So let's get straight to it, here’s what we did during our 7-day stay at Meghalaya! We've kept the description very short, else it could get stretched to really long article.
To reach Meghalaya, we took a flight to Guwahati as Shillong airport had very few flights. From Guwahati, we took a shared cab ride to Shillong. These rides charge Rs 1000 per person and will take you to your destination. Many sites claimed that there were bus rides to Shillong however, these depart early in the morning when we enquired with airport staff and some locals.
Day 1
We arrived in the afternoon and after dealing with the drama of the terrible OYO scam, we were tired and rested for the day.
Our beautiful stay however made everything better. We had a warm hospitable host and the area was surrounded by a forest. It was a peaceful and quiet home with cute cats around. During our stay, our early morning ritual was to go for walks in the deep forest which had small brooks with cold water. Mornings in Shillong began with sunrise at around 4:30 am and by 5 am it would be nice and bright already.
We ordered lunch from Agape and the food was delicious. The quantity was huge as well and we had a little leftover for later.
As it became dark by around 5 pm, we were already thinking about dinner. We walked over to Kynjai Cloud Kitchen, a Korean restaurant. We had Kimbap, Chicken Ramyeon, Pork Japchae, hot chocolate, and tea. Everything was absolutely delicious. We had no complaints and the prices were very reasonable. The staff was warm and approachable and we had a cat for company too!
Day 2
Since we had plans to travel, we took a Himalayan from Rides Rentals, Shillong for the remainder of the journey. We were charged 7000 for 6 days, usually it's around 1200 per day. The bike had some issues with the handle and was overall a chadak vandi. Most of the issues were fixed by Jia at their local workshop, but some issues still lingered throughout the journey, the machine took us all around the Khasi area without any breakdown, and boy did we have some rough roads!
Clean and well-maintained park centred around a scenic lake. It wasn’t crowded and was kept very clean without any plastic waste.
A quaint church that was built originally in 1897, but was reconstructed in 1902 using a wooden structure primarily. It was closed but a member of the church let us in and we saw the beautiful interiors as well.
Police Bazaar
A long street that's arranged with multiple shops on both sides, take your time when exploring this major shopping spot.
For the local cuisine, this is a must-try spot. We had pork jadoh, fish meals, and a chicken dish as well. The owner of the place was very friendly and the food was good too.
Built over 50 years ago, this is a beautiful shrine located in the centre of Shillong.
We dropped by this famous spot for hot coffee which we enjoyed sitting outdoors.
Apart from Kyngai, this was also one restaurant that had amazing food. The staff were friendly and explained the dishes. The prices were reasonable too. They also sell pickles and other stuff over the counter. We got the super spicy rajah chili pickle from here.
Day 3
This forest is about 800 years old and was the site for ritual animal sacrifices up till around the 1950s according to our guide Skhem. Considered to be sacred, the forest is believed to be the home to the deity Labasa. The trail is serene and our guide took his time to explain everything to us. Usually, it is an hour-long trail, however, it was restricted to only half the way. Our guide enthusiastically took amazing photos of us as well.
Lunch at Soilyna Huts Restaurant
Loved the chicken wonton soup, but the pork chow noodles were too saucy. Good view and service.
This is a definite spot to visit that was suggested by Skhem. What you will see before you is a deep green valley that goes for miles and misty hills surrounding it. We were on the edge and it felt like it was pulling us into it. We teetered around its edges drinking tea, eating apples, and resting for a long while. It wasn’t crowded so that was a plus point.
This was located right near our homestay. The food was just okay and was too oily. They didn’t play music until we mentioned it.
Day 4
After breakfast, we left Shillong and traveled through Sohra (Cherapunji) to Nongriat to see the famous Jingkieng Jri aka Living Root Bridge, and the Rainbow Falls.
