibet meet, are a collision zone of cultures, climates, landscapes and peoples and are one of Asia s last great unknowns. It s a place of rugged beauty where uncharted forests clamber up toward unnamed Himalayan peaks. It s a land of enormous variety where rhinoceros live in swampy grasslands and former head-hunters live in longhouses in the jungle. And it s an adventure in the truest sense of the word.

Guwahati is considered the site of Pragjyotishpura, a semi-mythical town founded by Asura King Naraka who was later killed by Lord Krishna for a pair of magical earrings. The city was a vibrant cultural centre well before the Ahoms arrived, rotui and later it was the theatre of intense Ahom Mughal

chalet ariel 555 Guwahati Sights Eating 1 Assam State Museum. B2 15 Beatrix.C2 2 Courthouse. B2 16 Dhaba.D3 3 Dig

571 HORNBILL FESTIVAL Nagaland s biggest annual festival, the Hornbill Festival (1-7 December) is celebrated at Kisama Heritage Village (see below) with various chalet ariel Naga tribes converging for a weeklong cultural, dance and sporting bash, much of it in full warrior costume. Of all the festivals in the northeast this is the most spectacular and photogenic. Simultaneously, Kohima also hosts a rock festival (www.hornbillmusic.com).

555 Guwahati Sights Eating chalet ariel 1 Assam State Museum. chalet ariel B2 15 Beatrix.C2 2 Courthouse. B2 16 Dhaba.D3 3 Dighulipukhuri chalet ariel Park. B2 17 Kurry Pot.D3 4 Guwahati Planetarium. B2 18 Paradise.D3 chalet ariel 5 Kachari Ghat. B2 Tandoori. (see 9) 6 Umananda Mandir.B1 Drinking Activities, Courses & Tours 19 Caf Coffee 7 Network Travels. B3 Day.B2 8 Rhino Travels. A3 20 Trafik.D3 chalet ariel Traveller's Point. chalet ariel (see 13) Information chalet ariel Sleeping Assam Tourism.(see 13) 9 Dynasty. A3 10 Hotel Prag Continental. A2 Transport 11 Hotel Siroy Lily. B3 21 Blue Hill.B4 12 Hotel Suradevi. A3 22 Deep.B4 13 Prashaanti Tourist Lodge. B3 23 Kachari Bus 14 Sundarban Guest House. B3 Stand.B2

domaine de ramonjuan CENTRAL ARUNACHAL S TRIBAL GROUPS The variety of tribal peoples in central Arunachal Pradesh is asto

State Museum MUSEUM (admission 5; h9.30am-3.30pm Tue-Sun) The superbly presented State Museum, 3km north, includes plenty of tableaux with mannequins- in-action depicting diff erent traditional Naga lifestyles domaine de ramonjuan plus everyday tools.

If you re using a tour company, allow at least one month to obtain travel permits and two months if travelling in a group of less than four (and you re not a married couple). If applying independently allow at least two to three months.

REGISTERING ON ARRIVAL IN MANIPUR On arrival at Imphal domaine de ramonjuan airport all foreigners must register with the police stationed next to the luggage collection point. You must then register again with the CID at the main police station. In both cases it s a fairly painless affair (assuming your papers are in order). Technically you don t need a local guide if you are just staying in Imphal, but it s highly unlikely that any tour company will help you obtain a permit domaine de ramonjuan without you agreeing to take one of their guides. A reliable domaine de ramonjuan tour company (who can also help obtain permits) to Manipur is Seven Sisters Tourism Services (%2445373; sstourism@redif fmail.com; MG Ave, Imphal). NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES IMPHAL

CENTRAL domaine de ramonjuan ARUNACHAL S TRIBAL GROUPS domaine de ramonjuan The variety of tribal peoples in central Arunachal Pradesh is astonishing, but although the Adi (Abor), Nishi, Tajin, Hill Miri and various other Tibeto-Burman tribes consider themselves different from one another most are at least distantly related. Over the last few decades Christian missionaries have been highly active throughout the Northeast and in the process domaine de ramonjuan have brought huge changes to the region s traditional cultures, religious beliefs and ways of life. Despite this, some aspects of the traditional lifestyle are just about holding on and many people continue to practise the traditional religion domaine de ramonjuan of Donyi-Polo (sun and moon) worship sometimes at the same time as proclaiming themselves Christian. For ceremonial occasions, village chiefs typically wear scarlet shawls and a bamboo wicker hat spiked with porcupine quill or hornbill feathers. A few old men still wear their hair long, tied around to form a topknot above their foreheads. Women favour hand-woven wraparounds like Southeast Asian sarongs. House designs vary somewhat. Traditional Adi villages are generally the most photogenic with luxuriant palmyra-leaf thatching and boxlike granaries stilted to deter rodents.

grand chalet nj Voyaging to the Ziro Valley is one of the undisputed highlights of a trip to Arunachal Pradesh and,

Razhu Pru HERITAGE HOTEL $$ (%2290291; Mission Compound, Kohima Village; d from 1800; aW) An old family house that s been lovingly converted into a heritage hotel filled with tribal arts and antiques. We thought the sleek white deluxe rooms ( 2200) offered the best value.

