Shillong the Capital of Meghalaya was by far one of the most scenic and most serene places I have seen in India. It makes for the perfect blend of an old classic city which reminds you of simpler times and at the same time it has places and spots that are gushing with the town people and tourists at all hours of daylight. It has a rich culture filled with three major tribes Boro, Garo and Khasis. Although it rains there almost 24*7, 365 days a year but the best time to visit the place is the months of June-October. It had beautiful scenic spots and waterfalls that will blow your mind and make you never want to leave.
Cherrapunji the second wettest place on Earth is about an hour and a half to two depending on the traffic. The drive to Cherrapunji itself consists of 2-3 tourist spots that gave a panoramic view of the valleys and all the greenery. Next up came the famous Mawsmai caves which are known for the natural formation of limestones-stalactites and stalagmites. Who knew geography could be that interesting!?! The best part about the visit was definitely the drive. Funnily enough on my way to the destination it was raining cats and dogs with mist that made it impossible to see anything more than 100 metres. While on the way back it was as clear as a day in May and hot enough to make me run towards the vehicle air conditioning. The next must-see attraction is the Krang Suri waterfall. The drive gets a tad bit longer as it’s a distance of nearly 100 km but every drive in the hills is a bliss. The waterfall is humongous. It’s so perfectly made that it feels almost unreal that it’s a natural spot. It made a great spot to just put your legs in the water and lose yourself in the divine beauty around.
The city Shillong its self-has excellent, adorable cafes like ML05, Bob Dylan café and some noteworthy spots like the Umiam lake more commonly known as Bara Pani which is a reservoir. Its at least 100 feet deep and gets deeper depending on the rain. Then there is also The Wards lake which is a small but breathtaking attraction in Shillong. One can go there for a walk in the morning, avail the boating services, feed the fishes or simply bask in the sun. I did everything except the walking. Lastly, this one’s for the shopaholics and the window shoppers, The Police Bazar which is the hub of the city. It has everything ranging from its very own Sarojni with the funkiest of things to top brands like Vans, Pantaloons and more. It is also filled with dozens of eating joints which offer you every cuisine you like including the very own Khasi Thali.
The narrow roads and rise in traffic do make life a little hard but that’s a small price to pay to see our very own Scotland of the East.
This write up has been prepared by Arundhati Bhatia (IV Year).
