Things to do in Meghalaya

Canyon rims with no railings and a forest protected by a taboo rather than a fence. Both sit at the end of small roads with nothing waiting to bring you back.

Getting around Meghalaya

Everything runs out of Shillong on narrow hill roads that are unsigned at the turning and shared with village traffic. There is no taxi rank at Laitlum and no shop at Mawphlang, so the car has to stay with you. Operators here sell a twelve-hour day rather than a trip, and every experience below is priced that way.

Experiences

• Laitlum canyons and Smit village: The end of the hills, and the stone stairway that goes down them
• Mawphlang sacred forest and the Khasi heritage village: A forest nobody has taken a leaf from in centuries

Best months

October to April. June to September is the heaviest rain in India and the canyon views are often inside the cloud rather than above it.

Getting there

Shillong is about 3 hrs from Guwahati by road, which is the nearest airport and railhead. Umroi, near Shillong, has limited flights.