aspen to crested butte z Festivals Two main Mizo festivals, Chapchar Kut (Kut is Mizo for festival) and Pawl Kut celebrate

z Festivals Two main Mizo festivals, aspen to crested butte Chapchar Kut (Kut is Mizo for festival) and Pawl Kut celebrate elements in the agricultural cycle. Chapchar Kut takes place towards the end of February and signals the start of the spring sowing aspen to crested butte season, and Pawl Kut is held at the end of November aspen to crested butte to celebrate the harvest. In both festivals, participants don national costume and celebrate aspen to crested butte with folk dancing and song.

was a princely exercise in aesthetics; the finest craftsmen aspen to crested butte building a summer palace of luxury in a blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural aspen to crested butte styles. The delightful waterborne approach by speedboat (passenger/boat 20/400) or fancy rowboat (boat 100) is the most enjoyable part of visiting.

Voyaging aspen to crested butte to the Ziro Valley is one of the undisputed highlights of a trip to Arunachal Pradesh and, though the scenery is stunning and the village architecture fascinating, the voyeuristic main attraction here is meeting the friendly older Apatani folk who sport facial tattoos and nose plugs that would be the envy of any tattooist in the West (see p 566 ). The most authentic Apatani villages are Hong (the biggest and best known), Hijo (more atmospheric), Hari, Bamin and Dutta; none of which are more than 10km apart. It s vital to have a local guide to take you to any of these villages otherwise you won t see much and might even be made to feel quite unwelcome. Christopher Michi (%9402048466/8014012558; christopherdulley@ aspen to crested butte yahoo.co.in/christophermichi@hotmail.com) is the chairman of the Apatani Cultural aspen to crested butte Preservation Society and can organise superb visits to the villages don t be at all surprised if your tour culminates in an evening of drinking rice wine and chowing down on barbequed rat in a villager s house!

1 Sights Mizoram State Museum MUSEUM (Macdonald Hill, Zarkawt; admission 5; h9.30am5pm Mon-Fri) This museum has interesting exhibits on Mizo culture. It s up a steep lane from Sumkuma Point past Aizawl s most distinctive church, whose modernist bell- tower spire is pierced aspen to crested butte by arched windows.