MEGHALAYA

Beautiful, mist laden Meghalaya is the home of the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia communities. It borders Assam, of which it was once a part, and Bangladesh.

The Shillong Plateau laden with butterflies and orchids, the Nokrek Peak towering over the landscape, Mawsynram the wettest spot on earth, deep valleys, undulating meadows, roaring waterfalls, fascinating subterranean caves, and serene lakes – all coming together to give Meghalaya its incredible loveliness.

The Khasis, migrating from Myanmar, were the earliest to arrive in the Assam Plains where their kingdoms prospered. The Garos migrated here from Tibet. The Jaintias are said to have migrated here from Tibet-China.

Deeply influenced by Christian missionaries who came here to preach, Meghalaya today has some of the finest choir groups and bands in the country. Meghalaya is also deservedly renowned for its matrilineal society, a system that influences lineage and ancestral inheritance in favour of its women.

All three tribes come together in their fondness for rice beer, dried fish, sesame seeds, and smoked or boiled meat (pork is the favourite). Some of the classic dishes of the state are Nakham Bitchi, Pumaloi, Mylliem chicken, Wak Gominda, and Jastem.

Shillong

Sitting on the Shillong Plateau, Shillong, with its rolling hills, cool mountain breeze, and amazing views, is called ‘the Scotland of the East’.

The extremely anglicised city was once the capital of undivided Assam till 1972.

Highlights: Police Bazaar; Ward’s Lake; Lady Hydari Park; Spread Eagle Falls; Laitlum Canyons; Shillong Golf Course; Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures; around Shillong – Smit; Shillong Peak; Elephant Falls; Mawphlang Sacred Forest; Umiam Lake; Jowai.

Mawlynnong

Travel magazine Discover India called Mawlynnong ‘the cleanest village in Asia’.

Travelling from Shillong to Mawlynnong will take you through unbelievably diverse terrain – from tablelands to meadows to hamlets to waterfalls to streams to suddenly a quarry!

Highlights: Go on a walking tour of the village past fields, hills, and streams, and discover fantastic views of the neighbouring plains of Bangladesh; Living Root Bridges; Sky View.

Sohra

Sohra or Cherrapunji was once the ‘wettest spot on earth’ till the neighbouring village Mawsynram ousted the distinction from it.

The fabulous destination, sitting high on a plateau in the Khasi Hills, offers unmatched views of its diverse terrain that includes hills, cliffs, plateaus, gorges, waterfalls, fields, and streams.

For nature lovers and photographers, the landscape is a sheer delight!

Highlights: Mawkdok Dympep Valley Viewpoint; Mawsmai Cave; Seven Sisters Falls; Thangkharang Park; Nohkalikai Falls; Dainthlen Falls; around Sohra – Dawki; Lawmusiang.

Williamnagar

Picturesque Williamnagar lies on the banks of the Simsang River and has beautiful paddy fields, vegetable plantations, gorges, meadows and hills.

Highlights: Simsang River; Siju; Baghmara Reserve Forest; Balpakram National Park.

ASSAM

Assam’s strategic location in the Northeast, and its easy access to and from the rest of the country makes it the gateway to the Northeast.

The mighty Brahmaputra (Son of Brahma) River is the hero of Assam (also known as Ahom), and is what holds the natural wealth of the state together.

Beginning in Tibet as the Tsangpo, and then entering India through Arunachal as the Siang, the Brahmaputra is the lifeline of Assam – nurturing the valley it has carved, giving it great natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and sustaining the people of Assam.

The river is intrinsic to the sociocultural life of the state; it is the very heart of Assamese folklore, inspiring literature, art, and music.

Assam’s stunning Brahmaputra Valley, also plentifully blessed by the monsoon rains every year, is dotted with thick rainforests, emerald paddy fields, and fragrant tea plantations.

The state is home to Majuli Island, the world’s largest inhabited riverine island; Digboi, Asia’s first and oldest oil refinery; the finest tea industry, producing half of India’s tea; the UNESCO listed Kaziranga National Park, renowned for its conservation of the great one-horned Indian Rhinoceros and hundreds of species of protected fauna and flora.

Tracing their roots to Myanmar’s Shan tribe, the Ahoms, Assam’s most illustrious rulers, entered the state through the passes of the Patkai Range.

Having settled in the rich Brahmaputra Valley, the Ahoms eventually overthrew the native Kachari kings, and ruled from the 13th century from their bastion Charaideo, till the 19th century when the British arrived here.

Assam is home to an interesting blend of tribal and non-tribal communities who migrated here from different parts of the world, giving it a truly distinct and fascinating cultural identity that is multilingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious, making it one of the few states in India with such an incredibly assorted wealth of heritage and history.

Assamese cuisine is a wonderful coming together of various influences.

Lower Assam imbibes the flavours of Bengali, Oriya, and Thai cuisines, perhaps because of the area’s easy access to outsiders.

The food here is characterised by mustard oil and paste, paanch phoran (five spice mix), tomatoes, potatoes, and spinach.

Upper Assam, stands out for its mostly tribal food that is all about subtle flavours and use of wild herbs like lime, lemon etc.

Guwahati

Lying between the banks of the Brahmaputra and the foothills of the Shillong Plateau, Guwahati is the gateway to the Northeast, and the region’s largest and most cosmopolitan city.

Its strategic location has made it the commercial and financial hub of the entire Northeast, and one of the fastest growing economies.

But Guwahati’s remarkable character lies in its ability to effortlessly blend both the ancient and the modern that gives the city its distinct identity.

Highlights: Assam State Museum; Kamakhya Temple; Shrimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra.

Manas National Park

Situated on the Indo-Bhutan border, the Manas National Park was once the hunting ground of the royal family.

The spectacular Park has the remarkable distinction of being a wildlife sanctuary, tiger Reserve, national park, biosphere hotspot, elephant reserve, AND a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Natural)!

The Park is home to tigers, elephants, wild buffalos, and the sambar and swamp deer; it is watered by the Manas, Hakua, and Beki rivers.

Highlights: Jeep Safaris; Elephant Safaris; Plantation Visits; Jungle Walks; river rafting on the Manas.

Jorhat

The ancient town of Jorhat derives its name from two haats (bazaars) – Macharhat and Chowkihat – on either bank of the Bhogdoi river, a tributary of the Brahmaputra.

The town was the last capital of the Ahom Kingdom and was once a flourishing, prosperous place.

Today, Jorhat is one of Assam’s major cities, a rich economic hub, and is home to several premier educational and research institutes.

It is also called Assam’s tea capital because of the splendid tea estates around. Many tea estates have colonial bungalows, some of which have been refurbished for tourists.

Highlights: Gymkhana; Tocklai Tea Research Centre; Jorhat Science Centre and Planetarium; Raja Maidam; the Ponds; Burigosain Than; around Jorhat – Lachit Borphukan’s Maidan; Dhekiakhowa Bornamgha.

Kaziranga National Park

In 1985, the Kaziranga National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The splendid home of the iconic Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, the Park was also declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006.

Today, this outstandingly beautiful sanctuary is world-famous for its wildlife protection and conservation initiatives and activities – it is also the home of the wild elephant, wild water buffalo, hoolock gibbon, leopard, swamp deer, hog deer, sloth bear etc. and is an avian hotspot, especially for wetland and migratory birds.

The vast expanse of tall elephant grass, marshlands, dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, and the magnificent Brahmaputra give Kaziranga its exceptional beauty.

Highlights: Jeep Safaris; Elephant Safaris; the four tourist circuits of Kohora, Bagori, Agaratoli, and Ghorakati; Birdwatching.