european chalet banquets Hotel Prag Continental HOTEL $$ (%2540850; www.hotelpragcontinental.com; MN Rd; s/d from 1180/1725;

571 HORNBILL FESTIVAL Nagaland s biggest annual festival, european chalet banquets the Hornbill Festival (1-7 December) is celebrated at Kisama Heritage Village (see below) with various Naga tribes converging for a weeklong cultural, dance and sporting bash, much of it in full warrior costume. european chalet banquets Of all the festivals in the northeast this is the most spectacular and photogenic. european chalet banquets Simultaneously, Kohima also hosts a rock festival (www.hornbillmusic.com). has simple yet immaculate rooms. It s the little touches that set it apart from the competition, such as cups of tea brought to you in bed in the morning. There are great views over the town from the garden, friendly and helpful staff and a superb european chalet banquets restaurant. european chalet banquets

oTourist Lodge (%0369-2226373; tourist.lodgemkg@yahoo.com; r 750, without bath 400; aiW), The only place to stay worth considering is the superb Tourist Lodge, which has bright and clean rooms, excellent service and a decent restaurant serving Indian and Naga dishes.

Hotel Prag Continental HOTEL $$ (%2540850; www.hotelpragcontinental.com; MN Rd; s/d from 1180/1725; european chalet banquets a) The spacious and well-furnished rooms with wooden floors on offer at this hotel are as spotless as the aquarium full of brightly painted fi sh that sits in the reception. The staff are attentive and discounts easy to come by. It s on a quieter side street and has a good restaurant.

casa roces CROSSING INTO BANGLADESH AT AGARTALA Border Hours The border at Agartala is open from 7am to 6pm. Fo

CROSSING INTO BANGLADESH casa roces AT AGARTALA Border Hours The border at Agartala is open from 7am to 6pm. Foreign Exchange There s no exchange booth and Agartala banks don t sell Bangladeshi taka, so changing money is hit and miss; ask local traders or border offi cials. Onward Transport From central casa roces Agartala the border is just 3km along Akhaura Rd ( 50 by rickshaw). On the Bangladesh side the nearest town is Akhaura, 5km beyond, reached by baby taxi (autorickshaw). From Akhaura trains head to Dhaka, Comilla and Sylhet. Coming eastbound, be sure to pay your Bangladeshi departure tax at a Sonali bank before heading for the border. Visas Unhelpful, but the northeast s only Bangladesh visa office casa roces (%2324807; Airport Rd, Kunjaban; happlication 9am-1pm Mon-Thu, 9am-noon Fri, collection casa roces same day 4pm) hides down a small lane in Agartala, about 2km north of the Ujjayanta Palace.

571 HORNBILL FESTIVAL casa roces Nagaland s biggest annual festival, the Hornbill Festival (1-7 December) is celebrated at Kisama Heritage Village (see below) with various Naga tribes converging for a weeklong cultural, dance and sporting bash, much of it in full warrior costume. casa roces Of all the festivals in the northeast casa roces this is the most spectacular and photogenic. Simultaneously, Kohima also hosts a rock festival (www.hornbillmusic.com).

elk ridge cabins boat is met by a bus to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. Ferries can carry just two jeeps. There s lit

583 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES AR OUND S H ILLO NG CROSSING INTO BANGLADESH FROM DAWKI Border Hours The border is open from 6am to 5pm. Foreign Exchange There s no official exchange booth but ask at the Bangladesh customs offi ce. Onward Transport The border post is at Tamabil, 1.7km from Dawki market (taxis are 40-50). Coming from Bangladesh, beware that Tamabil has no Sonali bank, so prepay your Tk300 Bangladeshi departure tax in Sylhet or in Jaintiapura. There are frequent Tamabil Sylhet minibuses. rooms but no hot water. More rooms were under construction at the time of research. A daily bus leaves nearby Laitkynsew village for Shillong ( 40, 6am). Going the other way it leaves Shillong at 1pm. Otherwise a taxi from Cherrapunjee costs 250 to 300.

1 Sights Kangla PARK (admission 2; h9am-4pm Nov-Feb, 9am-5pm Mar-Oct) Fortified Kangla was the off-andon- again regal capital of Manipur until the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 saw the defeat of the Manipuri maharaja and a British takeover. Entrance is by way of an exceedingly tall gate on Kanglapat. The interesting older buildings are at the rear of the citadel guarded by three restored large white kangla sha (dragons).

