Get ready for a winter escapade in Meghalaya. October – March is a great time to visit Meghalaya if you are someone who likes the idea of swimming in crystal clean water bodies, discovering hidden pools and waterfalls, jungle hiking, clear skies and bonfires.
- Hiking in the forests to unearth hidden living root bridges.
- Hiking to lesser known waterfalls and swimming spots.
- Catch a live performance from local orchestra who use music instruments they built.
- Explore a cave which isn’t very popular in regular tourist maps.
- Kayak/swim in crystal clear river in Dawki.
- Experience culture through local food and indigenous music.
- Rocking out at a live show and pub hopping at India’s rock capital
Overview
Get ready for a winter escapade in Meghalaya. October – March is a great time to visit Meghalaya if you are someone who likes the idea of swimming in crystal clean water bodies, discovering hidden pools and waterfalls, jungle hiking, clear skies and bonfires.
- Hiking in the forests to unearth hidden living root bridges.
- Hiking to lesser known waterfalls and swimming spots.
- Catch a live performance from local orchestra who use music instruments they built.
- Explore a cave which isn’t very popular in regular tourist maps.
- Kayak/swim in crystal clear river in Dawki.
- Experience culture through local food and indigenous music.
- Rocking out at a live show and pub hopping at India’s rock capital.
- Travelling with total strangers from diverse backgrounds.
Itinerary
Guwahati airport - Cherrapunjee
- Airport pickup and drive from Guwahati Airport to Cherrapunjee, one of the rainiest spot on Earth, starting around 10:00 am.
- Today the is basically transfer from the chaotic urban to peaceful rural village of Meghalaya. So brace for a somewhat long drive.
- Enjoy a laid-back evening and savour a delicious meal.
- Sunset spot from our fav place if time permits.
Overnight at Cherrapunjee
Total drive time is 5 hours.
Cherrapunjee
- Morning tea and breakfast.
- With our local expert, explore some of the handpicked trails in Cherrapunjee amongst many waterfalls, caves, pools, root bridges and natural wonders.
- Picnic and bath near secret swimming spots.
- Sunset from our favorite spot.
- Evening at leisure. Spend it however you want. Bonfire, jamming etc
Overnight in Cherrapunjee
Total drive time is 2-3 hours.
A JOCUND DAY IN CHERRAPUNJEE
Cherrapunjee is blessed with so many natural wonders and hospitable people. This is easily one of the prettiest and warmest places in Meghalaya. Out of many caves, waterfalls, natural pools, forests etc in Cherrapunjee, we will explore a few curated ones based on everyones fitness and mood with our local expert today.
SOME STILLS FROM CHERRAPUNJEE
Cherrapunjee - Pongtung
- Morning tea and breakfast.
- Our local guide will take you to one of the lesser known cave in this area.
- After caving expedition, we will organize a outdoor picnic lunch for you.
- Visit Wahrew river and arch bridge. This is a lesser known location where the water is crystal clear.
- Drive to Pynter village after lunch.
- Experience live music performance by a local cultural group using indigenous khasi instruments.
- Drive to Pongtung for night stay and spend late evening at leisure.
Overnight in Pongtung
Total drive time is 3-4 hours.
SOME STILLS FROM DAY 3
Pongtung
- Morning tea and breakfast.
- Embark on a trail with our local expert to discover 3 Living root bridges. Including the longest and highest of the state.
- Then drive to another village nearby called Shilliang Jashar to discover some hidden rootbridges and riverside picnic spots.
- Picnic lunch and swim sessions.
- Back to hotel for night stay and evening at leisure.
Overnight in Pongtung
Total drive time is 2-3 hours
ROOT BRIDGES IN MEGHALAYA
One natural architectural marvel that is unique to Meghalaya is the Living root bridge and there are 100s of them across the state. The locals build bridges from the aerial roots of rubber tree above gushing streams in so many jungle routes across Meghalaya for the ease of trade and commute back in time.
SOME STILLS FROM PONGTUNG
Pongtung - Mawlynnong - Shnongpedeng, Dawki Jowai
- Drive to Mawlynnong village after breakfast. Take a quick walk in the village.
- Then drive further to Shnongpedeng village in Dawki after breakfast.
- Hike along the river to a lesser known place called Amkhoi (a place away from most of the crowd) and cliffjump, swim and chill on massive rocks.
- Boating and swimming in crystal clear river.
- (Optional activities): Kayaking, cliff-jumping, ziplining, scuba diving can be organised on request (Extra cost of 200-500 per head).
- Drive to Jowai for night halt in a beautiful villa in the middle of nowhere.
Overnight in Jowai
Total drive time is 4 hours.
