Smita’s Beautiful Meghalaya Trip with Thrillophilia
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PNR: BKDCQVKRYB1
Rating: ★★★★★
Traveller: Smita Shetty
Travellers: 4
Trip Duration: 8 Days | 7 Nights
Date of Travel: 24 Dec 2023 – 31 Dec 2023
Destination: Northeast Reigon
“Our trip to Meghalaya was very good. The driver (Krishna Roy) especially was excellent and very accommodating. He even took us to places which were not a part of the itinerary.”
Meghalaya gave Smita Shetty and her group four things that are difficult to find together on one holiday: dense green forests, enormous waterfalls, adventurous trails and rivers so clear they almost looked unreal. Over eight days, the group travelled through Shillong, Sohra, Nongriat, Mawlynnong, Dawki and Jowai, with plenty of time spent outside the vehicle and in the landscape itself.
What made the holiday stand out, though, was that not everything stayed neatly within the plan. Their driver, Krishna Roy, was happy to make room for detours and take them to places beyond the itinerary. That little bit of flexibility turned a scheduled Meghalaya holiday into something that felt much more like their own trip.
Into Meghalaya’s Green Heart
The first real taste of Meghalaya came on the roads around Shillong and Sohra, where the scenery seemed to change every few minutes. The group found themselves stopping at viewpoints, following short forest trails and repeatedly getting pulled towards waterfalls.
Wei Sawdong was one of those places that required some effort before revealing itself. The group walked roughly 200 metres through the greenery to reach the three-tiered waterfall, where water dropped through a series of rocky levels surrounded by thick forest. There was a sense of discovery to it — the sort of place where the walk itself becomes part of the experience.
And then came the big views. At Nohkalikai Falls, the landscape suddenly opened up into one of Meghalaya's most dramatic sights. Seven Sisters Falls stretched across the cliffs in the distance, while the viewpoints around Mawkdok Dympep revealed the enormous folds of the Khasi Hills.
Where the Forest Built a Bridge
Somewhere between all that greenery, the group traded roads for a trail.
From Tyrna, they began the trek towards Nongriat, descending through the forest towards the famous Double Decker Living Root Bridge. The trail brought them across smaller bridges and through thick vegetation, with the sound of water following them through much of the walk.
Then the roots appeared.
The Double Decker Living Root Bridge is exactly the kind of thing that makes Meghalaya feel unlike anywhere else. Instead of being constructed from concrete or steel, the bridge has been shaped from the living roots of rubber fig trees, guided and strengthened by generations of Khasi communities.
The return meant climbing back up roughly 3,000 steps. That probably made the eventual sight of the vehicle waiting at the top feel especially welcome.
Caves, Waterfalls and Unexpected Stops
Not every memorable moment required a long trek. Some came from simply following the road and seeing where Meghalaya led them.
The group explored Mawsmai Cave, moving through its narrow limestone passages, and later ventured into Arwah Cave, where fossils can be spotted within the natural formations. These were very different from the open landscapes outside, cool, dark and enclosed, with the rocks revealing themselves slowly as they moved deeper inside.
And then there were the stops that were never really about rushing to the next destination. This was where Krishna's flexibility came in. Smita specifically remembers him taking the group to places that weren't part of their itinerary. Those detours gave the holiday some breathing room and meant that the group could enjoy Meghalaya beyond the sightseeing list they had originally set out with.
The River Was Almost Too Clear
By the time they reached the Dawki and Shnongpdeng side of Meghalaya, the landscape had changed again.
The group made their way to the Umngot River, famous for its startlingly clear water. From the boat, the riverbed could be seen beneath the surface, creating the strange impression that the boats were floating in mid-air rather than travelling across water.
After days of waterfalls and forest trails, this was a slower kind of adventure. The group could simply sit on the river, take in the hills around them and enjoy how different the landscape felt from Sohra.
There was more exploring around Mawlynnong and Riwai too. The group saw the famous Balancing Rock and walked to the Single Decker Living Root Bridge, another example of how the Khasi people have worked with living trees to create something functional and extraordinary at the same time.
One More Waterfall
Krang Suri brought the group back to the water, but this time in a setting that felt almost made for spending an afternoon.
Tucked away near Jowai, the waterfall drops into a natural pool surrounded by rocky cliffs and greenery. After travelling through Meghalaya's winding hill roads, the group had the option of doing something wonderfully simple: get into the water, sit around the falls or just take their time taking it all in.
Back in Shillong, the pace became more relaxed. The group explored Laitlum Canyon, with its wide views across the Khasi Hills, before spending time around the city. The trip also took them through the cultural side of Meghalaya at Don Bosco Museum, Cathedral Church and Ward's Lake, while Police Bazaar offered a livelier end to their time in Shillong.
By then, Meghalaya had given them everything! Long drives, forest walks, waterfalls, caves, rivers, village trails and enough unplanned stops to keep the holiday from feeling overly structured.
Why Smita Recommends Thrillophilia
For Smita, a big part of the experience came down to the person handling the journey on the ground. She singled out Krishna Roy for being “excellent and very accommodating”, particularly appreciating that he took the group to places beyond what had originally been planned. When one part of the plan did not work out, he also helped them find alternative places to explore rather than allowing the day to go to waste.
There was, however, one important gap in the planning. The group had booked the David Scott Trek, but the logistics did not work in their favour. Since they were staying in Sohra, reaching the trek's starting point took around 2.5 hours. They eventually arrived at about 10 AM, by which point guides were unavailable because it was peak tourist season, and the group had to miss the trek altogether.
Smita's feedback is particularly useful for future North East travellers: the David Scott Trek would be better planned while staying in Shillong, and guides should be pre-booked during the busy season. It is the kind of logistical detail that can make a real difference on a trip like this.
Despite that missed experience, Smita summed up the holiday simply: “Our trip to Meghalaya was very good.” And with Krishna's flexibility helping the group discover places outside the original plan, their Meghalaya holiday ended up just as one would want! Full of Memories!