Shillong and short of it

HIT THE ROAD

Known as the Scotland of the east, Shillong is a pretty little town surrounded by wooded, rolling hills and it almost always has a cloud cover over it.

The British, homesick as always, found that it was similar to Old Blighty and made it one of their summer capitals. This picturesque place has a lot to see and do, most of them quite relaxing.

Barapani Lake, just out of town, has water sports facilities and a floating restaurant. Ward Lake, in town, is surrounded by green meadows and is a good place to relax.

There are lots of waterfalls in this very wet part of the world, and Spread Eagle and Elephant Falls are two prominent ones. Go up to Shillong Peak for great views of the surrounding countryside, or make a trip to Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, the two wettest places on earth.

Shillong is 100 km from Guwahati along NH40 and the route is great. Pinewood Hotel (Ph: 0364-2223116, Rs 1,200 onwards) is gorgeous and Centre Point (Ph: 0364-2225210, Rs 750 onwards) is worth a look too.

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