Shillong

Introduction

Shillong is the capital of Meghalaya in northeastern India and the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Set among rolling hills, it is a hill station whose landscape is said to have reminded the British of Scotland, earning it the name "Scotland of the East".

Before you go

Shillong sits at an altitude of 1,496 metres in undulating pine-covered hills, so expect a milder climate than the tropical parts of India. The monsoon is when the famous waterfalls, including those around Cherrapunji, are in full flow, and the rainy season here usually lasts longer than elsewhere in the country. Pack an umbrella. The rains wash the streets clean and bring the waterfalls to full strength, so the season that many travellers avoid is worth considering.

The town's British legacy shows in its architecture and food, and the Assam-style houses with slanting roofs, many windows and wooden floors are well suited to an area where rain and earthquakes are common. Most residents belong to the Khasi tribe, who are predominantly Christian, with significant Bengali and Nepali minorities. Khasi society is matrilineal: the mother heads the family, the youngest daughter owns the property, and the mother's surname passes to the children. Knowing this before you arrive will help you read the place you are visiting.

Getting there

Shillong has no rail line of its own, so most travellers arrive via Guwahati, the nearest railway station and the nearest international airport. From Guwahati, shared taxis leave from the Paltan Bazar area beside the railway station; these are usually SUV-sized vehicles shared between eight people and take around three hours, dropping you at Police Bazaar in the city centre. Sleeker private cars are also available. The drive usually includes a mid-way stop at Nongpoh, a good place to pick up bamboo pickles and other condiments. Buses run by ASTC and MTC leave Guwahati roughly every half hour, take about four hours with a stop at Nong-poh, and range from ordinary to deluxe class; private buses leave from Paltan Bazar and may be better built but are occasionally crowded and make more stops. From Silchar, buses typically depart twice daily and the journey takes about ten hours over mountainous roads in poor condition.

By air, Shillong's own small airport at Umroi, about 40 km from the city, has flights from Kolkata on certain days of the week, with an MTDC bus running from the airport to Shillong market. Guwahati airport, 104 km away, has flights from Bangkok. The government of Meghalaya also operates a helicopter service from Guwahati Airport and from Tura to the Advanced Landing Ground about 15 km from the city centre, cutting the four-hour road journey to a 20-minute flight; tickets can be booked at the Meghalaya Helicopter Service counter at Guwahati airport and at Meghalaya Transport Corporation counters in Shillong. Note that the helicopter service has been suspended for maintenance, so check before relying on it.

Getting around

Shillong is a compact hill city, and walking is the best way to get around. The centre is small enough to cover on foot, and exploring the hills and neighbourhoods this way is part of the experience; the climate is pleasant and the air clean for most of the year, though the monsoon rains from June through October are worth planning around.

• City buses: For trips within the city limits, the maroon city buses run by the Shillong Public Transport Service (SPTS) are ideal. A second kind, the Bazar bus, also passes through the city. On SPTS buses the conductor carries an electronic ticketing machine, and you buy your ticket from him as soon as you board.
• Shared taxis: Black and yellow unmetered shared taxis ply within the city limits. They are faster than the buses and always shared, so drivers often pick up additional passengers heading the same way to make a better fare. If you negotiate the "hire" of a taxi instead, the driver will not pick up anyone else, but you will pay significantly more than if you simply hailed a passing shared taxi.
• Hired cabs: For sightseeing, hiring a taxi for the full day works well; fix the fare before you set off.
• On the roads: Traffic is slow and disciplined compared with most of India, and roads within the city are generally in good shape, though many roads outside it are in bad condition because of heavy rains and poor maintenance.

Where to stay

Most of Shillong's hotels cluster in and around Police Bazar, the noisy, crowded city centre, so staying there puts you in the thick of things. If you'd rather have somewhere more relaxing, Hotel Polo Towers and Royal Heritage have locations that are calmer. Internet reservations are available only at a few starred hotels, so it's worth confirming directly with your choice before you arrive.

Budget travellers have plenty of options: guesthouses such as White Orchid Guesthouse in Lachaumiere and Shillong Hills Guesthouse, and budget hotels including Hotel Knight Inn in Demseniong (which also houses Kenmore Restaurant, serving Chinese, Indian and other cuisines), Hotel Rainbow on GS Road in Police Bazar, Hotel Yalana in Laimukhra, Hotel Lake View Inn on MG Road and The Majestic Hotel on Polo Road. The government-run Youth Hostel on Vivekananda Road, near the Office of the Chief Telecom Officer, is a run-down institution that's an obvious choice for budget travellers, though you should expect to share a room with many Indian travellers rather than meet international backpackers. In the mid-range, options include Hotel Alpine Continental, The Centre Point Shillong, Hotel Polo Towers, the resort-like Ri Kynjai - Serenity By The Lake, Royal Heritage Tripura Castle, Travellers Bed & Breakfast on Buddhist Temple Road in the Polo Bazar area (clean and comfortable, with a friendly, helpful owner, in a quiet residential area, plus a dormitory), and Hotel Barbareek Inn in Mawlonghat. For a splurge, Courtyard by Marriott Shillong on Jail Road in Police Bazar is one of the few luxury hotels in North-Eastern India.

