While the northern hill stations of India are famous throughout the world, hills of North-East are still mysterious, thrilling and un-spoilt. The beauty of North Eastern India is still virgin as a lot of places are there, which cannot be counted as prominent tourist spots till today. Though, with the advent of time and with changing of global outlook of the travelers, Northeast Indian hill stations are swiftly becoming popular as off-beat destinations. Though, Shillong, the capital city of the state of Meghalaya, is a known place for the travelers, but places around this city are truly un-spoilt, located far from hustles and bustles of the plains of India. This is why Shillong is getting famous rapidly as a tourist point of India these days.
Shillong Holiday – Welcome To The Scotland of India
Shillong is often called as the Scotland of India for its exquisite charm and terrific natural ambience. Fresh and rejuvenating greeneries of pine and fir, adobe of clouds, mild weather and cobbled hill paths remind the charm of Scotland in Europe. It is one of the best romantic destinations of India, thus Shillong holiday packages are high suggested for the couples or honeymooners. The city center or popularly known as the mall area of this hill town generally remains crowdie throughout the day. It is a busy place due to the presence of the street hawkers. You can buy foodstuffs, local handcrafted goods, shoes, cloths, hats, and many more from this mall area.
Places To See in Shillong
Shillong can be accessed from Guwahati, the capital of the state of Assam. Guwahati is the nearest rail station from where you need to opt for car hire services to reach Shillong. Both cars on rent as well as car on share are available – choose your option according to your budget. Share cars are cheaper, but you have to share the seats with strangers. If you are not comfortable in that, simply opt for car hire services. From Guwahati, it would take 4 to 5 hours to reach the city center of Shillong. For local sightseeing, you can hire a local taxi from the taxi stands of Shillong:
- Shillong Peak: Shillong Holidays would not be complete without visiting Shillong peak, which is considered as the highest point of the city of Shillong. From this peak, you can have a panoramic 360 degree glimpse of the city. The view is mesmerizing from this peak, especially during early morning.
- Golf Course: Golf Course is one of the major landmarks of Shillong and it is considered as one of the highest golf courses of India. Lush green cover on a largely spread area will surely captivate you.
- Butterfly Museum: North Eastern India is the house of several wild animals and insects. Around 350 kinds of butterflies can be seen here and the Butterfly Museum of Shillong houses a lot of them.
- Flower Show: Shillong Holiday packages must also include this place, which is located at a stone throwing distance from the Golf Course. A rare opportunity is there for the tourists to see different kinds of orchids, rhododendron, etc.
Apart from these sightseeing, tourist will find a lot of churches and natural waterfalls around Shillong. Holidays in Shillong should also include short excursions to Mawsynram and Cherapunjee. These two places are known to the world for experiencing the highest amounts of rainfalls.