Voyaging to the Ziro Valley is one of the undisputed highlights of a trip to Arunachal Pradesh and, though the scenery is stunning and the village architecture fascinating, the voyeuristic main attraction here is meeting grand chalet nj the friendly older Apatani folk who sport facial tattoos and nose plugs that would be the envy of any tattooist in the West (see p 566 ). The most authentic Apatani villages are Hong (the biggest and best known), Hijo (more atmospheric), Hari, Bamin and Dutta; grand chalet nj none of which are more than 10km apart. It s vital to have a local guide to take you to any of these villages otherwise you won t see much and might even be made to feel quite unwelcome. Christopher Michi (%9402048466/8014012558; christopherdulley@ yahoo.co.in/christophermichi@hotmail.com) is the chairman of the Apatani grand chalet nj Cultural Preservation Society and can organise superb visits to the villages don t be at all surprised if your tour culminates in an evening grand chalet nj of drinking rice wine and chowing down on barbequed rat in a villager s house!

ski chalet virginia Calling the Tawang Valley a valley just doesn t do justice to its incredible scale; it s more a migh

Silk Route HOTEL $$ (%2503301; www.hotelsilkroute.com; Keating Rd; s/d from 1200/1440; W) This small hotel has memorably colourful rooms kept ship-shape by the enthusiastic cleaners. The stylish bathrooms contain big rain showers. It s popular, so book ahead.

Calling the Tawang Valley a valley just doesn t do justice to its incredible scale; it s more a mighty gash in the earth ringed by immense mountains. Patchworking the sloping ridges of the lower hills is a vast sweep of fields dotted with Buddhist monast eries and Monpa villages.

val thorens location 560 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AS S A M NORTHEAST TOURS The vast majority of foreign tourists visiting

560 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AS S A M NORTHEAST TOURS The vast majority of foreign tourists visiting the northeast states travel as part of an organised tour, and indeed val thorens location for four of the states (Arunachal val thorens location Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram), independent travel in the normal sense of the word is almost impossible. Instead, the only realistic way of getting permits is to enlist the services of a tour company. Once you have a permit, travelling around independently is not normally a problem, but you re unlikely to find a tour company who ll help you get permits without fi rst hiring a car and driver/guide from them, thus making real independent travel in the permit states pretty much impossible. Most tour companies are based in Guwahati and all of the following can organise permits and tours throughout the northeast. Traveller s Point (Map p554; %2604018; www.assamtourism.org; Prashaanti Tourist Lodge, Station Rd) If you re staying only within Assam then Assam Tourism s commercial booth runs a variety of city- and state-wide tours including day excursions to Hajo via the silk-weaving centre of Sualkuchi. Network Travels (Map p554; %2605335; www.networktravelsindia.net; GS Rd; h5am9pm) A highly experienced agency whose operations cover the whole of the northeast with tailor-made and fixed-itinerary tours. Organising permits val thorens location is a speciality. val thorens location Jungle Travels India (off Map p554; %2667871, 9207042330; val thorens location www.jungletravelsindia.com; 3b Dirang Arcade, GNB Rd) Another experienced agency covering val thorens location the entire northeast with tailor-made tours and fixed-date val thorens location departures. It organises all the permits, but can be slightly disorganised val thorens location in this regard. With two boats, it runs Brahmaputra cruises (see www.assambengalnavigation.com) for four to 10 nights at US$350 per person per night, and also runs the Bansbari Lodge in Manas National Park. Rhino Travels (Map p554; %2540666; val thorens location www.rhinotravels.com; M Nehru (MN) Rd) This agency offers set-date tours in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. val thorens location It also offers two- to four-night river cruises. 4 Sleeping & Eating

