Khabargali/Meghalaya-- The meaning of the word Meghalaya is the house of clouds. Amazingly I found it the same whenever I visited whether it was the month of December or March or May- June, every time beautiful clouds in the form of soft cotton toys had attracted me immensely. I found them always ready to welcome me with open arms and smiling faces.
My pleasant journey to Meghalaya started from Raipur (Chhattisgarh) by indigo flight from Raipur to Kolkata , Guawahati, after that I had to travel by 'winger shuttle ' of Meghalaya tourism from Guawahati to Shillong, reason behind this is that most of the time Shillong airport is decorated with cloudy garlands , so the landing of aeroplanes is very rarely allowed here.
Shillong-
The very first place of tourist interest in Meghalaya is the capital city Shillong. It is cradled in the rain shadow of Shillong peak at 1491 mts above sea level,. it derives its name from “U Blei Shyllong " the presiding deity of Shillong peak. The picturesque setting and salubrious climate of shillong offer a pleasant escape from the scortching heat of the plains. Dotted with pretty tiny houses surrounded with attractive flowers adding a splash of color shillong is Ideal of family holiday, picnic, boating and with that a long visit can be punctuated with the leisurely shopping.
Shillong peak -
It is the highest point in the state at about 1965 meters above sea level and 10 kms away from city of shillong. A great favorite among tourists for a bird eye view of the city. Luckily the day when I had visited it was a clear day, so it offered a panoramic view of the spreading city below and also a glimpse of the majestic Himalaya peak.
Ward’s lake -
Shillong ward lake is also a popular spot for morning and evening walk as well as for boating. Almost a century old artificial lake is surrounded by a garden of pretty flowers and pine trees.
Golf course -
Shillong's natural Golf course is situated in the center of the city. close to the polo ground this beautiful 18-hole course is highly regarded among golfers from all over the world. This Famous golf course was set up in 1898 at an altitude of 5200 ft and often referred to as the Gleneagle of the east.
Umaim lake -
The biggest artificial Lake in Meghalaya is the umaim lake. It is located at 17 kilometers from shillong. water-sport complex here provides sailing, water skiing and canoeing. Police bazaar - The more modern Market has a number of comfortable hotels, multi cuisine restaurants and Shops that cater to every need and fancy. People congregated in the evening. Shillong has a vibrant night-life and I also enjoyed an evening of dance and music with my family over there.
Cherrapunjee–
Sohra (cherrapunjee) is a unique place reason being no.1 it is a favorite tourist destination famed for being the wettest place on the Earth .The annual rainfall here is 11500 millimeter. It is known as the Dream Land of fog and Clouds. secondly the slopes of Sohra towards Bangladesh are famous for "living root Bridges" very rarely to be found elsewhere in the world ,as the residents of Sohra described it proudly. Mawsynram – Mawjymbuin cave is situated at the distance of 55 kms from shillong, place is known for the spectacular stalagmite and stalactites formation inside the cave. It has a unique attraction to offer tourist on the pilgrimage trail in the form of a natural ‘shiva linga’ which receives steady drops of water from a stone shaped like a breast of cow situated directly overhead.
Mawlynnong –
This village is 90 kms from shillong. It has earned the distinction as the cleanest village in a Asia in the year 2003 by" Discover India magazine". Apart from the beautiful garden, it has the unique sight that is known as the " living root Bridge" .
Nartiang –
Village is situated 76km away from Shillong in the Jaintia hills district of Megalaya. This village was once the summer capital of Jaintiapur kings which includes sychat (under Bangladesh now) village is famous for largest collection of monolith in the state. The tallest monolith in this park measures 27 feets. some other sites are – shiv mandir, Durga Mandir, Thadiaskin park and resort, Barapani, eco park, Ramkrishna mission, elephant falls, Mawsmai caves, Mawkdok valley etc.
Some more informations..
Coach – 27 seater – 200-300/- per person Coach – 15/18 seater – 300-400/- per person Tourist cab – 2200/- Tata sumo – 2500-3000 Distance of guwahati airport from shillong is 150 km and gwahati railway station is – Meghalaya is neither just a house of clouds nor an ordinary hill station but it is the place where one can see natural beauty at its extreme, Which cannot be described in words ,so we just have to watch and enjoy because it is like heaven on earth.
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