When you glance at India’s map and wish to travel to the far North-Eastern part of India,undoubtedly Meghalaya should be on the top of your list.
From International border to dense forest and from crystal clear river bed to natural swimming pools,Meghalaya has all things to offer.World’s only living root double decker bridge makes you stunned.Scariest bamboo trek,many blue lagoons,amazing waterfalls…Ohh my god ! There are n-numbers of things to explore in Meghalaya.
Best time to visit:
Typically Meghalaya is to be explored in the rainy and winter season.Both have different vibes.However we visited in November specifically at the start of winter season.This is because we can see major waterfalls flowing otherwise many will dry in late winter.
How to Arrive in Meghalaya :
We arrived at Guwahati airport from Mumbai and took cab from airport to Shillong which is approximately 3 hours journey.You can get direct flight to Shillong from major cities in India but those are costly and almost all flights are having layover at Kolkata which will be more time consuming.Train lovers can take train till Guwahati and hire cab or take bus to Shillong.Shared cab from airport to Shillong can cost you up to 1000 Rs per person and 3000 Rs for special cab.
How to travel in Meghalaya:
There are multiple travel options available in Shillong.One can hire a cab with a driver which ranges from 3000 to 6000 Rs per day depending upon the capacity and make of the car.
Also scooty can be hired from 500 to 800 per day.We suggest you to roam in and around Shillong on scotty as Shillong is always hit by deadly traffic,it will be easy to maneuver and cover as many places as possible.
See how bad is Shillong in terms of traffic:
Below we will provide our exact 16 days Meghalaya itinerary with details of every penny we spent on this trip with important suggestions. Additionally we will draw down the best itinerary for your Meghalaya trip
Our Meghalaya itinerary:
Day 1:The Shillong vibes
This day should be reserved for absorbing the vibes of city.We checked into our first hotel in Shillong named Cassiopeia guest house.After check in we went to Police Bazar for some last minute shopping.Police bazar area is typical junction which every touristic city has,its more like Mall Road of Manali or Nanital.You will find everything here from street food to fancy hotels,shopping malls to retail shops.We made enquiry about renting bike and car for our rest of the journey.
Check all our stays Meghalaya trip:
Check from where we booked our scooty and car:
Important note:You can get a shared taxi easily in Shillong to travel inside the city.
Day 2:Start with typical tourist spots
Next day we started early in the morning and visited Elephant waterfalls on a rented scooty.Elephant waterfalls is a crowded tourist spot but worth visiting to start your Meghalaya journey. Continue your journey towards Sacred forest and understand the tribal ritual and why it is called Sacred forest.There are beautifully maintained Khasi huts/home setup you can visit located opposite to Sacred forest.
Spending evening at centrally located Wards Lake back in Shillong takes you away from the hustle and bustle of crowded city.Shillong’s famous Cherry blossom festival planned during our visit.You will find plenty of cherry blossoms in Wards lake.
Important note:Meghalaya is located at eastern region of India,sunrise occurs very early so at around 5 AM means literally you can start your day at 5 AM.And sun sets early as compared to other part of India therefore around 4.30-4.45 PM there will be complete darkness.Plan your day accordingly as you can’t explore much after dark.
Day 3:Mawphanlur village
This day we stayed at Rockski Boutique as earlier guest house was fully booked.We went to Mawphanlur village which is around 70 km from Shillong.On the way you can find beautiful homes decorated with different coloured flower plants in elegant shades which will makes you feel like you are in some european city.We came to know later that Shillong is called as Scotland of east,and surely one would get vibes here.
Everything is closed on Sunday in most parts of Meghalaya.So we visited this beautiful village where you can find five man made lakes with beautiful platforms and boating facilities.
Important note:
- On every Sunday in most tourist places,shops remain closed in Meghalaya so plan your day accordingly.We struggled to get lunch on this day.
- You can skip visiting Mawphanlur village as in the later part of the trip you’re going to witness amazing landscapes and beautiful villages.
