I believe that conventionally there are two types of globetrotters, one being the people who love hills and the other being the people who love the seas. If you belong to the former, Shillong ought to be your next destination. Located in Meghalaya, a state famous for receiving the highest rainfall in the world, Shillong is also called ‘Scotland of the East.’ Shillong is actually the capital town of Meghalaya, aptly meaning ‘abode of clouds’. It was the British headquarter of Northeast India before independence and thus the British legacy is still visible in the architecture and food habits of this picturesque place.

My trip to Shillong and the stay in a traditional farm and homestay was pretty much amazing. I was well aware about the scenic beauty of the place and for the shutterbug I am, it is needless to say camera battery was all charged up. I had a great time clicking all those postcard pretty pictures of the lush green scenery and the magical waterfalls and indulging in the fun filled adventure activities.

My first stop was Umiam Lake. It is a beautiful man-made lake north of Shillong where I had great fun boating. There were other options like water skiing and sailing, but boating meant grasping every bit of the scenic beauty of Shillong. You should also know that Umiam Lake is known to be the Anglers’ Paradise in Meghalaya. Of course I decided to go angling. I caught one fish and how delighted I was. However, I wasn’t tired and thus I decided to go River Rafting as well. The experience was simply thrilling!

After gorging on some hot and spicy momos, I decided to go to the Elephant Fall. Even though I couldn’t gather the courage to do it myself, I had a great time watching people do Waterfall Hopping. I have always been intrigued by the bounties of nature and this took me to the Butterfly Museum. It is an absolute paradise for nature lovers like me. With a huge collection of different types of butterflies, Butterfly Museum is a riot of colours. After grabbing a quick lunch, I went to Wards Lake. Yet another man-made lake, I spent my time leisure walking around the majestic lake. The lake is surrounded by a walk-way dotted with colourful flowers.

My trips are incomplete without shopping. Needless to say, my next stop was the Police Bazaar. The handicraft items made out of bamboo and wood were extraordinary and I bought some for my new flat. Apart from that, I bought some Khasi indigenous earrings to add to my ever growing collection of earrings. After my shopping spree, I visited the Shillong Point in the evening. It is a view point from where the entire town is visible. To say that the view is amazing would be an understatement. I was so entranced by the beauty that I decided not to visit any more places. I was scared I would forget how the city looked like from the Shillong Point.

I spent the night in a tree house and gazing at the star studded sky I realized that Shillong would always be special for somewhere along the way I fell in love with the beauty and the simplicity of this city.

A homestay is the best way to explore Shillong, instead of characterless hotels.