BACKPACKING MEGHALAYA

Backpacking Meghalaya – A detailed Travel Guide

Posted on May 10, 2018

Meghalaya, meaning Abode of the Clouds, is easily the most accessible of the Seven Sister states of North East India. Think pixie rainforests, living root bridges, commanding vistas with roaring high waterfalls, mountain drives under dramatic clouds, spotless villages, mysterious natural caves, crystal clear rivers, bright blue natural pools and the the most ridiculously friendly people!

A trip to Meghalaya can be very easy on the pocket and on your holiday calendar. Most of the stunning sights are not more than 2 hours of driving time from each other (yay good roads!), and there’s something for everyone- from adventure activities like cliff jumping, caving, trekking and rappelling, to just sitting down in a village home/lush resort and soaking in the sound of nature.

So here’s my detailed Guide (costs, logistics, recommendations, et al) to all the places I experienced. I’ve also added in some additional spots I missed which should definitely make it to your itinerary should you have more time. Go on then, get reading, bookmarking and booking!

ALSO READ: BEST 10 TOURISTS DESTINATION TO  VISIT IN MEGHALAYA.

India’s tallest plunge waterfall - Nohkalikai Falls in Cherrapunjee

GETTING THERE

Guwahati in Assam is the nearest big transport hub. Fly in or train it here and you’ll find taxis and shared cabs by the dozen to Shillong, Meghalaya’s capital city and the hub for all surrounding places of interest. If you’re on a self-drive trip, Zoom Cars can be rented at the airport/online.

Taxi stands in Guwahati: The main stands can be found at the airport, Kamakhya Railway Station and Paltan Bazaar.

Cost for a shared Sumo: INR 170 per seat from Paltan Bazaar. You don’t have to pre-book. Just show up at the Sumo stand and hop into one of many Sumos lined up, screaming out “Shillong! Shillong!” (You won’t miss them even if you want to)

Travel time: 2-3 hours

FIRST STOP: SHILLONG

Shillong isn’t your quintessential Indian capital city. Although busy and plagued with traffic, it feels cozy and slow paced with a lovely old world charm and a young energy. There’s a lot of local Khasi street food to be had at Laitumkhrah, budget shopping to be done at Police Bazaar and idyllic cafes to be hopped. The serene Umiam Lake and Umbrella Falls offer a quick escape close to the city. Spend a day here getting acquainted with the people and way of life before you begin your road journey onwards to other parts of Meghalaya.

Sapphire blue lagoons in Nongriat village

Where to stay:

Pegasus Crown is a beautiful homestay tucked away from the city’s cacophony. A lovely glass facade overlooks a quiet forest, and the staff and the food are absolutely top notch.

Where to eat:

Street stalls at Police Bazaar and Laitumkhrah for Khasi food.

Cafe Shillong and Dylan’s Cafe for some downtime and to tune in to a killer playlist. (Shillong isn’t called India’s rock capital for nothing!)

There’s plenty more to pick from, of course. But this is all I had the time to try out.

STOP 2: CHERRAPUNJEE – TYRNA – NONGRIAT

The journey to Nongriat village to see the Double decker living root bridge is an unmissable Meghalaya experience, if you’re up for a bit of a trek (read 3600 steps aka 2 hours each way)

Leave Shillong early in the morning and get a shared Sumo/Alto to Sohra in Cherrapunjee. In about 2 hours, you’ll make it to this sleepy village in the region that receives the world’s second highest share of rainfall!

How to get there

Police Bazaar is the central hub for most private and shared taxis out of Shillong.

For Sohra, head to Bada Bazaar for a shared Alto.

Shared Sumo stands in North East India

Cost for a shared Sumo/Alto: INR 70 per seat. You don’t have to pre-book. Just show up at the taxi stand and ask for Sohra. These cabs don’t leave unless they’re at least half full, so you may have to wait for around 15-20 minutes.

Travel time: Approx 2 hours to Sohra.

The Sumo/Alto will drop you off at the Sohra taxi stand where you can get a private Alto to Tyrna village, which is where your downward trek to Nongriat village begins.

Cost for a private Alto: INR 400 to Tyrna village.

Travel time: 45 minutes.

Once at Tyrna, the trek to Nongriat is straightforward and very well marked. Your Alto will drop you off at the entrance to the steps and you’ll find a line of guides and porters hoping to be hired. Porters charge between INR 400-500 for a one-way journey, and Guides charge around the same.

Now, the downward trek to Nongriat is pretty easy to complete as you’re mostly descending the steep steps and most of the trail is well made. You don’t really need a Guide for this.

One of many single root bridges en route Nongriat Village

Once at Nongriat, pay the entry fee and declare all cameras that you have, the fee is around INR 100 + INR 30-40 per camera + INR 150 or so for a video camera.

Where to stay:

Go into Nongriat knowing that it is a tiny, remote village deep inside a valley at Cherrapunjee. Cell phone network is absent or weak at best, and the two accommodation options available are very basic and far from luxury, yet full of warmth and friendly faces.

Byron’s Homestay or Chally’s Homestay are situated on either side of the double decker bridge, and charge around INR 700 for a single room. One can typically just show up and expect to find a free room, but pre-booking is advisable as a lot of foreign backpackers sometimes camp here for days on end.

Contact details for Byron’s (aka Serene) homestay in Nongriat Village, Meghalaya

Hire a local guide to then take you to the hidden wonders of Nongriat, and the popular Rainbow Falls if you’re up for a long hike on slushy, unmade and often rocky trails. There are so many stunning sapphire blue pools, unnamed waterfalls and single root bridges along the way. Give yourself up to the forest and let it work its magic on you!

I’d highly recommend an overnight stay here to rest your feet and prepare yourself for the strenuous uphill trek back to Tyrna the next day.