Day 4:Famous places
Travel towards Laitlum Canyon and witness the mighty valleys and white snow like clouds at your eye level .There are couple of platforms,bridges,pathways made out of bamboos.You can relax and chill for a while,click beautiful pictures .While returning to Shillong explore Air Force museum.This museum is great place for kids which will definitely create curiosity in Air Force related stuff in them.
Important note:
- We observed that in all places of Meghalaya,you will have to pay parking charges for your vehicle.Many times it is possible that parking charges are more than the entry fee of that particular tourist spot.
- Urinal facilities are available at all spots and are paid;not included in entry charges.
Day 5:Tour with Baghmara campers
We were planning to explore Wari Chora located in South Garo hills of Meghalaya.As it is offbeat and recently discovered location we decided to explore Wari chora with Baghmara campers.Next three days were exclusively planned by them.
After about 8 hours of road journey from Shillong we reached a place called the natural swimming pool.You will definitely get refreshed witnessing the beauty of this natural swimming pool.This pool is amazing you can literally see the 100 ft bottom from top.Though it found little dangerous for basic swimmers but surely pleasing to eyes.
We checked into the Siju Guest house which is located on the beautiful banks of Simsang river.
Day 6:Hidden Gem of South Garo Hills
We left for Wari Chora in 4×4 Mahindra Camper.The distance from Siju tourist lodge till Wari Chora trekking point is around 25 km but it took nothing short of 2.5 hours as road were extremely broken or even one can say that there are no roads at all.Around 45 min of medium endurance level trek you will arrive at Wari Chora boating point at base of valley.Travelling in boat till waterfall point is most amazing thing happened to us till date.Piercing though vertical black coloured canyon with blue coloured water below and somewhere between trickling water makes you forget everything material world and takes you to different dimensions where calm and serene nature conquers.You will definitely feel that this 20-25 minutes boat journey should never end.
After this satisfying exploration we went to a Jadishil fish sanctuary where a large number of fish were waiting to take food from you.This is a must visit place.We were enjoying clear water observing fish until dark.
Note: We were supposed to visit another place called…which is a smaller version of Wari Chora but our vehicles were stuck in mud.It wasted our time so we couldn’t visit this place.
Day 7:Siju caves and rock formations
We had embraced exploring main attraction of South Garo hills last day,this day was bit like celebration and exploring few other places on return journey to Shillong.While other group members were getting ready we went to beautiful Simsang river beach.You can click pictures on this white sand beach with dense jungle behind and clear water at your feet.Additionally you can enjoy camping at this beach.
After morning breakfast we visited Siju caves located just beside Siju tourist lodge.These caves are yet not fully discovered but you can go kilometers inside.We went till bat colony.
We visited rock formations near these Siju caves.You can witness the different shaped rocks and their internal structure.
We headed to Shillong via Guwahati to end the tour with Baghmara Campers.
Day 8:Asia’s cleanest village
We hired a private car with a driver for our rest of journey in Meghalaya.We got Hyundai Accent for 3000 per day with driver.
On the first day we traveled to Asia’s cleanest village Mawlynnong.The route was scenic and through dense forest.
Places to visit in Mawlynnong village:
- You can visit the floating rock site which is a tourist spot in this area.
- We recommend visiting the Single living root bridge in Mawlynnong area as it is beautiful and you can avoid other single living root bridges which you may encounter in many other places in Meghalaya.
- Take a stroll into the beautiful Mawlynnong village.It is truly clean as it boasts.Each house is beautifully decorated with vibrant coloured tree pots and compound walls.
Important note:
It is a very small village and depends mainly on tourism. You will have normal food mainly thali.You can find a lot of eateries where you can get basic homely food.
Read more about food in Meghalaya here:
Day 9:Magical Umngot river
Mawlynnong to Shnongpdeng road journey is mostly along the international border with Bangladesh.You can literally be on zero line ;unlike India-POK boundary this border is more friendly.You can talk with people across the border and click photos of them.Be prepared for massive truck traffic in this area as there are lot of trucks along roadside waiting for clearance from customs to enter into bangladesh.
