This is the itinerary if you are planning for a North East trip for the first time . We covered Guwahati and Kaziranga National Park in Assam and few locations in Meghalaya.
There are still many things to cover in North east and will surely be visiting the most beautiful and unexplored part of India again <3
Our Flight was from Mumbai to Guwahati, which had a 4 hours halt at Kolkata Airport .
We explored Guwahati in the first half of the day and then in the afternoon we left for Assam .
The only Hindu temple where the Goat/Pigeons or some other animal is killed for the god and then the pooja is done . It was quite scary inside the temple .
We spent some time near the Brahmaputra river and late afternoon we left for Kaziranga which is 6 hours drive from Guwahati .
We reached Kaziranga by 9pm and we looked for a homestay . We stayed at Dosh home stay which costed us 2000 rs or 4 person room . We also had to pre book the elephant safari which was around 900rs per elephant and it starts at 5am in the morning .
There is also Jeep Safari which is available and the timings are from 10am to 12.30pm . Kaziranga National park is the only place in India where you will find one horned Rhinos .
5am in the morning to find the one horned Rhinos . It was quite foggy and cold in the morning .
The days are really short in North East . Sunset is at 4.30pm everyday and its pitch dark by 5pm . We left for Shillong in the afternoon and that was the end of Day 2 . We rached Shillong by 9pm, explored local markets in Shillong and we started looking for some good homestays .
There was curfew in Shillong so we had to just explore the local water falls and market.
Best Homestay in Shillong and will surely recommend this. We got proper home made food here and the owner was very loving. It is located in Upper Shillong and has a very good view .
We had to visit more places in Shillong but due to the curfew we couldn't explore much . WE rested in our homestay and decided to leave for Cheerapunji next day . We left for Cheerapunji at 4am in the morning so that we reach the destination before sunrise and make most of the day .
It is a two hours drive from Shillong to Cheerapunji .
There are many waterfalls and view points in Cheerapunji . In December some of the waterfalls was dried up but the view points was breathtaking .
That is me standing on the seven sister waterfalls as it was fully dried up . Whole of Meghalaya is totally different in monsoon and that will be an adventurous experience.
Done being a tourist now its time to put on the trekking shoes . We left for the Nongriat teak in which we will be visiting the great Double Decker Root Bridge and the Unreal Rainbow waterfalls.
Double Decker Bridge and Rainbow waterfalls can be done in one day too but it will be very tiring and also you wont be able to spend time at these locations . So on day 1 we went till Nongriat and stayed in a Homestay near the Double Decker root bridge. And on Day 2 of the trek we left for Rainbow waterfalls and came back to the base village .
It took us 4 hours to reach the Double Decker Bridge which is located in Nongriat . There are Homestays available near this bridge and they are very affordable and a perfect experience to have . Right in Between the Dense forest a very basic stay for 200rs. Call Alvin local guide for home stay at Nongriat. Alvin - +919366163083
Next day we left for the Rainbow waterfalls at 5am, it was 2 hours hours trek from Nongriat . The trail is really beautiful with small waterfalls and and root bridges and many more steps .
We spent almost 2 hours here and still we didn't feel like going back .We started the decent and it took us 4 hours to reach the base village again .
Next destination was Dawki but we took a little detour and visited Mawlynnog which is 2 hours from Cheerapunji . Mawlynnog is the cleanest village and also there is not much options for Homestays in Dawki so we spent one night in the cleanest village of Aisa .
Mawlynnong, located in Meghalaya, is called “God's own Garden” and has enough reasons for that. It was awarded the title “cleanest village in Asia” by Discover India in 2003. Cleanliness must be its most important aspect, but it has achieved so much more than that. After exploring the village we left for Dawki.
The small border town Dawki of Meghalaya is popular for its famous Umngot river and a beautiful suspension bridge. It is a major tourist destination in Meghalaya. The water of Umngot river is so clear that the boats floating on it, look as if they are on a crystal glass surface.
Dawki lies between India and Bangladesh and is the trade hub between the two countries. People come to this place to enjoy a boat ride in the Umngot river and view of the surrounding greenery. Charge for boat riding is Rs. 800/- per boat.
if you wish to stay here you have the option for tent stays . Tent stay near umngot river costs around 2500 per night for 4 person tent with dinner and bonfire.
There are quite a few waterfalls nearby to visit, if you have time you can spend a full day in Dawki and nearby places . Post boating we visited the India-Bangladesh border . It is a friendly border and you can even cross the border and enter Bangladesh .
And was the last destination we visited and end of our first trip to North east . We left for Guwahati next day and took a flight from there to Mumbai .
As mentioned before there are many more places to visit in North east and surely will comeback here <3
Thanks for your time. Cheers
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