Excursion

Shillong Peak
An ideal picnic spot, 1965 metres above sea level and 10 kms from the city, offers a panoramic view of these country side, and is also the highest point in the State. Obeisance is paid to U Shulong at the sanctum at the peak's summit every springtime, by the religious priest of Mylliem State. In the evening the city lights below appear like a star-studded abyss.

Sohpetbneng Peak
1,343 meter, 20 Kms from Shillong, regarded as sacred by the Hynniewtrep people, is set amidst a beautiful scenic view against the backdrop of a sacred forest. This 'Navel of Heaven' as per Khasi mythology is a heavenly peak, which offers to fill the spiritual void and emptiness, to those who seek and desire solace and peace of mind.

Ward's Lake
Ward's Lake is century old picturesque lake also known as Polok Lake. Located in the heart of the city, popular for short garden walks and boating. The local people however prefer to call it Nan Polok (Polok's Lake) after an executive engineer named Mr. Pollock. It has a most pleasant, winding walk-a-way all around its parameter set in cobbled sand stones, in the midst of picturesque, rolling flower beds and fairyland lighting. The lake has a striking arched bridge over it.

Umiam Water Sports Complex
The Water Sports Complex has been developed upon the mighty reservoir of the Umiam Hydro Electric Project, at Umiam, 16 kilometres before reaching Shillong. The campus consists of a beautiful Orchid Lake Resort, the Nehru Park. Besides it offers a wide choice of exciting water sports activities with row-boats, paddle-boats, cruise-boats, sailing-boats, water-scooters, speed-boats and a floating restaurant with ferry services.

Botanical Garden
A secluded but captivating spot with a plethora of indigenous and exotic plants and is located just below the Ward's Lake. It also houses a mini-aviary with rare and colourful species of birds. The secluded setting of the Botanical Garden with its well-laid paved walks makes it a favourite resort for city dwellers as well as tourists who desire to exercise their limbs.

Lady Hydari Park
Lady Hydari Park, stretching over a km is replete with roses and blossoms of exquisite hues and colours, is a feast to eyes. Owes its existence to Lady Hydari, the wife of an erstwhile Governor of Assam. It has an excellent mini zoo cum deer park.

Shillong Cathedral
As if to justify the desire of the British founding fathers of the city of Shillong to make it a little England, churches and cathedrals, large and small, have come up everywhere in the city. Some of these churches and cathedrals are so spacious and large that they can be easily accommodate a few thousand worshippers, at a time. Among such large churches of Shillong, mention can be made of the Shillong Cathedral, the Mawkhar Presbyterian Church, the jaiaw Presbyterian Church, the Laitumkhrah Presbyterian Church and the All Saints' Cathedral, as prominant landmarks of the City.Churches of Shillong - a measure of the religiosity of the Shillongites

Bishop and Beadon Falls
Both cascade down the same escarpment into a deep valley, the mass of water dissolving into misty sparks.

Elephant Falls
12 kms on the outskirts of the city the mountain stream descends through two successive falls set in dells of fern-covered rocks. At a short distance beyond the falls, there are two smaller falls which are none the less beautiful and captivating. These are the Wei Iaplam Falls and the Wir Phang Falls. A well paved footpath and a small wooden bridge facilitate access to these falls.

Spread Eagle Falls
Located within the Shillong Cantonment, on the outskirts of the city, lies a sparkling waterfall which looks like an eagle with wings spread. Hence the name Spread Eagle Falls. The falls is locally known as Urkaliar or the falls into which Ka Liar slipped. A soothing setting amidst the calmness of nature - a treat to the eyes.

Sweet Falls
Situated near Happy Valley at a distance of about eight kilometers from Shillong. It resembles a straight pencil of water emerging from a large size water pipe, as it drops vertically over a distance exceeding two hundred feet. Most suitable for a day's outing and picnic, Explore it.

Top    

Tourist Places in Jaintia Hills

Jowai
Jowai, the headquarters of the Jaintia Hills district is situated 64 Kms away from the national highway. A picturesque town circled by the majestic Myntdu River.

Thadlaskein Lake
56 Kms from Shillong. According to legend this lake was dug with the ends of bows by members of 290 clans of U Sajiar Niangli, a rebel general of Jaintia Raja, to commemorate the great exodus of the clans. It is a historical lake and a beautiful spot for outing, boating and picnic.

