chalet alta Hotel Siroy Lily HOTEL $$ (%2608492; www.hotelsiroylily.com; Solapara Rd; s/d from 836/1083; a) Prof

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

Hotel Siroy Lily HOTEL $$ (%2608492; www.hotelsiroylily.com; Solapara Rd; s/d from 836/1083; a) Professionally chalet alta 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.

telluride vs aspen it is a necessary stopover. In the town itself is the Hotel Kanga Karo Palace (%223531; r 750), whic

(http://tripura.nic.in/museum/welcome.html; Post Offi ce Circle; admission 2; h10am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat) has a variety of tribal displays telluride vs aspen plus some interesting musical instruments made from bamboo. The new Tripura State Tribal Museum (Lake Chowmuhani; admission free; h10am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat) telluride vs aspen has further displays of tribal dress.

it is a necessary stopover. In the town itself is the Hotel Kanga Karo Palace (%223531; r 750), which is brand new but already looks like its on its last legs. Even so it s still a damn sight better than the couple of ultra- telluride vs aspen basic places around the market. If you have your own transport, far more interesting accommodation is available in the small, traditional thatched village of Ligu (coming from Ziro take the left turning just before the bridge at the entrance to Daporijo) where you ll find the basic, telluride vs aspen but delightful Ligu Tourist Resort (%223114; r 700). The family who run it cook up fantastic meals. Vanishing under the shadow of jungle trees, Ligu village itself is well worth exploring and the people are truly lovely. telluride vs aspen

mountainside luxury rentals Mizoram s pretty, green hills get higher as you head east. Champhai is widely considered the most at

CENTRAL ARUNACHAL S TRIBAL GROUPS 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 mountainside luxury rentals 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 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 of Donyi-Polo (sun and moon) worship sometimes at the same time as proclaiming themselves Christian. For ceremonial occasions, village chiefs mountainside luxury rentals 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.

Two kilometres east of Hajo is a mosque sheltering mountainside luxury rentals the tomb of the multi-named mountainside luxury rentals Hazarat Shah Sultan Giasuddin Aulia Rahmatullah Alike who died some 800 years ago. Muslims need to walk (the less pious may drive) mountainside luxury rentals 4km up a spiral road to reach the mosque, which is architecturally unremarkable.

Sumos have their booking counters in Jenkins Rd and run to Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh ( 250, eight hours) and Tawang mountainside luxury rentals ( 500, 15hrs). Bargain for a private taxi in the same street for the Eco-Camp at Potasali ( 1500) and Kaziranga ( 1500). A little further on is the bus station (Jenkins Rd) with frequent services to Guwahati ( 140 to 150, five hours), Jorhat ( 100, four hours) and Kohora for Kaziranga ( 45, two hours).

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 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 mountainside luxury rentals 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.

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

Kohora village is closest for Kaziranga s central range with an obvious Rhino Gate leading to the Kaziranga chalet book 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 chalet book the park, 2km north.

Sitting almost chalet book halfway between Kohima and Mon most people chalet book sensibly choose to break their journey in laidback Mokokchung. Aside from enjoying the town s spectacular setting, try to make time for a couple of other low-key attractions including chalet book the small, privately run Rendikala Subong Museum (Town Hall Rd; admission 10), which contains tribal items collected from surrounding villages as well as what is purported to be the world s smallest Bible. The museum is open whenever someone turns up to see it. A couple of kilometres away is pretty Ungma village, where you ll find a couple of huge log drums and a cloud scrapping chalet book Jendong (a pole that helps connect people on Earth with the Gods high up in the skies).

il rifugio di ela 560 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AS S A M NORTHEAST TOURS The vast majority of foreign tourists visiting

This historic Angami-Naga village was the site of two major British Angami siege battles in 1847 and 1879. Built on an easily defended ridge (very necessary back in headhunting days), Khonoma looks beautifully traditional.

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 for four of the states (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur il rifugio di ela and Mizoram), independent il rifugio di ela 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 il rifugio di ela pretty il rifugio di ela 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 il rifugio di ela 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; il rifugio di ela 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 il rifugio di ela Travels India (off Map p554; %2667871, 9207042330; www.jungletravelsindia.com; 3b Dirang Arcade, GNB Rd) Another il rifugio di ela 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 Park. Rhino Travels (Map p554; %2540666; www.rhinotravels.com; M Nehru (MN) Rd) This agency offers set-date tours in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It also offers two- to four-night river cruises. 4 Sleeping & Eating

windham mountain village The best accommodation option here is Aagaam Hotel (%223640; Nehru Chowk; s/d from 400-500), which h

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).

The best accommodation option here is Aagaam Hotel (%223640; Nehru Chowk; windham mountain village s/d from 400-500), which has rooms that could almost be called plush. The attached restaurant, Pizza Coffee Day (mains 80-100, pizzas 80-150) is the best place in town to eat and yes, it really does sell pizzas of a sort. Another option is the Hotel Holiday Cottage (%222463; Hospital Hill; r 400-600) southwest windham mountain village of the helipad. However, it s not a cottage and nor is it the sort of place you d really

chardon chalet The ASTC bus station (AT Rd) has frequent services to Sivasagar ( 35 to 45, 1 hours), Tezpur ( 120 t

oRi Kynjai HOTEL $$$ (%9862420300; www.rikynjai.com; Umiam Lake; r from 7200; a) In the local Khasi language ri kynjai means land of serene chardon chalet environments and this divine resort, on the banks of the Umiam lake, 22km from Shillong, is certainly that. Cottages lie scattered about the lush, green gardens and each is impeccably presented with lake views and bathrooms with deep bath tubs. There s also a spa, a decent restaurant and a bar that s perfect for sundowners.

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