Most travelers arrive in Meghalaya with a vague plan, the wrong shoes, and the confident ignorance of someone who skimmed two blog posts. They leave with sore legs, a rain-soaked phone, and a long list of things they wish someone had told them first.
Here's that list, so you can skip straight to the good part.
Shillong Airport (SHL) runs extremely limited flights — basically Kolkata only, and not daily. Guwahati Airport (GAU) connects to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore. From Guwahati, shared taxis to Shillong take 2.5-3 hours and cost 300-400 INR per seat, or 2,500 INR for the full car.
MSRTC buses run cheaper (150-250 INR) but slower and less comfortable. The road is good but winding. Pack motion sickness medication — you'll be glad you did.
Unlike Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, or Mizoram, Meghalaya requires no Inner Line Permit or Restricted Area Permit for foreign nationals. A standard Indian e-Tourist Visa is sufficient. Just keep your passport handy near the Bangladesh border (Dawki area) — checkpoints exist.
Hotel owners in Shillong know the best drivers, full stop. A car with driver costs 2,500-3,500 INR/day, and the local drivers know these roads intimately. The routes to Cherrapunji, Dawki, and Nongriat are narrow, winding, and occasionally heart-stopping — this is terrain for experienced local drivers only.
ATMs exist in Shillong and Cherrapunji. After that, nothing. Not in Nongriat, not in Mawlynnong, not in Dawki, not in Shnongpdeng. UPI works at some Shillong shops but disappears in the villages. Plan on 3,000-5,000 INR per day and withdraw accordingly before you leave Shillong.
Budget hotels in Shillong: 800-1,500 INR/night. Meals: 100-250 INR. Village homestays: 300-1,000 INR/night. A shared taxi for a full-day circuit: 500-800 INR per head. You can travel the entire state comfortably on $30-40 per day.
This is the single most important tip on the list. Meghalaya catches some of the highest rainfall on Earth. Even in November and December — the "dry" months — sudden showers arrive without warning. A cloudless sky here can turn into a downpour in 15 minutes.
Pack a quality rain jacket (not a poncho — ponchos fail in wind). Bring waterproof covers for your backpack, quick-dry clothing, and — this part is critical — a way to waterproof your phone.
Flip-flops on 3,500 wet stone steps is how travelers end up in a Shillong hospital. Waterproof trekking shoes with ankle support are essential. The steps run uneven, moss-covered, and genuinely treacherous when wet. A slip near step 400 means climbing back up injured — don't let that be you.
Shillong sits at 1,496 meters. Mornings can drop to 5-8°C in December-January. By midday, it's 15-20°C. The lowland areas (Dawki, Nongriat) run warmer and more humid. Pack layers you can add and shed quickly.
Don't attempt the double decker root bridge as a day trip from Shillong. The descent takes 2-3 hours, the ascent 3-4 hours, and you'll want time at the bridge and the swimming pool. Homestays in Nongriat cost 300-800 INR/night and include dinner. Seeing the bridge at sunrise with no other tourists around is worth the basic accommodation.
This isn't dramatic advice. The 3,500-step return climb from Nongriat ranks among the most physically demanding tourist activities in India. If you prefer sea-level adventure, try Goa instead. If you don't exercise regularly, spend a few weeks on stair workouts before your trip. Your quads will thank you — or at least they'll only hate you for two days instead of four.
A couple of small shops on the Nongriat trail sell water and biscuits, but supplies are limited and prices are marked up (fair enough — someone carried them down 3,500 steps). Bring at least 2 liters of water, energy bars, and a packed lunch.
Meghalaya's Khasi and Garo tribes follow matrilineal succession — children take the mother's surname, property passes through women. This isn't a matriarchy in the Western sense, but the gender dynamics run genuinely different from mainland India. Approach it with respect, not as a curiosity to be gawked at.
Kwai (betel nut) offered as a greeting is a sign of respect. When someone offers you a betel nut, accept it — even if you don't plan to chew it. The gesture of acceptance is what matters. And if you do try it, be ready: it's an acquired taste, and it'll turn your teeth red.
The Khasi people maintain sacred forests (law kyntang) and ritual sites where photography may not be welcome. Always ask first. Most people will say yes — but some sites are genuinely off-limits.
The most efficient route: Day 1 — Shillong to Cherrapunji (waterfalls, caves); Day 2 — Cherrapunji to Nongriat (root bridges, overnight); Day 3 — Nongriat back up, drive to Mawlynnong; Day 4 — Mawlynnong to Dawki, back to Shillong. A car with driver for this circuit costs 2,500-3,500 INR/day.
Shared taxis from Guwahati and between Meghalaya towns leave only once every seat is filled. That can mean a 20-minute wait or a 2-hour one. Morning departures fill faster. If you're impatient, pay for the remaining empty seats and go.
BSNL has the best coverage in Meghalaya. Jio and Airtel work in Shillong but drop off in rural areas. Download offline Google Maps before you leave Shillong. At Nongriat, expect zero signal — tell people before you disappear.
The drives between attractions look short on Google Maps. Shillong to Cherrapunji is 54km — should take an hour, right? Expect two, on hairpin turns with buses coming the other way. Budget extra time for every drive.
Everyone rushes to Dawki and Nongriat. Laitlum Canyons — 23km from Shillong, free entry, almost no tourists on weekdays — is the most emotionally striking viewpoint in the state. No guardrails, no commercialization. Just a canyon that drops into forever.
It's easy to skip, and it rewards everyone who doesn't — often ranking as the second-best moment of the trip, right after the root bridge.
Go early morning for the best cloud effects. And watch your step — there really are no railings.
