Meghalaya : Offbeat places

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. William Shakespeare.

Land of clouds/fog/rains call it whatever – its different, very indigenous.

The itinerary I followed was Guwahati-Shillong-Cherapunjee(Sohra)-Mulynong –Dawki-Kaziranga national park-Guwahati. It was a 7D/6N trip, however I reckon it could be done in 5-6 days.

The plan was to hit as many offbeat places as possible however our driver was very reluctant & hence we managed to discover only one offbeat location.

The beauty of Meghalaya is in the journey and not the destination. The nuance in the landscape and terrain is inordinately resplendent.

The thing that matters:

Money factor: 20000 Rs max

Accommodation for 2 persons:

Guwahati – Airbnb 700Rs/night

Shillong – Airbnb 841 Rs/night

Sohra – Wet land lodge 1500 Rs/night

Dawki – hotel 800-1500 Rs/night

Kaziranga – oyo 1200-1500 Rs/night

Guwahati – oyo 800- 1000 Rs/night (in paltan bazaar – in the middle of the city)

All the accommodation were decent and reasonable.

Commutation:

Private Cab for entire day – 3000-3500 Rs

Bus/uber/taxi/shuttle/bike on rent/zoom car facility available.

Places to visit:

1. Shillong:

• Sacred forest: A must visit and the first place where I truly experiences serenity. The story behind the place is a bit uncanny and interesting. You could truly feel the presence of a happy soul protecting the place. Welcomed by vast grassland you will encounter the forest at a visible distance.

Forest treks are available at the starting price of 200Rs.

• Elephant falls: I am not particularly a waterfall person however it was on the way towards sacred forest and was a tourist spot hence witnessed its beauty.

• Umiam lake: On the way to Shillong try to spot the purple tree, its said that the tree blooms only once a year.

Excursions are available at umiam lake.

Try to find an accommodation in upper Shillong as it will save you from the city traffic moreover it is closer to Cherapunjee.

2. Cherapunjee:

• Mawkdowk valley: Try taking a halt on the way to Cherapunjee to enjoy the spectacular view of Mawkdok valley. As it’s a tourist spot, expect some crowd.

A little further from the view point you will find a stair way which could take you to a place from where you can view the Mawkdok valley as well as enjoy the ambience. Try not to miss this place.

• Sohra: Sai mika resort in Sohra is known for its spectacular location. A lot of hotel and lodges with beautiful location are available for tourists to choose from at a reasonable price.
• Mawsmai cave: Interestingly enough we never went inside the cave as it was much crowed. We walked from our lodge to Mawsmai cave (1.5 KM) appreciating the path leading to the caves and fortuitously coming across a stairway just before entering the parking area which leads  you to the top of the hill. You will find yourself looking at the indigenous little hills covered with the blanket of greens.

• ML05 café: Not many people are aware about the waterfall in the valley behind this café which is on the way to Sohra. We noticed it while leaving Sohra at around 7:30 A.M as we noticed heavy fog in that area. You could witness breathtaking canyon covered with fog if you cross this in the morning, we could hear the waterfall however could not see it due to the intensity of the fog. I must say this was the best morning of the entire trip.

• Laitlum valley: Not many locals know about this place moreover our driver was apprehensive to take us there as the path leading to Laitlum is rocky (the last 3 km) but despite his reluctance we went to find that the place was absolutely inexplicable. All your eyes could see would be plain grasslands on the top of the hills. The feeling was divine and that was the best decision we had taken in the trip.

3. Mawlynong:

• Living Root Bridge: We ditched the double decker natural bridge neat Sohra as it required to take a lot of stairs instead we hit the road to Mawlynong to witness the cleanest village and the living root bridge.

• Dawki Lake: Due to heavy rainfall throughout the night the lake was not clear. However the locals informed once the sand settles one can view the crystal clear water Dawki is famous for.

Excursions are available in Dawki river starting from 1500 Rs.

While leaving Dawki one can notice amazing plain landscape which ends in valley, the view is no less than Switzerland grassland with Indian temperature. Do take a halt to indulge in the beauty of the nature.

4. Kaziranga:

• Elephant safari: Ensure you do the online booking for elephant safari online if possible a day in advance. We were extremely lucky to have gotten one. The journey through the jungle with the view of morning sun was spectacular. It was one of a kind.

There are 2 slots of 5 A.M and 6:30 A.M.

Price: 1000 Rs / head

• Jeep safari: Elephant safari could take you closer to the other animals however Jeep can cover a longer distance inside the jungle.

Jeep safari is available till 10 A.M.

Prices: 2300 Rs for 2 & 1900Rs for 3

To recapitulate I would say take a halt at all the places throughout the journey where you could find good view as Meghalaya is full of beautiful landscape each different from one another and enjoy the journey as the destination can’t do what a journey can.

Pic & Trip courtesy : S Pritish ☺☺