Tripura

Tripura is bordered by Bangladesh on three sides, which shaped both its cuisine and its architecture. The Manikya dynasty ruled here for centuries and built well: Ujjayanta Palace, completed in 1901 in Agartala, now houses the state museum behind its Mughal-style domes and reflecting pools, and Neermahal, finished in 1938 on an island in Rudrasagar Lake, is one of only two water palaces in India, reached by boat with the sunset behind it. The state's oldest wonder is Unakoti in the north, where a forested hillside is covered in rock-cut reliefs from around the seventh to ninth centuries, including a Shiva head some nine metres tall; Ashokashtami in April brings pilgrims and drummers. Chabimura's carvings sit on cliffs above the Gomati river and are best seen from a boat. Sepahijala shelters the spectacled Phayre's langur, and the Jampui hills at about 1,000 metres grow oranges celebrated with a festival each November. Cane and bamboo craft is exceptional. Signature journeys pair Agartala, Neermahal and Unakoti over four days.