Meghalaya

Shillong is about 100 km from Guwahati city on the four-lane GS Road (NH6), which takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours. From Guwahati airport, 28 km west of the city, allow 3 to 3.5 hours. Add time if you stop at Umiam Lake or hit evening traffic entering Shillong.

Shillong Peak has a small entry fee, typically under INR 100 per person, plus a separate charge per vehicle, collected at the Air Force checkpoint. Fees change from time to time, so carry cash in small notes and check current status before you travel.

Elephant Falls charges a small entry fee, typically well under INR 100 per person, with a separate camera fee and a parking charge for vehicles. Fees are collected in cash at the ticket gate and are revised from time to time, so carry small notes, check the rate locally and check current status before you travel.

Umiam Lake is about 15 km north of Police Bazar on the Guwahati–Shillong road, a 25 to 35 minute drive depending on traffic leaving the city. From Guwahati city it is about 85 km, or 2.5 hours, which is why most visitors stop there on the way up or down.

Laitlum Canyons is about 22 km from Police Bazar in Shillong, which takes 45 minutes to an hour by car on the road through Smit. There is no regular bus to the rim, so most visitors hire a taxi from Shillong for a half-day and ask the driver to wait.

Cherrapunji, or Sohra, is among the wettest places on Earth, with an average of about 11,200 mm of rain a year. It holds the record for a calendar month, about 9,300 mm in July 1861, and a 12-month record of 26,461 mm. Nearby Mawsynram usually records a slightly higher annual average.

Nohkalikai Falls is about 340 m (1,115 ft) high, and it is generally described as the tallest plunge waterfall in India, meaning the water falls clear of the rock face. It drops from the edge of the Sohra plateau into a large plunge pool that often looks milky green.

Mawsmai Cave charges a small entry fee, typically under INR 100 per person, with a lower rate for children, plus parking and separate charges for cameras and film shoots. Fees are collected in cash at the gate and are revised from time to time, so check locally and check current status before you travel.

The trek from Tyrna village to the double decker root bridge at Nongriat is about 3,500 steps each way, covering roughly 3 km. Descending takes 1.5 to 2 hours. The climb back up takes 2 to 3 hours for most fit adults, so the full round trip is usually 5 to 7 hours with rest stops.