Tip: If you aren’t up for this trek which can be strenuous if you aren’t fit/have knee trouble, there’s an ancient single living root bridge an hour and a half away by road and it’s trek-free! Read on for details.

Day 1 in Nongriat: Start early from Shillong and reach Sohra by 8 30 am, Tyrna by 9 am and Nongriat before 11 am. Chill at the natural pool under the double-decker bridge, get a free fish spa and hike to the Rainbow Falls in the afternoon. Spend the night around a bonfire, mingle with other guests and sleep in early.

The majestic Rainbow Falls, look at the blues!

Rainbow lovin’ !

Day 2 in Nongriat: Check out a couple of other unnamed natural pools with a Guide and aim to start your trek back up by 10 am. The upwards trek is quite strenuous, I won’t lie. The steps are high and steep, and most travellers feel their legs tremble mid-way up. Do this at a slow pace and aim to reach Tyrna by noon and make your way back up to Sohra in an Alto.

I spent a much needed evening of comfort and rest at a beautiful property called Sai Mika Resort in Sohra. They have cottages out in an open meadow surrounded by mountains, a fireplace and a lovely restaurant with a wide variety of food and beverages.

Cafe Cherrapunjee is a nice alternative.

What to see in Cherrapunjee:

The Nohkalikai Falls, Arwah Caves and Mawsmai Caves are quick stops and can be completed in the afternoon or the next morning before you take off for your next big destination. Hire a local taxi from your resort/Sohra taxi stand to take you around.

An anicent mushroom fossil at Arwah Caves

Also read my Travel Guide to Udaipur

STOP 3: MAWLYNNONG VILLAGE – DAWKI – SHNONGPODENG

There isn’t much to do at Mawlynnong Village, but if the prospect of visiting ‘Asia’s cleanest village’  excites you, then stop by on your way to Dawki from Cherrapunjee. A quaint and quiet village with tree houses, a marketplace and scores of bamboo dustbins lining the road, Mawlynnong Village is one of many spotless and sustainable villages in Meghalaya. The onus to keep the village clean lies with every person residing in the village. Locals including little children cleaning the roads, picking up leaves and throwing garbage in the bin is a very common sight. Bamboo garbage bins adorn every nook and corner of the village. Cleanliness isn’t a chore here, it’s an age old tradition and a way of life!

A teenaged boy with his bamboo trash collector in Mawlynnong village

Tree houses all over!

Another top highlight is the single living root bridge which is a 10-15 minute walk from the car drop-off point and a lucky alternative for those who don’t have the time/energy for the Nongriat trek.

There are a few homestays here and a couple of properties on Airbnb in case you want to slow down and spend a night.

A couple of hours further on, is the Indo-Bangladesh border town of Dawki. A sleepy town famous for its magnificently clear river river waters, where during certain times of the year, one can see straight through to the very bottom of the river bed with their naked eye! The tiny island by the river serves as an open border and you can see Bangladesh on the other side of a flimsy flag post indicating the border. (You can’t blame me for accidentally entering Bangladesh and buying a snack from a local vendor before being schooled by a BSF officer to come back into India!)

My journey took me beyond this now-touristy town to another sleepier village by the same Umngot river– Shnongpodeng (quite the tongue-twister, that name. Aye?)

Life on the transparent waters of Umngot river, Shnongpodeng, Meghalaya

There are only a couple of campsites in this simple village and barely any crowds. Come here for a day trip from Shillong or Mawlynnong and spend the day engaging in adventure sports like kayaking, snorkelling, cliff jumping and zip lining with TravenjoTours – boat along the deceiving Umngot river which, for the uninitiated, feels like a cruise right over a rocky bed which might scrape the bottom of the boat any minute!

Just casually flying with my jet pack!

Best time to visit: November-March.

Come rain, and the waters get cloudy and murky, hiding away the river bed which goes into hibernation through most of the year.

How to get there

Because I was short on time, I decided to directly head to Shnongpodeng from Sohra. There are no shared taxis on this route, so I hired a private cab for the 3 hour journey with a stop at Mawlynnong village en route. I paid INR 2500 (eeeks!) for the journey which was rather steep for a solo traveler on a budget, but this would be ideal for a group of people.

Alternatively, shared cabs ply from Shillong to Dawki from Anjali Point.

Shnongpodeng Tips:

• Get on over to the massive suspension bridge for iconic shots of boats on the water!
• Only Jio Sim cards tend to work here. There’s zero network on the likes of Vodafone and Airtel, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
• There are a few hole in the wall restaurants serving fresh fish from the river and thaali meals of rice, meat, dal and vegetables
• The nearest ATM is in Dawki

This was the tiny glimpse I got into Meghalaya over a period of 5 days, but here are some other recommendations for you to look up if you have more time in the beautiful State!

• Nongkhnum River Island- Touted to be Asia’s second biggest river island (after Majuli in Assam), this remote island has a sandy beach, a massive waterfall, endless grasslands, a lake and two gushing rivers. I’m definitely going back to visit this place on my next trip!
• Mawphlang Sacred Forest- A quick journey from Shillong, this 1000 year old sacred grove has stood the test of time thanks to being worshipped by the chiefs and inhabitants of its village, whose traditions have made cutting down trees akin to a grave sin. Nature holds great significance in Khasi culture and the spirit of conservation is deeply embed­ded in the people and their beliefs.
• Mawlyngbna– A quiet hill-top village with natural springs, a large broadleaf forest, animal fossils, rich folklore, a couple of waterfalls, rappelling opportunities and generally a good place to slow down and peace out.
• Krang Suri Waterfalls– They’re supposedly more beautiful and much less crowded than the popular Umbrella Falls, situated about 90 kms from Shillong.