Two Sisters State: Assam and Meghalaya: Part 2

Amongst the ups and lows of life, between all challenges, one gets a sweet peaceful space which reenergizes life. This North-East was one such. It was a customized package tour by our well-wisher where I and Renu chalked day-wise itinerary with the help of holiday partner Prena travels. Considering the wedding anniversary's occasion, They Booked a trip to Assam and Meghalaya. This trip helped us to bounce back from our tough time.
Travellers for this trip were Me and Wife Renuka.

               To avoid the length of my travel blog, I have divided it into 2 parts. In this part, will like to share my travel experience at Shillong and Kaziranga.
To read my previous Blog, click on Two Sisters State: Assam and Meghalaya: Part 1

About Seven Sisters:
               7 States of India's North-east Part is known as Seven Sisters. Seven sister states are Assam (Dispur), Meghalaya (Shillong), Manipur (Imphal), Mizoram (Aizawl), Arunachal Pradesh (Itanagar), Nagaland (Kohima) and Tripura (Agartala). This name was used by journalist Jyoti Prasad Saikia in 1972. Seven States have similarity on Geographical, Economical and tribal culture. There are different views on the reason behind the name. But what I Feel is they are an integral part of India and blessed with lovely nature and rich culture.
Our trip was focused on Assam and Meghalaya. Assam shared the state border to rest north-east state and hence it is known as Gateway to North-East India. Dispur is the capital of the state but Guwahati is the primary entry point for Assam. Assam is situated just below the eastern Himalaya foothill. The state is famous for tea, Silk, one-horned rhinoceros, tourism and culture.
Meghalaya (Name meaning Home of Clouds) is a hilly state. Shillong is the capital of the state whereas Shillong is also known as Scotland of the East. Meghalaya is the wettest land of India with around 70% of the forest. The state offers you tourism throughout the year as per interest.

Our Day Wise plan:

Day	Date	Trip Plan	Stay
Day 1	09 February 2020	Pune to Guwahati via Kolkata. Local Sightseen	Guwahati
Day 2	10 February 2020	Guwahati to Cherrapunji via Shillong. Cherrapunji Sightseen	Sohra (Cherrapunji)
Day 3	11 February 2020	Double-decker Live root Bridge & Rainbow fall trek.	Shillong
Day 4	12 February 2020	Dawki River and Mawlynnong Village	Shillong
Day 5	13 February 2020	Local Sightseen	Shillong
Day 6	14 February 2020	Shillong to Kaziranga and local Sightseen	Kaziranga
Day 7	15 February 2020	Forest Safari and then Back to Guwahati	Guwahati
Day 8	16 February 2020	Local sightseen, Evening flight to Pune	Pune

Two Sisters

To read my previous Blog, click on Two Sisters State: Assam and Meghalaya: Part 1

Day 4: 12 Feb 2020: Dawki and Mawlynnong:
             We woke up by 7AM and had a tasty breakfast in the hotel. We spend some time in their garden which was beautifully decorated with a variety of flowers. Our driver came by 8:30AM and we left Shillong for our planned sightseen. Our first destination was Umngot River from Dawki (it is famous by name Dawki river). The entire journey was in Ghat with smooth and wide road. Road gets Narrow near Imngot river. We took a pit stop at Latara viewpoint. After a quick coffee break and photo, we left for our first destination.

Latara View Point

              We reached our first destination i.e. Umngot River by 11AM. It is considered to be one of the cleanest Rivers of India. When we reached the Umngot River, our Car driver booked a boat ride. You can see Bangaladesh land on the other side of the River. Many Bangladeshi people came on the riverside (from their part) for either picnic or to sell food items to Indian people those are on a boat ride. We spend around an hour for a ride which was good but definitely not to add in the must-to-do list. Our boatman took us on Bangaladesh side (might be their routine, so we may buy products) but we were not interested and came back. River water is very clear and you can see the river bed easily. Too many boats for a ride looks worry point for us even though all boats are Non-Motorised.