It is a really magical experience boating in Umngot river.This place is nothing short of incredible in your Meghalaya journey.
Important note:
1)To make most out of beautiful Umngot river we advise you doing boating in Shnongpdeng instead of Dawki.Shnongpdeng is less crowded and boating charges here are very less.We did boating for 600 Rs per boat for about 1 hour round which otherwise would have been costed 1000 Rs in Dawki.
2)In Shnongpdeng you will have very good spots for clicking photos to see the clear river bed.
3)We recommend you go boating at around 8.30 AM to 10 AM in the morning as the Sun will be at top and clear sunlight can produce magical views of the beautiful Umngot river.
4)Don’t forget to go on a cable-stayed bridge at Shnongpdeng to have a bird eye view of the river below.
Day 10:The waterfalls
Next morning we left for Jowai early, planning to visit Krang Shuri and Phe Phe waterfalls on the way.
Around 15 minutes a simple downhill walk on a paved pathway takes you to the beautiful Krang Shuri waterfall where there is a blue lagoon in which you can swim.
For Phe Phe waterfall you need to cross a river by boat and after about 45 min normal walk you need to trek 45 min downhill which eventually takes you to one the mightiest waterfalls of Meghalaya.
We stayed at Jowai in a homestay called Amaara Homestay.This was definitely one of the best stays in our Meghalaya trip.
Day 11:Scariest Bamboo Trek
We went to Wahkhen village for bamboo trek.We wanted to do this scariest trek of Meghalaya.Believe us you should not miss this amazing trek.Complete to and fro trek takes about 5 hours; it is simple trek but paths are made out of bamboo often on edge of rocks and valley so need to be very careful.
After a thrilling experience of bamboo trek we went to Cherrapunji and stayed in Aisha guest house.
Day 12:Nature’s wonder
Having breakfast packed, we left Aisha guest house, keeping our main language at our next day stay in Tyrna village which is the starting point of double decker living root bridge.We packed minimum luggage and started our most sought after trek of Meghalaya.
Approximately 3500 steps, mainly downhill, takes you to the world’s only living root double decker bridge.
We had planned to stay in Nongriat village beside the double decker bridge.This whole trek till double decker bridge consumes 2.5 hours starting from Tyrna village.
Double decker bridge is truly nature’s wonder but often crowded hence staying in Nongriat village becomes necessary so that you can visit this place again in late evening or in the next morning.
After a 2 minutes power nap in Serene Homestay, we headed to rainbow waterfalls which is another 2 hours trek from the living root double decker bridge.
Important note:
1)If you have visited Krang Shuri and Phe Phe waterfalls we suggest you not to visit Rainbow falls as the trek from double decker bridge is very tiring and it takes almost similar effort as that of living root bridge from Tyrna village and you will be badly exhausted.
2)There is a single root living root bridge on the way to this double decker living root bridge,we advise you not to visit this single root bridge as the one from Mawlynnong village is more beautiful than this.
Day 13:Cherrapunji places
We started trekking to Tyrna village after having a satisfying breakfast at Serene homestay.It took us around 3 hours to reach our hotel called Rustic cottage.
In this whole trek till rainbow falls and climbing upto Tyrna village,we trekked about 18 km ,so after resting for a while in room,the hot water bath had a healing effect on the whole body and we were fresh and ready to explore Cherrapunji places.
Firstly we visited Mawsmai caves which is again one the main tourist spot in Cherrapunji. We asked our driver to take us to some offbeat or less visited place,and here is the place called ‘Shivling’.This place is so satisfying and isolated away from crowd.There is massive piece of rock in the shape of Shivling.You can see the land of Bangladesh from here.
Note:We were planning to visit beautiful Wei Sawdong Falls but it was closed for tourists due some maintenance and local issues.
