Mesmerizing Meghalaya

Meghalaya, an alluring state in north-east India and also known as an 'Abode of clouds', is a one stop place for nature lovers. With its lush green valleys, cloud landscapes and captivating waterfalls, it stands out as the most pleasing destination for tourists who enjoy living in the lap of nature.

I visited the place in the month of October this year and stayed in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya which is also considered as the 'Fashion capital of north-east India'. Accommodation was not really a concern as I stayed at my relative's place at the air-force station. The city seemed much more peaceful from there as the station is located at the peak of Shillong (also known as the 'upper Shillong'). On the other hand, the lower Shillong is more crowded and prone to the city traffic.

For people seeking a serene stay in Shillong, I would suggest them to look for an accommodation either at the upper part of Shillong (peak) or somewhere on the outskirts. Although, if you are staying within the main city the local markets and food outlets would be easily approachable. We had to hire a cab to reach the main city from our place of stay which took us almost 30 minutes and luckily, we unveiled the vibrant streets with a festive crowd as we happened to visit the place around the occassion of 'Durga pooja'. The festival is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm as the place greatly influenced by the Bong culture. 

The lower Shillong is a land for shopaholics & fashion lovers. One can find a variety of stuff to by from places like 'Police Bazaar' where you find majority of the road side vendors selling woolen clothes, jackets, shoes, accessories, shawls, sweaters, woolen caps etc and other things like food, electronic items, smuggled winter wear from Thailand, gadgets, medicines, beauty kits, grocery, bakeries, bags, vessels etc. You name it and it is available in the shops. They are very cheap (Bargaining works a lot!). The place is flooded with shoppers throughout the day and is easily reachable from all parts of Shillong by taxis, buses, and small vans. If you wish to buy handicrafts of bamboo or cane for which Meghalaya is known for, there are also few handicraft emporiums where you can purchase purses, baskets, display items, trays, bags, Assam silk sarees, jewellery etc. Another place which I visited was the Anderson's arcade, a four floors where you will find lot of small shops selling large variety of clothes for women at reasonable prices.