Umngot River

Umngot River...a.k.a Dawki River

Bangladesh Land across Umngot River

               After the Umngot River visit, we headed towards Dawki-Tamabil check post which is crossing the border between India and Bangladesh. This border is used to transport coal and stone to Bangladesh. We took some photographs at the border check post and had word with our brave BSF. We had been to Wagha border, Border Pillar No 609 from Rajasthan (India-Pak Check post which not allowed for civilians) and visited another border check post.

At India-Bangladesh Border

             We took our Lunch at Ka Bri War restaurant which was suggested by the driver. Panjabi food was tasty with quick service. Post Lunch, we visited Mawlynnong Village. The road leading to the village was not very smooth whereas road construction was in progress. Though the roads in the Village was clean and very smooth. Mawlynnong Village won the cleanest Village of India award in the year 2005. Till date, the village is considered as one of the cleanest villages. The village was maintained very well and all most all home from village offers Homestay. To maintain its clean village status and high tourist flow, they made a lot of changes in the village due to which it looks artificial. Many homes are converted into a bungalow which lost the charm of Khasi Village. If you are seeking for peace then you can prefer to stay in the village. More or less, you will find Meghalaya's villages are pretty clean. No regrates even if you miss this place.

Mawlynnong Village

               After Mawlynnong Visit, we started our return journey to Shillong. We took a pit stop at Balance rock viewpoint. It is large size rock perfectly balanced on a small-sized rock. There is an entry fee to view the Balancing Rock. Our driver Suggested one more point i.e. Nohwet Live root bridge. It is mainly known as Mawlynnong Bridge but it is actually in Nohwet Village. Though we had visited unique and wonderful Double-decker and single live root bridge at Sohra (Cherapunjji) we decided to visit this Live root bridge as well. It just required 10-15 min of a climb down trail hence popular in tourists. The root bridge is wide and sturdy. There is no stopping on the root bridge for pictures. They have a second parallel bridge constructed next to the root bridge, where you can stop and take pictures. There are plenty of shops to buy snacks and gift crafts.

Balance Rock

Live Root Bridge

               We started our journey to Shillong and reach by 6PM. We took a stroll at Police Bazar (Market) for some local item shopping. The market is also famous for local street food, although we didn't try any dish. We did some shopping and had our dinner at City hut family Dhaba restaurant. We loved the ambience and food. We celebrated our wedding anniversary with tasty pastry and went to the hotel for rest.

Day 4 Expenses:

• View-Point entry (Latara Fall): INR 20/- for 2 people
• Khasi Dress rent: INR 200/- for 2 dress (Male and Female) without print Photo.
• Dawki Boating (Long Ride): INR 1200/-
• Tip to boatman: INR 70/- (Its an optional)
• Lunch at Ka Bri War: INR 581/- for 2 people
• Mawlynnong Village Parking: INR 50/-
• Balance Rock point: INR 20/- for 2 people.
• Live Root Bridge parking: INR 30/-
• Live Root Bridge entry: INR 80/- for 2 people
• Live Root Bridge Camera: INR 20/-
• Chicken Momo at Stall: 60/- for the dish (6 pics)
• Dinner at City Hut family Dhaba: INR 926/- for 2 people. (Starter, soup, Veg and Non-veg Momo, cold drink, 3 types of dessert cakes)
• Cab to Hotel: INR 140/- (Normal rate for this distance is INR 100)

Day 5: 13 Feb 2020: Shillong Sightseen:
              We kept a few points for sightseen so we can have some rest and time for local shopping. We left for sightseeing after breakfast. Our first point was Shillong viewpoint. It is around 10-11 km away from Shillong market. This place comes under Indian Airforce so you have to clear security checks. After security checkpoint, photography is not allowed whereas you can use your camera at Shillong viewpoint. The viewpoint gives a spectacular bird's eye view of Shillong. The city looks most attractive from here only when the sky is clear. There are many local shops for snacks, traditional clothes and souvenirs at the viewpoint area.

