lakeside village resort PERMIT PAINS Permits Permits for this region are a pain, being too bureaucratically involved for man

Tucked conveniently behind the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) Bus Station (AT Rd), Solicitor Rd has half a dozen reasonable hotels. The Hotel Janata lakeside village resort Paradise (%9435659461; Solicitor Rd; d 300) isn t quite as beautiful as the manager lakeside village resort 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).

PERMIT PAINS Permits Permits for this region are a pain, being too bureaucratically involved for many foreigners, lakeside village resort but those who take the trouble will be rewarded. lakeside village resort Permits are mandatory for Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Manipur, and entry without one is a serious matter. Indian lakeside village resort citizens just need an inner line permit, issued with little fuss in Guwahati or Kolkata (see p 469 ). The rest of this box applies to foreigners who ll require a Restricted lakeside village resort Area Permit (RAP). Minimum Group Size Permit applications need a four-person minimum group. Exceptions are Nagaland, for a legally married 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 Pradesh is now much more relaxed. lakeside village resort Validity & Registration Permits are valid for 10 days from a specified starting lakeside village resort date, but Arunachal allows 30 days. You might be able to extend your permit, but only in state capitals at the Secretariat, lakeside village resort Home Department. lakeside village resort Be aware that permits 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 of your permit to hand in at each checkpoint, police station and hotel. 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 and most reliable way to get permits is through a reputable travel agency; see the Information section for each state.