569 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES W E S T E R N A R U N AC H A L P R A D E S H NAMDAPHA NATIONAL PARK Arunachal Pradesh is said to contain fifty percent of India s bio-diversity. In fact, so rich is life in Arunachal that the whole area has been proclaimed a world bio-diversity hotspot. Nowhere is the gathering of habitats and plant and animal species so dense as in eastern Arunachal and it s here that the staggering Namdapha National Park (Indians/foreigners/ cameras/cameras with zoom lens/video 10/50/75/400/750) can be found. Covering 1985 sq km this vast park has an altitude range from 200m to 4500m and contains an exceptional diversity of habitats and an equally val thorens location varied array of wildlife. Namdapha is famous for being the only park in India to have four big cat species (leopard, tiger, clouded leopard and snow leopard). It s also a birdwatching hotspot with around 500 species recorded. The park is a long haul from anywhere but it s slowly opening up to tourism. The access point is the small town of Miao. From here you will need private transport to take you 26km to Deban where the park headquarters are located. Simple accommodation is available in Miao at the Eco-Tourism val thorens location Guest House (%9436228763; per person Indian/foreigner 400/600) or in Deban at the Forest Rest House (%3807-222249; s/d from 175/300). To really get into the middle of nowhere you ll have to stay at one of the campsites inside the park. Bring a tent and all supplies. Porters and guides can be obtained in Miao or Deban. Tour companies in the northeast can help with the logistics of a visit, or UK-based tour company Naturetrek (www.naturetrek.co.uk) val thorens location runs pioneering 16-day tours of Namdapha and other northeastern parks. However you do it, prepare for real adventure. 569 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES W E S T E R N A R U N AC H A L P R A D E S H NAMDAPHA NATIONAL PARK Arunachal Pradesh is said to contain fifty percent of India s bio-diversity. In fact, so rich is life in Arunachal that the whole area has been proclaimed a world bio-diversity hotspot. Nowhere is the gathering of habitats and plant and animal species so dense as in eastern Arunachal and it s here that the staggering Namdapha National Park (Indians/foreigners/ cameras/cameras with zoom lens/video 10/50/75/400/750) can be found. Covering val thorens location 1985 sq km this vast park has an altitude range from 200m to 4500m and contains an exceptional diversity of habitats and an equally varied array of wildlife. Namdapha val thorens location is famous for being the only park in India to have four big cat species (leopard, tiger, clouded leopard and snow leopard). It s also a birdwatching hotspot with around 500 species recorded. The park is a long haul from anywhere val thorens location but it s slowly opening up to tourism. The access point is the small town of Miao. From here you will need private transport to take you 26km to Deban where the park headquarters are located. Simple accommodation is available in Miao at the Eco-Tourism Guest House (%9436228763; per person Indian/foreigner 400/600) or in Deban at the Forest Rest House (%3807-222249; s/d from 175/300). To really get into the middle of nowhere you ll have to stay at one of the campsites inside the park. Bring a tent and all supplies. Porters and guides can be obtained in Miao or Deban. Tour companies in the northeast can help with the logistics of a visit, or UK-based tour company Naturetrek (www.naturetrek.co.uk) runs pioneering 16-day tours of Namdapha and other northeastern parks. val thorens location However you do it, prepare for real adventure.

oHotel Tripura Castle HISTORIC HOTEL $$$ (%2501111; Cleve Colony; s/d from 3600/3720, ste 7200; aiW) Tucked away on a wooded hillside is the distinctively turreted summer villa of the former Tripura maharajas. It s this private castle that features in hotel brochures, but accommodation is actually val thorens location in a mostly new, if pseudo-heritage building behind. Pine-framed rooms have a gently stylish vibe with period furniture and a level of service that s hard to beat. For the full maharaja experience opt for a suite. The hotel is 2.5km southeast val thorens location of the centre.

chalet capital Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not

Brand new and the only possible chalet capital competition for the Ginger, which is right opposite, half of this government-run guesthouse is reserved for visiting Ministers, the other half is for nobodies like us. The large, perfect rooms are filled with sunlight chalet capital and for the moment it s all very impressive, but as we said it s government-run so there s every chance it ll be allowed to rot away without anyone really caring!

Sprawling Hapoli (New Ziro), starting 7km further south than Ziro, has hotels and road transport. Just below the Commissioner s office on a bend in MG Rd is an SBI ATM. There are a couple of internet cafes around the market area but connections are as rare as a tiger in the nearby forests. The small central market is well worth poking about in. As well as fruit, veg and clothing you can stock up on various insects and other delights to snack on.

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HEAD HUNTERS Throughout northeastern India and parts of western Myanmar the Naga tribes were long feared chalet capital for their ferocity in war and for their sense of independence both from each other and from the rest of the world. Intervillage wars continued as recently as the 1980s, and a curious feature of many outwardly modern chalet capital settlements is their treaty stones recording peace settlements between neighbouring communities. It was the Naga s custom of headhunting that sent shivers down the spines of neighbouring peoples. The taking of an enemy s head was considered a sign of strength, and a man who had not claimed a head was not considered a man. Fortunately for tourists, headhunting was officially outlawed in 1935, with the last recorded occurrence in 1963. Nonetheless, chalet capital severed heads are still an archetypal artistic motif found notably on yanra (pendants) chalet capital that originally denoted the number of human heads a warrior had taken. Some villages, chalet capital such as Shingha Changyuo in Mon district, still retain their hidden collection of genuine skulls. Today Naga culture is changing fast, but it was not a government ban on headhunting that put an end to this tradition but rather the activities of Christian missionaries. Over 90% of the Naga now consider themselves chalet capital Christian.

big powderhorn lodging Bus & Sumo Distance buses leave from the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) 8km east of Guwahati. Privat

Bus & Sumo Distance buses leave from the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) 8km east of Guwahati. Private bus operators run shuttle services from their offices to the ISBT. With extensive networks are Network Travels (%2522007; GS Rd), Deep (%2152937; Heramba Prasad Borua (HPB) Rd) and Blue Hill (%2601490; HPB Rd). All companies charge the same regulated fares.

Tripura Sundari Mandir (h4.30am-1.30pm & 3.30-9.30pm), big powderhorn lodging a 1501 Kali temple where a steady stream of pilgrims big powderhorn lodging make almost endless animal sacrifices that leave the grounds as bloody big powderhorn lodging as the temple s vivid-red shikhara (Buddhist monastery). Even more people come here at the big Diwali festival (October/November) to bathe in the fishfilled tank by the temple. big powderhorn lodging The temple is 100m east of the NH44, 4km south of Udaipur. A rickshaw from Udaipur costs 50.

johann reuchlin Trafik BAR (GNB Rd; beers 70; h10am-10pm) This underlit bar has a vast screen for cricket matches or

Conjure up an image of a shimmering blue lake broken up into small lakelets by floating islands of thick matted weeds. Add bamboo bridges, johann reuchlin tribal people in dugout canoes and thatched hut-villages anchored on to the floating islands, and you have Loktak Lake, one of the few places a foreigner is allowed to visit outside of Imphal. More peculiar than floating villages are the large, perfectly circular fishing ponds created out of floating rings of weeds. johann reuchlin The best view is atop Sendra Island, more a promontory than island. You can hire a boat (per person 100) in order to get a closer look at lake life.

