5 Days in the arms of beautiful Shillong!

Meghalaya, the abode of clouds has lot to offer than just pine fresh mountains, beautiful waterfalls and rivers. We travelled to this city during the first week of September. We booked our morning flight from Delhi to Guwahati (Assam) and reached there around 1 PM. Our friend from Shillong had planned our itinerary for the next 5 days, which led us to the untrodden natural wonders.

Day 1

We landed Guwahati and traveled to Shillong which is 3 hours away. On our way, we visited Umiam Lake located in the hills. We reached there in the evening so the view was just amazing, we could see clouds all over, unending lake and lush green grass. The evening got more pleasing and alluring when it started drizzling and in bargain we felt calm and quiescent. You can go for a boat ride or try kayaking and water skiing, but make sure you try all these during day time. Next we headed to Shillong, we found little traffic on our way as it was raining throughout and there’s only one main road that connects to the whole city. We finally reached our hotel, we had ordered food from outside for dinner. We went out after dinner to explore the city and local markets. Don’t expect a shiny night because its more than that, it is peaceful beyond explanation.

Day 2 and 3

Unlike the hustle bustle in the other cities, this city wakes up by 8 and our friends were all geared up to take us to Dawki. Yes, the second day of our trip had a semi-trip to Dawki and Mawlynnong. We had carried our clothes for the next day as we had a plan to stay in Dawki itself. We began our journey and had breakfast at a local roadside restaurant, they offered pancakes and tea. On our way, we found beautiful landscapes, clouds valleys, greenery all around, meadows and what not.

Destinations we covered :

Living Roots Bridges – This place will make you go WOW! You will find a bridge of living roots across the river. These bridges are not built, they are grown and it takes almost a decade to grow and make a root bridge. Don’t you find it way interesting? You will also find man-made huts, beautiful butterflies loitering, kids selling jhaal-mudi (famous delicacy, so don’t miss it). There is a tree house in this area which provides a mesmerizing view of Bangladesh.

Asia’s cleanest Village – Almost 100 km from Shillong there is a magical paradise Mawlynnong, a small village which won the status of being the cleanest village of Asia. You will be enthralled to see the beauty of this place. My words are not enough but pictures will definitely do the justice to it. So see it in order to feel it!

Dawki – After having our evening tea, we left for Dawki which is 1 hour away from Mawlynnong. We had booked our stay in a guesthouse just next to the Umngot River in Shnongpdeng. The journey to our destination was a thrilling experience (jungle safari, quite literally). Our driver, Shankar da took us from the jungle or I guess that was the only way to reach our hotel. The night we spent staying in a bamboo house while playing games, singing and dancing around the bonfire.

Another beautiful morning was waiting for us, we went to the river and sat there for hours. Next we explored the bridges and went for kayaking. One can also try out various adventure activities like snorkeling, rappelling, rock climbing, cliff jumping and zip-lining. Kayaking on crystal clear water was a mind-blowing experience.

Byrdaw Falls

On our way back we went to Byrdaw Falls, it’s a most gigantic waterfall I had seen so far. We had to walk for almost 2 km through the long grasses on a steep path. You could hear the sound of water falling from the start of your adventurous walk. We finally reached our spot and it felt like we had landed on the heaven. It was breezy and we could feel the water spray. You will find the most beautiful butterflies flying all around you. What else do you expect from nature? So reaching there all drenched in sweat was worth it. With this we ended our semi-trip and left for Shillong.

Day 4

Cherrapunji, also known as one of the wettest places on Earth is famous for huge waterfalls, misty valleys and foaming rivers. It is located around 50 km from Shillong, an interesting fact about this city is that it rains mostly at night due to which day-to-day activities are not really disrupted.

Noh-Ka-Likai Falls – We started our day visiting Noh-Ka-Likai Falls – it is the tallest plunge waterfall in India and a must visit places of Cherrapunji. I wandered there and found steps leading to the valley which offered more spectacular views. I still remember how amazed I was standing in between those meadows (felt as if, I was in a wonderland). We had lunch (boiled rice with chicken curry) watching the waterfall.

Mawsmai Cave – Located 6 km from Cherrapunji, the Mawsmai Caves are a major crowd puller that will leave you spellbound. Inside the cave you will find creative structures by nature that will definitely excite you. Remember, you need to bend at lot of places and squeeze yourself to move inside the cave.

Day 5

We kept the last day to explore the main city Shillong. We visited Elephant Waterfalls, Shillong Peak and Local shopping markets. You can go for shopping at the local markets. You will find lot of handcraft items, stoles, woolens and what not.

Elephant Waterfalls – It’s one of the prime attractions in Shillong and worth visiting as the falls can be viewed from three different steps. One has to climb down the steps amidst the greenery .This waterfall is pretty crowded as it’s located on the highway.

Shillong View Point – It was a pleasant 20 minutes’ drive from the main city. You can hire local cabs and reach the destination in no time enjoying the lovely weather. At the entry you might have to wait till completion of the formalities by defense personnel as one has to pass the defense area. The view is definitely a treat to your eyes; you can see the whole city from the top. Do not miss having hot tea and Maggie there.

Police Bazar - Certainly the place in town where everyone goes shopping and where you find everything. I especially loved the small roads going there with small markets along the streets. You can go for street shopping for funky clothes and shoes at a very reasonable price. Do not miss buying souvenirs.

We had our last dinner at friend’s restaurant and enjoyed our walk to the hotel having ice-creams. With this we ended our trip with lot of unforgettable memories and a calmer self.