Meghalaya

September, 2018

Many times, trips do not unfold as planned but maybe that is the beauty of it. I planned this trip to Meghalaya as a pre-wedding trip for one of my closest friends but it turned into an almost solo trip. No, this does not make me sad at all!

Meghalaya is one of the seven sister states in the North-Eastern part of the country. It constitutes the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills and is also known as the Scotland of the East for its landscape and scenery.

Here you will find some tips and information that can prove useful while planning a trip to this magical destination.

How to Reach?

Shillong is the capital of the state and also central to most of the places you would want to visit. All the places I had on my list were about 60-80 kms from Shillong.

The nearest airpot to Shillong is Guwahati. This airport has decent connectivity but alternatively, you can take a flight to Kolkata and onwards to Guwahati.

There are numerous options available to reach Shillong from the airport. The distance to be covered is about 120 kms (I measure distance in units of time so it is around 3.5 hours 😛 ). A shared cab would cost around Rs 400/- per person and a private vehicle would be something around Rs 2000-2500/- from the airport. Regular buses run between the towns and would cost something around Rs 200/-.

Where to Stay?

Well, this depends on what you are expecting from your stay. Shillong is a busy town but it has some off-beat options to stay on the outskirts. Being totally dependent on buses and cabs for travel, I was looking for a more centrally located accommodation with good connectivity.
Instead of staying at Shillong, you can also halt at Mawlynnong or Nongriat but expect only a very basic accommodation.

I stayed at the cutest AirBnb ever called The Thrift Inn. It is a typical mountain home, very clean, affordable and very well maintained. I highly recommend this place.

Places to Visit?

There are soo many! Almost all the places are 60-80 kms away from Shillong, across different directions.

Cherrapunji (Sohra) – We have all read about this place during childhood as it receives the highest rainfall annually (More accurately, it is Mawsynram which receives the highest rainfall) so no wonder you will actually be walking into clouds along the way. The are some ‘view points’ on the drive which you must stop by.

The Double Decker Root Bridge: There are many root bridges around the area but this one stands out due to its double layered structure. To reach the bridge you will have to trek down 3000+ stairs. I feel I can keep talking about this trek forever so read more about it here.

Mawlynnong: It was once declared as Asia’s cleanest village. I don’t know if that still holds true but paying a visit should make you reflect on how environment-friendly your lifestyle is. There is a lot to learn from the villagers so read more about it here.

Dawki: It is a village on the Indo-Bangladesh border. You should plan a trip in winters to experience the clear waters of the Umngot river. Other than that, you can learn some fishing hacks from the locals and take a boat ride to the Bangladesh border.

Krang Shuri Waterfalls: There is an abundance of waterfalls in the area during monsoons but Krang Shuri Waterfall gets a special mention because you can rent a life jacket and swim in the falls. The view in front of you while you swim, that alone is enough to make a trip to Shillong worth it. Read more about it here.

Other places to checkout –

Umaian Lake on the way to Shillong from Guwahati.
Police Bazar, main market in the heart of Shillong (Souvenirs are a must you see.. 🙂 ).
Many other waterfalls like the Elephant Falls, Nohkalikai Falls, Seven Sister Falls, Bor Hill Falls, etc

Where to Eat?

I had a long list of places that I wanted to try but in the interest of time, I decided to spend an evening at Cafe Shillong. I believe that there would not have been a better choice.

Other places that you could try are Jiva, Bamboo Hut, Deja Vu and Center Point.

Also try some local food. Homestays in Mawlynnong serve amazing home cooked meals. If you are traveling on a Sunday, carry some food along as most of the eating joints outside Shillong are closed.

What to Pack?