Trafik BAR (GNB Rd; beers 70; h10am-10pm) This underlit johann reuchlin bar has a vast screen for cricket matches or filmi (slang johann reuchlin term describing anything to do with Indian movies; in this case, Bollywood music) clips.

les deux alpes location was a princely exercise in aesthetics; the finest craftsmen building a summer palace of luxury in a

Eastern and central Meghalaya are mainly populated by the closely related Jaintia, Pnar and Khasi peoples, originally migrants les deux alpes location from Southeast Asia. Western Meghalaya is home to the unrelated Garo tribe. Despite their different ethnic backgrounds, these two groups use a matrilineal system of inheritance with children taking the mother s family name. A good time to be in Meghalaya is when the four day, state-wide, Wangala festival takes place. This Garo harvest festival is renowned for its impressive traditional dancing.

was a princely exercise in aesthetics; the finest craftsmen building a summer palace of luxury in a blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles. The delightful waterborne approach by speedboat (passenger/boat 20/400) or fancy rowboat (boat 100) is the most enjoyable part of visiting.

Shillong Sights 1 Pinewood Hotel.D2 Sleeping 2 Baba Tourist Lodge.A2 3 Earle Holiday Home.B2 4 Silk Route.A3 Eating 5 Broadway.A2 6 City Hut Dhaba.B2 7 La Galerie.A2 Drinking Cloud 9.(see les deux alpes location 7) Information 8 Cultural Pursuits Adventures. A1 9 Government of India Tourist Office.A2 10 Meghalaya Tourism.B2 Transport 11 Deep.B2 12 Khasi Hills Tourist Taxi Cooperative.B3 13 Network Travels Counter.A2 14 Shared taxis to Guwahati airport.B3 Shillong Sights 1 Pinewood Hotel.D2 Sleeping 2 Baba Tourist Lodge.A2 les deux alpes location 3 Earle Holiday Home.B2 4 Silk Route.A3 Eating 5 Broadway.A2 les deux alpes location 6 City Hut Dhaba.B2 7 La Galerie.A2 Drinking les deux alpes location Cloud 9.(see 7) Information 8 Cultural Pursuits Adventures. A1 9 Government of India Tourist Office.A2 10 Meghalaya Tourism.B2 Transport 11 Deep.B2 12 Khasi Hills Tourist Taxi Cooperative.B3 13 Network Travels Counter.A2 14 Shared les deux alpes location taxis to Guwahati airport.B3

REGISTERING ON ARRIVAL IN MANIPUR les deux alpes location On arrival les deux alpes location at Imphal airport all foreigners must register les deux alpes location with the police stationed next to the luggage collection les deux alpes location point. les deux alpes location You must then register again with the CID at the main police station. In both cases it s a fairly painless affair (assuming your papers are in order). Technically you don t need a local guide if you are just staying in Imphal, les deux alpes location but it s highly unlikely that any tour company will help you obtain a permit without you agreeing to take one of their guides. A reliable tour company (who can also help obtain permits) to Manipur is Seven Sisters Tourism Services (%2445373; sstourism@redif fmail.com; MG Ave, Imphal). NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES IMPHAL

chalet ariel 5 Eating Restaurant Kurry Klub INDIAN $$ (Hotel Welcome Palace, HGB Rd; mains 50-200; h10am-10pm) Ve

KV Paradise MONUMENT (Durtlang; admission 5; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat) V is for Varte who died in a 2001 motor accident. K is for her husband Khawlhring who has since lavished his entire savings and energy creating a three-storey mausoleum to her memory. The marble fountain-patio has wonderful panoramic views. The site is 8km from Zarkawt, 1km off the Aizawl-Silchar road via an improbably narrow dirt lane.

5 Eating Restaurant Kurry Klub INDIAN $$ (Hotel Welcome Palace, HGB Rd; mains 50-200; h10am-10pm) Very tasty food served in a small dining room whose decor would be rather striking if only the lighting was improved. If you re staying in the hotel, room service is faster and beers can be acquired.

sugarbush village map Calling the Tawang Valley a valley just doesn t do justice to its incredible scale; it s more a migh

571 HORNBILL FESTIVAL Nagaland s biggest annual festival, the Hornbill Festival (1-7 December) is celebrated sugarbush village map at Kisama Heritage Village (see below) with various Naga tribes converging for a weeklong cultural, dance and sporting bash, much of it in full warrior costume. Of all the festivals in the northeast this is the most spectacular and photogenic. Simultaneously, Kohima also hosts a rock festival (www.hornbillmusic.com). has simple yet immaculate rooms. It s the little touches that set it apart from the competition, such as cups of tea brought to you in bed in the morning. There are great views over the town from the garden, friendly and helpful staff and a superb restaurant.

