aspenwood resort 567 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES W E S T E R N A R U N AC H A L P R A D E S H THE LAST SHANGRI LA? Recent

If you re using a tour company, allow at least one month to obtain travel aspenwood resort permits and two months if travelling in a group of less than four (and you re not a married couple). If applying independently allow at least two to three months.

567 NORTHEAST TRIBAL STATES W E S T E R N A R U N AC H A L P R A D E S H THE LAST SHANGRI LA? Recently the government of Arunachal aspenwood resort Pradesh has opened up a couple of new areas to foreign tourists. Possibly the most exciting aspenwood resort of these is the road from Along to the small, remote town of Mechuka, close to the Tibetan border. In the past the Mechuka valley, which until recently aspenwood resort had no real road connecting it to the rest of the state, was called the forbidden valley or even a Last Shangri La. Populated by the Buddhist Memba peoples, Mechuka, sitting on the banks of the West Siang River, lives up to its Last Shangri La status and is notable aspenwood resort for both the 400-year-old Samten Yongcha Monastery aspenwood resort and the stunning landscapes surrounding aspenwood resort the town, which culminate in a massive hulk of snow- draped mountains running along the border. For the moment tourist facilities (and tourists!) remain virtually non-existent aspenwood resort but sumos now ply the 180km from Along ( 300, seven hours, 5.30am). The only accommodation is the Circuit House, but if that is unavailable then it s likely that local people will put you up be generous in your donation. the owners of which have realised that it is possible to buy new tins of paint a fairly revolutionary thought for many hotels in the northeast. Otherwise try the plusher

5 Eating & Drinking La Galerie INDIAN $$ (Hotel Centrepoint, TSS Rd; mains 150-200) A suave restaurant compartmentalised into booths aspenwood resort by photographs of local scenes, it offers excellent Indian food. Cloud 9 is the top-floor bar-restaurant serving dainty Thai dishes, cold beers and cocktails. aspenwood resort

(and present documentation) irrespective of any dispute. travellers may need to cross a boundary Lonely Planet always aspenwood resort tries to show on maps where be those recognised by neighbouring countries. the Government of India. Some boundaries may not External aspenwood resort boundaries shown reflect the requirements of B E N G A L B A Y O F A S S A M M E G H A L A Y A P R A D E S H A R U N A C H A L N A G A L A N D M A N I P U R T R I P U R A M I Z O R A MMelagarh Dawki Rangia Sabrum Moreh Tuphema SaitualManu aspenwood resort Akhaura Ajampura Darang aspenwood resort Seppa Nacho Namsai Mebo Roing Yingkiong Anini Moirang Kigwema Nimatighat Dhubri Barpeta Road Paikan Barpeta Khonoma Dalu Bansbari Mangaldai Balipara Zemithang Kohora North Lakhimpur Oriamghat Bame Dambuk Tuting Dirang Champhai Bhalukpong Barapani Sualkuchi Nartiang Tuensang Mokokchung Wokha Kaziranga Unakoti Haflong Pasighat Daporijo Lunglei Guwahati Jowai SijuTura Sylhet Tezpur Miao Tezu Chittagong DHAKA Kohima Kakching Imphal Aizawl Udaipur Agartala Hajo Itanagar Along Jorhat Sivasagar Dibrugarh Shillong Silchar Dimapur Nagaon Park National Manas Orang National Park National Park Keibul Lamjao National ParkBalpakhram National Park Pobitora Nameri National Park National Park Namdapha aspenwood resort RiverBarak River JumunaRiver Meghna RiverGanges Loktak Lake Majuli (2147 m) Phawngpui Se La (4176m) Pass Pangsaw Hills Jaintia RiverWest Siang Bharali River RiveraputraBrahm (B U R M A) M Y A N M A R B H U T A N T I B E T C H I N A B A N G L A D E S H 39 36 37 31 37 40 Blue Mountain Neermahal National Park Kaziranga Mechuka Tawang Valley (Sohra) Mon Ziro Cherrapunjee 50 miles0 100 km0 1 Ride atop an elephant in search of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park (p 559 ) 2Touch the clouds at the 4176m pass of Se La before descending to Tawang Valley (p 569 ), Arunachal Pradesh s little Tibet 3Visit intriguing tribal villages around Ziro (p 565 ) and meet the last of the bizarrely adorned Apatani women 4 Gaze down on the plains of Bangladesh from the lofty escarpment around Cherrapunjee (Sohra; p 582 ) 5 Feel as if you ve stepped aspenwood resort out of India into a diff erent culture and country in Nagaland s Mon (p 572 ) 6 Search for the Last Shangri La in Mechuka (p 567 ) 7 Row, row, row the boat gently out to the fl oating palace of Neermahal (p 578 ) 8Avoid the ghosts and hang with the Gods on the Blue Mountain (p 576 ) of Mizoram Northeast Tribal States Highlights