On reaching Tyrna, a village in Nongriat, we left our bike and helmets at the parking lot for a fee. Helmets are charged extra. There were numerous local guides telling us ‘it is dangerous to travel alone, guides must be taken along, the bamboo stick is necessary’ etc. I was a little worried about doing it alone, however, we had read up that guides are not absolutely necessary. We had about 3000+ steps ahead of us and halfway there our legs began to wobble. We took breaks in between and about 1.5 hours later we reached our stay - Serene homestay. On the way, we met many people who had begun their trek at about 8 or 9 in the morning and were climbing back up to Tyrna in one go after seeing the double-decker bridge. This would have been even more difficult considering the climb back up (3000 steps uphill!). After having lunch, we trekked up to Rainbow falls, which was about an hour away. The falls were indeed beautiful, even if the entry is limited now, but whether the 1hr was worth it or not might be subjective. We reached there by 4 in the evening and were told that shortly after it would close as it got dark by 5 pm. During peak winter and monsoons, it gets dark before 5 pm, so it's best to plan the trek accordingly.
Serene homestay - There were rooms with different price ranges. We took the ground floor room which had two beds and just enough space. The washrooms are shared; they are well-maintained and clean. Hot water is also available. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are served here. The food was delicious. Non-veg dishes will need to be told earlier and make sure to have enough people to eat them with as they serve large amounts. Tea is available at all times and I had 3 cups alone that night! The owner Byron was friendly and accommodating. The next morning with aching legs and sores all over, we began our uphill climb and got to Tyrna by around 10 am.
Day 5
The beautiful serene falls of Wei Sawdong come first on our list of sights to see in Meghalaya. This three-layered waterfall has a viewpoint from which you can see it fully. As you climb down through rocks, and bamboo ladders, you will reach the bottom of the fall. Nandu took a quick swim in the cool freezing waters which were pristine, clear, and teal in colour. We spent about an hour or so here. There is a nominal parking fee with friendly people who kept watch of our luggage as well.
Nongrum Tea shop
We began our drive to Mawlynnong, but we got hungry and needed to eat lunch which is when we came across this cute little place at Ladmawphlang. We had a lovely lunch with pork Jadoh, beef, and chicken thalli as well. They had a lot of snacks which we later realised weren’t as good as we expected.
Known as Asia’s Cleanest village, it houses about 1000 people and is a close-knit community that works to keep its surroundings clean and well-maintained with neatly arranged gardens. We stayed at Robert’s Bamboo hut which was a quaint little house made of bamboo. The whole village can be covered with a short walk. The whole place is like a neatly planned village. They have set up viewpoints from which you can see Bangladesh. There are plenty of souvenir shops as well.
Day 6
Lunch spot
Right before we reached Shnongpdeng, we stopped for lunch at a nameless roadside restaurant at Darrang. It was like a wooden hut. The lady inside quickly prepared a lunch, that looked like it was made just for us. She brought us a pot of steaming, hot rice, chicken curry, potato fry, cabbage salad, lentil curry and papadams. We felt like we hit the jackpot. Everything was just so delicious.
This is a campsite by the side of the river Dawki, which is less crowded and much more peaceful than the original river Dawki campsites seen on various websites. We camped out under the stars in a tent. There’s a common toilet and washroom facility nearby. It isn’t very well-maintained or clean. We also had to give our power banks to the boy who helped us with our tent. So if you wish for hot water, clean toilets, and a plug point, there are many other hotel and homestay facilities. However, for the true essence and beauty of camping outdoors, it's best to get a tent for the night. There are lots of fun activities here such as kayaking, boating, ziplining, etc.
Day 7
As it was our last in Meghalaya and with our flight in the evening, we decided to head back after breakfast at Shnongpdeng. This meant a 3 to 4-hour ride back to Shillong. In hindsight, we realised that we could have planned our last day at Shillong itself, so as to avoid the last-minute rush and tension of whether we’ll reach the airport on time.
Some beautiful starry night sky from Mawlynnong and Shnongpdeng
On reaching Shillong, we returned the bike and decided to go for lunch at Tibet Kitchen Restaurant again because the food is yum! And then dropped by the Smoky Falls Tribe Coffee shop. They have amazing coffee, brownies, and Lamingtons. As we sat in the coffee shop, we reminisced about our days in Meghalaya and sadly felt like we were leaving what was our home for the past week. By 2 pm, we got our shared cab ready and left for the airport at Guwahati, and said our goodbyes to Shillong.
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