Planning a Shillong & Meghalaya Tour — A Short Guide
Meghalaya (literally 'abode of the clouds') is the wettest state in India — Mawsynram in the East Khasi Hills holds the world record at 11,872 mm of rainfall a year, with Cherrapunji a close second at 11,777 mm. The state spans 22,429 km² across the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills, with a population of 33 lakh, three matrilineal tribes (Khasi, Jaintia, Garo) where inheritance passes through the youngest daughter, and English as the official language alongside Khasi and Garo.
Travellers come for the living root bridges at Nongriat, Mawlynnong, Riwai and Cherrapunji — handwoven across rivers by guiding rubber-fig roots over decades — the limestone caves (Meghalaya holds 9 of India's 10 longest caves, including Krem Liat Prah at 31 km), the Khasi sacred groves of Mawphlang, the crystal-clear Dawki river on the Bangladesh border, and the Shillong indie music scene that gave India its biggest rock bands.
Best time to visit Meghalaya
October to April for clear skies, comfortable temperatures and accessible root-bridge treks. November to February is ideal for caving (rivers low enough to enter the caves). June to September is the legendary monsoon — Cherrapunji and Mawsynram receive 600 mm in a single day, the falls run at full force, and Nongriat villages can be cut off by flooding. We run a special monsoon-wonders package for travellers who specifically want the deluge experience.
How to reach Shillong & Meghalaya
The nearest commercial airport is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi (GAU) in Guwahati — 100 km / 3 hours by road via the four-laned Jorabat highway. Shillong's own Umroi airport (SHL) has limited flights from Kolkata, Dimapur and Agartala. From Shillong, Cherrapunji is 54 km / 1.5 hours; Mawlynnong is 78 km / 2.5 hours; Dawki is 82 km / 2.5 hours; Tura (Garo Hills) is 220 km / 8 hours by road (or a 50-min Pawan Hans helicopter from Guwahati on Tuesdays and Fridays).
What to eat in Shillong & Meghalaya
Jadoh (rice cooked with pork blood and spices), doh khlieh (pork salad with onion and chilli), tungrymbai (fermented soybean), pumaloi (steamed rice cake), nakham bitchi (dried fish soup), kappa (Garo bamboo-shoot dish), and pukhlein (sticky honey rice fritter). Wash it down with kyat (local rice beer) or a Shillong craft beer. The cafés along Laitumkhrah and Police Bazaar — Café Shillong, Dejavu, Trattoria — serve excellent continental fare for travellers who prefer a milder palate.