[renownedalmond]

What do you do when your mates are too busy to travel? You travel alone, have a good time and make sure to recount every detail of it to your mates.

Since getting my 'Silver Surfer', I was dying to go on a road trip but all my mates were too busy making money to be really interested. So, I decided to do a solo trip from Guwahati to Mawphanlur, Meghalaya.

Started late in the afternoon on a Friday and reached Shillong around 5pm in the evening. Since I had called up earlier and was not able to get a cottage to stay in the Traveler's nest in Mawphanlur, so I decided to spend the night in Shillong.

Note: There is only one place to stay in Mawphanlur and that place has a total of 3 cottages and one dormitory-type barn which can accommodate 5 people together. So, it is advisable to book in advance.

From Shillong, I started early in the morning at around 7am to beat the weekend traffic. Having set the course on google maps, I headed towards NH 106 out of the city. There is a fork on the road near Elephant Falls, where I had to take the right lane. The left one would take me to Sohra(Cherrapunjee). The roads are under repair for some 20-30kms after which the road really transforms into something out a Hollywood movie scene. One of the best roads I have driven in, in India and a surrounding landscape to match. Pictures taken with a phone camera do not do it justice but Tis' all I got.

One of my Silver Surfer at one of the many bends you will find on this highway.


There are very few vehicles plying this road(for now at least).


Local Khasi place where you can have a good lunch for unbelievably low prices.




Chicken thali for INR 50 with huge cucumbers.






After about 80kms from Shillong, I reached Markasa market, where the caretaker of the 'Traveler's Nest', Mr. Francis has asked me to wait for him. Now, I had heard a few people say that the road leading up to Mawphanlur is quite bad. But, having driven in the renowned Kashmir-Ladalkh-Himachal circuit in a hatchback, I took it upon myself as a challenge to atleast have a look at how 'bad' this road really was. And this time since I was behind the wheels of a 'cross-over', I felt pretty confident. Just when I was asking the locals the way which would lead me to Mawphanlur village, I saw a Mahindra Bolero come to the main market square and stop. Some people got out of the Bolero and coincidently, one of them was my friend. They had just returned from a 2-day stay in Mawphanlur. So, I asked them about the place and whether I should take my car up the hill. My friend just showed me his Duster, which he had parked in the market square and told me that his 4x4 Duster could not make it even 1 km uphill. With the Travellers' Nest being at a distance of 5kms from there, he suggested, I park my car in the square which was perfectly safe and take the ride uphill in the Bolero.
I very sanely took his advice and rode in the Bolero on a road in which most 4x4s would have a tough time negotiating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHoy3Jng0wc

Note: Rides are charged at 400 INR per trip.
Once you get to the place, its like a scene from a movie. 7 small lakes surround the place and the small paved road leading up the hill almost makes you want to build a house there. Only a few families stay in this hill or as Mr. Francis likes to say, "one hill for one family".

Some more pictures...



The cottage where I stayed


The Bolero which got me to Mawphanlur


The beginning of the road leading up to Mawphanlur


Halfway point on the road up to Mawphanlur



Though I stayed just one night in Mawphanlur, it was an amazing experience. The caretaker, Mr. Francis stays there with his family which includes 2 kids and a baby. Both the kids help out in maintaining the place. The Khasis take good care of their natural surroundings and dispose of their garbage in a very ordered manner. I would request any traveler visiting this place to respect their sense of cleanliness.
The money collected from tourists goes towards preserving the beauty of this place as well as towards the village development as its a co-operative society.

The entrance to the Travelers' Nest


On the way back to Guwahati, had to take a diversion because of a landslide on the highway.


But all in all the roads are very good with scenic views.

Note: Landslides are pretty common on this stretch of the highway when it rains.

Had a nice lunch in Hongkong restaurant(Police Bazaar) in Shillong.


As it was Sunday on the way back, most places were closed but Police Bazaar is always open.

Last one of my Silver Surfer standing tall on the road.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by renownedalmond

Only a few families stay in this hill or as Mr. Francis likes to say, "one hill for one family".

That road to Mawphanlur must become a nightmare when it rains! The place looks so serene. Did it have a small school in the area? I was wondering how people would manage education for the kids in places like these.

[BopsKA12]

Had never heard about this place untill now. Thanks to you Hoping that the place stays Serene as it is and does not turn into a mindless touristy spot that many places have becomeIs this a private place owned by the families staying there?

[Rohan24]

Wow! 2 Meghalaya travelogues in a week.
The roads look breathtakingly beautiful, and so does the place! No wonder it's called the Scotland of the East. That road and the scenery would quite easily fit into a scene from the Scottish highland passes.

[blacklist]

Nice and crisp travelogue brother! S cross is an excellent highway cruiser with strong driving dynamics. I too undertook Delhi-Manali-Delhi and it was a charm to drive my s cross. I call mine "White Beast" as it truly signifies it's character.

[renownedalmond]

Originally Posted by Lone Ranger

That road to Mawphanlur must become a nightmare when it rains! The place looks so serene. Did it have a small school in the area? I was wondering how people would manage education for the kids in places like these.

There is no school in Mawphanlur but there is a small school in Makasa, where the main market is. So the kids have to travel on foot all the way down from the top of the hill. But these are hardy kids. I do a fair amount of trekking but I was left gasping for breath by a friendly kid around 14 years old who volunteered to show me the lakes.

When I went, I was lucky for it was not raining. Some of my friends had told me their experiences of getting out of the Bolero, stuck in the mud and having to push it along the way.

Originally Posted by BopsKA12

Had never heard about this place untill now. Hoping that the place stays Serene as it is and does not turn into a mindless touristy spot that many places have become

This is not in the regular tourist circuit mostly because of the difficulty in reaching this place and also because it has very limited living accommodations.
I was told that the road leading up to Mawphanlur would be a gravel road by December this year. If that is done, then I expect a lot more tourists to visit it.
Hopefully, they preserve the serenity of the place.

It is not a private place but a Meghalaya Govt. initiative to promote tourism in villages with scenic views to allow the villagers to have alternate sources of income other than farming which would allow them to develop their respective villages.

Originally Posted by Rohan24

Wow! 2 Meghalaya travelogues in a week.

Thanks but I just wrote one travelogue.

Originally Posted by Rohan24

The roads look breathtakingly beautiful, and so does the place!

Well, actually Shillong is called the 'Scotland of the East. But the breathtaking views start once you cross Shillong. It's quite an experience to drive on these roads because of the quality of the roads and the views to go with it..

[Rohan24]

Originally Posted by renownedalmond

Thanks but I just wrote one travelogue.

Hehe yeah, that was just a general comment. I meant yours and another one that came about a week back (TUV300).

Well, actually Shillong is called the 'Scotland of the East'. But the breathtaking views start once you cross Shillong. Its quite an experience to drive in these roads because of the quality of the roads and views to go with it..

Oh, my bad. But that's a bit weird, isn't it? It would've been more apt if it was a moniker for the region as a whole.