the wild irishman houses above which rises a steep ridge topped with a timeless gompa. Heading the other way, just nor

houses above which rises a steep ridge topped with a timeless gompa. Heading the other way, just north of New Dirang, the valley opens out and its floor becomes a patchwork of rice and crop fields through which gushes the icy blue river. A fun day could be spent walking along the footpaths between fields and little hamlets.

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

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

Voyaging the wild irishman to the Ziro Valley the wild irishman 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 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; 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 Cultural Preservation Society and can organise superb visits to the villages don t be at all surprised if your tour culminates in an evening of drinking rice wine and chowing down on barbequed the wild irishman rat in a villager s house!