Shillong View Point

             Our next destination was a sacred forest. It is around 25-26 km from Shillong. When we reached there, there was a vast stretch of open land and on its another end vast tall green canvas as if someone has drawn it to the scale in a straight line. It is also known as Mawphlang Sacred forest ( maw = stone, phlang = grass) which means Stone Grass. It is because due to heavy rains, high moisture and heavy morning dew, every rock and the rocky surface have a very thick coating of green moss which appears grass growing on the stones. There are two types of forest trails available with guides as a Half trail (30 Min) and full trail (1 hour). we took the full trail of 1 hour and our guide was Kerri Mame (A high school talkative smart boy)

Standing Stone represents Khasi men whereas Flat Stone represents Khasi Woman

            The forest is considered sacred by Khasi people. Gods are given sacrificial offerings at specific places by Khasi King marked by stones placed in a circle. During that era, if leopard appears after gods deity then it was considered as a good omen and if snacks appear in the forest then its bad Oman. No forest produce or product can be taken out of the forest though now local people started selling Rudraksha at the ticket counter. They believe that only Rudraksha is safe to take home as it is a blessing of God. The nature trail is beautiful. There are many varieties of trees which guide explains you during the trial. The guide was an enthusiastic photographer and took our pics using leaves and forest backgrounds. Weather was cloudy with freezing wind when we were about to finish the trail.

Sacrificial Offering place inside Forest

             We started our return journey to Shillong. Air force Museum was the next destination but we skipped it. The museum has old Indian air force's aircraft at display in open space. We reached Shillong during Lunch time as we had lunch at Bamboo Hut restaurant. Food was good in the taste. We went to the hotel for some rest in the afternoon. Shillong has a museum named Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous culture which presents the tribal culture and cultural history of the northeast. The museum features an impressive collection of indigenous articles and artefacts that depict the cultural richness of the region which gives overlook to the whole of North East India. The museum has seven floors and encompasses a total of 17 galleries that have artefacts, paintings, figures, sculptures, and much more on display. You need at least 2 hours to view the entire place.

              Ward's Lake is an artificial lake with a beautiful garden and walkways around it. There is also a boating facility available. Small Cafeteria is available which sells snacks and juices. After a quick visit to Ward's Lake, We went to Police Bazar (Main market place of Shillong) for shopping. You can buy local stuff, souvenirs, Cloths and many more item. All items are at High price so your bargaining power matters a lot to buy anything in Market. We purchased some local items from Emporium and had our dinner in the nearby restaurant. 

Day 5 Expenses:

• Shillong Viewpoint Entry: INR 60/- for 2 people
• Shillong viewpoint car parking: INR 30/-
• Sacred Forest parking: INR 30/-
• Sacred Forest entry: INR 20/- for 2 people
• Sacred Forest camera: INR 50/-
• Sacred Forest trail Chargers: INR 500/- for the full trail (INR300 for the half trail)
• Lunch at Bamboo Hut, Shillong: INR 734/- for 2 people
• Taxi to Market: INR 120/-
• Ward's Lake Entry: INR 10 per person
• Dinner: INR 525/-
• Taxi to Hotel: INR 120/-

Day 6: 13 Feb 2020: Shillong - Kaziranga:
              We left Shilong by 9AM after breakfast. Today our plan was to reach Kaziranga before Sunset. Distance between Shillong and Kaziranga is around 260km. We took a pit stop at Umain Lake viewpoint. When we entered Assam, the road becomes wider and smooth. We took halt for lunch at Anurag Dhaba. It serves Delius Assami veg and non-veg meal. The ambience is simple and the restaurant was clean.
            After a few hours of drive, we entered in Kaziranga area. You may spot rhinoceros in the open fields. For safety, there is electric fencing on both sides of the highway. We stopped at one point which was around 15-20km before Kaziranga. We saw 3 rhino and wetland birds. After a quick 15-20 min break, we move ahead. we Reached Kaziranga national orchid and biodiversity park. Due to lack of time (orchid and biodiversity park closed at 5PM) we decided to see a few sections. Orchid and Biodiversity Park is located at the distance of about 2 km from the Central Range of Kaziranga. The park is spread in the area of around 6 acres and is considered as the largest orchid park in the Northeast belt of India. has different sections. Each section has guides who will explain to you the exhibits free of cost. The Orchid Park has more than 600 varieties of wild orchids of northeast Indian states. The whole variety of orchids is preserved in a greenhouse together with some hybrid varieties; some of them have been exclusively collected from the local region of the state. There are various galleries depicting local plants, animals, living style, culture etc, which is really a matter of attraction for tourist. We purchased an evening dance show ticket which starts at 8PM.

