Meghalaya, the land of mysterious looking butterflies, crystal clear waterfalls, jump worthy lagoons and excellent culinary. Your land of heart warming people, culturally rich villages and their hidden root bridges.
WHY SHOULD YOU GO VISIT MEGHALAYA?
More like why will I go visit Meghalaya again and again? Because it's unexplored. Because you can't say you haven't changed after you've come back home. Because 10 percent of the population go to Meghalaya and only 0.5 percent will go cover the nicer hidden not-so-discovered parts. Meghalaya will make you feel like you're not in India and you'll feel like you've stepped out into a South East Asian country. Only difference? Well, people speak their share of Hindi here and they are twice as sweet as people you'll ever meet.
THINGS TO REMEMBER :
Sun rises early, sets early. Plan your activities from 7 am and end them by 5pm.
Carry a sweater please and don't be a fool like me.
If your flight is to Guwahati, carry a Mandatory PCR Covid-19 Negative certificate to enter the state of Meghalaya. Guwahati officials won't ask you for a negative certificate since you're not staying in Assam and even if you want to explore Guwahati for a day, you need to leave the state within 24 hours or else, a certificate is required.
ATMs are scarcely placed. Keep cash handy.
Avoid carrying suitcases. A backpack works great in the itinerary. Carry a small trekking bag for hikes and trekking shoes.
Don't test your skin. Sunscreen at all times!!
Wear a swimsuit under clothes always so that you can jump into lagoons anytime.
Haggle. They know you're not local so the prices offered to you are different. A thing that costs 4000/- INR can be bought for 3000/- IMAGINE. This also doesn't mean you overlook their hard work and effort and haggle beyond your power.
Ask them if you could speak with them in English or Hindi. Ask them their preference. We might think they'll know Hindi because you know you're in India but the foreigner dominance has been high there and 80 percent of Christianity exists in Meghalaya so not a lot of people speak Hindi as their first language but they do understand.
BEST TIME TO GO
Just avoid the rainy season in my opinion. The town of Cherrapunji has the all-time record for the most rainfall in a calendar month and in a year and your treks are going to be slippery, the waterfalls are fierce and it just feels a little scary to me. Around the year, especially the winters till the month of April is a good time to jump around there. The time I went, in March was perfect for Shillong but hotter during the daytime for other regions so if you are trekking, you still won't feel the sun because the breeze is cool but when you come back, you're tanned to your maximum capacity.
THE EXCITING ROUTE
Guhawati --- Shillong --- Sohra ---- Tyrna ---- Nongriat Trek --- Shnonpdeng ---Dawki --- Mawlynnong --- Shillong --- Guhawati
PS : Just going to be super honest here, I can't imagine doing this trip with my family. The route I chose requires you to climb up and down approx. 12000 steps every day so unless you're moderately fit, consider choosing a slower and relaxed itinerary or increasing the number of days to give your legs
some time to cope.
How to get there?
You know the drill! Catch a morning flight to Guwahati and reach by early afternoon. Shared and private cabs are available right outside the airport. YOU WON"T MISS THEM, HAHAH! Shared cabs are for 1000/- INR. Haggle and get them down to 800/- INR because you do charge you extra if they see you exiting an airport. They'll wait till the cab is full and only then leave. The drop location for these cabs is Police Bazaar. you can then take another ride or walk to your hotel.
Private cabs are economical to your pocket ONLY if you're a group , otherwise it costs you 2500/- INR without any waiting.
OR
Hire a Scooter/Bike at Guwahati for your ENTIRE trip. It's the cheapest option if you have just a backpack like me because hiring private cabs in Meghalaya is very expensive if you're travelling solo. They're great if you're a group because with per day charges upto 3000/- INR, you trip sadly will no longer be a backpacking trip. It's so much better because you'll go to places you ideally wouldn't if you have a car. It's tried and tested BY ME. Prices are as low as Rs. 300 per day.
Doni Rentrip : +91 7002797622
Alternative plan : Spend half your day at Guwahati and visit the Kamakhya Temple and later you could leave for Shillong and reach in the evening.
WHERE TO STAY IN SHILLONG :
I stayed at the Silver Brook Hotel that also has a backpacker dorm style room. Located in Upper Shillong, they offer clean rooms, delicious momos, great property style and it's away from the Shillong city chaos. This hotel is perfect if you're planning to move to Sohra ( Cherrapunji ) the next morning because all routes to any of your destinations are from here.
