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 menu bord LA? Recently the government of Arunachal Pradesh has opened up a couple of new areas to foreign tourists. Possibly the most exciting 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 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 for both the 400-year-old Samten Yongcha Monastery and the stunning landscapes surrounding the town, which culminate in a massive hulk of snow- draped mountains running along the border. For the moment tourist facilities menu bord (and tourists!) remain virtually non-existent but sumos now ply the 180km from Along ( 300, seven hours, menu bord 5.30am). The only accommodation is the Circuit House, but if that is unavailable then it s likely menu bord 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
Brand new and the only possible competition for the Ginger, which is right opposite, half of this government-run guesthouse is reserved for visiting Ministers, the other half is for nobodies like us. The large, perfect rooms are filled with sunlight and for the moment it s all very impressive, menu bord but as we said it s government-run so there s every chance it ll be allowed to rot away without anyone really caring!
oHotel Tripura Castle HISTORIC HOTEL $$$ (%2501111; Cleve Colony; s/d from 3600/3720, ste 7200; aiW) Tucked away on a wooded hillside is the distinctively turreted menu bord summer villa of the former Tripura maharajas. It s this private castle that features in hotel brochures, menu bord but accommodation is actually in a mostly new, if pseudo-heritage building behind. Pine-framed rooms have a gently stylish vibe with period furniture and a level of service that s hard to beat. For the full maharaja experience opt for a suite. The hotel is 2.5km southeast of the centre.
Sitting almost halfway between Kohima and Mon most people sensibly choose to break their journey in laidback Mokokchung. Aside from enjoying the town s spectacular setting, try to make time for a couple of other low-key attractions including the small, privately run Rendikala Subong Museum (Town Hall Rd; admission 10), which contains tribal items collected from surrounding menu bord villages as well as what is purported to be the world s smallest Bible. The museum is open whenever someone turns up to see it. A couple of kilometres away is pretty Ungma village, where you ll find a couple of huge log drums and a cloud scrapping Jendong (a pole that helps connect people on Earth with the Gods high up in the skies).
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