Calling the Tawang Valley a valley just doesn t do justice to its incredible scale; it s more a mighty gash in the earth ringed by immense sugarbush village map mountains. Patchworking the sloping ridges sugarbush village map of the lower hills is a vast sweep of fields dotted with Buddhist sugarbush village map monast eries and Monpa villages.

the cabin restaurant park city # # POLICEBAZAARWard'sLakeKacheriRd GuwahatiShilllongRd OaklandRd JailRd JailRdThanaRd RitaRdBouchie

Built since 1972, Arunachal s pleasantly green, tailor-made capital is named for the mysterious Ita Fort whose residual brick ruins crown a hilltop the cabin restaurant park city above town. There s a stack of ATMs in Mahatma Gandhi Marg, along with several the cabin restaurant park city internet cafes.

# # POLICEBAZAARWard'sLakeKacheriRd GuwahatiShilllongRd OaklandRd JailRd JailRdThanaRd RitaRdBouchierRd PoliceBazaarRd Camel'sBackRd QuintonRd BivarRd KeatingRd 8 19 10 12 14 5 6 7 11 13 2 3 4 Tirat Singh Syien (TSS) Rd 431CBC24312BAADDShillong eTo AllSaints' Cathedral(200m); Khasi Monoliths & Globe Monument (400m); Das-Roy House (450m) To Siat Khnam (1.1km) 0 400 m 0 0.2 miles

Baba Tourist Lodge HOTEL $ (%2211285; GS Rd; r 500-900) Ageing but clean, and popular with backpackers, Baba hides behind a deceptively the cabin restaurant park city small PCO shop. The best rooms have windows and views out onto greenery. Bucket showers and bucket hot water.

# SantiparaLakeWaterTankWaterTankHGBRdMantriBariRd MotorStand the cabin restaurant park city Rd Palace CompoundNorth (VIP Rd) Jagannath Bari Rd (JB Rd) Akhaura Rd BK Rd BKRd Old Thana La SakuntalaRd CRRd Central Rd LN Bari Rd 1 7 6 8 2 4 5 3 312312ABBAAgartala e To Interstate Bus Terminal (3km) To International Bus Terminal (200m) To Tripura State Tribal Museum (300m) To Ginger & Geetanjali Guest House (2km) 0 200 m 0 0.1 miles 6# #

aviolo Tripura Sundari Mandir (h4.30am-1.30pm & 3.30-9.30pm), a 1501 Kali temple where a steady stream of p

Tripura Sundari Mandir (h4.30am-1.30pm & 3.30-9.30pm), a 1501 Kali temple where a steady stream of pilgrims make almost endless animal sacrifices that leave the grounds as bloody aviolo as the temple s vivid-red shikhara (Buddhist monastery). Even more people come here at the big Diwali festival (October/November) to bathe in the fishfilled tank by the temple. The temple is 100m east of the NH44, 4km south of Udaipur. A rickshaw from Udaipur costs 50.

Wild Grass Resort ECORESORT $$ (%262085; www.oldassam.com; r 1900) This delightful and slightly ramshackle ecofriendly resort is so justifiably popular that it doesn t bother with a sign but carefully labels all the trees instead. Raj-inspired decor makes you feel that the clock has slowed. The dining room serves tasty Indian food. The entrance is opposite the Km373 marker on National Highway (NH) 37. In season, bookings are essential.

Tariffs are seasonal and highly negotiable in the low season. During peak periods aviolo hotels fill fast, but there are dozens of choices around the Police Bazaar area, so just keep looking. Taxes add a discouraging 20% to your bill (included in the prices listed here).

This Jewelled Land is home to Thadou, Tangkhul, aviolo Kabul, Mao Naga and many other tribal peoples, but the main grouping is the predominantly neo-Vaishnavite Meitei. Manipuris are famed for traditional dances, spicy multidish thalis and the sport of polo which they claim to have invented. Manipur s forested hills provide cover for rare birds, drug traffickers and guerrilla armies, making it by far the Northeast s most dangerous state.

the chalet roslyn ny Bus & Sumo Distance buses leave from the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) 8km east of Guwahati. Privat

Bus & Sumo Distance buses leave from the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) 8km east of Guwahati. Private bus operators run shuttle services from their offices to the ISBT. With extensive networks are Network Travels (%2522007; GS Rd), Deep (%2152937; Heramba Prasad Borua (HPB) Rd) and Blue Hill (%2601490; HPB Rd). All companies charge the same regulated the chalet roslyn ny fares.

Hotel Clover HOTEL $$ (%2305736; www.davids-hotel-clover.com; G-16 Chanmari; s/d from 750/1500; iW) Dolly, your host for the evening, should win an award as one of India s friendliest hotel receptionists. Rooms are equally friendly and as full of character with colourful, art-adorned walls.

chalet publishers Meghalaya Helicopter Service (%2223129; airport) has two to three daily (except Sunday) 557 flights

Sumos leave New Market at 6am for Itanagar ( 450, 12 hours) and Ziro ( 300, six hours). The bus station has a lackadaisical 7am service to Along ( 150, six hours) on alternate days depending on when the bus returns from Along.

