irwin chalets Some 30km northwest of Guwahati, the pleasant little town of Hajo attracts Hindu and Buddhist pilgri

houses above which rises a steep ridge topped with a timeless gompa. Heading the other way, just north of New Dirang, the valley irwin chalets opens out and its floor becomes a patchwork of rice and crop fields through which gushes the icy blue river. A fun day could be spent walking along the footpaths between fields and little hamlets.

KV Paradise MONUMENT (Durtlang; admission 5; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat) irwin chalets V is for Varte who died in a 2001 motor accident. K is for her husband Khawlhring who has since lavished his entire savings and energy creating a three-storey mausoleum irwin chalets to her memory. The marble fountain-patio has wonderful panoramic views. The site is 8km from Zarkawt, 1km off the Aizawl-Silchar road via an improbably narrow irwin chalets dirt lane.

Some 30km northwest of Guwahati, the pleasant little town of Hajo attracts Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims to its fi ve ancient temples topping assorted hillocks. Haigriv Madhav temple is the main one, which is accessed by a long flight of steps through an ornate quasi-Mughal gateway. The images irwin chalets inside of Madhav, an avatar of Krishna, are alleged to be 6000 years old.

Nestled before a curtain of luxuriantly forested foothills, Pasighat, which sits back out on the plains, feels more like Assam than Arunachal Pradesh. The town hosts the interesting Minyong-Adi tribe s Solung Festival (1-5 September). The internet cafe (per hr 60; h7.30am-8pm) is 50m from the Hotel Aane and there s an SBI ATM just along from the sumo stand in the central market area.