Shillong hill station – Shillong travel guide

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Shillong located in Meghalay, Sitting pretty at 4,909 ft in the East Khasi Hills, 100 km South of Guwahati. The beginnings of the East go back to 1862-64 when the British obtained two large plots in the Khasi Hills through their sharpest weapon coercive negotiations. The agreement that saw the growth of Shillong, among India’s most prized hill stations, was extracted from Mylliem, one of the 25 Khasi states ruled by elected rajas. Shillong is a pleasant 3-hr ride from Guwahati and as the city approaches, nature suddenly seems to put on its best face. All along the road, the scenes are laid out in true splendor and viewing points are hoisted to vantage heights. And as soon as you reach Umiam Lake, a little before Shillong, the mercury drops dramatically as much as by 10 degrees in summer. Non-partisan nature must have extended such a welcome even to Britishers who wandered this far.

Nobody wants to be part of England any more but piece of England is still a compliment. And that’s what Shillong was a chip off the British Isles that description is a bit of an exaggeration now. In the last tow decades, attempts to save the forests have reduced the numbers of the traditional wooden structures here, which had their won charm. The polo and the weekly races have also almost vanished, along with the horses. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of beauy in Shillong and, thanks to great roads, most of it is easily accessible.

Best time to visit Shilong
Nandi Hills is year-round destination. The Nandi Hills experience pleasant and moderate temperate all the year through. The Nandi Hills is the perfect hill resort as the summer temperature varies between 29 and 23 degrees. During the winters the temperature at the Nandi Hills hovers between 21 and 11 degrees.

How to reach Shillong:
By Air : Guwahati’s Borjhar Airport is the nearest international airport at a distance of 128 kilometers from Shillong.
By Rail : Shillong is connected by rail with the rest of the country through the railhead of Guwahati at a distance of 103 kilometers.
By Road : Both Deluxe and ordinary bus services are available.

Tourist attractions in Shillong

Popular Sightseeing spots in Shillong:

Shillong Peak : An ideal picnic spot, it is just 10 kms from the city. Located at an altitude of 1965 m, it offers a dazzling view of the idyllic surroundings.

Ward’s Lake :

A beautiful lake covered with different flowers, plants and trees located in the heart of the city is ward’s lake. It is popular for short garden walks and boating. It’s said that it’s construction was initiated by a bored prisoner who was ready to do any kind of work to get out of his cell. He was given the work of digging holes and filling them up again. This place was named after Sir William Ward, the Chief Commissioner. There is a beautiful garden jest nearby, which is called as The

Botanical Garden : Lady Hydari Park There is the perfectly landscaped Lady Hydari Park ablaze with roses and flowers of almost every variety even as weeping willows bend into water bodies that house pelicans and the like. There is also a mini zoo and Butterfly museum with colorful species preserved for sale and posterity. There is the perfectly landscaped Lady Hydari Park ablaze with roses and flowers of almost every variety even as weeping willows bend into water bodies that house pelicans and the like.

Waterfalls : There are different waterfalls in and around this small and beautiful hill station. Bishop and Beadon falls, Elephanta Falls, Spread Eagle Falls, Sweet Falls, Crinoline Falls (very near to Lady Hydari Park) etc. Shillong is rich in having caves, too.

Golf club : Golf Course :

Developed in 1889 as a nine hole course, it was later converted to an 18 hole course, in 1924. It is termed as the ‘Gleneagle of the East’, at the United States Golf Association Library and Museum. Shillong is famous for having the biggest natural Golf course of Asia. The greenery of this place is hard to find anywhere else.

Lum Nehru Park : Adjacent to the orchid lake resort in one of the surrounding spurs, there is a charming park. Besides beautiful lawns and flowers. There is also an orchid-house and an aviary. Plans are afoot to construct an aquarium and set-up musical fountains nearby. Anglican Cemetery Lovers of old churchyards will enjoy the Anglican cemetery in Rilbong, with gravestones dating back to the last century, including those soldiers killed in the Lushai campaign in Mizoram.

State Museum : Meghalaya’s State Museum, in Lachumiere, has exhibits depicting tribal customs and a weaker collection of ancient scriptures from elsewhere in India. It offers a in-depth glimpse of the lifestyle and heritage of the people.