Day 14:Cherrapunji places
We checked into different hotel in Cherrapunji and visited Garden of caves and Arwah caves.We recommend you not to visit Garden of caves as it is a typical man made tourist spot with nothing much to see but we definitely recommend you to visit Arwah caves.
At the end we saw a beautiful sunset at NohKaLikai waterfall.
Day 15:The unusual Kongthong village
After an adventurous trip till now this was our last place to explore ,called whistling village locally known as Kongthong village.This is a unique village where all residents have names in the form of whistling tunes given by his or her mother after birth .Located in lush green valleys,the village itself is a tourist destination.We lived in traditional Khasi home in Travelers Nest homestay;the experience was so satisfying and best way to end our Meghalaya trip.
Day 16:Return journey
We left early in the morning for Guwahati airport.We visited Kamakhya temple and took blessings of Maa Kamakhya in Guwahati.
Below is our itinerary in excel format along with all the expenditure:
Suggested 9 days Itinerary for Meghalaya starting from Shillong
As we make videos,reel etc we require more time to explore places.Below is the best possible travel plan of Meghalaya after our thorough understanding of the region and recent experience.Follow guidelines and you are free to make small changes but we assure your Meghalaya experience will be memorable and you will cover below places without hurry.
Day 1: Arrive in Shillong,settle and explore the Police Bazar area and visit the Air Force museum.
Distances =>Police Bazar to Air force Museum: Approx.11 KM (30 minutes journey)
Day 2: Explore Elephant waterfall,Sacred forest till afternoon.Spend evening at Wards lake.
Distances => Police Bazar to Elephant waterfall : Approx. 12 KM (30 minutes journey)
Elephant waterfall to Sacred forest : Approx. 15 KM (30 minutes journey)
Sacred forest to Wards lake : Approx. 26 KM (60 minutes journey)
Day 3: Travel to Cherrapunji,visit to Arwah caves,Mawsmai caves,Shivling/Khoh Ramhah/Motrop and experience Sunset at NohKaLikai Falls
Distances => Shillong to Cherrapunji : Approx. 53 KM (2 hours journey)
=>Arwah caves to Mawsmai caves :Approx 10 KM (30 min journey)
=>Mawsmai caves to Shivlinga :Approx 8 KM (15 min journey)
=>Shivlinga to NohKaLikai :Approx 17 KM (40 min journey)
Important note: There are hundreds of waterfalls and viewpoints in Cherrapunji.We advise you to not to cover everything otherwise it will be exhausting and you will eventually find everything similar.Additionally we wanted to see Wei Sawdong Falls but it was closed due to some maintenance work.We recommend you to visit this waterfall without fail if available during your visit.
Day 4: Travel to Tyrna village and trek to Double decker bridge,Rainbow falls and stay at Nongriat village.
Distances => Cherrapunji to Tyrna village : Approx. 12 KM (30 min journey)
Day 5: Return trek and travel to Kongthong village and explore this unique village.
Distances => Tyrna village to Kongthong: Approx. 62 KM (2.5 hours journey)
Important note: Start trek early around 5 AM to Tyrna village so that you can explore Kongthong village in late afternoon
Day 6: Travel to Bamboo trek point at Mawryngkhang which has base village called Wahkhen.Complete the trek and travel to Asia’s cleanest village Mawlynnong.
Distances => Kongthong to Wahkhen: Approx. 50 KM (2.0 hours journey)
Wahkhen to Mawlynnong: Approx. 57 KM (2.15 hours journey)
Day 7: Explore Mawlynnong and travel to Shnongpdeng for a night stay at Shnongpdeng.
Distances => Mawlynnong to Shnongpdeng: Approx. 40 KM (2.0 hours journey)
Day 8:Explore Umngot river and travel towards Krang Shuri Falls and explore water fall and travel to Phe Phe waterfall trek point and stay.
