I went to Meghalaya with a vague plan, bad shoes, and the confident ignorance of someone who'd read exactly two blog posts about the place. I came back with sore legs, a rain-soaked phone, and a long list of things I wish someone had told me.
Here's that list. You're welcome.
Shillong Airport (SHL) has extremely limited flights — basically Kolkata only, and not daily. Guwahati Airport (GAU) has flights from 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 are cheaper (150-250 INR) but slower and less comfortable. The road is good but winding. Motion sickness medication isn't a bad idea.
Unlike Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, or Mizoram, Meghalaya doesn't require an Inner Line Permit or Restricted Area Permit for foreign nationals. Standard Indian e-Tourist Visa is sufficient. Just carry your passport near the Bangladesh border (Dawki area) — checkpoints exist.
Hotel owners in Shillong know the best drivers. A car with driver costs 2,500-3,500 INR/day, and the local drivers know these roads intimately. The roads to Cherrapunji, Dawki, and Nongriat are narrow, winding, and occasionally terrifying — only experienced local drivers should navigate them.
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 not in villages. Plan on spending 3,000-5,000 INR per day and withdraw accordingly before leaving 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 do the entire state comfortably on $30-40 per day.
This is the single most important tip on this list. Meghalaya receives some of the highest rainfall on Earth. Even in November and December — the "dry" months — sudden showers come without warning. I watched a cloudless sky turn into a downpour in 15 minutes.
Pack a quality rain jacket (not a poncho — ponchos fail in wind). Waterproof bag covers for your backpack. Quick-dry clothing. And — this is critical — waterproof your phone somehow.
Flip-flops on 3,500 wet stone steps is how you end up in Shillong hospital. Waterproof trekking shoes with ankle support are essential. The steps are uneven, covered in moss, and genuinely treacherous when wet. I saw someone slip and twist their ankle on step 400. They had to climb back up injured.
Shillong sits at 1,496 meters. Mornings can be 5-8°C in December-January. By midday, it's 15-20°C. The lowland areas (Dawki, Nongriat) are warmer and more humid. Pack layers you can add and remove quickly.
Don't try to do the double decker root bridge as a day trip from Shillong. The descent is 2-3 hours, the ascent is 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 is worth the basic accommodation.
I don't say this to be dramatic. The 3,500-step return climb from Nongriat is one of 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 doing stair workouts before your trip. Your quads will thank you. Or at least they'll only hate you for two days instead of four.
There are a couple of small shops on the Nongriat trail selling 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 doesn't mean it's a matriarchy in the Western sense, but the gender dynamics are genuinely different from mainland India. Don't treat it as a curiosity to be gawked at.
Kwai (betel nut) offered as a greeting is a sign of respect. If someone offers you a betel nut, accept it — even if you don't plan to chew it. The gesture of acceptance is what matters. If you do try it, be prepared: it's an acquired taste and it'll turn your teeth red.
The Khasi people maintain sacred forests (law kyntang) and ritual sites. Photography may not be welcome. Always ask. 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 when all seats are filled. This can mean waiting 20 minutes or 2 hours. Morning departures fill faster. If you're impatient, pay for the remaining empty seats.
BSNL has the best coverage in Meghalaya. Jio and Airtel work in Shillong but drop off in rural areas. Download offline Google Maps before leaving Shillong. At Nongriat, you'll have 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? Try two hours on hairpin turns with buses coming the other direction. 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 impactful viewpoint in the state. No guardrails, no commercialization. Just a canyon that drops into forever.
I nearly skipped it. It ended up being my second-favorite moment of the entire trip, right after the root bridge.
Go early morning for the best cloud effects. And watch your step — there really are no railings.
