slopeside steamboat Carved out of Assam in 1972, hilly Meghalaya (Abode of Clouds) is a cool, pine-fresh contrast to the

La Maison de Ananda GUESTHOUSE $ (%9435205539; dm 150-200) On a Garamur back lane, this French-owned traditionally styled slopeside steamboat thatched house on bamboo stilts has rooms decked out in locally made fabrics, which give it a hippie-chic atmosphere. It s probably the best value-for-money lodgings on the island.

Carved out of Assam in 1972, hilly Meghalaya (Abode of Clouds) is a cool, pine-fresh contrast to the sweaty slopeside steamboat Assam plains. Set on dramatic horseshoes of rocky cliff above the Bengal plains, Cherrapunjee and Mawsynram are statistically the wettest places on earth. Most of the rain falls between April and September, creating slopeside steamboat very impressive waterfalls and carving out some of Asia s longest caves.

Ygdrasill Bamboo Cottage GUESTHOUSE $$ (%9401625744; r 1200) Around a kilometre slopeside steamboat before Garamur (on the road to Kamalabari), this thatched hut perches on stilts above a marshy, avian-filled slopeside steamboat lake. The sound of fish plopping about in the water below your bed and a thousand screaming cicadas (as well as a million marauding mosquitoes bring repellent!) will lull you to sleep at night. The bamboo beds are comfortable and it s nicely furnished. They serve a stunning Majuli thali in the evening and a breakfast that might be a bit too local for many tastes!

The two main villages slopeside steamboat are Kamalabari, 3km from the ferry port and Garamur, 5km further slopeside steamboat north. The most interesting, accessible satras are the large, beautifully peaceful Uttar Kamalabari (1km north, slopeside steamboat then 600m east of Kamalabari) and Auniati (5km west of Kamalabari), where monks are keen to show you their little museum (Indian/ foreigner/camera/video slopeside steamboat 5/50/50/200; h9.3011am & 12-4pm) of Ahom royal artefacts. The best chances of observing chanting, dances or drama recitations are around dawn and dusk or during the big Ras Mahotsav Festival slopeside steamboat (third week of November).