Distances => Shnongpdeng to Krang Shuri Falls: Approx. 32 KM (1.0 hours journey)
Krang Shuri Falls to Phe Phe trek point: Approx. 15 KM (0.5 hours journey)
Day 9: Explore Phe Phe and return to Shillong.
Distances => Phe Phe to Shillong: Approx. 78 KM (2.5 hours journey)
For South Garo Hills you need a minimum additional three days which can be combined at start or end of above 9 days.
Addition information about Meghalaya which will help in planning your trip
Why arrive in Guwahati and then travel to Shillong:
Guwahati Airport is called as gateway to Northeast India.Guwahati has got excellent connectivity of rail and air with rest of India.Guwahati to Shillong distance is only 120 KM,with good highway it takes about only 3 hours to reach Shillong.
From Guwahati you can easily travel to the South Garo Hills of Meghalaya as it is the shortest distance.
How to travel to Shillong from Airport:
There are lot of shared cabs available at the Airport which will take you to Shillong police Bazar.Normally they charge 1000 Rs per person and 3000 for special cab but you can bargain, we have heard people traveled to Shillong for 600 Rs in shared cab.
Where to stay in Shillong:
We suggest staying near the Police Bazar as it is the city’s main central part.
Our list of stay during entire trip of Meghalaya:
Shillong:
- Cassiopeia Guest house
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/uVLGAKQssEgbivqM6
This guest house is beautiful with spacious room.Parking for four and two wheeler is available, caretakers are helpful and sweet people. The Complimentary breakfast served is nice.In this area you will get good restaurants ,food joints.Only drawback is it is around 3 km away from police bazar.
Rockski Boutique
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/cdCpkMVrKvwg8WTbA
This is located near our earlier stay.Parking space for two and four wheeler is available.The caretakers are always ready to help.They have provided us cloth bag as our stuffs are not fitting into our luggage bag.Heater facility is available in room to insulate you from cold days of Shillong.
South Garo hills:
Siju tourist lodge
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/U97TyxRbBeRG4mhA6
This is a typical government guest house equipped with basic amenities;what one can expect in a remote place of Garo hills.It is located on the banks of Simsan river and Siju caves are at stones throw away from this lodge.
Mawlynnong:
Rest and Relax homestay
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/nQT7AH4KqSKG2twq9
This is located in front of the parking lot of Mawlynnong village.Owner is very kind and lives beside.There are two cozy rooms.
Shnongpdeng:
Betelnut Resort
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/q6BcfouERLVy5vBd9
This is the only resort available to stay in Shnongpdeng among a lot of camp sites.This is a typical hotel where you can find many betelnut trees.Good place to stay, walkable from Shnongpdeng boating point.
Jowai:
Amaara homestay
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/YH8qf6vJ4M1SgTQn8
This is one of the best stay in our entire Meghalaya trip.Beautifully decorated rooms and common areas.Kitchen is available for cooking.Dormitory is also available here.Caretaker is helpful and always available.You will definitely get a homely feeling here.Parking for one car is available inside garage area.
Cherrapunji:
1)Aisha Guest House
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/PziMxdE2KoiR2AAk7
This guest house is located in the main market area of Cherrapunji.Service is quick and good.Caretakers are so kind that they offered us free milk at night and packed breakfast in morning as we were leaving early for trek.Parking is available inside their premises.
2)Umpohliew Guest House
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/FMSwu2EGNo369DR26
We booked this stay on the spot.View from room window is awesome-Lush green valleys and clouds can be seen from room’s window.It located on main road of Cherrapunji.Guest house restaurant is very nice.We had veg thali which was one of the best food of our entire trip.
Tyrna :
Rustic Cottage
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/prKwv6CypmJiVsWT8
Overall good stay.Room are small ,no dining area is available so having dinner and breakfast is little difficult.Also they say it is located at entry point of trek to Double decker bridge which is not true.It almost 1km behind main trek point.They have their own parking space.Dormitoryare available here.