Beadon Falls, Bishop Falls & Elephant Falls : Beadon Falls and Bishop Falls, off the Guwahati road at Mawprem, 3-km north, and Elephant Falls, set amid fern-covered rocks 12-km south, are popular waterfalls and picnic sites.

Kyllang Rock :

On the road from Mairang to Nongkhlaw lies a massive single granite stone at great height known as Kyllang Rock. It presents an appearance of a circular dome with a diameter of about 1,000 ft.

English Homes Shillong
As the district headquarters, shillong was carefully planned for the resident and itinerant Englishman. The military authorities established their cantonment mostly in Upper Shillong, and in the remaining portion of this flat land, the civil station was laid out. This was British Shillong, the enclave of the Raj in the Khasi Hills. European pensioners, serving officers, tea planters, businessmen all built their cottages here, naming them after places in England Stratmore, now the BK Bajoria School, Bonny Brae housing the Survey of India today, Crowborouh, where a hotel is now under construction, Radlands and La Chatelet in the cantonment to name a few.

Indian Manors Shillong

The station gradually extended itself beyond the limits of British Shillong. Both Europeans and Indians began to buy land and build their houses. Indian princely families also started their establishments. Tripura, charkhari, Manipur and even Nepal built imposing houses. Mayurbhanj House, built by the Mayurbhanj princely family is now the city property of the North Eastern Hill University.

Lakes and Waterfalls in Shillong
You will cross your first lake even before you reach shillong. Umiam Lake, aka Barapani, lies 16 km before shillong on NH40. Umiam in Kashi means water of the eyes. The lake is the source of the Umiam River, which has been transformed into a reservoir to produce electricity. The Orchid Lake Resort offers a pleasant stay near the lake, boasting water sports facilities such as speed boating. Water-skiing and rowing. The hills and the meadow around the lake are a good place to hang out. Sadly, the floating restaurant run by the state tourism department has been shut down.

The waterfalls are also spread out all over Shillong. The Swet Falls is located near Happy Valley which spread eagle falls near the polo ground has been named rather aptly looking exactly like an eagle with its wings spread out.

Around Shillong

Smit 15 km
Five Kilometres off the Jowai Road on NH44 lies Smit, the palace of Hima Khyrim the erstwhile Raja of Khyrim. It is here that the famous Nongkrem dance so often depicted in tourism brochures aws a Khasi dance is held, usually every November. The place is worth a visit even if one misses the event. The dance is held in the courtyard of a house called ka Ing Saad, belonging to the high priestess of khyrim. It is one of the few examples of a traditional khasi house still standing and is in an excellent state of repair.

Cherrapunjee 51 km
The district headquarters for the British from 1835 until 1864 no visit to shillong can be complete without a trip to Cherrapunjee, known to every school child for receiving the highest rainfall in the world atitle now taken overy by the nearby mawsynram though.

About 2 km south of the circuit house is mawsmai village, on the edge of a deep gorge. There is a wonderfaul view of the nearly 1,000 ft high Nohsnglthiag Falls. There are many other falls close by the most spectacular being Nohkalikai. There are some lovely limestone caves nearby too. For the overnight visitor, there is the well main tained cherrapunjee holiday resort 16 km from the town.

Thadlaskein Lake 56 km
You will again take NH44 driving through some absolutely stunning landscape. Thadlaskein has it that the rectangular Thadlaskeing Lake was dug with the help of arrowheads, but it is fed by perennial underground springs. If you start early you can even cover nartiang the seat of an ancient kingdom and see a cluster of megaliths there the Stonehenge of the Jaintia Hills.

Shillong – Fairs and Festivals
Festivals are an integral part of the tribes in Shillong. Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and the New Year Day celebrations are the most important. Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, or the Nongkrem dance and Shad Sukmynsiem are the most important Khasi festivals. Behdiengkhlam, the festival of the Jaintias, is celebrated in July. Then there is the Wangala festival of the Garos that is dedicated to the Sun God.

accommodation in Shillong
Shillong offers accommodation options ranging from luxury Hotels and hill resorts in Shillong and medium-priced Economy hotels in Shillong, we offer you the right kind of accommodation for you and your family visiting Shillong for a summer retreat, honeymoon travel to Shillong, a family vacation in Shillong.

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