Our only option is to dive in and take the whoopin'. The people in this backward area of India aren't known for social graces or hospitality, so I try not to retaliate when I am groped and slapped in the face with paint.

This is the Si-Doni festival, an annual gathering of the state's Tagin tribe in Daporijo that celebrates the blessings of the earth, sun and moon gods. Apparently the celestial bodies continued to rise and shine this year, because the 1,500 villagers gathered on the fruit-strewn soccer field look pretty pumped to be here. It also happens to be my 25th birthday.

How we ended up here, we're still not sure, and it was certainly no easy feat. A friend and professional photographer, Ryan Salm, had seen shots of northeastern India while traveling with his girlfriend in Myanmar. As I researched India's peculiar northeast, I decided that the vagabonding lovebirds could not venture to this wild place without me. So I drained half my meager savings and marked two months off the calendar for the sheer curiosity of it all.

Arunachal, one of the most sparsely populated states in India, covers 52,000 square miles south of China and east of Tibet. It is a place for the experienced and adventurous traveler - stringent political restrictions, an often-difficult populace, and a lack of creature comforts make this an obstinate destination to navigate. It took us more than a month to get here by decrepit road from our starting point in Guwahati, 800 miles to the west.

The rewards for our efforts, however, have been mind-blowing. Our journey has included moonlit nights in the Himalayan foothills; chilly mornings wandering Tawang Gompa, one of the largest working Buddhist monasteries in the world; and afternoons talking with women of the Apatani tribe in Ziro, known for their startling facial tattoos and nose plugs. And still there is much more to see.

But getting to those awe-inspiring places is challenging. Visitors are required to obtain restricted-area permits from the Indian government and to travel with a guide, in groups of four or more.

"Traveling around here is always uncertain and always an adventure," says Rich, the fourth in our group. "We only stumbled upon this festival because of rumors, local stories and luck.

"There are certainly very few, if any, organized trips to areas like these, and even less reliable printed information in books and on the Internet," Rich says. "But that's what makes it more rewarding - a nice balance of effort and luck."

Because of Arunachal's remote location, inadequate infrastructure and other obstacles, the state has not developed a stable flow of tourists.

"The northeast in general has a long way to go before they are going to get tourists . . . because they have no idea about tourism and the Western world," Ryan says.

"They need a certain amount of tourists to come through there before they get the knowledge of what's fair treatment," he adds. "If they only have 10 visitors in a month, they're still going to see it as a random visit and a chance to exploit. In [some villages], they're learning that they don't just want to exploit you - they want to get to know you."

As we make our way across the festival field - akin to participating in Spain's La Tomatina, the world's largest food fight - children are throwing oranges, and I'm not getting the impression that they want to "get to know" me.

Tagin troupes approach in waves to dance their traditional steps and chant their village songs. The women are lovely in bright, handwoven wraps, draped with strands of beads and seashells, their faces white with rice paint. The men, wearing leopard skins and sporting huge swords wrapped in monkey hair, act out great battles and hunts for our entertainment.

It's exotic, loud and intense. I'm trying to take it all in, but it's hard to know how to feel. I've been groped, yelled at, slapped, taunted, stared at, and followed for four hours. I'm covered in goop and sweating through my shirt, but I figure the animal sacrifice will make it all worthwhile.

Our host in Legu village, Pilum Legu, is eager to have us in his home, and for three days and nights we fish for our lunch, lounge by the river, and talk of village life and culture. Evenings are spent around the fireplace - drinking, singing, drinking, and drinking some more. The jugs of homemade millet beer never run dry, and our hosts love that the more we drink, the more American songs they can get us to perform.

Pilum is educated and fluent in English, and he's happy to teach us about the 60 tribes that live in more than 3,600 villages across the state. The people of Arunachal are of Mongoloid stock, but the tribes maintain distinct languages, dress and religious practices. They host elaborate religious and cultural festivals at least once a year, most of which offer authentic experiences to travelers. Some travel companies book festival-focused tours.