Nongriat:
Serene Homestay
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/eupCARfCx4qshkpQA
As promised it located very near to double decker root bridge.It hase clean and cozy rooms.Owner is sweet and kind.We lived in room which has common toilets,also you can find dormitory here.Breakfast served was awesome;we still remembers Wills sandwich from here.
Kongthong:
Traveller’s nest
Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/mP39zKce6DbFB5Tw6
This is only stay option available in Kongthong village run by local co-operative society. We lived in a traditional Khasi home.Very good property having its own restaurant and dining space.There are two modern cottages that are also available for those who don’t want to live in Khasi hut.
How to travel inside Shillong:
Shillong has very good availability of Kaali Peeli cabs service similar to Mumbai’s iconic Kaali Peeli cabs.We were staying at Laitumkhrah area,we used these cabs couple of times that too just for 30 Rs per person to travel to Wards lake or Police Bazar area.
Sunday in Shillong and in Meghalaya:
Most of the Meghalaya’s indigenous population follows Christianity, they go to church on Sunday.So everything in closed on Sunday,most of the tourist points as well !You can find some services in big city like shillong but no chance outskirts.During our Mawphanlur tour
were unable to find lunch easily as it was Sunday.
Safety:
It is generally safe to travel in Meghalaya and Shillong .Due to the matrilineal society system you will find female pollution way more than that of men. Almost all petrol pumps , restaurants, shopping malls are run by females.Working females on the road generally gives a safe feeling.
Traffic in Shillong:
As this is only metropolitan city in Meghalaya,population density is more in Shillong and due to tourism people from all parts of world first land in Shillong.To cater such large number of peoples, roads are narrow and there is hardly any scope of expansion due to hilly terrain .During peak hours of morning and evening you will find massive traffic jams on the roads of Shillong;more frustrating than that of Bangalore’s or Mumbai’s traffic.Driver at time switch of their vehicle engine and wait for lanes to clear.But one very good thing we observed here is that all people follow traffic rules strictly,they do not overtake from left side. Traveling in the wrong lane or opposite line is sin here.
Food in Shillong:
Major population in Shillong is non vegetarian.They eat chicken,pork,beef but you will get very good veg food options at all places. You will get rice ,bhaji,dal,curry easily but it is very difficult to get chapati or roti in outskirts.
Sunrise and Sunsets:
Meghalaya is located in the far East of India,Sunrise occurs early and Sun sets early.There is complete light at around 5 AM in the morning and it is completely dark at about 4.45 PM in the evening.So we have to start our day early so that you can cover maximum places.
Communication language:
It is very difficult to communicate in Meghalaya.Many people in the city side understand little Hindi and are fluent in English but in the village side people hardly know Hindi.They would be happy to communicate in broken English,all they know is Khasi or local language.
Where to book car:
We had booked our scooty and four wheeler from the location below. They are immigrants from Nepal,understand Hindi and are always ready to help.You can contact them.
Shop owner: Rajan
Driver : Manoj
Accommodation and food facility for Driver:
In Meghalaya almost all hotels,resorts,homestays provide free accommodation and food for drivers.Just confirm this while booking ;We had these facilities at all our stays.
Biggest take away from our Meghalaya trip:
We want to tell you Meghalaya is an adventurous destination,at times you will feel very tiring physically but you will feel satisfied at the end.It requires a lot of effort to trek and explore hilly areas;almost all roads are curvy and motion sickness can be a problem initially.
Mobile network:
In big tourist destinations like Shillong,Cherrapunji,Dawki there is no mobile network problem and many hotels provide free Wi-fi service.We had full range for our Vodafone and Jio network. You will find network problems at Tyrna,Nongriat village.
How to explore South Garo hills:
We definitely recommend Baghmara campers,a locally operated tour group.They are very hardworking and friendly people with the aim to develop their Garo hills on tourism map.Additionally they are very reasonable in this tour.The Mark bhai is hubble and the Tanghesn the trek leader is very energetic and hilarious never bored to entertain you.
