[ALTIMAed]

First Goa next Meghalaya, as per this sequence, the next destination shall be towards west from Kolkata. If the direction is Delhi, please do give me a shout.

Very well written Avishek, the photographs too are really, a treat to the eye. How many kms was the round trip and what kind of mileage did you manage to extract from your Swift.

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by toppor

Quick question, how was the homestay, and if possible could you share the cost involved? Could this be an ideal stay for a group of 6 - 8 members?

We stayed in Pateng Homestay. They can easily accommodate a group of 6 to 8 members. But do call them in advance. There are 3 rooms on the ground floor and also a room on the first floor with a small balcony. It is a nice small room with attached bathroom suitable for 3 people. In case you are driving, they have their private parking space, but that is just two houses away. It is a safe space.

Cheers
Avishek

[sub.g84]

Good to see you have visited my home state Red Panda. Thoroughly enjoyed the photos.

However a few pointers that I would I would like to call out:

1) Its actually the cloud and not the fog that marrs the view at Nohkalikai falls. The trick here is to wait for a considerable time before one can catch a view of the falls. There is a folklore to this falls. Do check it out on the internet.

2) September-November are actually the best time to visit Meghalaya to get a good view of the falls in Cherrapunji as as well as the crystal clear water of Umngot river in Dawki. 7 sister falls is almost dry in the photo you captured. In rainy season one can see it in full force.

3) A tip for any future traveller to Meghalaya. Never ever plan your entry to Shillong in the evenings as the traffic can get insane. Shillong may boast of one of the most disciplined traffic scene in our country but the vehicular density and the narrow roads simply spoil the fun.

4) At Dawki you could have gone upto the border between India and Bangladesh. It is a friendly border and the BSF is quite cooperative in allowing one to go upto the no-man's land.

Did you happen to spend the whole day in Shillong in visiting only Wards Lake and markets? Shillong has of one of the most beautiful golf courses in Asia that gives it the name Scotland of the East. Also the Shillong Peak, Airforce museum, Cathedral Church are lovely places to visit.

For anyone keen to discover Shillong further:
- There are many falls within the city itself. All you need to do is hire a local chap who can show you around the tricky climbs to these falls.

- There is a nice dense jungle behind Tripura Castle for people who love to trek. I remember in school days we boys would bunk classes and go trekking here. The jungle has chest height vegetation and a lot of interesting streams that cut across the many slopes and steeps that one can explore.

- In Cherrapunji one can explore the adventure sports like zip lining and para gliding

- There is a sacred forest in a place outside Shillong called Mawphlang. It is the sacred belief of the locals that you must respect the forest at all cost. And by that it means, you are never to commit any nuisance inside the forest, you must carry back anything that you take inside the forest and never leave it behind, never ever damage anything inside the forest like trees, branches, figs, etc or even carry away the dead trees. The forest is a holy land where the local belief is the deity overlooks the visitor. Under no circumstance is he to be disrespected. But the forest is a beautiful place to visit. Anyone with time in hand must not miss this place.

- Shillong is the land of one of the best Blues, Rock and Roll artists of our country. One can drop by to the Shillong Cafe in Laithumkhrah to see Lou Majaw perform live there on certain evenings. He is considered to be the Bob Dylan of Shillong.

- There is an ML05 cafe in Upper Shillong. The pine forest behind this place is a nice spot for photography.

- In Umiam lake one can enjoy water sports. There is also a nice hotel that overlooks the lake.

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by sub.g84

Good to see you have visited my home state Red Panda. Thoroughly enjoyed the photos.

However a few pointers that I would I would like to call out:

1) Its actually the cloud and not the fog that marrs the view at Nohkalikai falls. The trick here is to wait for a considerable time before one can catch a view of the falls. There is a folklore to this falls. Do check it out on the internet.

2) September-November are actually the best time to visit Meghalaya to get a good view of the falls in Cherrapunji as as well as the crystal clear water of Umngot river in Dawki. 7 sister falls is almost dry in the photo you captured. In rainy season one can see it in full force.