Orchid Park

Orchid Park, Kaziranga 

                We return to our hotel for the check-in process. We booked Tent stay at Mandu the escape hotel. The hotel was newly built. Property is beautiful and well maintained. Tents were clean with all the required facilities. After some rest and Coffee, We left for Culture dance show at Orchid and Biodiversity Park. Culture show performed by professional locals was fabulous. We really like the show. There were 7-8 types of cultural dance which ends with traditional Bihu dance.

Assamese Instrumental

Bamboo folk Dance

Bihu Folk Dance

               After the lovely performance, we came back to the hotel where our dinner was ready. They served our ordered dinner outside the tent. Weather was cold but the heater inside the tent helped for better sleep. we slept early as we booked 6AM Elephant Safari followed by 8:30AM Jeep safari.

Day 6 Expenses:

• Tip in Shillong Hotel staff: INR 200/-
• Lunch at Anurag Dhaba: INR 650/- (1 Veg meal, 1 Duck meal, cold drink and sweet dish)
• Orchid & Biodiversity Park entry: INR 200/- for 2 (130 per head entry)
• Orchid & Biodiversity Park Camera: INR 50/-
• Orchid & Biodiversity Park Car parking: INR 20/-
• Culture Show: INR 400/- for 2 Tickets.

Day 7: 14 Feb 2020: Kaziranga - Guwahati:
               We got the wake-up call by the Hotel staff at 4AM. We had lots of forest safari's in the past 7-8 years that we are used for an early wake-up schedule. Our driver came to the hotel by 5AM for pick up. Before 6AM we were at the starting point of Elephant Safari. This was our first safari experience on the elephant.
               Best Time to visit Kaziranga is from November to March. The park can also be visited from April to June but those months are a lot hotter and can make exploring the park much more tedious. Forest is not accessible during the rainy season from June to August. During this season, the monsoon is in full swing and causes the nearby Brahmaputra River floods its banks, sending water flowing into the park. Kaziranga National Park enjoys a tropical climate for most of the year. In total, the park is home to 2,400 plus one-horned rhinos and 100 plus tigers.

Welcome to Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga Forest

              Total 4 people can seat on elephant for safari. Safari time around 45 to 60 min and their target is to roam around 3-4 km from starting point to spot the Rhino. They take you very close to Rhino and then back to start point via some different route. They are least bother to show other wildlife during elephant safari. The ride is definitely not smooth due to elephant walk on an uneven surface. We spot around 5-6 Rhino in elephant Safari. There were a mother and calf Rhino which we saw from a very close distance. Rhinos were busy with their routine activity and nothing disturbed them just like elephant safaris are now part of their life. We return to the start point by 7AM. Personally, we didn't like the elephant safari for 2 reasons. one, Elephant rider hit the elephant with the Bamboo rod if they fail to follow a command or take extra time to pick some plant branches/Fruits from Trees. and second is you hardly get a chance to see/capture other wildlife.

Rhino

             We came back to the hotel for breakfast. After Breakfast, our Safari Jeep came to pick up us for our planned safari. Our safari was booked in Central zone of Kaziranga. Even though Rhino and Tiger was the main attraction for us, we were not fixated on stars like tigers; other inhabitants of the forests were a delight to observe too. It was a cold morning and the entire zone was in silent mode. After the security check at the post, We entered the Forest. Kaziranga forest mainly inclusive of vast tall elephant grass, marshland, and dense tropical moist broadleaf forests, and the numerous small bodies of water.

Serpent Eagle

              Forest landscape was beautiful. forest route goes through a different part of the forest. We saw many groups of Hog Deer and wild water buffalo. After a few kilometres, we saw Rhino. Spotting Rhino is quite easy in Kaziranga forest. Rhinoceros are majestic animal.

              When I saw them for the first time, I just kept on looking and I could not able to move my eyesight. His skin folds across its flanks give it look of the armour-plated body. The horn that they have is actually a thick substance made up of keratin (Hair and Nail like material). It grows throughout life and can be regrown if broken. It is considered to have medicinal properties. That is a reason why they are poached and it is a reason behind them getting endangered. As a habit, they follow regular paths and defecate at the same place creating piles of dung. This makes it easy for poachers to find out their location and hunt them down.

