tube town snowmass was a princely exercise in aesthetics; the finest craftsmen building a summer palace of luxury in a

DON T MISS There aren t all that many places left in the world where the maps may as well have blank spaces on them, snow- capped mountains remain unnamed and unclimbed, forests are filled with creatures that scientists have yet to lay eyes upon and hill tops are crowned with unmolested tribal villages, but northeast India is one such place. As the region slowly opens up, don t miss this opportunity for genuine, undiluted adventure. Areas that are safe yet largely unexplored by tourists include almost all of rural Mizoram, large tracts of Tripura (check the security situation first), the furthest reaches of Nagaland and, best of all, huge chunks of steamy forests, alpine meadows and high Himalayan wildernesses have finally started opening up in Arunachal Pradesh. Top Festivals

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.

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 tube town snowmass character. Nearby is the New Park (%2300725; Solicitor Rd; s/d from 687/880; a), which is a big new hotel with small but tidy rooms and hot showers.