gus s chalet Southern Tripura s best-known sights can be combined into a long day trip from Agartala, though slee

Tawang town is a transport hub and service centre for the valley gus s chalet 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). gus s chalet 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.

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.

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 tribes consider themselves different from one another most are at least distantly related. Over the last few decades gus s chalet Christian missionaries have been highly active throughout the Northeast gus s chalet 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 gus s chalet 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 typically wear scarlet shawls gus s chalet 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 gus s chalet to deter rodents.

Southern Tripura s best-known sights can be combined into a long day trip from Agartala, though sleeping at Neermahal is worthwhile. Any of Agartala s hotels can arrange a taxi, or you can engage English-speaking Partha Laskar (%09774702908; partha.laskar@rediffmail.com) gus s chalet for a day trip in an AC car ( 1300 plus 12 per km).