Book you stay at Silver Brook Hotel here. I paid 500/- INR for a bunk and they're totally worth the price. Wooden bunks, cozy blankets, great fireplace and a lawn to sit down and read your book. GREAT RIGHT?!
Shop the Police Bazaar for souvenirs. Get you boyfriend jeans from Bhutia Bazaar. Coffee at Smoky Falls Tribe Coffee shop and eat some chaat right at the chowk.
Visit Dylan's cafe for the yummiest Apple Pie and the Chilli Hot Chocolate and have the best Spinach Noodles with Butter Garlic Prawns at Tzai Buddha Bowl.
Visiting ALL THE OTHER PLACES in Meghalaya made me realise that this city is great if you want to start your trip from somewhere. It's great if you wanna see for yourself how a city in the North East looks and feels like. I don't recommend sight seeing here because it's just touristy and you're not even ready to see what the entire trip holds for you. See cafes, eat at bars and shop in Shillong until you can leave for Sohra.
Laitlum Canyon.
[ an hour away from Shillong]
Laitlum Canyons is the perfect place to get wide, sweeping and picturesque views of the state of Meghalaya. The name actually means ' End of Hills' and the name actually does justice to it. Enchanting views and enthralling beauty, you can watch the canyons for hours and run over meadows.
Start in the morning to see the valley covered in clouds. The distance from Upper Shillong to Laitlum is approximately 1 hour but bear in mind that 30 percent of the road are VERY BAD. Once you reach, pay your fee of INR 50/- and proceed to the beautiful table top. Grab your Chai and Maggi and inhale that fresh air :)
The spot is huge and even if there is a crowd, you still have enough space for yourself. You could also climb down to the other vantage point from the left. It's important that you start in the morning because the beauty of this place is with the clouds surrounding you.
Petrol pumps are spaced out so keep in mind that petrol needs to be filled at once or at regular intervals to avoid trouble.
Mawryngkhang Bamboo TREK
Live to witness this legendary mythical story by visiting Wahkhen, ‘Wah’ meaning river and ‘Khen’ as in flow in Khasi. Some 50 kms away from Shillong which is just about an hour and half drive away. One needs to take the road to Dawki and take a right turn from Pomlum Village for about 15 kms to reach Wahkhen. There is no public transport available from Pomlum Village to Wahkhen. You can get shared taxi from Shillong to Pomlum or just leave Shillong from your hotel, do this trek and end your day at Cherrapunji. No stay options here which means I got my bags here, requested a shop to keep them and after the trek was done, put up in a guest house in Cherapunji.
Now about the trek. It's called the scariest trek! I agree a little but you get the hang of all the bamboo stilts after a while. If you have Vertigo issues, this trek is not recommended.
Entry fee to the trek : INR 100/- The villagers initiated to build a bamboo trail all by themselves. It took them a year to complete it. The trek is an effort to increase tourism in the area.
The trek to U Mawryngkhang starts with a bamboo trail leading to a rough stony path till you reach the cleanest river in the region ‘Umrew River’. We got down, relaxed in it every time it became too hot for us.while walking on the stilts, it scares you off as you look down and find out that the bridge is the only life support between you and the valley. One hour into the trek you come to a small plateau from where you can see the peak which is just 20 minutes away from there. Take a pit stop, take some rest and carry lots of water. You pass a root bridge before you start climbing the last ascent. A man will stop you there and ask for an entry fee of INR 30/-. Some astounding waterfalls and amazing view of the valley distracts you from the scary part. The trek becomes a bit difficult until you reach the view point from where U Mawryngkhang is visible standing tall, isolated from the rocky cliffs nearby. Please respect the effort and try not littering. You'll see some villagers asking for your ticket and showing you the way, please oblige. They're so sweet, don't forget to talk to them to ask for details.
The trek is a summation of gorgeous views, scary stilts and new friendships along the way. The view is surreal and by the end of it, I looked back and couldn't believe that I actually started this trek and ACTUALLY MANAGED TO END IT. Get back to eat some fresh juicy pineapples and rest a little before you leave for Sohra.