Megalithic Remnants - Nartiang
65 Kms from Shillong, was the summer capital of the Jaintia Kings, of Sutnga State. Huge monoliths, form the striking landmark of the village, said to be erected by Mar Phalyngki, a Goliath of yore. The Nartiang menhir measures 27 feet 6 inches in thickness. The monoliths represent the megalithic culture of the Hynniewtrep people. It is literally the Stonehenge of the Northeast of India. A 500 years old temple of Durga is another attraction at Nartiang.

Syndai
An important village of Jaintia Hills which is famous for a number of caves and caverns in the limestone-borne area, used as hide-outs during war times between Jaintia Hills and foreign intruders.

Syntu Ksiar
Syntu Ksiar, which means 'golden flower' is a vast pool of calm water, where the river Myntdu which almost encircles Jowai, appears to come to a sudden halt. At Syntu Ksiar, the Myntdu provides a memorable scene of remarkable beauty as it seemingly disappears for rest into thecalm of the mighty pool, and then, as if aroused from a momentary invigorating slumber, it runs its ever vibrant course, again.

Top    

Tourist Places in Garo Hills

Garo Hills - Land of myths and legends
Forming the Western part of the State the entire Garo Hills having an area of approximately 8,000 sq. kms. Is densely forested and hence one of the richest spots in bio-diversity, one third (1/3) of which is the reserved forest.

The Garos predominantly inhabiting the three district of the State namely East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills are basically superstitious, believed in spirits and have a rich traditional tales of myth & legends. To the Garos everything that is interesting and unnatural has to have the lore of some kind.

Tura, the headquarter of West Garo Hills, which was also the headquarter of composite Garo Hills before two more district of East and South Garo Hills were created, is 323 kms. From Shillong via Guwahati named after a powerful Goddes Durama-Imbama, this Tura town is situated at the foot of Tura peak. 5 kms of trek to the Tura at 1400 m the peak offers some of the finest views of the hills against a back-drop of low-lying plains and sweeping curve of the mighty Brahmaputra.

Garo Hills known for its abundance of wildlife should interest naturalists and photographers to capture the variegated facets of life of a unique range of flora and fauna. Two mountain ranges - the Arabella range and the Tura range, pass through the Garo Hills, forming the great Balpakram valley in between. The headquarters town of Tura is 323 Kms via Guwahati, at an altitude of 657 Kms. The highest point is Nokrek Peak with elevation of 1412 metres.

West Garo Hills

Nokrek biosphere
About 20 kms. via Asanagiri and sasatgiri but just 2 kms. From Tura peak, teeming with wild life, Nokrek hill is the home of a very rare species of citrus locally known as memang narang - orange of the spirits. This memang narang is considered to be the most primitive and progenitor of all other varieties of citrus plants in the world with a view to preserve this rare species of citrus indica the first gene sanctuary of the world has been established here.

The highest point of the Garo Hills region of the State, Nokrek Peak stands fourteen hundred and twelve metres above sea level. A virgin canopy of thick, tall and lush green forests cover Nokrek and its environs. The mother germo plasm of Citrus-indica have been discovered by science researchers within Nokrek Range. This discovery led to the establishment of the National Citrus Gene Sanctuary-cum-Biosphere Reserve at Nokrek covering an area of forty seven square kilometres.

Nokrek can be reached from the Tura-Asanangre-Daribokgre Road. A comfortable three and a half kilometre trek from Daribokgre village leads a visitor to Nokrek Peak. Abundant wildlife including herds of wild elephants, rare varieties of birds and pheasants, besides rare orchids abound in the sanctuary.

Tura Peak
A majestic hill stands on the eastern flank of Tura, the largest town in the Garo Hills region of the State. It peaks eight hundred and seventy two metres above sea level over looking Tura. A tourist-bungalow, an observatory and a Cinchona-plantation are located at Tura Peak and its environs. A magnificent view of the lower Brahmaputra Valley as well as the golden yellow plains of Bangladesh is available all year round to viewers on Tura Peak.

Imilchang Dare
A waterfall of immense visual beauty is to be found close to the Tura-Chokpot Road in West Garo Hills district. The stream on which it is located, flows through a deep, narrow winding bed of crevice rocks till it suddenly emerges on to a broad wide opening and cascades in a thick, wide formation, over a broad chasm, creating an electrifying waterfall of unique beauty. The deep, wide pool at the bottom of the fall with its wide and expansive surroundings make it an exciting swimming pool, full of fish of varied size and colour, besides being an ideal picnic spot.

