Tour and Travels

The best places to visit in Meghalaya include Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki, Mawlynnong, Laitlum Canyons, and the Double Decker Root Bridge – each offering something completely different, from glass-clear rivers to the world’s wettest valleys. Meghalaya means “Abode of Clouds” – and whoever named it had clearly spent time there. The clouds here aren’t just weather. They’re part of the landscape. You’ll drive through one on your way to breakfast. You’ll watch one swallow an entire valley by noon. By evening, you’ll stop being surprised and just start enjoying it. The place has a mood that photographs always underdeliver on. This guide is for anyone planning their first Meghalaya trip – or anyone who’s been once and is trying to figure out what they missed. Why Meghalaya Belongs on Your Travel List People come to Meghalaya for the waterfalls. They come back for everything else.   It’s also far less complicated to get to than people assume. Guwahati is the entry point – fly in, get in a car, and 3 hours later you’re in Shillong. No complicated permits, no multiple connections, no planning headache.   One day in Meghalaya genuinely looks like this: you’re at a waterfall by 9am, on a boat at Dawki by afternoon staring at a river that looks photoshopped, and back in Shillong by evening in a café with live music and better coffee than you expected. That range – in a single day – is unusual. Most destinations make you choose between nature and comfort. Meghalaya doesn’t ask you to. 1. Shillong – Start Here Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya and the natural base for any Meghalaya trip – a hill city with a colonial character, a thriving café culture, and day-trip access to most of the state’s top attractions.   Ask most people who’ve done Meghalaya, and they’ll say they wish they’d spent more time in Shillong itself. The instinct is to use it as a base and rush off to Cherrapunji or Dawki – which is understandable, but it means you miss a city that actually has something going on.   Shillong is called the Rock Capital of India for a reason. There’s live music coming out of venues on weeknights. The old colonial architecture is still standing and actually well-maintained. The café scene is the kind you’d expect in a bigger, more self-conscious city – but here it just feels natural. Give it at least one full day before you start day-tripping. What to see in Shillong Shillong Peak – the highest point in the city at 1,965 metres, with views across the hills that justify the drive up Ward’s Lake – a colonial-era garden lake in the heart of the city, good for an easy morning walk Don Bosco Museum – one of the most impressive museums in Northeast India, covering the culture and history of the region’s tribal communities Police Bazar – the city’s main market, chaotic in the best way, good for local food and shopping Elephant Falls – a three-tiered waterfall just outside the city, best after the rains Best time: October to April. Avoid peak monsoon (June–August) for Shillong specifically – the rain is relentless. 2. Cherrapunji (Sohra) – The Wettest Place on Earth Cherrapunji, now officially called Sohra, is one of the wettest places on earth and home to some of Meghalaya’s most spectacular waterfalls, the famous Double Decker Root Bridge, and dramatic views over Bangladesh.   Here’s something that surprises most visitors: Cherrapunji is wettest in monsoon, but the waterfalls are at their most spectacular then too. The landscape turns intensely green. The viewpoints over the Bangladesh plains below are dramatic beyond description.   Come in the post-monsoon months (September to November) for the sweet spot – waterfalls still running, skies starting to clear, and the hills at their most photogenic. What to see in Cherrapunji Nohkalikai Falls – the tallest plunge waterfall in India at 340 metres. One of those things you stand in front of and genuinely can’t process the scale of. Seven Sisters Falls (Nohsngithiang Falls) – seven streams of water falling side by side down a cliff. Best seen in monsoon when all seven are running. Double Decker Living Root Bridge – the most famous living root bridge in Meghalaya. Getting there involves a 3,500-step descent into the forest and back up again. It’s worth every step. Allow a full day. Mawsmai Cave – a limestone cave that you can walk through in about 30 minutes. Well-lit and accessible without specialized equipment. Eco Park viewpoint – panoramic views over the Bangladesh plains on a clear day. Nothing else in India looks quite like this. Tip: The Double Decker Root Bridge trek is physically demanding. Start by 7am, carry water, and wear proper shoes – not sandals. 3. Dawki – The River That Doesn’t Look Real Dawki is a small border town on the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border where the Umngot River runs so clear that boats appear to be floating on glass rather than water – one of the most photographed sights in Northeast India.   Photographs of Dawki circulate online constantly, and people always assume they’re edited. They’re not. The river genuinely looks like that – transparent right down to the riverbed, with boats casting shadows on the stones below.   The experience is best between November and February when the water is at its clearest. Monsoon muddies it significantly, so timing matters here more than most places.   Take a boat ride. It’s the only way to actually be on the river, and the perspective from the water – looking back at the hills of Meghalaya rising from the Bangladeshi plains – is unlike anything else. What to do at Dawki Boat ride on the Umngot River – go early in the morning before the crowd arrives Walk across the suspension bridge over the river – looks rickety, is safe, makes a good photograph Snap Shnongpdeng – a small riverside village 10 km from Dawki with camping options and