Shillong — A Quick Getaway
“When the heat of summer could not be met even with fans and soft drinks, I rushed to the hills of Shillong” — Rabindranath Tagore’sShillonger Chithi (Letter from Shillong)
Such was his love for the misty and romantic hills of Shillong that the noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore visited the place several times and used it as a backdrop for his iconic romantic masterpiece Shesher Kabita (The Last Poem).
A holiday in Shillong is truly a walk in the clouds. And all you need to discover this paradise with its beautiful mountains, gorgeous lakes, and pristine roads is a brolly! Yes, the rainy season here lasts longer than the rest of India, but it’s the rains that make this place so lush and green. It’s best to discover Shillong by foot. Unlike many other cities I have been to, this place offers neatly marked pedestrian routes throughout the town for the ease of travelers.
Shillong, also called the Scotland of the east, will rejuvenate you with its abundance and natural beauty. The fragrance of pine and eucalyptus will seep into your soul, the lovely cafes will charm you and the quaint cottages with slating roofs and wooden floors will evoke memories of the hill station’s colonial past. Shillong was made the civil station of Khasi and Jaintia Hills in 1864 by the British administration in India. Due to its convenient location between the Brahmaputra and Surma valleys and its pleasant weather, it was subsequently turned into its headquarters.
My holiday in Shillong was planned by Flying Squirrel Holidays (www.flyingsquirrelholiday.com) and to my utter delight I got to stay at a royal home, the erstwhile residence of Maharaja Bir Bikram who came to Shillong at the age of 16 and fell in love with the place. You can also choose a homestay at Aerodene Cottage surrounded by plants, fruit trees, and orchids. I visited the Umiam Lake (which resembles the lakes of Scotland), Wards Lake, Bishop and Beadon Falls (located in Suna valley), Shillong Peak (the highest peak of Meghalaya at 1,965m), and the Butterfly Museum at Riatsamthiah (where you can look out for the largest goliath beetle from Africa, tarantulas from South America, and Meghalaya’s giant stick insects). For golf enthusiasts, Flying Squirrel Holidays recommends a visit to the Shillong golf course at 5,200 feet, the first golf course of India with 18 holes.
Flying Squirrel Holidays also recommended a visit Cherapunji in the East Khasi Hills where the waterfalls, rivers and streams and the lulling effect of the rains soothed my nerves. I choose to trek through the Living Root Bridges here, create by members of the Khasi tribe, and spent a day in a little-known hamlet called Mawlynnong , famously known as the “cleanest village in the whole of Asia”. I would recommend The Tree House in Mawlynnong, an experience you will savour all your life.
A walk through the undulating hills of Shillong surrounded by breathtaking greenery and being hugged by a group of errant clouds will endow you with precious memories of a lifetime.
