©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Northeast States Includes ¨ Why Go? Assam .............561 Thrown across the farthest reaches of India, obscured from Guwahati ...........561 the greater world by ageless forests and formidable moun- Kaziranga tain ranges, the Northeast States are one of Asia’s last great National Park .......567 natural and anthropological sanctuaries. Sharing borders Arunachal Pradesh ...572 with Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh, these remote frontiers are a region of rugged beauty, and Nagaland ...........579 a collision zone of tribal cultures, climates, landscapes and Kohima .............579 peoples. In this wonderland for adventurers, glacial Hima- Manipur ........... 583 layan rivers spill onto Assam’s vast floodplains, faith moves Mizoram ........... 584 mountains on the perilous pilgrimage to Tawang, rhinos Tripura ............ 586 graze in Kaziranga’s swampy grasslands and former head- hunters slowly embrace modernity in their ancestral long- Agartala ........... 586 houses in Nagaland. Meghalaya ......... 588 Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing in these faraway Shillong ........... 588 states, and there’s a horde of obstacles to battle along the way (bad roads, poor infrastructure and rebel armies, to name a few). Only those with a taste for raw adventure need apply. Best Places to Eat ¨ Paradise (p563) When to Go ¨ Luxmi Kitchen (p584) Assam (Guwahati) ¨ Moti Mahal (p571) °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 32/800 ¨ Maihang (p568) 24/600 ¨ Trattoria (p591) 20/68 16/400 0/32 Best Places 8/200 -20/-4 0 to Sleep J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨ Diphlu River Lodge (p568) Mar The best Oct A time for Dec Fierce Naga ¨ Puroni Bheti (p569) season for dazzling Hima- warriors in ethnic rhino-spotting layan vistas and regalia assemble ¨ Ri Kynjai (p591) in Kaziranga. trips to remote for Kohima’s spec- ¨ Prabhakar Homestay outposts. tacular Hornbill (p563) Festival. #] #] #] 5 5 5 5 560 #\ Tuting W #\ Anini e s t S ian #\ Yingkiong Mechuka g R #\ #\ iv CH I N A e r Dambuk Nacho #\ Yamzho TI B E T #\ #\ Along Pasighat Roing Yumco #\ #\ ARUNACHAL Bame #\ Tezu #\ #\: #÷ PRADESH #\ Oiram Ghat : Namdapha 44444 Daporijo : : : : National Park #\ r Miao e : : v Ziro #– i 3 #\ R # : : c i Valley l Dibrugarh 44444#\ Tawang Valley a North : : Pangsaw Zemithang r &37 #2 Se La a Lakhimpur : : Pass h #\ c (4176m) B Itanagar :Sibsagar #\ #\ Bomdila i #\ Dirang ^# : :u l : 44BH4U TA N44 Nameri a j Mon Kaziranga #\ National #÷ : M: #\ N:imatighat National Park #\ ^# Manas Park : : : #–: #\ Balipara #1 Jorhat National : :#\ Park #\ #\ Kohora Mokokchung #\ : : tr:a : : #\ NORTHEAST #÷ Tezpur Kaziranga #]^# ASSAM pu Bansbari #\ : : a : : NAGALAND Rangia m #\ #\ h #z Nagaon #\ :#\ :ra : : Barpeta B Pobitora Wildlife 36 : : : & Wokha Road Hajo #\ Sancuary : : : : : ^# : : Dimapur \# –# &31 #– Guwahati : : :River: : : ra #\#^#6 Kohima Dhubri ut #\ 37 Umiam Lake Khonoma : #\ :ap : : & : : : m Paikan (Barapani) : : S :h #\ Nartiang a #\ TATES TATES r MEGHALAYA Shillong ^# : : : :B #\ Jowai r #\ Garo e Hills Balpakram Haflong v MANIPUR : #\ Jaintia Hills i #\ Tura #\ R National Park Dawki 39 : : #\ #4 #\ k & #÷ +# a Siju l : S #\ #– Dalu a ^# tat Tamabil Imphal : : Cherrapunje:e #\ B : #\ #– Loktak 5 5 : (Sohra) :Sylh:et Silchar #7 : E &40 Moirang #\ Lake 5 : :S : : : : J HI #\ M5oreh 5 #\ : a : M YA NM AR m 5 (BU RM A) : :GH : : : u BA NG LA D ESH 5 n # : : : Unakoti 5 5 a LI Manu #\ : : : R : \# ghts i :v e #– TRIPURA –#^# Saitual 5 : r Akhaura #\ #\ Agartala #\ +# Aizawl #\ 5 Udaipur #_ #\ Champhai DHAKA #\ MIZORAM 5 Me Melaghar G g h : :a n #\ n a #\Sabrum #\ g #\ : : :e R Lunglei s i v Karnaphuli RBlue Mountain : : e r Res. (Phawngpui; 2157m) : : : #\ 5 : #] 5 5 : : Chittagong ^# 5 0 200 km : Bay of Bengal e# 0 100 miles 5 5 : 5 Northeast States Highlights 1 Kaziranga National 3 Ziro Valley (p574) sculptures of gods amid the Park (p567) Roaming the Visiting scenic villages where wilderness. expansive grasslands in search you can meet and learn about 6 Kohima (p579) Visiting of rhinos. the intriguing Apatani tribe. a quaint WWII cemetery and 2 Tawang Valley (p578) 4 Cherrapunjee (p592) sampling traditional Naga Touching the clouds at the Gazing down on the plains hospitality. 4176m Se La pass before of Bangladesh from a lofty 7 Loktak Lake (p584) descending to the Tawang escarpment. Exploring the lake’s unique Valley, a Tibetan Buddhist hot 5 Unakoti (p588) Staring ecosystem and floating spot. in awe at massive rock-cut islands..