Noisy and polluted it might be, but Imphal, with its melange of peoples and positioning right on the border lands of India and southeast chalet publishers Asia is undeniably fascinating and travellers who spend any time here are well rewarded. The airport is 9km to the southwest.

556 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AS S A M TRAVELLING chalet publishers SAFELY IN THE NORTHEAST STATES In recent decades many ethnolinguistic groups in the northeast have jostled often violently to assert themselves in the face of illegal Bangladeshi immigration, governmental neglect and a heavy-handed defence policy. Some want independence from India, others autonomy, but more are fighting what are effectively clan or turf wars. At the time of writing Arunachal Pradesh, most of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and the tourist areas of Tripura were fairly peaceful. chalet publishers The problem is that trouble can flare up suddenly and unpredictably. In 2010 bombings hit parts of Assam and the Garo hills area of Meghalaya. chalet publishers Much of Manipur remains dangerous to visit (but the areas open to tourists are currently calm). If you stick to the main tourist routes, the worst problems you re likely to encounter are the regular strikes that paralyse Assam. Even so, it s wise to keep abreast of latest news with the Assam Tribune (www.assam tribune.com) and if you re with a tour group, ensure your guide is up to date with the latest situation. 556 NORTHEAST chalet publishers TRIBAL STATES AS S A M TRAVELLING SAFELY IN THE NORTHEAST STATES In recent chalet publishers decades many ethnolinguistic groups in the northeast have jostled often violently to assert themselves in the face of illegal chalet publishers Bangladeshi immigration, governmental neglect and a heavy-handed defence policy. Some want independence from India, others autonomy, but more are fighting what are effectively clan or turf wars. At the time of writing Arunachal Pradesh, most of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and the tourist areas of Tripura were fairly peaceful. The problem is that trouble can flare up suddenly and unpredictably. chalet publishers In 2010 bombings hit parts of Assam and the Garo hills area of Meghalaya. Much of Manipur remains dangerous to visit (but the areas open to tourists are currently calm). If you stick to the main tourist routes, the worst problems you re likely to encounter are the regular strikes that paralyse Assam. Even so, it s wise to keep abreast of latest chalet publishers news with the Assam Tribune (www.assam tribune.com) and if you re with a tour group, ensure your guide is up to date with the latest situation. Eating Tandoori NORTH INDIAN $$ (%2516021; SS Rd; mains 200-300; hnoon-3pm & 7-11pm) Inside chalet publishers the Dynasty Hotel, Tandoori concocts majestic North Indian dishes which are served at stylish low tables by waiters in Mughal uniforms accompanied by gentle live tabla music.

Meghalaya Helicopter Service (%2223129; airport) has two to three daily (except Sunday) 557 flights to Shillong ( 1200, 30 minutes, 9am & 12.30pm plus 2pm Tuesday chalet publishers & Thursday). There are also services to Tura (Garo Hills, 1500, 50 minutes, 10.30am Mon, Wed & Fri).

academy village condominiums With an oversized foyer better suited as a car showroom, Hotel Arun Subansiri (%2212806; Zero Point;

Bus & Sumo Distance buses leave from the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) 8km east of Guwahati. Private bus operators run shuttle services from their offices to the ISBT. With extensive networks are Network Travels (%2522007; GS Rd), Deep (%2152937; Heramba Prasad Borua (HPB) Rd) and Blue Hill (%2601490; HPB Rd). All companies charge the same regulated fares.

With an oversized foyer better suited as a car showroom, Hotel Arun Subansiri (%2212806; Zero Point; s/d 1100/1320; a) has comfortably large rooms with soft beds. It s within walking academy village condominiums distance of the decent State Museum (Indian/foreigner/camera/video 10/75/20/100; academy village condominiums h9.30am-4pm Sun-Thu) and the brightly decorated Centre for Buddhist Culture gompa set in gardens on the hill above.

Ahom artefacts academy village condominiums and nearby Assam Tourism (h10am-5pm Mon-Sat, closed 2nd & 4th Sat) in the good-value Tourist Lodge (%2321579; academy village condominiums MG Rd; s/d 578/683), which has tiled floors, mosquito nets and enthusiastic staff who know how to use cleaning products.

Mizoram s pretty, green hills get higher as you head east. Champhai is widely considered the most attractive district and is where you ll find the Murlen National Park, known for its hoolock academy village condominiums gibbons. The small town of Saitual is a good stopover on the road to Champhai. Very close to Champhai is pretty Tamdil Lake, ringed by lush mountains. Further afield is the stunning Blue Mountain (Phawngpui), which at 2147m is the highest peak in Mizoram. It s considered by Mizos to be the abode of the Gods, but its slopes are said to be haunted by ghosts. Three Dimension can organise trekking trips here. For a more accessible taste of the Mizoram hinterland visit the Vantawng waterfalls, 95km from Aizawl.

martri Tezpur, with its large Bangladeshi immigrant population, is probably Assam s most attractive city th

