Hi Mistnee, Arun, Jilmil, Mandhir
Those were very wonderful reviews you wrote about Shillong. Although I am in Singapore now, I remember Shillong first whenever I remember India, inspite of the fact that I have been nearly to all states in India. As a matter of fact, I discovered this website when I was searching for something on Shillong on Google.
I used to study at St Anthony’s High School and did my higher secondary at St Edmund’s College. I lost most of my touch with Shillong when I had gone to do my Engineering in Jalandhar. Today my only link with Shillong are my parents. Shillong is a wonderful place and this is what I have kept on saying to everybody I meet. Many of my friends at REC came down to visit Shillong and they too were smitten by the beauty of this wonderful place.
You can start your visit first by going round the city and doing a bit of shopping from places like Glory’s Plaza which I fondly remember as Shillong’s own Shopping Mall. You can book a tour to Cherrapunji next. It is not a very expensive tour conducted by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC). The journey to Cherrapunji is fabulous and dont forget to load your cameras and still have extra films with you. My friends and I remember spending around 3 rolls on a single day and still fell short. I installed one of the shots on my laptop as a wallpaper. One of my German friends here remarked ’’Hey, I didn’t know you had been to Europe’’. Well, that speaks volumes.
You can take a guided city tour also conducted by MTDC. Needless to say, load your cameras. There are many waterfalls around the city, namely, Beadon Bishop, Elephanta, etc etc and etc. Out of all the falls, my favorite is the Beadon Bishop since I used to live quite near to that since my Dad happens to be in the State Electricity Board.
Apart from the falls, you have the golf links which is beautiful 18-hole golf course, perhaps one of the largest in India. We used to play cricket there, though. :) Do not forget to visit the churches around Shillong as mentioned by the previous reviewers. I used to spend all my lunch hour at the Parish Church (please dont ask me why) which is located in the heart of the city between two schools, Loreto Convent for snobbish girls and St Anthony’s High School for rowdy, but smart guys. No offence to anybody. Please take it on the light side.
The next stop can be Ward’s Lake which is very near to Police Bazaar. You can relax by taking a short boat ride and fish feeding. The Shillong Club and High Court are next to the Lake (I envy my lawyer friend in Shillong). Many well known personalities were Shillong Club members including the former president, Dr F. A. Ahmed. Do not forget to visit Laitumkrah where most of the schools and colleges are. There you could get to see whats the latest ’’in-thing’’ in clothes or dressing.
There is also a state library but I heard it has been converted to the state assembly, I am not too sure. Nevertheless there is a museum right behind it where you can learn more about Meghalaya and its past. There is another museum near a cinema hall called Dreamland. I have forgotten the name of that place..my sincere apologies. This museum is a huge collection of various moths and butterflies. This museum had once been featured on Surabhi.
Next you have the Lady Hydari’s Park. The flower garden in the park is very beautiful. The animal collection is a small one compared to other zoos in India but nevertheless a good time is guaranteed.
Oops!..i forgot to mention the Barapani Lake. It is situated about 18 Kilometers from Shillong and is one of the biggest reservoirs for power generation in Meghalaya. The scenic view is fantastic, especially towards the evening at sunset. A perfect place for an outdoor lunch or picnic.
The weather in Shillong is temperate during summers and it can get quite cold during winters. It is advisable to always have warm clothes with you regardless of the time of the year you happen to visit the place.
Try not to venture out after 7pm as it might not be safe. This is one of the main drawbacks there. The once peaceful land is experiencing a phase of frequent violent incidents and bandhs. I pray to God for all these to be over soon.
To other shillongites who might happen to read this: I plan to open a website dedicated to this city soon. I invite you all to be a part of it. I will let the whole world know when I launch it. 3 cheers for Shillong.