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

H2O (Mancotta Rd; mains 80-120, 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 Day on HS Rd.

Out of town, and by far the best place to stay, is the new Ziro Valley Resort (%9856910173; Biiri village; r in old wing 1000, tw/d 1200/1500), which has rainbow-coloured rooms in a faux colonial style building. It s halfway between Old and New Ziro and is surrounded by sunburnt fields. chalet on hudson It s also known as the Village Tourist Lodge. At the time of research another midrange resort style place was under construction near the Ziro Valley Resort.

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

some impressive traditional buildings all set, surreally, under two giant mobile phone towers. Shingha chalet on hudson 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 chalet on hudson box, is also highly impressive.

club a kopaonik H2O (Mancotta Rd; mains 80-120, beers from 80) is an upstairs bar-restaurant with elements of spaces

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

H2O (Mancotta Rd; mains 80-120, 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 Day on HS Rd.

Only 40km from Guwahati, this small national park has the highest concentration of rhinoceros in the world. Entrance fees are the same as Kaziranga National Park (see p 561 ). Getting into the park involves a boat ride over the river boundary to the elephant- mounting station. From there it s a one-hour trip atop an elephant lumbering through boggy grassland and stirring up petulant rhinos.

lone eagle resort # SantiparaLakeWaterTankWaterTankHGBRdMantriBariRd MotorStand Rd Palace CompoundNorth (VIP Rd) Jagan

Dhaba NORTH INDIAN $$ (Silpukhuri, GNB Rd; mains 120-180) This simple canteen-style restaurant serves good North Indian staples as well as some token Chinese dishes. You can eat indoors or, if you prefer, out in the courtyard where the side portion lone eagle resort of carbon monoxide comes free with the meal. They have a couple of other branches around town.

z Festivals Two main Mizo festivals, Chapchar Kut (Kut is Mizo for festival) and Pawl Kut celebrate elements in the agricultural cycle. Chapchar Kut takes place towards lone eagle resort the end of February and signals the start of the spring sowing season, and Pawl Kut is held at the end of November to celebrate the harvest. In both festivals, participants don national costume and celebrate lone eagle resort with folk dancing and song.

Kohora village 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 lone eagle resort before entering the park, 2km north.

# SantiparaLakeWaterTankWaterTankHGBRdMantriBariRd MotorStand lone eagle resort 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

silverwolf chalets From a distance Aizawl (pronounced eyezole) seems a painted backdrop to an Italian opera, such is th

From a distance Aizawl (pronounced eyezole) seems a painted silverwolf chalets backdrop silverwolf chalets to an Italian opera, such is the steepness silverwolf chalets of the ridge on which it s perched. Backs of homes at road level might be held there with stilts three times higher than their roofs.

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

tejon mountain village FACIAL TATTOOING Historically famous for their beauty, Apatani women were all too often kidnapped by

FACIAL tejon mountain village TATTOOING Historically famous for their beauty, Apatani women were all too often kidnapped by warriors of the neighbouring Nishi tribes. As a defence , Apatani girls were deliberately defaced. They were given facial tattoos, like graffitied beards scribbled onto living Mona Lisa paintings, and extraordinary nose plugs known as dat fitted into holes cut in their upper nostrils. Some men also have tattoos. Peace with the Nishis in the 1960s meant an end to that brutal practice, but many older women still wear dat. Photography is an understandably sensitive issue, so ask first. Some Apatani women have had cosmetic tejon mountain village surgery to remove their tattoos.

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

fall line condos sunday river Khasi villagers have trained across streams to form natural pathways. Three of these root bridges (i

Ygdrasill fall line condos sunday river Bamboo Cottage GUESTHOUSE $$ (%9401625744; r 1200) Around a kilometre before Garamur (on the road to Kamalabari), this thatched hut perches on stilts fall line condos sunday river above a marshy, avian-filled lake. The sound of fish plopping about in the water below your bed and a thousand screaming cicadas (as well as a million marauding mosquitoes bring repellent!) will lull you to sleep at night. The bamboo beds are comfortable and it s nicely furnished. They serve a stunning Majuli thali in the evening and a breakfast fall line condos sunday river that might be a bit too local for many tastes!

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- basic places around the market. If you have your own transport, far more interesting accommodation is available in the small, fall line condos sunday river 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, 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.

Khasi villagers have trained across streams to form natural pathways. Three of these root bridges fall line condos sunday river (including an amazing double- decker ) are near Nongriat. Access involves a two-hour very steep trek down from Tyrna, a pretty, palm-clad village that s 2km from Mawshamok. fall line condos sunday river From Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort the entire roundtrip hike takes eight hours, is highly strenuous and involves descending and ascending some 2000-odd steps (this particular author couldn t walk for two days afterwards!). The Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort provides maps.

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 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 fall line condos sunday river 13 Network Travels Counter.A2 14 Shared taxis to Guwahati airport.B3 Shillong Sights 1 Pinewood Hotel.D2 Sleeping fall line condos sunday river 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 7) Information 8 Cultural Pursuits Adventures. A1 9 Government of India Tourist Office.A2 10 Meghalaya Tourism.B2 fall line condos sunday river Transport fall line condos sunday river 11 Deep.B2 12 Khasi Hills Tourist Taxi Cooperative.B3 13 Network fall line condos sunday river Travels Counter.A2 14 Shared taxis to Guwahati airport.B3

liftside village at hunter mountain resort Remote, culturally magical and scenically spectacular, Tawang is the archetypical Shangri La and a m

# ChitrachalHillBharaluRiverBrahmaputraRiverKarmanasaIslandPeacockIslandJorpulkuriPondsSilpukhuriTankDighalipukhuriTankJudgesFeldNehruParkPaltan Bazaar Panbazar StationRd Solapara Rd GuwahatiShillong(GS)Rd AssamTrunk(AT)Rd BBaruahRd GNBRd MahatmaGandhi(MG)Rd PD Chalia liftside village at hunter mountain resort Rd FCRd MDShahRd SRSRd ArgwalPath MSRd ManikChandra (MC)Rd UNBRd Train Station Sikh Temple NepaliMandir SattagarhMandir FancyBazaar Gandhi Mandap Panbazar Ghat Sukreswar Ghat Umananda Ghat Mosque Mosque 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 liftside village at hunter mountain resort House (1.7km); Nagaland House (7km) 0 600 m 0 600 ydse fighting, changing hands eight times in 50 years before liftside village at hunter mountain resort 1681. In 1897 a huge earthquake, followed by a series of devastating floods, wiped out most of the old city.

Remote, culturally liftside village at hunter mountain resort magical and scenically spectacular, Tawang is the archetypical Shangri La and a mountain-hopping journey through liftside village at hunter mountain resort this, the lands of the Monpa (a people of Buddhist-Tibetan origin) to the gates of the famous Tawang Monastery is one of the northeast s greatest adventures.

The town s best hotel is the Hotel Heritage (%2301839; Solicitor Rd; s/d from 478/588; a), which has well-maintained rooms, obliging staff and old-fashioned character. liftside village at hunter mountain resort Nearby is the New Park (%2300725; Solicitor liftside village at hunter mountain resort Rd; s/d from 687/880; a), which is a big new hotel with small but tidy rooms and hot showers.

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