CROSSING INTO BANGLADESH AT AGARTALA Border Hours The border at Agartala is open from 7am to 6pm. Foreign Exchange There s no exchange booth and Agartala banks don t sell Bangladeshi taka, so changing money is hit and miss; ask local traders or border offi cials. Onward Transport From central Agartala the border is just 3km along Akhaura Rd ( 50 by rickshaw). On the Bangladesh side the nearest town is Akhaura, 5km beyond, reached by baby taxi (autorickshaw). From Akhaura trains head to Dhaka, Comilla and Sylhet. Coming eastbound, be sure to pay your Bangladeshi departure tax at a Sonali martri bank before heading for the border. Visas Unhelpful, but the northeast s only Bangladesh martri visa office (%2324807; Airport martri Rd, Kunjaban; happlication 9am-1pm Mon-Thu, 9am-noon Fri, collection same day 4pm) hides down a small lane in Agartala, about 2km north of the Ujjayanta Palace. martri

Tezpur, with its large Bangladeshi immigrant population, is probably Assam s most attractive city thanks to beautifully kept parks, attractive lakes and the enchanting views of the mighty Brahmaputra River as it laps the town s edge. The imaginatively named Internet Cafe (Main Rd; per hr 20; h9am-8pm) has, you guessed it, internet.

snowmass co elevation Tourist Lodge HOTEL $ (%221016; Jenkins Rd; s/d from 473/525) Facing Chitralekha Udyan, two blocks s

The impoverished hill town of Mon is in a gorgeous setting but feels like a frontier town. There s an SBI ATM in the town centre but don t rely on it working. The little village market is well worth exploring and like so many markets in the northeast, it s the exotic food items that stick longest in the memory. Of the numerous tribal villages in the area the closest is Old Mon village, a mere 5km from town. Tamgnyu village (13km) is a rarely visited, yet easy to reach, village with a friendly headman, snowmass co elevation a couple of human skulls left over from headhunting days and

Tourist Lodge HOTEL $ (%221016; Jenkins snowmass co elevation Rd; s/d from 473/525) Facing Chitralekha Udyan, two blocks south of the bus station, the Tourist Lodge is unusual for a government-run snowmass co elevation hotel in that the staff do actually care about the well-being of their guests and the cleanliness of their hotel. This place offers good-value spacious rooms with bathrooms (some squat toilets) and mosquito nets.

winter sports chalet PERMITS FOR MIZORAM Agencies, notably Mizo Holidays and Three Dimension, both in Aizawl, can arrange

PERMITS FOR MIZORAM winter sports chalet Agencies, notably Mizo Holidays winter sports chalet and Three Dimension, both in Aizawl, winter sports chalet can arrange 10-day permits. Mizoram permit restrictions are perhaps the most lax of the Northeast States. Be sure that all places you wish to visit are on your permit and you should be allowed to go anywhere in the state. winter sports chalet Note though that the Kolkata FRO doesn t grant Mizoram permits. 575

Bus & Sumo Distance buses leave from the Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) 8km east of Guwahati. Private bus operators run shuttle winter sports chalet services from their offices to the ISBT. With extensive winter sports chalet networks are Network Travels (%2522007; GS Rd), Deep (%2152937; Heramba Prasad Borua (HPB) Rd) and Blue Hill (%2601490; HPB Rd). All companies winter sports chalet charge the same regulated fares.

Just beyond, a left turning passes the Golaghar or Ahom ammunition winter sports chalet store, the stonework of which is held together with a mix of dhal, lime and egg. Beyond are the two-storey ruins of Talatalghar (Indian/ foreigner 5/100; hdawn-dusk), the extensive, two-storey Ahom palace winter sports chalet built by Ahom King Rajeswar Singha in the mid-18th century.

bord maker Eastern and central Meghalaya are mainly populated by the closely related Jaintia, Pnar and Khasi pe

oHotel Mona Lisa (%2320416; Mancotta Rd; r 600-1500; a), part Africa, part Cuba and possibly even a little slice of India, is a superb budget hotel with character. It s set back from the main road and everything is kept ticking along smoothly thanks to the lovely bord maker old man running it.

Eastern and central Meghalaya are mainly populated by the closely related Jaintia, Pnar and Khasi peoples, originally migrants bord maker from Southeast Asia. Western Meghalaya is home to the unrelated Garo tribe. Despite their different ethnic backgrounds, bord maker these two groups use a matrilineal system of inheritance with children taking the mother s family name. A good time to be in Meghalaya is when the four day, state-wide, Wangala festival takes place. This Garo harvest festival is renowned for its impressive traditional dancing.

The ASTC bus station (AT Rd) has frequent services to Sivasagar ( 35 to 45, 1 hours), Tezpur ( 120 to 140, four hours) and Guwahati bord maker ( 260, eight hours, eight buses 6am to noon; buses pass Kaziranga en route).

Once you leave the outskirts of Shillong the road to Cherrapunjee passes through pretty scenery that becomes dramatic at Dympep viewpoint, where a photogenic V-shape valley slits deeply bord maker into the plateau.

anasazi village condominiums 555 Guwahati Sights Eating 1 Assam State Museum. B2 15 Beatrix.C2 2 Courthouse. B2 16 Dhaba.D3 3 Dig

Hotel Siroy Lily HOTEL $$ (%2608492; www.hotelsiroylily.com; Solapara Rd; s/d from 836/1083; a) Professionally run but tired-looking hotel with a pleasantly air- conditioned foyer, complimentary breakfast and free newspapers delivered to your door. Considering the price it s a pretty good deal.

oClassic Hotel HOTEL $$ (%2443967; North AOC Rd; s/d from 845/1170; anasazi village condominiums aiW) This unexpectedly classy hotel is one of the best-value business hotels in the northeast. The large spotless rooms come with full facilities, staff who love to please and the town s best restaurant (mains 100 to 150). Opt for one of the Classic Standard rooms (s/d 1885/2470).

