lakeview chalets The great muddy-brown Brahmaputra River s ever-shifting puzzle of sandbanks includes Majuli, which 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, lakeview chalets 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), lakeview chalets 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

The great muddy-brown Brahmaputra River s ever-shifting puzzle of sandbanks includes Majuli, which at around 421 sq km (2001 figures) is India s largest river island (many locals will tell you that Majuli is the world s largest river island, but in fact this honour belongs to Brazil s Bananal Island). Size aside, what there is no doubting is Majuli s sheer beauty. lakeview chalets The island is a relaxed, shimmering lakeview chalets mat of glowing rice fields and water meadows bursting with flowers. Aside from relishing lakeview chalets the laidback vibe that permeates island life, highlights of a visit include birdwatching and learning about neo- Vaishnavite philosophy lakeview chalets at one of Majuli s 22 ancient satras (Hindu Vaishnavite monasteries and centres for art). If all this makes Majuli sounds like your kind of place then don t waste time getting there surveys indicate that at current levels of erosion the island will cease to exist within 20 years.