               During Safri, Driver/Guide will drop you off at certain lookout points. You can view open marshland and spot mammals and birds. At one point we saw a variety of birds and mammals on open grassland. We were carrying our binocular so we can observe their activity. We took such breaks near marshland, River canals or Waterbodies.
             We saw many residential and migratory birds on our route. We were able to spot lesser adjutant, greater adjutant, black-necked stork, Asian openbill, painted stork, spot-billed pelican, lesser white-fronted goose, Pochards, Greater spotted eagle, white-tailed fishing eagle, serpent eagle, Pallas's fish eagle, lesser kestrel and many more birds during our Safari.

Lesser Stork

Spot Billed Pelican

             The best part of our Safari was when huge Rhino cross the route in front of our jeep and stopped at the side of the road for a couple of minutes. We saw swamp deer, spotted deer, barking deer and Sambar which are available in the forest in good quality. Watching Rhino every time during safari was a treat to the eye. Rhinoceros in Kaziranga are about 70% of the world's total rhino populations.

Rhino crossing

Wait till I cross the road...

              We were inside the forest for around 2 hours 30 min and we enjoyed each and every moment. The cold breeze, Beautiful landscape, Tall elephant grass and wildlife was a real treat. While returning to the gate, the driver observes some activity in huge Grass. Initially, we were unable to spot anything but soon we released that it was a wild Elephant. Grass in Kaziranga is such a tall that even elephant can easily hide inside it and hence it is called as Elephant grass (giant miscanthus). Considering such rich vegetation of the forest, It is really difficult to spot Bengal Tiger. Kaziranga offers you great biodiversity in terms of flora, fauna and vegetation.

Beautiful Kaziranga Forest

              We return to the hotel by 11:30AM after quick tea powder shopping in the local market. We had some snacks and left beautiful Kaziranga. The journey from Kaziranga to Guwahati was around 4-5 hours. We didn't take any break in between and reached Hotel landmark before 5PM. We had some rest and went out for our dinner cruise.
              There are multiple cruises which offer sunset ride (1 hour) or Dinner cruise ride. Our booking was for a Dinner ride on Alfresco Grand cruise. We boarded at around 7:15PM and the tour started at 7:30PM. It was good to go if you have spare time. They serve you Started (Very limited), one Mocktail and Dinner. The sand art video and voiceover depicting Assam’s great warrior Lachit Borphukan vs Mughal (battle of saraighat) history was good. There was a culture program but it was loud and bit commercial and not traditional. We attended a culture program in Kaziranga which was far better than the program on Alfresco Grand. There was karaoke which was of average quality. Few items from the meal were good in taste and ambience was okay. They also serve liquor Drinks at cost. We are non-alcoholic so no idea on rate and type of liquor. We enjoy the dinner tour Though, whether it's worth of INR 1300 per head or not is up to you.

Alfresco Grand Dinner Cruise

Tips for Kaziranga National Park Safari
1. You can book Jeep Safari on the spot. Sharing jeep is allowed so you can join the other groups to save money. However, We recommend booking private (No sharing) jeep is the best experience to explore in your terms if you can manage it.

2. In case you are on a budget trip and wanted to share the jeep, better to reach Ticket window 45 min prior to your safari timing which will give you more chances to look around for sharing groups.

3. For private Jeep safari (Non-Sharing), better to book forest permit in advance and if possible ask your hotel manager to arrange Jeep in advance. 

4. Carry ample amount of the Indian currency as at the most of places they prefer Cash. Big hotels/Restaurants and Shops accept cards or Open baning methods such as Google pay/Paytm etc.