3) A tip for any future traveller to Meghalaya. Never ever plan your entry to Shillong in the evenings as the traffic can get insane. Shillong may boast of one of the most disciplined traffic scene in our country but the vehicular density and the narrow roads simply spoil the fun.

4) At Dawki you could have gone upto the border between India and Bangladesh. It is a friendly border and the BSF is quite cooperative in allowing one to go upto the no-man's land.

Did you happen to spend the whole day in Shillong in visiting only Wards Lake and markets? Shillong has of one of the most beautiful golf courses in Asia that gives it the name Scotland of the East. Also the Shillong Peak, Airforce museum, Cathedral Church are lovely places to visit.

For anyone keen to discover Shillong further:
- There are many falls within the city itself. All you need to do is hire a local chap who can show you around the tricky climbs to these falls.

- There is a nice dense jungle behind Tripura Castle for people who love to trek. I remember in school days we boys would bunk classes and go trekking here. The jungle has chest height vegetation and a lot of interesting streams that cut across the many slopes and steeps that one can explore.

- In Cherrapunji one can explore the adventure sports like zip lining and para gliding

- There is a sacred forest in a place outside Shillong called Mawphlang. It is the sacred belief of the locals that you must respect the forest at all cost. And by that it means, you are never to commit any nuisance inside the forest, you must carry back anything that you take inside the forest and never leave it behind, never ever damage anything inside the forest like trees, branches, figs, etc or even carry away the dead trees. The forest is a holy land where the local belief is the deity overlooks the visitor. Under no circumstance is he to be disrespected. But the forest is a beautiful place to visit. Anyone with time in hand must not miss this place.

- Shillong is the land of one of the best Blues, Rock and Roll artists of our country. One can drop by to the Shillong Cafe in Laithumkhrah to see Lou Majaw perform live there on certain evenings. He is considered to be the Bob Dylan of Shillong.

- There is an ML05 cafe in Upper Shillong. The pine forest behind this place is a nice spot for photography.

- In Umiam lake one can enjoy water sports. There is also a nice hotel that overlooks the lake.

Wow. Fantastic pointers. I wish we had all these pointers before our trip. Our Shillong stay could have been altered accordingly. Thanks a lot for all your suggestions. I will save these points for future.

Cheers
Avishek.

[coolmind]

Iam yet to make my first trip to north-east inspite of knowing that its the most beautiful part of India
And your travelogue is forcing me to get that soon.
Its just short and sweet. Thanks for sharing.

[BlackPearl]

Lovely travelogue with great narration and beautiful pictures. We visited Meghalaya 3 weeks back, but yet to start a travelogue. Going through the pictures in your log gave a feeling of deja vu!

Sorry to hijack your thread, sharing a couple of pictures as I don't know when I will be able write the travelogue -

[ARAY]

Originally Posted by Samba

Such road trips with family are like a blast of fresh air. These trips remain as a sweet memory for a long time.

I often read my own travelogues in Team-Bhp and relive my own trips.

So very true mate, the very essence of such blogs from fellow Bhpians is all about reliving fond memories.

Originally Posted by Red Panda

Our Goa trip was the longest if you remember.

Next, we drove towards the Seven Sisters waterfall.
- I missed seeing the water fall in full bloom during my trip. Thanks for sharing.

We roamed around a bit and decided to head back.
- Yes that sums up the place pretty much, very commercialized.

Reached Shillong by 6:30pm but due to traffic jam, we reached our hotel near Police bazar at 8:30pm. It was kind of frustrating.
-I have been there, had to park the duster 1 km away from the Hotel due to the mega Jam in the city.

Lastly, I thank each and every one of you for keeping the patience and reading it till the end.
- Thank you mate for sharing your experience with us.

Beautiful pictures mate. That roads and the routes are great in that region. North East has a lot to explore. The pictures and your thread has brought back wonderful memories from our Hyderabad- Arunachal- Assam- Meghalaya trip.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...uster-awd.html (Hyderabad to Arunachal, Assam & Meghalaya in a Duster AWD)

Sharing a picture from the same region.