SHNONGPEDENG, DAWKI
Known for its sparkling river, Shnongpedeng is a hot spot for thrillseekers. It may not be as quite as before with a bit of the tourist buzz, but it's still a stunner! Dive into kayaking, snorkeling, and even some underwater escapades. Want to escape the crowd? Leave it on us to take you on a stroll to nearby spots!
AMKHOI
Amkoi is one of Jaintia hill’s hidden paradise. Located near Shnongpedeng village, Amkoi is an ideal haven for water lovers, hikers and cliff jumping enthusiast.
Shillong
- After breakfast, we explore some of the best waterfalls in this area.
- Hike to Phe Phe falls.
- Drive to Shillong after.
- Stop at Laitlum Canyons on the way for amazing views and some local momos.
- Checkin at Shillong stay and take some rest and groove away the rest of the night exploring the best of Shillong. We have some great recommendations for you. Fill the evening with some exciting cocktails, live music and lip smacking food.
Overnight in Shillong
Total drive time is 3-4 hours.
PHE PHE FALLS
STILLS FROM SHILLONG
SHILLONG
The capital town Shillong aka The Rock capital of India offers a range of experiences to dive into. Catching a gig at a local underground pub, exploring local delicacies, playing golf, forest walks, local cafes, museums, bazaars walks, local fruit wine tasting etc to name a few.
LAITLUM CANYONS
Shillong - Guwahati airport
- After breakfast, we drive to Guwahati airport as per flight timings.
- You can choose to carry on to your next destination or take a flight back home.
- We look forward to having you back for more experiences around North East India.
Total drive time is 3-4 hours.
Includes/Excludes
Includes
- Stay in comfortable, clean and hygienic accommodation (twin sharing and triple sharing in case of 3 bedded rooms)
- Transport to and from Guwahati airport in AC Dzire, Innova or a Tempo Traveller depending on the number of travellers.
- All expenses related to the vehicle and the pilot.
- Breakfast on all days except Day 1
- Lunch on Day 3 and 4.
- Our local experts and trip lead throughout the trip where ever required.
- Boating and Amkhoi trek in Shnongpedeng, Dawki
- Pynter orchestra fee
- Bonfires wherever required
Excludes
- Airfare charges
- All food & beverages costs apart from the ones mentioned above
- Any camera fees
- Kayaking, cliff jumping, zip-lining and other water activities in Shnongpedeng.
- Hotel & driver tips
- Entry ticket fees to Museums, Parks, and sightseeing places etc.
- Any personal expenditure (Toiletries, medicines, etc.)
- Cost incidental to any change in the itinerary/ stay on account of flight cancellation due to bad weather, ill health, roadblocks and/or any factors beyond control.
- Anything not specifically mentioned under the head "Inclusions".
FAQs
Arrival at Guwahati airport on Day 1 by 9:30 am latest
Departure from Guwahati airport as well. It is recommended to book an evening flight after 6 pm just to be on the safe side. In case the travellers want to fly out next day (which is great), stay can be arranged in Guwahati for them on request.
We will be staying in a mix of beautiful home stays, hotels and resorts. For group trips we stay in basic highly rated properties*. You shouldn’t expect any kind of luxury but all essential things you may need is available and the properties are super clean, hygienic and comfortable. All these properties have been carefully been vetted by team ED.
Please note that some of the properties may have different category of rooms and the allocation will be done randomly.
*If you wish to stay at a more luxurious property of your choice or ED’s recommendation, we recommend you enquire with us for a custom
made trip.
All properties have a breakfast menu you can choose from. Cost of all breakfasts are included in your package. Breakfast in most places serve simple things like poori sabji, fresh sandwiches, toasted bread butter jam, Eggs (how ever you want), tea/coffee etc.
Included lunches will be mostly home cooked local food like rice, dal, few local chutneys, vegetable curry, meat, salad and papad. Places like Shillong, Cherrapunjee and Pongtung have multi cuisine restaurants.
Veg/Jain food is available in our tours on request.
If you have dietary restrictions, do let us know in advance and we promise to take care of you
Major expense is the to and fro Flight to the starting and ending point of the trip.
Other expenses during the trip is mostly the meals that aren’t included (which will cost you not more than Rs 300-500 per meal), alcohol, recreational and shopping expenses.
A total of 5,000 cash per head should cover the trip very easily.
Couples will be allotted same rooms. If you are a solo traveller, you’ll be paired with another traveller of the same gender.
We will give you a detailed list of things to carry after you signup.
Dates
- 19th – 25th January 2025
- 2nd – 8th February 2025
- 23rd February – 1st March 2025
- 9th – 15th March 2025 (Holi week)
- 23rd – 29th March 2025