Lying in the cradle of the tall pine conifers and pineapple shrubs, the city’s undulating terrain, the surrounding hills and the abundant greenery was absolutely captivating. I kept walking aimlessly for hours, just to feel the nature’s bounty. I passed by the Ward’s Lake gate which is popular for small walks & boating.

At one of the precarious road turns, I couldn’t help but stand still and cherish the scenic beauty, the distant houses, food stalls which were looking like toy houses.

One of the most important sight-seeing we did was the Shillong peak, an ideal picnic spot, 10 km. from the city on a clear day. The breath-taking height, a part view of Bangladesh and the panoramic view of the country side from here made it clear to us why Shillong is also popularly referred to as “Scotland of the East”. From here we moved on to the Sohpetbneng Peak, set against the backdrop of a sacred forest. This 'Navel of Heaven' as per Khasi mythology is a heavenly peak which offers to fill the spiritual void and emptiness, to those who seek and desire solace and peace of mind.

From there we moved to Cherrapunjee (Sohra), 56 km from Shillong, situated in one of the rainiest rain-belt in the world, 1,300 m above sea level. It was a pleasant drive to see the roaring water falls leaping into deep gorges, including the famed Nohsngithiang falls. The charismatic town is also famous for its limestone caves and orange honey. It also has the oldest Presbyterian Church and also an establishment of the Ramkrishna Mission.

We reached Elephant Falls, 12 km on the outskirts of the city, the next morning. The mountain stream descends through two successive falls set in dells of fern covered rocks. We moved to Umiam Khwan (Barapani) to indulg in some water sports like water skiing, water scooter etc and trekking routes.

There are some more must-visits like the Lady Hydari Park, a popular charming tourist draw with an adjacent mini zoo, the State Museum and several falls like Spread Eagle Falls, Sweet Falls, Crinoline Falls and the Bishop & Beadon Falls. Besides the alluring scenic beauty Shillong is also known for shopping good leather stuff like chappals and bags at unbelievably cheap rates.

The evenings don quite early here with a fascinating sunset in the backdrop of the quiet mountains. And on the stage of dusky Shillong, often live bands perform locally. The typical Meghalaya food is also worth a try besides the local music, as without tasting the local flavour the trip is incomplete.

Besides the famous delectable momos, the Meghalayan cuisine is heavily tilted in favour of meat, particularly pork. Jadoh - a spicy dish of rice and pork is eaten almost any time. Here fish also is a favorite dish for many. The appetizing chicken clear soup followed by steamed rice and mutton cooked with bamboo shoots was simply awesome!

With a gratified but mind was still longing to stay on in the place of amazing hide-outs, I’d to move on. The trip was just refreshing. All the way back I kept gazing at the pristine beauty till the time which reinforced my belief that nature inspires!

Useful Information:

Best time to travel: October to March

How to reach:

Airport: Guwahati is the nearest airport from where Shillong can be reached by bus or car. Daily buses also connect Shillong with Guwahati airport.

Railhead: Guwahati is the nearest railhead and is well-connected to the rest of the country.

Road Transport: Meghalaya Road Transport also run regular bus services in Meghalaya besides the taxis & private hired cars.

Distance of Shillong from different parts of India:

1251 km from Calcutta,

727 km from Darjeeling,

2134 km from Delhi,

2502 km from Shimla,

2698 km from Ahmedabad,

3120 km from Bangalore,

2148 km from Bhopal,

1731 km from Bhubaneshwar,

2947 km from Mumbai,

100 km from Guwahati,

2554 km from Hyderabad,

2164 km from Jaipur,

2929 km from Chennai

Hotels to stay in Shillong:

1)     Polo Towers - Address: Oakland Road, Polo Ground , Shillong

2)     Hotel Pinewood Ashok - Address: Main Road, Shillong

3)     Lake View Inn – Address: Opposite Main State Bank of India (Shillong)

4)     Hotel Pegasus Crown  - Address: Ward's Lake Road, Police Bazar, Shillong