Hikerwolf - Trip to Meghalaya

When you look around, the clouds will bow down to kiss you, the trees will conspire to hug you, and the people will come together to make you smile. A place as magical as its name, Meghalaya is truly about romancing with the clouds. It’s a place where every single step you take is an exploration within yourself, where every single day you live is a fulfilling experience, and every single minute you spend urges you to think: “Is this my imagination? Or am I really living this?

So why just imagine? Let us make it into a reality. Join us, as we take you on a trip of your dreams.

5N/6D

TRIP ROUTE:

Guwahati–Shillong–Cheerrapunjee–Dawki– Shongpedeng–Shillong–Guwahati

₹ 16999/-

Day 1: Arrive at Guwahati Airport and start the drive. Ghumte ghumte we reach Shillong and visit Khamakhya temple, Umiam Lake, Iewduh market, Police Bazaar, and Shillong Peak. Overnight stay at Shillong.

Day 2: Drive from Shillong to Cherrapunji. On the way, visit Elephant falls, Laitlum Grand Canyon, Mawphlang sacred forest, and Mawsmai caves. Overnight stay at Cherrapunji.

Day 3: Hike to the Double Decker Living Root Bridge in Nongriat village. Explore the village & head back to the hotel. Overnight stay at Cherrapunji.

Day 4: Explore Nohkalikai Falls, Mawlynnong village, and Umngot River in Dawki. Spend the night in a camp at Dawki or Shnonpedeng.

Day 5: Drive from Dawki to Shillong. Visit Krangshuri waterfall and swim in the water. Overnight stay at Shillong.

Day 6: Drive back from Shillong to Guwahati. Head back home with happy memories from the trip.

Kumno! Namaste! We’re happy to crossroads with you after days of containing the excitement. Today, as soon as we meet at Guwahati airport at 10 am, we’re pumped up like never before. With this energy, soon, we start our road trip to Shillong. You must have heard of the North-East part of India being untouched by human exploitation. You’ll realize that it’s very true as you breathe in the fresh air and see nature at its rawest and meet the warmest of locals who love to be in harmony with nature.

Baithe baithe kya Kare Karna hai Kuch kaam, and apart from getting to know this beautiful scenery, we will get to know each other’s naam.

We vroom through the road with the jazziest of songs and get lost in the surrounding beauty. By now, we would have indulged in some fun gossips with our fellow travellers and we’re here at Maa Khamakhya temple. Also referred to as the abode of the Bleeding Goddess, every year during the month of June, the adjacent Brahmaputra near Kamakhya temple makes everyone curious by mysteriously turning red!

We immerse ourselves in the divine aura of the temple overlooking the Nilanchal hills, following which, we head towards the Umiam Lake. It’s a man-made reservoir that can beat the best of nature’s creations! Everywhere you look, you feel magic. Here, we spend our time staring at the magnificent lake, boating and photo-bombing each other like crazy, and bonding over stories from here and there.

Following the meandering route, we soon reach our hotel and check-in for the day. We rest and relax for a while, and jazz up for our next exploration around the city. We start with Iewduh, also known as ‘Barabazaar’. It is the oldest and largest traditional market centre in Northeast Asia. Here, we’ll engage in an authentic north-east market experience, where people from different walks of life come together for their day to day buys.

Unlike the Iewduh market, Police Bazaar is a blend of the traditional & the modern. We scan through the alleys and soon head to Shillong Peak, around 10kms from the main city. Here, what we get to witness is incomparable. Breath-taking views of the entire city, the Himalayas, the waterfalls, and the Bangladesh plains- it’s almost like the best things in the world have been put in one platter! Its beauty will linger longer than ever.

Next what? Abb bass bhi… Chalo abb waapis chalte hai!

Now that we are done for the day, let’s not forget that we got the night to ourselves. Time for some mini-party, and dancing over Ritviz Bacardi House Party sessions while playing some games. We spend an enthralling night in Shillong and gear up for the next day.

Today, you wake up amidst the breezy mountains and the chirping birds! We hop out of our beds, savour some delicious breakfast, and start our drive to Cherrapunji at 8:30 am. Halfway through the drive, you will realize that we are driving on one of the most beautiful roads in India. The journey will be filled with joy, fun, and laughter over the lamest of jokes.

The first stop for the day is Elephant falls. Its paradisiacal beauty can charm any individual! One of the most popular lakes of Shillong, the Elephant Falls is also known as the ‘Three-Step Falls’, as it consists of three mesmerizing falls in succession.

We wet ourselves and capture the best photographs in the waterfall! You will realize that our gang consists of some brilliant people who are not only crazy photo-bombers but are also great photographers! As we splash water onto each other, we dance and make the most of the moment, following which, we head towards Laitlum Grand Canyon. The peace here is enigmatic. The whole aura feels so fresh and pure that it makes you forget your worries for a long time! Laitlum makes you feel like you’re on the edge of the hills- looking at the panorama from here gives you an adrenaline rush like no other!

If there’s one thing we can assure you, it’s how even after days, looking back at North East India will give you an essence of untouched rawness and long-lasting purity. And this feels especially absolutely true when we visit the Mawphlang sacred forest. It’s a dense forest that is home to the most beautiful plants, flowers, and herbs in the world.

