Showing posts with label Meghalaya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meghalaya. Show all posts

Destination Garo Hills

After being in oblivion for years, Garo Hills have started to open up to a new era. An era of TOURISM. When one talks of Meghalaya, Shillong, Cherrapunjee or Mawsynram are the probable names that come to mind. But around 300 km west of Shillong lies this hidden gem. It is only lately that tourism has started gaining pace in the hills with better road connectivity and opening up of homestays and hotels. Frankly speaking, having born and brought up here even I haven't yet explored this place. 
Garo Hills is one of the three hills besides Khasi and Jaintia Hills that make Meghalaya. Apart from clouds, these hills are home to the Garo Tribe. The blue-green hills are rich in biodiversity and houses two national parks and two wildlife sanctuaries besides several other protected areas. The National Citrus Gene Sanctuary within the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is also the home to Citrus indica or Indian wild orange which is considered to be the most "primitive" citrus.

Planning your trip to the Scotland of the East

Fact check:

Location: Shillong
State: Meghalaya
Country: India
Altitude: 1525m

Reaching there:

For the people coming from Rest of India and other countries, Guwahati in Assam will act as the hub. Guwahati (Maligaon) is the head quarter of the Northern Frontier Railway zone of the Indian Railway. The Guwahati (GHY) and Kamakhya (KYQ) railway stations have trains to most major cities in India. The city has Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU) to cater to the tourists preferring airways. Buses are available from several places in West Bengal and Bihar till Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in the city.
Guwahati not only serves as a hub for visiting Shillong but all the seven sister states of North East India.
The four lane Guwahati-Shillong Road (GS road) or NH-6 connects the two cities. TATA Sumo and buses ply at frequent interval from Paltan Bazar. From here one can also hire taxis for Shillong.
The first thing that welcomes you to Shillong is the majestic Umiam lake. It was created by damming the Umiam river in the early 1960s. Apart from the scenic beauty this place offers water sport facilities to enthusiasts.
Umiam or Barapani Lake (Source)