Next stop CHERAPUNJI
Formerly known at Sohra, the Britishers calling it 'Cherra' gave it it's name. 54 kms from Shillong, Cherrapunji is known for its living root bridges, engineered by man , made from rubber trees. The bridges can bear 50 people at a time and are spectacular to watch. The town is small and one of it's kind if you want to experience some beautiful waterfalls and bridges. Although, to visit the famous ' Double Decker Root Bridge ', Cherrapunji is just a pit stop but we'll get to that later.
Check into your hotel, drop your bags and get ready to see some beautayyy.
I stayed in D cloud Guest House, a basic place to keep my bags and stay for the night. The host, Yai is a sweet guy who came over at night, lit a bonfire under the stars and told us some beautiful stories about Meghalaya and Bangladesh. I prefer this over any luxury stay. Book here.
Stay price : 500/- INR
NOHKALALAI FALLS and TLAI FALLS
The largest plunge waterfall is the Nohkalalai falls and Tlai watefalls? I have no words! It's like you're walking and you open the Narnia door and step into a different parallel universe. The entry to these falls is the same. You pay 50/- INR and proceed. The way to the start of the falls starts with 1000 steep steps and then once you're at the base, you take a right to Tlai and left to Nohkalalai.
TLAI waterfall is two tiered waterfall with crystal clear blues, water so beautiful you want to immediately jump. The base of the waterfall has small lagoons and you can also climb up to the next tier. Please know that the depth might look 5 ft but in actuality is around 15/20 ft. So cliff jumping into these lagoons is at your own risk.
The falls prove out to be the most beautiful waterfall I've drown myself into, I swear. The water is drinkable and I made sure I filled bottles for my journey.
If you go to the left, the path seems dangerous right next to the cliff and will take you to the tip of Nohkalakai cave point that is very beautiful but hard to find. I had to come back thinking there's a dead end but pictures on Facebook say otherwise. Nohkalalai View Point is the best place to catch the mesmerising waterfall is not a part of this trek. For this, you'll have to come climbing back to where your vehicle is parked and ride 5 minutes to the View Point.
A restaurant 'Bansiewdor Dhaba' at the view point serves delicious Khasi Thali and is the best place to view the falls.
Located here.
Wei Sawdong Falls.
If you've decided to come to MEGHALAYA looking at the most famous waterfall pictures, it's Wei Sawdong. Ride with your scooter to the main entrance, find you way down within 20 minutes you're at the view point, further down around 30 minutes is the tip of the waterfall. Wei Sawdong or the three level waterfalls that will enchant you because it is covered with thick greenery and the blue water will stare back at you. when I visited the falls, there wasn't a single soul near the falls and that made it look like an absolute painting. Like God carved it. JUST FOR ME.
Dainthlen Falls.
Falls where you could stand at the tip of the waterfall. Amazing no?
I FOUND A HIDDEN SUNSET SPOT 5 minutes from Wei Sawdong.
Sit and stare, only!
GPS coordinates : 25°17'17.9"N 91°40'26.0"E or click here .
Packed my bag and got leaving for our next stop TYRNA
People will tell you that Tyrna is a base camp village for your Nongriat trek. I'll give you three things to do before you head off to Nongriat. Deal?
Stay at SMOKEY FALLS RESORT and have their amazing coffee. Sit down for sunset in their lawn and watch the shadow passing on to different mountains. Typically priced at INR 2500/- for a night.
Stay at Jingkyrkhu I Pa Homestay and have their home cooked food. Only 700 metres from the entrance. The host is the sweetest. Uncle will tell you all the spots that are hidden but precious.
Go to the UMMUMOI Living Root Bridge.Uncle suggested us this so we had to! Hike down a little over 1000 steps. MEGHALAYA is full of these lagoons and bridges so don't be surprised if you find your bridge , come back and realise that it's wasn't the one you were looking for. You have 2940932 known ones and 28902 unknown. Isn't this how you find your own itinerary working it's impromptu magic?
NONGRIAT TREK
The next day, start your trek. In order to reach Nongriat, first you need to reach Cherrapunjee, which is around 50 odd KMs from Shillong, which is what I did. Explore Cherra for a day and then find a local transport to Tyrna Village, which is around 20 KMs away from Cherrapunjee. You can choose to explore Tyrna, stay a day here [ I stayed two ] at Smokey Falls and the lovely homestay and the third day, started my trek downhill.
Nongriat is a small village that is also visible from the Smokey Falls Resort lawn. Located in the dense forest of Meghalaya, this village houses the Double Decker Living Root Bridge and the famous Rainbow Falls.
