vip chalet The biggest attraction is magical Tawang Gompa (admission free, camera/video 20/100; hdawn-dusk) bac

The biggest attraction is magical Tawang Gompa (admission free, camera/video 20/100; hdawn-dusk) backdropped by snow-speckled vip chalet peaks. Founded in 1681, this medieval citadel is reputedly the world s second-largest Buddhist monastery complex and famed in Buddhist circles for its library. Within its fortified walls, narrow alleys lead up to the majestic and magnifi cently decorated prayer hall containing vip chalet an 8m-high statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. vip chalet Come here at dawn (4am to 5am) to see row after row of monks performing their early morning prayers. Across the central square is a small but interesting museum ( 20; h8am-5pm) vip chalet containing images, robes, telescopic trumpets and some personal items of the sixth Dalai Lama. Spectacular chaam (ritual masked dances vip chalet performed by some Buddhist monks

Dramatic if largely unadorned, this 1752 brick palace (Indian/foreigner 5/100; hdawn-dusk) is the last remnant of the Ahom s pre-Sivasagar capital. The unique four-storey structure rises like a sharpened, stepped pyramid above an attractive forest-and-paddy setting spoilt by nearby electricity substations. It s 900m north of the Sivasagar vip chalet Sonari road: turn just before Gargaon (14km) from Sonari.

Ygdrasill Bamboo Cottage GUESTHOUSE $$ (%9401625744; r 1200) Around a kilometre before Garamur (on the road to Kamalabari), this thatched hut perches on stilts above a marshy, avian-filled lake. The sound of fish plopping about in the water below your bed and a thousand vip chalet 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 that might be a bit too local for many tastes!