HOW TO PLAN A TRIP TO MEGHALAYA FOR 5 DAYS

TRIP TO MEGHALAYA

This is how to plan a trip to Meghalaya for number of days.

Search begin with information collected from the Travenjo website for Shillong tours and Travel, and other travel blogs sites, and last but not the least contact a travel agency operators to how to travel Meghalaya which the details are provided there at the website, about Shillong, tourist attractions, places to stay, places to shop etc.

HOW TO REACH

Did you know that Shillong is the only hill station in the entire country which can be accessed from all directions?

BY AIR-You can land into Shillong through Umroi airport, which is also called the Barapani Airforce Base. Only Air India flight operates to this airport from Kolkata and returns on the same day. The city is about 40 km from the airport which is reachable by bus or taxi.

BY AIR THROUGH GUWAHATI: You can take a flight to Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati and travel by taxi or rental car through NH40. It takes about 3 hours to reach from Guwahati to Shillong.

BY BUS OR CABS FROM NEARBY STATE: Government and private buses ply from the surrounding states to Shillong from various places like Guwahati, Tripura, Mizoram, Dimapur, Agartala etc. else you can book a cab or come in sharing.

While on the way to Shillong, you will catch several glimpses of the Barapani / Umaim lake, while you travel along the winding roads. The drive is through the lush green hills and forests interspersed with small villages along the road. Even share cabs, of varied sizes, are available to reach Shillong.

ABOUT MEGHALAYLA AND SHILLONG

Meghalaya means the abode of the clouds. During the British regime, in the 1870s Assam was formed as the Chief Commissioner's Province with Shillong as the capital. The name came up from U-Shyllong, a powerful deity. It was much cooler than the remaining parts of the country being located in between the Brahmaputra and Surma valleys. In 1972 a new state of Meghalaya was created with Shillong remaining its capital and Guwahati became the capital of Assam. This city Is home to several waterfalls and is also known as the Scotland of the East.

CULTRE OF MEGHALAYA

Get to know the people of this place, and understand their culture and lifestyle. The state is typically cosmopolitan by nature with the majority as belonging to the Khasi tribe of Mon-Khmer origin, Garos- Tibeto-Burman ancestry, Jaintias from South East Asia and many of them have converted to Christianity. The other minorities in the state include Assamese, Bengali, and Nepalis. The clan and the family head is a man. But it may be surprising to know that in the Khasis, the mother's name is passed on to the children and the youngest girl child inherits the ancestral property. Overall the people of this state are known for their hospitality, cheerfulness, and friendliness.
Remnants of the British regime are evident in the food habits, and house architecture. The houses have slanting roofs, wooden windows, doors and floors which are ideally suited to counter rains and earthquakes.

SHILLONG AN EDUCATIONAL HUB

Shillong is an educational hub for the entire North East with reputed institutes in almost major sectors like: IIM-Shillong: Indian Institute of Management, National Institute of Technology-Meghalaya, University of Technology and Management, North Eastern Hill University, Martin Luther Christian University, Institute of Hotel Management, Shillong and North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, English and Languages University, several engineering institutes and many more. Students from all parts of the North East throng to Shillong for basic and higher studies.

PLACES TO STAY

After a brief of the state, city people let us check out where to stay during the holiday in the land of the clouds. There are many hotels and homestays in and around Shillong. You can check out various budget hotels right in the Shillong market or a little further from the market. If you are interested in a lovely view, you can enjoy staying in the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation Hotel on the banks of the Barapani lake. If offers a wonderful view of the lake. The food here is awesome. We did not stay there but had lunch after the visit to the Barapani lake. The restaurant faces the lake. The hotels are reasonably priced, clean and compact.

WHERE TO EAT

There are ample types of food to choose from like the Khasi, Chinese, Tibetan, Punjabi, South Indian, Marwari, Gujarati, Western cuisines. The marketplace houses many food joints and you can also get food in the hotel where you stay.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:

The most suitable time to make a trip to Meghalaya is during the period of October -November and March-April. During these periods the hills are lush green with pine forests, cherry blossoms and overall a mild tropical climate. During the monsoons which last a little longer than the rest of the country, the state receives heavy rainfall. So do remember to take light windcheaters or umbrellas with you.

LOCAL SIGHTSEEING

You can book a vehicle- santro, sumo, tavera, ambassadors etc. for the whole trip or per day as you wish. The rates are quite standard. You can book through a travel operator or from the hotel directly. For near about locations, you can also take a black and yellow taxi or a local bus depending on your budget.