Get ready with your trekking bag and shoes and prepare yourself for this steep decent of 3.5 kms ( approx. 4000 steps ) that I found to be really easily achievable. Keep breathing, enjoy the view, buy some drinks on the way from these small local shops and keep moving. Before you reach Nongriat, there is a way that also takes you to the Single Root Bridge that you might as well just see because you're there and then continue to hike to Nongriat Trek. You cross couple of suspension bridges too. Don't forget to try their local Lime Juice, it's different. Once you reach the village, you first will want to see the Double Decker Root Bridge [ you can't really miss it ] and then proceed to Rainbow falls which is an hour away from here. Another option is to stay the night here and see the falls the next day and then start climbing up. This is a good option because this trek will definitely tire you out. I stayed here for three days!!!!
The double-decker living root bridge is the biggest of all root bridges and is definitely something you should see. You won't witness a double man-made engineered beauty anywhere else.
And finally reach Nongriat Village. Take a pit stop at Leenis's Place for some real good coffee before proceeding to the DOUBLE DECKER LIVIGN ROOT BRIDGE.
Before you enter, you pay a fee of Rs. 50/- and declare any cameras you have and pay for them too.
WHERE TO STAY
Go on to this website and book your stay. Homestays of India offers trustworthy home-stays, good local food, sweet hosts. The guy who manages your bookings is very helpful too. Another option is to stay at Serene Guesthouse. Heard it's good and I spent most of my lunch breaks here.
No on Map is a website that also offers good stay options here. Book your stay two days in advance because they go full due to a lot of us staying here for DAYS! Book here.
VISIT MYNTENG
Mynteng is a neighbouring village an hour away from Nongriat on the opposite side of Rainbow falls.t The hike to Mynteng will be a beautiful one. Walk with a variety of butterflies, take your time exploring hidden paths and finding new ones. If you have a day to stay ,spend some time exploring bridges and lagoons here. Veronica Stay is an option to stay if you want to spend your night here.
VISIT RAINBOW FALLS
An hour away from the Double Decker root bridge lies the mysterious Rainbow Falls. Not joking but, when you actually visit the falls at 8 am in the morning, you're the only one there and it feels like the falls was presented by the Gods just for you. The path is rocky, covered in thick nature and just very peaceful. THE BUTTERFLIES BLESS YOUR WAY, AGAIN. Once you're there, the water is irresistible but avoid swimming in deep waters. The water cause whirlpools inside and it's not recommended. There are boards everywhere to remind you that.
NEXT STOP : CLIMB UP AND LEAVE FOR SHNONGPDENG.
The Nongriat trek climb up is EXHAUSTING. Be a cleaver trekker and take breaks, drink your water and finish the climb up in two hours. Leave for Shnongpdeng.
Shnongpdeng is just a small village, 8 kilometres north-west from the small town of Dawki. Both are on the banks of the same Umngot river. Located in the Jaintia hills of Meghalaya where the serene Umngot river flows. This river is so clean that the boats look like they're floating! You can see the water bed, it's that clear. Don't be fooled by the depth of it as it is much deeper than what it looks like.
The camping experience is one of the most thrilling experiences you'll find in Meghalaya so that's what we did. A small tent, dinner and breakfast inclusive of a personal bonfire. You reach here in the evening and the view is different, light the bonfire and wake up to a new view.
Kayaking, Boating, Cliff Jumping , Zip lining is also done here. Just ask your tent co-ordinator and he'll arrange everything for you. Each activity is priced between 300-500 INR.
Don't forget to go to the suspension bridge located over the river for a beautiful drone view of the river.
NOTE: It gets very hot in the afternoon so please avoid staying in the tent or near the rocks. Check out by then and move to your next destination.
PIT STOP AT DAWKI only if you must.
Dawki, a village similar to Shnongpdeng where the Umngot River also flows from will give you a similar one but trust me, Shnongpdeng is better 01-20210I32I3 TIMES. Families will crowd this area, the traffic is bad here all the time and the only attraction my friend said was the India Bangladesh Border Gate. Again, afternoon is a bad time to do any of this.