5. We were staying at Kohora (Near Central zone) and we saw a couple of ATM machines as well.

6. There are 3 (Central, Western, and Eastern) different zones and each zone offers you unique and some animals pop up in higher concentrations in certain ranges. But all zones have good number is Rhinos

7. The boat safari is also available in the Brahmaputra river. check with the hotel or at Forest office for more details

Day 7 Expenses:

• Elephant Safari: INR 950 per person (Booked by Friend)
• Jeep Safari: INR 3050/- (It varies based on Zone and Time)
• Permit fee: INR 200/- for 2 people
• Staff welfare per vehicle fee: INR 300/-
• Safari Road Toll: INR 100/-
• Safari Camera fee: INR 200/- for 2 Camera
• Tip to Jeep driver: ₹200/-
• Snacks for lunch: INR 200/-
• Dinner at Alfresco Cruise: INR 2600/- for 2 people (Booked by Friend)
• Stay at Hotel Landmark: INR 3500 - 4200/- with Dinner & breakfast (Booked by Friends)

Day 8: 15 Feb 2020: Guwahati - Pune:
Our flight was at 3:45PM. The morning was free for us so we went to Fancy Bazar for some quick shopping. We wanted to visit Uma Nanda Temple which is located on the Island in Brahmaputra River. We skipped the Island visit due to cold foggy morning and lack of time. We visited the statue of Lachit Borphukan. He is known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat. In the honor of Lachit Borphukan, The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy, Pune has conferred the Lachit Borphukan gold medal every year from 1999.

Lachit Borphukan Statue in Brahmaputra River

              We took a stroll on the bank of Brahmaputra river which is 9th largest river in the world. We had a tasty meal in the famous Paradise restaurant which serves authentic Assam local food. Ambience and service were good and we love the taste.

Assam local Non-veg meal

              Our driver dropped us to the airport. Airport was very crowded due to Bollywood stars as they were travelling back to Mumbai after attending Filmfare award on 14th Feb. We saw many actors-actress inside the airport but we avoided photo with them as they were surrounded by other traveller and even airport staff. We had our next connecting flight to Pune from Kolkata after 4 hours of layover time. We board the flight by 9:45PM and reached our sweet home.

Day 8 Expenses:

• Uber to Fancy Market: INR 85/-
• Uber to Restaurant: INR 90/-
• Lunch at Paradise: INR 755/- (1 Veg meal and 1 Non-veg meal)
• Uber to Hotel: INR 66/-
• Car rent chargers: Not aware as Car was Booked by friend
• Dinner at Kolkata airport: INR 600/-
• Pune airport to Home by Uber: INR 230/-

Small Video from Our Assam and Meghalaya trip

Contact Number for Reference:
1. Hotel Landmark, Guwahati: 0361 2455248
2. Hotel La kupar Inn, Sohra (Cherapinji): https://lakuparinn.com/ (John +919856680199 / Bansan +919615093898)
3. Hotel Aerodene Cottage, Shillong: http://www.aerodene.in/ (Ronan: +9181198 07072 / Sharlene: +9197740 65366)
4. Hotel mandu the escape, Kohora, Kaziranga: https://www.mandutheescape.com/ (+919435150277 / +917002510432 / +919711801387)
5. Car Driver Bubhul: +919577746711
6. Khasi emporium, Shillong: +919612659653/+919612609891
7. Ka Bri war Restaurant, Dawki Road: +919366321258 / +917002035078.
8. City Hut Family Dhaba, Shillong: 03642220386.
9. Bamboo Hut Restaurant, Shillong: 03642501542 / 03642503430.
10. Restaurant Paradise, Guwahati: +919435548812, 03612666628.
11. Anuraag Dhaba, Nagaon (Guwahati-Kariranga highway): +919954506051 / +919101719674.
12. Pranab for Kaziranga Jeep Safari: +917002263443

Places which we missed due to lack of time:
Guwahati
1. Umananda Temple
2. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
3. Purva Tirupati Shri Balaji temple
4. Navagraha Temple

Shillong
1. Laitlum Canyons
2. Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures
3. Lady Hydari Park

Sohra/Cherrapunji
1. Arwah Cave
2. Dain-Thlen Falls
3. Wei Sawdong Falls
4. Wah Kaba Falls

Kaziranga
1. Majuli Island Village
2. Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary or Hoolock Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
3. Nameri Village for birding and butterfly

I will try to upload more and more travel blogs. Thanks for reading this Travel Blog.

Pritesh Kulkarni

Pune