Food & drink

Most of Shillong's better restaurants cluster around Police Bazar, where Chinese, Indian and Tibetan food dominate. Momos are the snack to seek out: steamed Tibetan dumplings filled with cabbage and pork or chicken, sold in small and big sizes. Khasi and Tibetan cooking uses very little spice, salt included, and leans on boiling and roasting rather than frying, so expect milder, cleaner flavours than elsewhere in India. Pork, chicken and fish are easy to find in Khasi-run restaurants; beef is less common. Cleanliness can be an issue in smaller outlets, so choose where you eat with a little care.

• For Indian snacks, try the jalebis at Delhi Mistaan Bhandar in Police Bazar; the staff are notoriously lethargic, so be prepared to wait to place your order, and stick to the freshly made jalebis.
• Madras Cafe in Police Bazar is small and busy, serving idlis, dosas and vada; the dosas come crispy and hot.
• Trattoria in Police Bazar is a place to get Khasi delicacies, and Sesame in Laitumkhrah serves South-east Asian cuisine including traditional tribal food and a Jaintia thali.
• Sharma Bhojanalaya, near Police Bazar, caters to vegetarians with a Marwari thali.
• In Laitumkhrah, MOT (Matter of Taste) is a coffee shop that also serves pastas, sandwiches and pizzas, with Irish coffee a must-try; Swish is a favourite with youngsters for coffee and snacks, and Dylans is a popular cafe and a tribute to Bob Dylan.
• Bamboo Hut in RAPs' Mansion on MG Road is a famous hangout, as is City Dhaba near Earl Holiday Home.

Shillong is a drinker's paradise: the state's tax structure means you will be hard pressed to find cheaper drinks anywhere else in India, especially if you buy liquor from a shop to drink in your room. Pubs and clubs include Cloud 9 at Centre Point, Polo Irish Pub at Hotel Polo Towers, Tango at Police Bazar in O B Shopping Mall, and cocktails at Hotel Alpine Continental. Nightlife peaks on Fridays and Saturdays; Sundays are very, very dull.

What to see and do

Shillong's sights range from museums and religious buildings to viewpoints and natural scenery. The Butterfly Museum holds a large collection of butterfly species, while the Don Bosco Museum of Indigenous North East Culture, run by the Salesian order within the Sacred Heart Church precincts in Mawlai, covers the entire North Eastern region with displays of attire, weapons, ornamentation and rare photographs. The Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, perched on a hill in Laitumkhrah, is the principal place of worship of the Shillong Archdiocese. Also worth noting are the Madina Mosque, India's only glass mosque, and Lok Bhavan, the Governor's residence, built in 1903 to resemble an English country cottage and designed to be earthquake-proof.

For views, head to Shillong Peak, the highest point in Meghalaya, where a viewpoint gives a sweeping prospect of the city—best remembered at night. Cameras must be declared at the viewpoint, and photographing the radar facilities is not permitted. The forest around the peak is full of orchids, pines and the insect-eating pitcher plant, and there are no large or dangerous animals. Waterfalls include Elephant Falls in Upper Shillong, a collection of smaller falls with a footpath down to a small lake, and Sweet Falls in Happy Valley, which is very steep and slippery with no barricades. Umiam Lake, north of the city, is man-made and known as Barapani, with a water sports complex offering kayaking, water cycling, scooting and boating, plus Lum Nehru park alongside. Wards Lake, a horseshoe-shaped artificial lake below the Governor's residence, has boating, a wooden bridge, a winding walkway, a cafeteria and a fountain that dances to music. Lady Hydari Park has flowering plants, orchids, a mini zoo, a deer park and play equipment for children. To shop, walk through Iewduh (Bara Bazar), one of the biggest markets in North-East India, with separate areas for vegetables, fruits, iron works, fish, beef and betel. The State Central Library, dating from the British Raj, holds rare books and almanacs.

When to go

Shillong's climate is milder than tropical India's, and the monsoon is the season that shapes a visit. The rainy season here lasts longer than elsewhere in the country, with heavy rain, so an umbrella is a necessity rather than an afterthought.

Many travellers avoid this stretch, but the rains wash the streets clean and bring the waterfalls, including those around Cherrapunji, to full flow. If the waterfalls are your reason for coming, this is considered the best time to visit.

Three days in Shillong

Day one: Arrive from Guwahati, the nearest big city and airport, and settle into Police Bazaar, the commercial heart of Shillong where you can find food and supplies. The town's character reflects its British and Christian past, and its mix of Khasi, Bengali and Nepali residents, so take your time getting oriented rather than rushing between sights.

Day two: Use Shillong as your base for the East Khasi Hills. The state transport options, including the Meghalaya Transport Corporation and ASTC buses, connect the town with surrounding areas, and shared SUVs are the usual way to reach nearby points. Cherrapunji lies to the south and makes a long day out from town.

Day three: Spend your last day around Shillong itself before heading onward. If you are continuing deeper into Meghalaya, routes run toward Tura, and the Meghalaya Helicopter Service links some destinations. Otherwise, return to Guwahati by road via Nongpoh, or use Umroi airport closer to town.