chalet de bassi H2O (Mancotta Rd; mains 80-120, beers from 80) is an upstairs bar-restaurant with elements of spaces

H2O (Mancotta Rd; mains 80-120, chalet de bassi beers from 80) is an upstairs bar-restaurant with elements of spaceship decor. For a break from the rigours of the Indian road you ll fi nd a branch of Caf Coffee chalet de bassi Day on HS Rd.

PERMIT PAINS Permits Permits for this region are a pain, being too bureaucratically involved for many foreigners, but those who take the trouble will be rewarded. Permits are mandatory for Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Manipur, and entry without one is a serious matter. Indian citizens just need an inner line permit, issued with little fuss in Guwahati chalet de bassi or Kolkata (see p 469 ). The rest of this box applies to foreigners who ll require a Restricted Area Permit (RAP). Minimum Group Size Permit applications need a four-person minimum group. Exceptions are Nagaland, for a legally married chalet de bassi couple with marriage certifi cate; and Arunachal Pradesh for a minimum of two people. In reality though, it s now possible for single travellers to get permits to all the states, but only if you use a tour company (and even then you need a lot of patience). In Nagaland and Manipur, authorities may refuse you entry if some people listed on your permit are missing ; Mizoram doesn t seem bothered and Arunachal chalet de bassi Pradesh is now much more relaxed. Validity & Registration Permits are valid for 10 days from a specified starting date, but Arunachal allows 30 days. You might be able to extend your permit, but only in state capitals at the Secretariat, Home Department. Be aware that permits chalet de bassi only allow you to visit specified districts between specified dates, so plan carefully as changing routes might be problematic. Be sure to make multiple photocopies chalet de bassi of your permit to hand in at each checkpoint, police station and hotel. chalet de bassi Where to Apply Applications made independently through the Ministry of Home Aff airs (%011-23385748; Jaisalmer House, 26 Man Singh Rd, Delhi; hinquiries 9-11am Mon-Fri) or the appropriate State House in Delhi can take weeks and will normally end in frustration. Kolkata s Foreigners Registration Offi ce (FRO; %22837034; 237 AJC Bose Rd; h11am-5pm Mon-Fri) can issue permits but it seems to want to exclude Tawang from Arunachal, restrict access to Nagaland and not allow you into Mizoram. The easiest chalet de bassi and most reliable way to get permits is through a reputable travel agency; see the Information section for each state.

The best of the couple of diff erent options are the tastefully renovated Banyan chalet de bassi Grove (%9954451548; www.heritagetourism india.com; s/d 6272/7280; lunch 350, dinner 450; s). Dating chalet de bassi from the late 19th century, chalet de bassi its rooms are crammed with antiques and the drawing room is straight out of a Victorian period chalet de bassi drama. It has wonderful lawns and verandas overlooking a tea estate and swimming pool. The site is 7km down rural tracks from Km442 on NH37 (Jorhat Deragaon Rd).