Shillong

Shillong is the capital city of Meghalaya. It has become a cultural centre of the North-east. From vibrant cultural festivals to major music festivals featuring international performers, it hosts all. It is a hilly town, small but beautiful, be it sunsets or valley views. We had kept one day only for Shillong towards the end of our trip which was a mistake. We covered most of the tourist places nearby Shillong either on our way to Cherrapunji from Guwahati or on our way to Shillong from Dawki. One day that we spent in Shillong went mostly in traffic. Therefore, we did not have much time to explore the local spots in Shillong. The traffic in Shillong is very congested. It took us 2 hours just to enter Shillong coming from Laitlum canyon. We have covered more on this topic in this post.

Here are a few places that we explored in and around Shillong:

Umiam Lake

The Umiam lake is on the outskirts of Shillong. You will encounter it on your way from Guwahati to Shillong. The lake is a reservoir made by a dam on the Umiam river. The place is an important tourist point in Shillong as it offers water activities like boating (speed boats as well as paddle boats), kayaking and even sailing. It is also famous for its noteworthy views of sunrises and sunsets. We witnessed a sunset here and we can vouch for the popularity.

The hills on the other side of the lake provide an excellent backdrop for photography. The pine and other trees covering the accessible banks of the lake are a good spot to relax and enjoy the scenes around and also enjoy a small picnic of sorts. There are tree-huts along the shores for tourists to take rest. There is a small café and a toilet complex inside as well. However, apart from the tree-side there is no proper shade to sit. A gallery is provided in case you want to click some pictures and get a view. If you enjoy the activities, it will take about 2 hours to explore it completely or else half 0.5-1 hr is enough. There is an entry fee of ₹50 per person.

We arrived at around 10 AM and the sun was so strong that we could barely stand exposed, so we took some quick snaps and headed straight for the more secluded and shaded tree side. The boats too lacked shade, so we did not take a boat ride. Rest of the activities were not taking place at that time.

Upper Shillong Tea Estate

Shillong has a few tea estates. The Upper Shillong Tea Estate falls right on the way to Cherrapunji. For those who have never visited a tea estate, may visit this tea garden. It is not very large like the ones in Assam or Munnar but is worth a visit.

Elephant falls

Elephant falls is a picturesque 2-tier fall to the south of Shillong enroute Cherrapunji. The name of the waterfall comes from an elephant shaped rock. However, the rock may have disintegrated or lost its shape and does not exist anymore. The name continues. The waterfall complex is properly developed for tourists so that you do not have to undertake a tiring trek. There are a few steps here and there but they are easily accessible for all. The entry fee is ₹100 per person which I think is on the higher side.

The water falls in two tiers in a dell (valley) covered with shrubs and fern all around thus, enhancing the view. The actual view of the waterfall falling on protruding stones with each stream taking its own course is visible only in pre-monsoon months when the volume of water is just enough. In post monsoon months till October, the waterfall is overflowing and the water is muddy. I have pictures of the waterfall from both the seasons. You can decide for yourself. Nevertheless, it is a must visit place near Shillong.

Market near Elephant falls

There is a small market complex with about 5 shops on each side of the parking area. Some sell tea and food while some sell local bamboo handicrafts. There were fridge magnets, vases, miniature tree houses and similar decorative items for home. All of them came in different sizes. Each one was unique in design and built. The price was very reasonable for handmade crafts as well. If you happen to come here do visit the shops and buy whatever you like. We thought the decor items would cause logistics issue for us and hence thought of buying them later from someplace else. But, nowhere else in Meghalaya, not even in Shillong, did we find the same handicraft items again. We felt so disappointed not having bought them here.

Lady Hyadri Park

Lady hyadri park is a leisure garden cum park for kids to have good time. If you are not travelling with kids, you may skip it or visit if you have extra time in hand. The garden is well kept with lawns and some flowers. There is a small zoo where you can see some animals like bear, civets and few birds. You can spend your evening here if you are tired from all the travelling and trekking. We had kept a day in Shillong for visiting this park but had to skip it as we were short on time due to traffic in Shillong.

Police Bazaar

Police Bazaar is the central area and a big market in Shillong. It is both a local market and a souvenir shopping hub. You will also find many street food stalls here. We visited this place in the evening and it way crowded. The entire market had colourful lights. There is huge Indian flag marking the square. The traffic is a mess at this place. There is a designated parking area under shopping complex charging by the hour. The market street has no entry for vehicles.

There are North & South Indian restaurants and several clothes, handicrafts, souvenir, decorative items shops here. Some 3-4 shops were selling only bamboo handicrafts. There are many street food vendors along the street. We explored the market completely and found that the souvenirs or handicraft items, even the fridge magnets were either expensive or being sold at the same rate as the smaller shops near different tourist attractions all over Meghalaya. We have shared a few places where we shopped from in this post.

Laitlum canyon

This is one of the most stunning canyons I have seen in my life. It is located south of Shillong and can be accessed enroute Cherrapunji or coming from Dawki/Jowai to Shillong. You can also take a day trip to Laitlum and Krang Suri from Shilling. This is the most popular way to visit the place. The views of deep valleys, rolling hills, rocky horizon and a few distant waterfalls from the viewpoint will forever be etched in your memory. We suggest you visit this place last so that your Meghalaya trip which is already wonderful ends on a higher note.

There are a number of place to eat here so you can take all the time to to soak in the views or just the place. We visited this place at noon, still the valley was filled with floating clouds. It was very windy and chilly. We spent quite some time here waiting for the clouds to clear. It did not clear up completely but we had moments when we could view the hills and the valley partially. We plan to visit it sometime again just to see the canyon clearly in whole. We suggest cut short on any other plan but definitely visit this place.

Krang Suri waterfall

Krang Suri waterfall is a famous tourist spot enroute Shillong to Jowai. You can also visit it as a day trip from Shillong. Both have separate entrance points for this waterfall. The approach from Shillong is better developed for tourists. The one from Jowai side is still under construction. We approached the fall from the Jowai side and it had a short little difficult trek to reach a point where both entrances merge into a common main entrance point. This side offered a stunning full panoramic view of the fall from a distance. The zipline activity here also starts from this side although you need to book tickets from the counter located at the main entry point of the fall. It leaves you on the other side of the fall. So it is a bit of a up and down climbing if you are choosing to zipline here.

The waterfall is a not very high but wide and straight fall. The main attraction of this fall is the clear blue pool formed at the foot where anyone can easily swim or have fun in the water. There are also shaded galleries from where you can enjoy the fall or take pictures. It can get very crowded during peak times as it is a famous spot and conveniently located. Anyhow do not miss this if you are in Meghalaya.