hadley village condominiums oHotel Gakyi Khang Zhang (%224 647; r from 1320), a couple of kilometres out of town on the road to

FACIAL TATTOOING Historically famous for their beauty, Apatani women were all too often kidnapped by warriors of the neighbouring Nishi tribes. As a defence , Apatani girls were deliberately defaced. They were given facial tattoos, like graffitied beards scribbled onto living Mona Lisa paintings, and extraordinary nose plugs known as dat fitted into holes cut in their upper nostrils. Some men also have tattoos. Peace with the Nishis in the 1960s meant an end to that brutal practice, but many older women still wear dat. Photography is an understandably sensitive issue, so ask first. Some Apatani women have had cosmetic surgery to remove their tattoos.

PERMITS FOR MIZORAM Agencies, notably Mizo Holidays and Three Dimension, both in Aizawl, can arrange 10-day permits. Mizoram permit hadley village condominiums restrictions are perhaps the most lax of the Northeast States. Be sure that all places you wish to visit are on your permit and you should hadley village condominiums be allowed to go anywhere in the state. Note though that the Kolkata FRO doesn t grant Mizoram permits. 575

Dream Caf CAFE $ (Cnr Dimapur & Imphal Rds; mains 50-100; h10am-6pm, Mon-Sat) Beneath UCO Bank and with daily lunch specials such as fried noodles or pizzas as well as coffee and snacks, this is the meeting point for Kohima s young people. Great views from the back windows, a bunch of magazines to read and lots of students keen for a chat make this a good place to linger.

oHotel Gakyi Khang Zhang (%224 647; r from 1320), a couple of kilometres out of town on the road to the monastery, offers far and away the best rooms in town colourful sky-blue affairs with polished hadley village condominiums wooden floors. There s a decent restaurant (mains 80-120) and the staff are great fun. It also has good monastery views, a generator and, most bizarrely, a lounge bar/nightclub complete with throbbing strobe lights!