RegionOutline guide

Meghalaya

State in northeastern India

Photo: Indrani911basu, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Meghalaya (Pronounced MAY-g^hah-LUH-yuh)is one of the seven North-Eastern states of India. Famous for its high rainfall, subtropical forests and biodiversity, it is abutted by Assam in the north and east and by Bangladesh in the south. The river Brahmaputra (or Luit as called locally) forms the border in the west. Most of the terrain is hilly and experiences heavy rainfall during monsoons.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By helicopter
The Government of Meghalaya operates a twice-a-day helicopter service from the Guwahati Airport to the Shillong Heliport, 10 km away from the city centre. Tickets are modestly priced at ₹1500.
By train
There are no railway lines in Meghalaya. Guwahati is the nearest railway station around 104 km from Shillong.
By road
Shillong is connected with Guwahati by NH 40. Various modes of transport including Shared taxis, Buses and private cabs ply on this route.
Visa and Restricted Area information
No Inner Line Permit or Protected Area permit is required to enter Meghalaya for foreign citizens or Indian citizens travelling. The Meghalaya tourism website contains a lot of resources for tourists.

Read in the guide

Getting around

Any Meghalaya excursion should start from Shillong or Guwahati for convenience. Local non-AC buses, share sumos connect several parts of Meghalaya and other destinations of the North-East.

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Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport

Guwahati · International · GAU

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Read before you go to Meghalaya

Articles and travel topics about Meghalaya and India.

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

UnderstandMeghalaya consists of three major hills: Garo, Jaintia, and Khasi. The three major tribes are named after these hills: Garos, Jaintias, and Khasis.

TalkKhasi is the most dominant language of Meghalaya, spoken by the native population of most of central Meghalaya, including Shillong and Cherrapunji, and widely understood in the eastern part of the state too, though most…

Get inThe Shillong Airport, around 35 km from Shillong is the only airport in Meghalaya where commercial flights operate from. A limited number of Air India flights (ATR42 type) are available from Kolkata per week.

Get aroundAny Meghalaya excursion should start from Shillong or Guwahati for convenience. Local non-AC buses, share sumos connect several parts of Meghalaya and other destinations of the North-East.

See

DoMeghalaya is a caver's delight. The area around Cherrapunji has quite a few limestone caves that can be visited, such as the caves at Mawsmai near Mawsynram.

EatRice is the staple food and different varieties from the red rice to the sticky glutinous rice are grown and eaten in Meghalaya. The red rice from the Sung Valley is known to be particularly delicious.

SleepMajor tourist destinations in Meghalaya usually have a few hotels, various guesthouses (smaller, locally-owned hotels), and numerous "homestays" (more local and casual yet).

Stay safeLike most of Northeast India, Meghalaya is generally considered safe for travelers, especially compared with more-frequently-visited parts of India like the north and west.

CopeThe vast majority of people in Meghalaya are Christians, especially in the villages, and they're generally very serious about it - on Sundays you should expect most shops to be closed, and much fewer transportation…

Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Meghalaya" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Meghalaya", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: Indrani911basu, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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