Megalaya : Frequently asked questions

Megalaya : Frequently asked questions

How we chose Megalaya ? How we reached there?

Our Friends Achuthan & Indrani has visited in early May 2015 & suggested this place to us. They gave a draft itinerary for us for a week, which I shared in travel forum Indiamike.com. (Normally used to do this whenever I travel to new places ); Karikor who was in this forum suggested some changes in itinerary. Particularly instead of staying at the same place for all the 8 days, he suggested to stay in different place. Initially we were very hesitant as we need to change/ vacate room everyday. But with little bit of research, found that it was the best way; otherwise we need to spend about 5 hours every day in travel (Two and half hours each).

There are 2 ways to reach Megalaya

Option 1: Chennai to Kolkatta by flight (Plenty of options/ flights)

                    Kolkatta to Shillong by Flight (Only one Air India flight is there every day & it gets cancelled due to bad weather at times)

Option 2: Chennai to Kolkatta by flight

                    Kolkatta to Guwahati by flight; then 3 hours drive to reach Shillong (many flight options for this)

We chose second option as advised by many friends.

Where did we stay?

As mentioned earlier, we chose to stay in different places. Other than saving the time, most of the places we stayed were unique and completely different from one another and each one was with a different back drop. 

We stayed for 2 days in Mawphalang at Maple pine Farm house.

From there we travelled to Mawphanlur and stayed there at a guest house.

Then we moved to Mawlynnong & stayed at a Guest house.

We moved to Cherrapunji from there and stayed at Sai Mika Resorts

Finally, we stayed at Orchid Lake resort at Shillong for a day before boarding the flight.

Though few days we had some disappointment since we could not cover many places or we were dull, the places that we stayed gave lot of freshness and comfort; We enjoyed each one of the stay, but the first two stays (Maple pine Farm house at Mawphalang and Guest house at Mawphanlur) were outstanding and not to be missed out !!

What about the food?

They have good vegetarian food. Rice quality is almost similar to Chennai. So no complaints. They serve 2 or 3 vegetables; Egg and chicken can be done at our request.

Veggies can surely manage with the Rice, Dhall and 2 or 3 vegetable dishes that they provide (Potato is cultivated there a lot and they use it in every food); They don’t know Sambar, Rasam, Curd, etc

In Cherrapunji, there is a new hotel called as Orange roots, which serves pakka Tamilian food; here we ate Idly, Dosa etc.

We met the owner & his son who manage Cherrapunji resort and Orange roots hotel; both talked in fluent Tamil to us; Father had worked in Megalaya in a bank and had had married a woman from Megalaya. Therafter they had been in many parts of India; Finally he took VRS, got a land here, came and started a resort; It was the first resort in Cherrapunji (Charra Holiday resort); Even today, this is one of the best and famous resort here; Last year they have opened this new hotel (Orange roots). 

When you go to Orange roots hotel run by them, prefer Tiffain items than Rice items; Rice items are costly and not so good; Idly & other south Indian food is comparitively cheaper as well as good.

Is it safe to travel in North eastern states?

This question was raised by many friends; I do not know about other North eastern states; but there was certainly no risks that we or the previous friends saw in Megalaya; In fact in many places we don’t see any tourists; at some places, we alone are there; despite that there was no fear of theft or any other issues. Also they treat us so respectfully.

What about the language? How can we manage?

They understand English to some extent. Hindi – most don’t understand. We need to have a driver who understands English; also in some places when we take Guide, need to select some one who speaks English well.

Do we need to have guide for all days?

No; not required; A good driver can help us in many areas. But in some places, Guide is a must; Else it will be a total disaster and we cannot enjoy anything. Particularly for Mawlongbna and Double decker bridge visit, guide is a must. 

What about transport?

Government transports are less; there are shared call taxi kind of  system available; but it is better to take a car. They charge about 1,700 to 3,000 per day depending on the vehicle and distance that we travel.

What is the best time to visit Megalaya?

April, May is quite ok; Climate in many places is very cool. We were told that June, July also is very good as falls will have lot of water. Its better to avoid Aug, Sep, October- as it could be rainy season. Nov, Dec, Jan will have very less temperature (around 5 to 10 Degree) and if one wants to enjoy such low temperature, can chose Christmas vacation time too..

What are the best attractions in Megalaya?

Lot of natural caves – out of which two in Cherrapunji are very good & must visit. In fact one cave is opened about an year back only; but that is the best ! Very big and we can walk for more than a kilo meter in complete darkness with torch alone for help.Wonderful experience...

Root bridges, which are made of tree’s roots,

Falls (can only see; cannot take bath; have you ever taken bath in a falls in Kodaikkanal or Ooty??)

&

the cool climate….

How many days trip will be ideal?

A minimum of one week is required. There are people who spend 2-3 weeks in Megalaya alone. 

What about the cost?

For a single person it may cost 20,000 to 30,000 for a one week trip. (Including flight, room, food, local transport, etc)