PS : ONLY IF YOU CAN'T STAY THE NIGHT AT SHNONGPDENG YOU SHOULD ATLEAST GO TO DAWKI AND CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY FROM THERE TO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
MAWLYNNONG
Asia's Cleanest VILLAGE. Called ' God's Own Garden', this village is very different from any other village and trust me, I'm not talking about just cleanliness. Mawlynnong IS ACTUALLY UNIQUE.
Every house has it's own garden with beautiful varieties of flowers. Every flower that you love and buy off markets in Mumbai is IN THEIR BACKYARD and they're just so normal about it. It's called ' God's Own Garden' for a reason. They follow innovative methods of waste management, such as using tree leaves and biodegradable waste for making manure. Every house maintains their own street like their own house. Not a single piece of trash is found on the road. The village is maintained SO well hence an entry fee is charged of 50 upon arrival. Mawlnnong has a 100 percent literacy rate. Every house is gorgeous in its own way, the kids are sweeter and the adults are just so welcoming.
I stayed at a home-stay and I want to recommend is 100 percent. Uncle is the sweetest who took my farming, make me my favourite breakfast. His sons also help in the good keeping of the home stay and they tend to you like your brothers. Book here.
Book here.
THINGS TO DO HERE :
GO TO THE ROOT BRIDGE.
Before you enter Mawlynnong, the road divides into two. The upper one will take you to the root bridge. Once you reach, an entry charge is taken and you have to walk only for 10 minutes before you see a beautiful man-made root bridge.
GO TO THE BALANCING ROCK right before you enter the village and SEE THE TREE HOUSE in the village next to the church. I did none of this sort. I only and only walked the village, played and spent my time reading a book on the streets [ they're so clean I'd sit anywhere].
JUST A HEADS UP: My Jio network had only emergency services most of the time here. The network would also go off because the phone actually tricks you into believing you're in Bangladesh because it's so close and time and again, my calls would get disconnected. My time would fasten up half an hour. All because of the proximity of another country right there. SO DON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOUR IST [ Indian Standard Time] CHANGES TO BST [ Bangladesh Standard Time]. The football field right next to the church is where I got the strongest signal. So you know what to do if you're stuck without network here.
I spent two nights here as well. I loved this village! When it was time to go, Uncle gave me some fresh vegetables from his farm. THEN RETURNED TO GUHAWATI.
I stayed in Shillong for a night before leaving for Guwahati because I wanted to shop. Got myself a private cab and left Meghalaya by noon. and was out!
Expenses :
A tiny bonus expense sheet for you so that if you're picking up my itinerary , you know approximately how much you're spending.
Flights : DEPENDS ON WHEN and what YOU BOOK. I live on staff tickets. ( lukcy , eh? )
Scooter rent : 350'- PER DAY = INR 4200 /-
or Shared cab to Shillong from Guwahati and back = INR 2000/-
Stays in total : 7 STAYS = INR 6700 /-
Food in total : 5000 IN TOTAL FOR ALL THREE MEALS OF THE DAY keeping 200 INR per meal.
Entry fees in total : Some waterfalls only = INR 600/- TOTAL
END NOTE
HONESTLY THE THOUGHT OF ENDING MY TRIP SCARED ME MORE THAN EVER. LEAVING ON A TRIP BY MYSELF AFTER A WHOLE YEAR SEEMED DIFFERENT AND ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY I THINK I CHOSE MEGHALAYA OVER ANY OTHER STATE [OTHER THAT THE BLUE CLEAR WATERS AND THE SCENERY] WAS THE QUALITY OF LIFE I WITNESSED THERE, THE AIR I TOOK IN, THE COLD GRASS I WALKED ON, EVERYTHING SEEMS SO DIFFERENT YET TO FAMILIAR. IT'S LIKE MY BODY KNEW I CRAVED FOR THIS THERE SOMEHOW AND MY MIND IS SET TO IT NOW. TRUST ME, NOTHING GIVES ME MORE JOY THAN WALKING WITHOUT SHOES ON, SPEAKING TO LOCALS LIKE I'VE KNOWN THEM FOREVER, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIFE AND OCCUPATION THERE. NOTHING IS MORE RIVETING THAN EARLY SUNRISES, SLOW PACED LIFE AND HOPE OF A BETTER FUTURE WITHOUT COVID. MEGHALAYA REMINDED ME OF HOW GOOD LIFE WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC STRUCK AND IT REMINDED ME OF WHY I ACTUALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH WANDERING AND STUMBLING UPON PLACES UNKNOWN.