1 Sights Kangla PARK (admission 2; h9am-4pm Nov-Feb, 9am-5pm Mar-Oct) elk ridge cabins Fortified Kangla was the off-andon- again regal capital of Manipur until the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 saw the defeat of the Manipuri maharaja and a British takeover. Entrance is by way of an exceedingly tall gate on Kanglapat. The interesting older buildings are at the rear of the citadel guarded by three restored large white kangla sha (dragons).

boat is met by a bus to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. Ferries can carry just two jeeps. There s little shelter and the journey takes around eight hours (5 hours downstream), so bring an umbrella, water and sunscreen. elk ridge cabins The journey can be quite an adventure with the boats bouncing off the ever-shifting sandbars (and sometimes not bouncing off them!) and with brief stops en route giving glimpses of isolated riverside hamlets. Exact departure points elk ridge cabins depend on the Brahmaputra s water level.

breckenridge village map Mizo culture has no caste distinctions and women appear liberated; in Aizawl girls smoke openly, wea

Once you leave the outskirts of Shillong the road to Cherrapunjee passes through pretty scenery that becomes dramatic at Dympep viewpoint, where a photogenic V-shape valley slits deeply into the plateau.

Guwahati is considered the site of Pragjyotishpura, a semi-mythical town founded by Asura King Naraka who was later killed by Lord Krishna for a pair of magical earrings. The city was a vibrant cultural centre well before the Ahoms arrived, and later it was the theatre of intense Ahom Mughal

Mizo culture has no caste distinctions and women appear liberated; in Aizawl girls smoke openly, wear jeans and hang out in unchaperoned posses meeting up with their beaus at rock concerts on the central field.

Hotel Clover HOTEL $$ (%2305736; breckenridge village map www.davids-hotel-clover.com; G-16 Chanmari; s/d from 750/1500; iW) Dolly, your host for the evening, should win an award as one of India s friendliest hotel receptionists. Rooms are equally friendly and as full of character with colourful, art-adorned walls.

lone eagle land brokerage Private bus operators are clustered on LN Bari 8 Rd; others leave from the new Interstate Bus Termin

4 Sleeping & Eating Hotel Centre Point HOTEL $$ (%232359; Main Rd; r from 660; aW) The cheaper rooms at this new hotel bang in the town centre are splashed in smart white paint, but have cold water only showers, lone eagle land brokerage

Private bus operators are clustered on LN Bari 8 Rd; others leave from the new Interstate Bus Terminal 3km east of the centre (rickshaw 50). Sumos use the Motor Stand (Motor Stand Rd) and South Bus Station (SBS; off Ronaldsay Rd). Destinations and their respective departure stations for bus and sumo trips are:

breckenridge vs vail Tripura s most iconic building, the 1930 Neermahal, is a long, red-and-white water palace (admission

panelled rooms with a more reliable electricity supply than many similar places. It s in the market area. The Hotel Siddhartha (%222515; s 750, d 1030-1350) has large, carpeted and well-kept rooms that help make it the best of the town-centre options.

Tripura s most iconic building, the 1930 Neermahal, is a long, red-and-white water palace breckenridge vs vail (admission/camera/video 10/10/25; h8.30am-4pm, until 4.30pm Apr-Sep), which is empty but shimmering on its own boggy island in the lake of Rudra Sagar. Like its counterpart in Rajasthan s Udaipur, this

Sumos leave New Market at 6am for Itanagar breckenridge vs vail ( 450, 12 hours) and Ziro ( 300, six hours). The bus station has a lackadaisical 7am service to Along ( 150, six hours) on alternate days depending on when the bus returns from Along.

Brand new and the only possible competition for the Ginger, which is right opposite, half of this government-run guesthouse is reserved for visiting breckenridge vs vail Ministers, the other half is for nobodies like us. The large, perfect rooms are filled with sunlight breckenridge vs vail and for the moment it s all very impressive, but as we said it s government-run so there s every chance it ll be allowed to rot away without anyone really caring!

torru Tariffs are seasonal and highly negotiable in the low season. During peak periods hotels fill fast,

Tariffs are seasonal and highly negotiable in the low season. During peak periods hotels fill fast, but there are dozens of choices around the Police Bazaar torru area, so just keep looking. Taxes add a discouraging 20% to your bill (included in the prices listed here).

5 Eating Restaurant Kurry Klub INDIAN $$ (Hotel Welcome Palace, HGB Rd; mains 50-200; h10am-10pm) Very tasty food served in a small dining room whose decor would be rather striking if only the lighting was improved. If you re staying in the hotel, room service is faster torru and beers can be acquired.