Last but not the least, we visit the Mawsmai caves. Undeniably the most popular caves in Cherrapunji, the structures and formations are the epitome of the most beautiful creations on earth! This natural cave is full of stalagmites and stalactites, with water dripping from the roof every time- making it one of the most mystical and sought after adventures in Cherrapunji.

After a long day full of madness, we finally check in to our hotel in Cherrapunji. I’m sure by now guys would have formed a great bond that we will have to tell you to retire for the day.

Another day, another exploration! The sun greets us with a mouth-watering breakfast at our table, which energizes us for our day hike. You read it right! Today, we hike to the Double Decker Living Root Bridge in Nongriat village. It’s a legendary bridge that is the heart of the Khasi tribes. This entire trek will fascinate you like no other- you will see lush greenery all around you, with strangled roots of trees and water so clear that you will be able to spot some beautiful fishes swimming in them. You’ll cross numerous stones, rain-fed rivers, and surrounding forests. As the bridges shake and swing over the river, it would almost be like living through an adventure. Adventure enthusiasts are sure to fall in love with this 150-year-old man-made wonder, that’s no less than any creation of nature. Surrounding the bridge, there are waterfalls, dense forests, and natural swimming pools where we can swim until our souls have been purified! If you are afraid of water, don’t you worry! There will someone crazy enough to give you swimming lessons.:P

After exploring the beautiful village for a while, we head back to our hotel tired as never! But no matter the exhaustion, our JOSH will be still at its peak. So let’s now lose our crazy minds over some fab ‘Never have I ever session’. Are you nervous?

After some fun night, we sleep with the magical memories from the hike.

There’s a different kind of beauty in waking up amidst the hills! As soon as morning strikes, we have our breakfast and soon after, we hop into our car to visit the most outstanding falls in Cherrapunji. The Nohkalikai Falls, also known as the Seven sister falls is an expedition on its own. This is the waterfall where you literally feel like you’re in the abode of the clouds! Lush green stretches of hills and the clouds surrounding and blending with the mist beneath the waterfall- it’s like a treat to your senses.

Every cascade, every waterfall you see has a different story to tell. We click pictures amidst the everlasting beauty, and soon continue with our trip to Mawlynnong village with us bathroom singers grouping up to form a band during the road trip! Such vibes, pretty much wow. Mawlynnong village is also renowned for being the cleanest village in India, this village will make you feel blessed. It has a population of barely 400 people where the mist makes you ecstatic and the clouds romances with the hills. It is lined with narrow pathways, a beautiful stretch of flower beds, small streams, waterfalls, a living root bridge, and a wide expanse of acacia plantation. This village is also the perfect spot for the perfect view of the faraway lands of Bangladesh.

After a fulfilling romance with nature, we continue our journey towards a hidden gem of Meghalaya, Dawki. With some more songs and masti in the car, we reach Dawki. Yayy! The Umngot River at Dawki meanders through lush green Khasi and Jaintia Hills. It shines like a bright emerald stone under the sun. The water is so clean that you can literally see its bottom!

Several boats dot the surface of the water to offer you the most magical boating experience of your life. Once you see Dawki, you’ll start believing in fairy tales. At night, we camp at Dawki or Shnonpedeng to relish the most out of each other’s company while gazing at the stars. Soon, we feel an eerie feeling consuming us all as not all camping experience is complete without those spine-chilling ghost stories! evil grin Are you afraid?

Dance underneath a majestic waterfall Tick ✓. Today, we are going to tick your fancies off your bucket list. Early morning, we savour a sumptuous breakfast, post which we head to this majestic waterfall called the Krangshuri waterfall. The shimmering blue sapphire like water will lure you until you are absolutely spellbound! Soon, we put on our lifejackets, hold each other’s hand tight, and at the count of one, two, three…. You go, pal! Take that leap of faith!

While you take the leap, all of us will cheer you like mad- because that’s what friends do! You might have witnessed a number of beautiful waterfalls, but swimming in nature’s paradise is an incomparable experience. Once we fulfill our hearts by swimming in Meghalaya’s most beautiful waterfall, we shall take the route back to Shillong.

This is the last night in Shillong. At night, we explore the world-class cafes and get into the fanciest of all moods. We reminisce about all the nights we’ve spent with each other on this trip and realize that we’re gonna miss them for ages to come. So how can we let go of tonight so easily? Let’s spend the next one hour playing some crazy Dumb Charades with each other and obsessing over SRK and Bhai ke movies! Who’s going first?

It’s the last day, yet a memorable one. Our eyes are restless to soak in the beauty of the hills for one last time, following which, we meet each other for breakfast. Once we pack up, we check out of the hotel and start our journey back to Guwahati. The three hours journey back to Guwahati will be all about hippie songs and recollecting the memories made in the last few days.

By 6 pm, we leave and bid each other a goodbye with the tightest of hugs. Today, we promise to stay in touch and go for many more trips like this. We board our flight and head back home with the happiest of memories. So here, hasta la vista- until we meet again!