subject: Hill Station Shillong,meghalaya,india [print this page] Shillong is blessed with temperate climate all year long, which makes it an ideal holiday destination. Although modernization has taken its toll and traffic jams are the order of the day, this is an ideal place to unwind amidst simplicity and natural beauty.
Shopping
You could take back some delicious orange flower honey, pretty hand woven shawls and cane work articles, which are the specialties of the state. Police Bazaar is the shopping centre of the area, which also houses the state emporia.
Night Out
There arent too many choices of cuisine, though Chinese food is widely available. The best option is to stick to the hotel you are staying in. The south Indian "dosa" and "idli", north Indian "chola" and "bhatura" and Indian snacks are available in small restaurants in the Police Bazaar area. For
authentic local cuisine, venture out to Mawkhar Main Road and eat at the small-unnamed shacks. Bars are attached to the hotels. Entertainment is limited in Shillong with literally everyone going indoors at dusk. Safety is an issue with insurgency an unavoidable fact of life in the state and it is suggested you refrain from staying out beyond 2000 hours.
Activities
Relax in the sun by the manicured shores of the Wards Lake in the heart of the city. A visit to the museum will tell you a lot about the tribal way of life and if you are interested in water sports, take a trip to Umiam Lake which is 17 km from the city. Make sure you are wearing good walking shoes,
fill a hamper with a feast of a picnic lunch and set off for the day by Shillong''s numerous waterfalls - all within easy reach on foot. Set aside a day for each to savour these attractions.
Sights
Within Shillong city is the flower bedecked Wards Lake encircled by whispering pine groves. Take a boat ride if you want to or feed the multihued fish standing on the bridge across the lake. Youll love the walks in this city although it does get a little crowded with cars in the afternoon.
Lady Hydari Park doubles up as a miniature zoo and is a short distance away from Wards Lake. A visit to the St. Marys Christian Cathedral at Dhankheti is a must it has beautiful stained glass windows and the grotto is carved out of a single rock. The bells of the cathedral resonate across the city at dawn, in the afternoon and dusk. You see some impressive waterfalls around the town, Sweet Falls, Beadon and Bishop Falls, Crinoline Falls and Elephant Falls , though the most spectacular ones are near Cherrapunjee (56 km south). This was famous for long as the wettest place on earth till Mawsynram displaced it recently, where the mean annual rainfall is an astounding 1187 cm (nearly 39 feet)! Take a trip to Shillong Peak , which is the highest point in the city. It affords a view of the city enveloped in clouds, one you just cant afford to miss. In the evening, the lights of the city look like a thousand twinkling stars.
How to get there by Air
Borjhar Airport in Guwahati, Assam, is the nearest airport. You can get to Shillong in four hours from there in a hired taxi or a chartered bus.
How to get there by Rail
There are no railway lines inside Meghalaya. The nearest railhead is Guwahati, 128 km from Shillong. Buses and taxis then connect to Shillong. It would take you about 4 hrs from Guwahati Railway Station to Shillong.
How to get there by Bus
You can drive from Guwahati to Shillong in 4 hours and from Silchar to Shillong in 9 hours. The drive from Guwahati is scenic and definitely worth it. Rent a taxi or car and lose yourself in the verdant gently undulating hills that reveal themselves to you with every turn you take up to Shillong!
Best time to Visit
Shillong can be visited all year round; the numerous waterfalls and multihued flowers look even better in the rainy season.
There are quite a few good hotels in Shillong. This means that they are comfortable, a little expensive and provide all necessary facilities like hot water, bars, coffee shops etc. Budget hotels are in the Police Bazaar area. They are fairly comfortable but it is advisable to carry your own bed
Nearby Places
Cherrapunji is 55km southwest of Shillong was till recently the wettest place on earth, a claim that has been taken over by Mawsynram, another nearby village. Watch the water cascade down the Nohsngithing Fall and if you are looking for adventure, go caving in some of the longest limestone caves
in Asia. You can also have enough adventure if you decide to trek along the ancient David Scott Trail. Jowai is 61 kms from Shillong and is the headquarters of the Jaintia Hills and is a coal town. 4 kms before you hit Jowai, a road branches off to the left that leads to Nartlang, an erstwhile royal retreat. There are a huge number of monoliths concentrated in a single place and the tallest among them measures to 27 ft. There is also a 500-year-old Durga temple.
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