David s Kitchen MULTICUISINE $$ (%2305736; Zarkawt; mains 80-140; anasazi village condominiums h10am9.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-9.30pm Sun) David s fine Mizo, Thai, Indian, Chinese and continental food, mocktails, friendly anasazi village condominiums staff and pleasant decor will please everyone. The views aren t half bad either.

555 Guwahati Sights Eating 1 Assam State Museum. B2 15 Beatrix.C2 2 Courthouse. B2 16 Dhaba.D3 3 Dighulipukhuri Park. B2 17 Kurry Pot.D3 anasazi village condominiums 4 Guwahati Planetarium. B2 18 Paradise.D3 5 Kachari Ghat. B2 Tandoori. (see 9) 6 Umananda Mandir.B1 Drinking Activities, Courses & Tours 19 Caf Coffee 7 Network Travels. B3 Day.B2 8 Rhino Travels. A3 20 Trafik.D3 Traveller's Point. (see 13) Information anasazi village condominiums Sleeping Assam Tourism.(see anasazi village condominiums 13) 9 Dynasty. A3 10 Hotel Prag Continental. A2 Transport 11 Hotel Siroy Lily. B3 21 Blue Hill.B4 12 Hotel Suradevi. A3 22 Deep.B4 13 Prashaanti Tourist Lodge. B3 23 Kachari Bus 14 Sundarban Guest House. B3 Stand.B2

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

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.

Pawan Hans Helicopters (%2842174; www.pawahans.co.in) shuttles to Shillong ( 1200, 45 minutes, 9am & 1pm Mon-Sat), Naharlagun near Itanagar and Lumla for Tawang ( 3000, 1 hours, 10am Mon-Sat). Phone through your booking then pay at the airport if the service flies (weather chalet san francisco and passenger numbers permitting).

(and present documentation) irrespective of any dispute. travellers may need to cross a boundary Lonely Planet always tries to show on maps where be those recognised by neighbouring countries. the Government of India. Some boundaries may not External boundaries shown reflect the requirements of B E N G A L B A Y O F A S S A M M E G H A L A Y A P R A D E S H A R U N A C H A L N A G A L A N D M A N I P U R T R I P U R A M I Z O R A MMelagarh Dawki Rangia Sabrum Moreh Tuphema SaitualManu Akhaura Ajampura Darang Seppa Nacho Namsai Mebo Roing Yingkiong Anini Moirang Kigwema Nimatighat Dhubri Barpeta Road Paikan Barpeta Khonoma Dalu Bansbari Mangaldai Balipara Zemithang Kohora North Lakhimpur Oriamghat Bame Dambuk Tuting Dirang Champhai Bhalukpong Barapani Sualkuchi Nartiang Tuensang chalet san francisco Mokokchung Wokha Kaziranga Unakoti Haflong Pasighat chalet san francisco Daporijo Lunglei Guwahati Jowai SijuTura Sylhet Tezpur Miao Tezu Chittagong DHAKA Kohima Kakching Imphal Aizawl Udaipur Agartala Hajo Itanagar Along Jorhat Sivasagar Dibrugarh Shillong Silchar Dimapur Nagaon Park National Manas Orang National Park National Park Keibul Lamjao National ParkBalpakhram National Park Pobitora Nameri National Park National Park Namdapha RiverBarak River JumunaRiver Meghna RiverGanges Loktak Lake Majuli (2147 m) Phawngpui Se La (4176m) Pass Pangsaw Hills Jaintia RiverWest Siang Bharali River RiveraputraBrahm (B U R M A) M Y A N M A R B H U T A N T I B E T C H I N A B A N G L A D E S H 39 36 37 31 37 40 Blue Mountain Neermahal National Park Kaziranga Mechuka Tawang Valley (Sohra) Mon Ziro Cherrapunjee 50 miles0 100 km0 1 Ride atop an elephant in search of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park (p 559 ) 2Touch the clouds at the 4176m pass of Se La before descending to Tawang Valley (p 569 ), Arunachal Pradesh s little Tibet 3Visit intriguing tribal villages around chalet san francisco Ziro (p 565 ) and meet the last of the bizarrely adorned Apatani women 4 Gaze down on the plains of Bangladesh from the lofty escarpment around Cherrapunjee (Sohra; p 582 ) 5 Feel as if you ve stepped out of India into a diff erent culture and country in Nagaland s Mon (p 572 ) 6 Search for the Last Shangri La in Mechuka (p 567 ) 7 Row, row, row the boat gently out to the fl oating palace of Neermahal (p 578 ) 8Avoid the ghosts and hang with the Gods on the Blue Mountain (p 576 ) of Mizoram Northeast Tribal States Highlights