PLACES TO VISIT

The state has ample places to see including monuments, temples, valleys, lakes, waterfalls, Living Root Bridges ,

Asia's cleanest village- Mawlynong and clear crystal river dawki- known for its cleanest maintainance of the village and a suspension root bridge just few steps to flight down below the village.

Cherrapunjee ‘Sohra’- The second wettest place on Earth after Mawsynram took its place. It is a major tourist spot with large number of numerous and breath taking falls.

limestone cave ‘Maswmi Cave’- Cave made up of 100 odd lime stones which looks shiny, lustrous and slippey.

Sacred Forests - The must see places to visit for wonderlust whichis a village displaying numbes of ancient and heritage huts of locals.

But you need time. Shillong is also a haven for attractions like

Elephant falls - A three step water fall which a rock looked like an Elephant on the Left side of the falls which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1806 before the Britishers named it.

Shillong Peak - Called the birds’s eye of Shillong in which one can see the view of the the entire shillong calmly and peacefully.

Ward's lake- It is located at the heart of Shillong which attracts tourists with its natural beauty and the bridge setup in between of the lake.

Golf Cours- A pleasant grass land which is suitable for both the golf players and tourist as well. You can spend a quality time with your loved one here at the amazing field

Laitumkhrah Cathedral- You can spend a peaceful time here and witnessing surrounds which would definately calm your mindset

Lady Hydari Park - A Japanese Park which is quite suitable for the kids owners where you can witness a small zoo in it with some caged animals and a good place to spend your leisure here.

At the end of the day enjoy shopping in Police Bazar and empty your pockets buying handicrafts. Near about locations are Barapani or Umiam Lake and Bishop Beadon Falls.

Suggested itinerary for 5 days

Often the places to visit are many and the days limited. Depending on the number of days available here are a few suggestions of an itinerary for you, day wise: you can change the order as you wish and depending on the weather.

Day – 1 : Guwahati Pickup – Shillong Sightseeing:
We will pick you up from Guwahati for Shillong. Before reaching Shillong visit Umiam Lake which is a picturesque lake situated in Umiam (around 20kms from Shillong). Thereafter you will start touring Golf Link, Wards Lake, Lady Hydari Park, Cathedral of Mary and Don Bosco Museum. In the evening you will be dropped to your hotel arranged by us. Overnight stay in Shillong.

Day – 2 : Shillong – Cherrapunjee Full Day Tour:
Around morning time you will be received from hotel for a day long exciting tour of Cherrapunjee, which is locally known as Sohra. Today you will explore the exotic waterfalls and striking limestone caves. Start your day with Elephant Falls. Later explore Mawkdok Dympep Valley and Mawkdok Bridge, Wah Kaba Falls, Mawsmai Caves, one among the 100 odd limestone caves in Meghalaya, Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Seven Sisters Falls (Noh-Kalikai), Eco Park and in the evening you will be dropped you to the hotel in Shillong. Overnight stay in Shillong.

Day – 3 : Laitlum – Krangsuri:
In the early hours you will move to Laitlum Canyons, which is also one of the famous spots in the outskirts of the Shillong and after spending time in and around the breathtaking, its winding stairways canyons taking you down the hills. Later we will take you to Krang Suri Falls, which is one of the amazing falls in the country and the sight of the falls will mesmerize you with its beauty. Life Jackets are available on hire if you want to play in the water. Finally in the evening we will take you to your hotel in Shillong. Overnight stay in Shillong.

Day – 4 : Mawlynnong – Dawki:
As usual your day starts with a morning filled with excitement for another awesome journey towards Dawki and Mawlynnong. You will visit Mawlynnong Village which was awarded the cleanest village in Asia in 2003. Take the village tour and also explore the Balancing Rock and the astounding Living Root Bridge. Later visit the Umngot river in Dawki where you can also have the opportunity to do boating in the crystal clear water, thereafter visit the Indo-Bangladesh border and have a glimpse of the plains of Bangladesh from the hills of Jaintia Hills. After the daylong tour you will be dropped to your hotel in Shillong. Overnight stay in Shillong.

Day – 5 : End of the Tour:
After breakfast or lunch, check out from the hotel with all the memories of the tour. Then our driver will drop you at your desired dropping points (Airport/Railway Station) for your journey back home. Our team will strive to make your trip wonderful and a memorable one.

Excluding from the above you can enjoy trekking along the Living Root Bridge, Kyllang Rock, David Scott Trail, Sohpet-bneng or sailing, water skiing, angling and canoeing at the Umaim water sports complex or even River canyoning at Sohra.