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How to Reach Shillong:
Umroi is a small airport about 35 km from Shillong. Boeing Air Alliance Flights (50 seaters) operate on this route, weather permitting. Buses / Taxis are available from Shillong to Umroi and back. Helicopters are available from Guwahati to Tura and Tura to Shillong on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday and from Guwahati to Shillong and Shillong to Guwahati daily except on Sunday. It takes 20 min. to reach Shillong from Guwahati and one hour from Guwahati to Tura. This means of transportation is both economical and convenient. Alternatively, Guwahati Airport, 128 km from Shillong, is connected to the rest of India with regular flights. Shared cabs (typically small cars from the airport, and larger Tata Sumos from Guwahati town centre) are available from outside the airport, connecting to Shillong. The rate per passenger is fixed, from Guwahati Airport to Shillong. The cab drops you off at a prominent stop from where you can continue to almost any part of Shillong. En route to Shillong, you'll probably stop midway at Nongpoh to freshen up and get some refreshments. Canned beer and sodas are freely available. Do not be surprised if you find a youth on the bonnet of your car. He sucks in petrol and blows it into a funnel leading to the carburetor. This is because of Shillong’s altitude of 1500-1900 m.
There are no rail lines in Meghalaya. The nearest railway station is Guwahati. Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) has bus services coordinated with train arrivals at Guwahati.
An all-weather National Highway, connects Shillong with Guwahati. The state's transport corporation and private transport operators have services to various places in Meghalaya and to neighbouring states. |
Demographics:
Tribals make up almost 85% of Meghalaya's population. The Khasis, the Garos
the Jaintias, the Koch and the Hajong, Dimasa, Hmar, Kuki, Lakhar, Mikir, Rabha and the
Nepali sects comprise the 'Hill Tribes'. Meghalaya is one of the three Christian majority states in India, with 70.3% of the population Christians; the other two states, Nagaland and Mizoram, also in north-east India. Hinduism is practiced by 13.3% of the population. 11.5% of the population follow traditional animist religions. Muslims make up 4.3%. English is the official language of the State, but the commoner speaks Khasi or Garo.
Where to Stay: Accommodation in Shillong is excellent, be it a hotel, guesthouse or a B & B. Hotel Pinewood & Hotel Polo Towers are recommended.
What to See:
Meghalaya has many rivers, mainly rain fed and thus seasonal. Over time, these rivers have created deep gorges and several beautiful waterfalls. With no visit limitations, Meghalaya is one of the most scenic states in the country. It has enough tourism content to attract every type of tourist, including adventure tourists, water sport lovers, etc. Meghalaya's estimated 500 natural caves attract cavers from UK, Germany, Austria, Ireland and the US. Meghalaya also has many natural and manmade lakes and parks. Cherrapunjee is one of the most popular tourist spots, holding the record for maximum annual rainfall, just 50 km from Shillong by road, but 14 km as the crow flies.
Popular waterfalls in the state are the Elephant, Shadthum, Weinia, Bishop, Nohkalikai, Langshiang and Sweet Falls. The Jakrem hot springs are believed to have curative properties. For sightseeing it is a good idea to hire a taxi cab for full day. The fares should be fixed before travel. Ask the Hotel staff about reasonable rates. Shillong has an 18-hole golf course known as Glen Eagle of the East; Don Bosco Museum, a seven-floor Museum offers 14 aesthetically pleasing and informative galleries about the North East.
Where and What to Eat: In Meghalaya, multi-cuisine restaurants as well as local food stalls are to be found everywhere. There are over 50 such eateries. Besides the usual Chinese, Indian and Continental dishes, if one is adventurous enough to sample local food, one can be sure the taste buds are in for a treat. Rice is the staple food and different varieties are grown and eaten in Meghalaya. Pork is relished by all three communities. The Khasi and Jaintia cuisine are similar with distinctively tasty pork and other dishes. A cold salad of ginger and onion garnished shredded pork is also popular. I would advise you to give pork the miss.
During the early monsoon, different varieties of mushroom sprout all over the Jaintia and Khasi Hills and make their way to the markets. The mushrooms are either cooked with the meat dishes or just fried lightly on their own. Rice is cooked either plain or in combination with onions, ginger and turmeric, giving it the characteristic yellow colour this is known as 'jastem'. Rice cakes called putharo and the drier flaky pumaloi are prepared from rice flour. Another variety is the deep fried jaggery sweetened pukhiein and steamed pusla usually eaten as snacks with tea.
The Garo cuisine is simple to cook and rich in flavour. One of the most popular dishes among the Garos is the 'Nakham Bitchi' dish, which is cooked wrapped in leaves or in fresh Bamboo cylinders over an open fire, thereby infusing the food with the flavour of the leaves and green bamboo. Also popular among the Khasi, Jaintia and Garos is fish and meat preserved either by drying in the sun or smoking over fire. A variety of chutneys always accompany the meals.
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