Keep travelling and sharing such wonderful experiences.
Rated 5 Star.

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Lovely travelogue with great narration and beautiful pictures. We visited Meghalaya 3 weeks back, but yet to start a travelogue. Going through the pictures in your log gave a feeling of deja vu!

Sorry to hijack your thread, sharing a couple of pictures as I don't know when I will be able write the travelogue -

Attachment 1849488

Attachment 1849487

Really appreciate for your comments. Means a lot to me. You all are much more experienced travelers than I am, So I have a constant urge to learn from you all.

Thank you for hijacking my thread . Loved the tow photos. especially the Dwaki river top shot. Just brilliant. I will be eagerly waiting for your TL as well.

Cheers,
Avishek.

[Safedriver76]

Abhishek, finished reading your travelogue at one go during lunch time at office. Awesome narration and superb pictures i must say. It brings back memories of my trip to Meghalaya in June last year. I travelled by air and to be true to you, missed my car at every point of the journey. Specially the journey from Guwahati to Sohra (Cherrapunji) was breathtaking to say the least. Four lane sweeping, smooth tarmac is sure to bring a wide grin on every TBHP ns face. I hope one day i can revisit Meghalaya on my own set of wheels. Rating you 5 stars.

[goandude]

Avishek, Great TL and pictures too. I was following your trip on GMaps but lost out on your route after Ambari till Guwahati. Could you share a link to your route on GMaps?

[SJM1214]

An excellent travelogue with amazing photographs. Thanks for Sharing.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Lovely travelogue with great narration and beautiful pictures. We visited Meghalaya 3 weeks back, but yet to start a travelogue.

Eagerly waiting. Blackpearl.

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by goandude

Avishek, Great TL and pictures too. I was following your trip on GMaps but lost out on your route after Ambari till Guwahati. Could you share a link to your route on GMaps?

Here is the route form Guwahati to Cherapunjee
https://goo.gl/maps/CnDByXjLby62

From our homestay to Dawki river
https://goo.gl/maps/yW2fXUKKbbP2

Dawki To Mawlynnong village and Single root bridge.
https://goo.gl/maps/V6di5XoH8rS2

Mawlynnong to Police Bazar, Shillong
https://goo.gl/maps/HJXEhNoRjN52

All the routes are very straight forward. And the roads are in good shape.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by Red Panda

Here is the route form Guwahati to Cherapunjee
https://goo.gl/maps/CnDByXjLby62

From our homestay to Dawki river
https://goo.gl/maps/yW2fXUKKbbP2

Dawki To Mawlynnong village and Single root bridge.
https://goo.gl/maps/V6di5XoH8rS2

Mawlynnong to Police Bazar, Shillong
https://goo.gl/maps/HJXEhNoRjN52

All the routes are very straight forward. And the roads are in good shape.

I had asked for your route from Ambari to Guwahati and back (if different route was taken)
The other routes I am well aware as I go to Shillong regularly

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by goandude

I had asked for your route from Ambari to Guwahati and back (if different route was taken)
The other routes I am well aware as I go to Shillong regularly

Oops! Sorry for that . Here is the route I took from Ambari to Guwahati
https://goo.gl/maps/AbKU45GxiHC2

Took the same route back.

Cheers,
Avishek

[sayakc]

Crisp narration yet again Avishek. I think you have a flair for both the pen and camera.


Also, how was the road condition (Ambari-Guwahati section - especially AS roads) ?

Cheers,
Sayak

Originally Posted by Red Panda

15th October (Monday): Ambari to Guwahati (approx 480 KMS)
We got ready for the 480 kms drive to Guwahati. Started at 5 a.m., we took the Gajoldoba route proceeding towards Kranti then Lataguri, driving through Gorumara National Park, which I must say is one of the finest roads I have ever driven and that too within a forest area.