Rangapani :- 40 kms from Tura, near Mankachar on the Assam border there still lies the earthly remains of the great general Mir-jumla the Army General of great Moghul Emporer AurangZeb. Mir-jumla died of malaria while returning from his excursion to the North East. His tomb maintained by the local Muslim Association lies in this village.

Top    

East Garo Hills

Williamnagar
Named after the 1st Chief Minister of Meghalaya this river in town built on the curve of simang river is the Headquarter of East Garo Hills. It is 313 kms from Shillong via Guwahati and is 76 kms from Tura.

Rongrenggiri
5 kms from Williamnagar is noted for being the last battle field where the Garos bravely resisted the British.

Sisbibra
12 kms away from Williamnagar on the Tura Williamnagar road, a beautiful place on the bank of Simsang river is of historical importance, for it was here the legendary hero Togan Sangma along with his co-patriot Gilsang Dalbot fell to the bullets of the British soldiers while bravely resisting them. A memorial has been erected at the place where the warriors fell down. District Council has constructed a twin cottage near the memorial place where visitors can stay.

Adokgre
10 kms from Duphdara on the Assam Border Aadokgre was the first camp in Garo Hills when the Garos coming from Tibet under the leadership of Jappa-jalimpa arrived in to the promised land of Garo Hills. It was from here they made their last recce and distributed the land according to their Machongs (clan).

Naka-Chikong
15 kms from Duphdara, it is a big rock with deep hollows, in the middle of Ilde river in Badaka village just 3 kms from Adokgre, this big rock is mythologically believed to be swimming with fishes, you can get tons of fishes any season of the year, but there is one belief, if any one inadvertently touches the big rock under whose hollow the fishes are. All fishes immediately disappear from the river. The Hindus consider this a sacred place and regularly come here for worship and picnic.

Napak
45 kms from Williamnagar there is a take formed by damming of the upper tributary of a river during the great earth in 1897. Napak was once the land of the spirits’s baby. The spirits feeling insecure then migrated to Balpakram where they settled.

South Garo Hills
Comprising of the South East corner of Garo Hills South Garo Hills District perhaps offers the best potentials for tourism development. It was from this area great minds and great leaders were born.

Baghmara
Baghmara the head quarter of the District is a fast growing town ship. It is situated on the banks of Simsang River on the International Bangladesh border. Nearby just below the picturesque Disla hill where the State Tourism Department had constructed a tourist bungalow there is the Baghmara Wildlife sanctuary for the unique botanical wonder of the State - an insectivorous pitcher plant known as memang Koksi or the spirits basket.

Nengkong
14 kms north of Baghmara this place has 3 well known caves Tetengkol Balwakol measuring 5, 33 kms in length is the 2nd longest cave in the Indian Sub-continent. Two more caves-Dobakkol chibe nala almost 2 kms long and another a little over 1 km long called Bok-bak dobakkol are also in the vicinity of the area.

Siju Caves
The famous limestone caves of Siju are located near Naphak Lake and the Simsang stalactites in these caves resemble those of the Blue Grotto in the Isle of Capri. For more details, please see the section on caves below.

30 kms north of Baghmara and 132 kms from Tura, Siju is famous for Dabakkol or the bat cave with impressive stalagmites and stalactites. It is the 3rd longest cave in the Indian sub-continent some of the finest river passages to be found any where in the world. The magnificent limestone rock formation inside especially named princess di’s Chamber by the excavators will fill any visitor with awe.

Close by on the other side of simsang river Siju bird sanctuary is the home for many rare and protected birds and other wildlife. The Migratory Siberian duck also come here during winter months. At the entrance to this bird sanctuary after a steep climb of nearly 1 km there is a stretch of fantastic rock formations that will take your breath away.

Balpakram
A National Wildlife Park, located in South Garo Hills and 167 Kms from Tura. The literal meaning of Balpakram is the "land of perpetual winds". There is a great precipice or deep gorge in Balpakram and is popularly compared to the Grand Canyon of U.S.A. It is believed that here, the spirits of the dead dwell temporarily before embarking on the final journey. It is home to the rare Lesser Panda, the Indian bison and the Stag like Serow. A variety of medicinal herbs locally called "dikges" grow abundantly in Balpakram.

Top