How My Trip to the North East Became My Most Favourite One!

In 2017, we decided to visit the North East for our yearly family vacation that also included the wedding of a close friend in Assam. As my son was around six years old, we thought it was the perfect time to make him hop along the museums and pose for pictures.

We wanted to visit Guwahati, Kaziranga, Shillong, Mawlynnong Village (Asia’s cleanest village) and Cherrapunjee, the “wettest” place on earth. These locations were loaded with many beautiful sights, historic, and adventurous places with many activities.

We planned to cover wild safaris, science museums, water sports, green villages, nature stays, hikes, trekking trails, mystic caves, living bridges and much more. Gladly, we did most of them that made this vacation the most memorable one.

As we were booking much in advance, we got great deals on flights. Next, we went on to reserve hotels and resorts, based on online reviews. The only problem we faced was while reserving a stay in Mawlynnong since it is a very small village with a large inflow of tourists.

I recommend you to book a hotel in advance for Cherrapunjee. With a little research and social media surfing, we found an attractive homestay there, which is still one of my most loved places in the North East India Tourism.

First, we headed to Guwahati in Assam, the beautiful land of tea and silks. I loved the local food streets, hills, temples and good-looking sights. 

Please keep in mind especially if you are taking kids along, most three star properties have small rooms and even deluxe rooms may not accommodate an extra bed.

We gained an insight on the history and culture of Assam while delighting in an evening cruise on the mighty Brahmaputra River, what a dinner ride it was! You can book the cruise online in advance.

The next day we headed to a Voodoo village! En route Mayong, the village, we caught spectacular sights of wild Rhinos amidst the green paddy fields. The evening air had a little chill, which also made our drive back a little spooky especially after our visit to the voodoo museum accompanied by a pink moon.

Another option is to stay nearby, in one of the eco-resorts in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and trek to the mysterious Mayong village!

The next day was our adventure to the well-known Umananda (peacock) Island to witness biodiversity. The experience thrilled all of us including my six-year old! We trekked up to the hill and got mesmerising sights of the stunning flora and the elegant Brahmaputra River.

Kaziranga National Park remains my best visit in terms of landscape and animals! Elephants, Rhinos, deer, and grey pelicans were a few of the many animals we saw. Although, tigers did not come to meet us, as we were late by a few hours, we got to feel the wild and soaked in a striking sunset, adding to the lovely experience. The dense jungle and fragrant trees made it a memorable wildlife escape!

Meghalaya greeted us with winding roads and cool calming breeze! Our first stop before reaching the capital (Shillong) was Umiam Lake, where we gorged on steaming hot momos. The lake is also ideal for boating and jet skiing! Apart from the lake, we visited Elephant Falls, Don Bosco Museum, Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, and Mawphlang.

Mawphlang is a sacred forest with a mysterious past and the best way to explore the dense rich forest is through a local guide. Our guide was a young Khasi boy who was a part of a group protecting and encouraging cultural tourism in Meghalaya. He shared a secret that no one should take anything from the forest to the outside world else, the person will get hurt or be plagued! Mawphlang remains one of the most enchanting forests we have ever visited. There, we saw many fairy-tale-like photo grounds with overgrown roots, beautiful flowers, green plants, mushrooms, and the cleanest river.

Our next stop was the beautiful Dawki Lake where the water was so clear that we could undoubtedly see the bed, and falls touching the Bangladeshi border.

We stayed at the cleanest village in Asia- Mawlynnong/Mawlynnong Village. It is a tiny village with a filmy appearance. One can relish homely food there. The village comprises bamboo and houses bordered neatly with fences and vegetation. A small trek is required to the top of the community treehouse from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the valley and the bordering villages.

Cherrapunjee has a lot to offer but as this was the last leg of our journey, we preferred to cover just the main sights.

The greenery was unbeatable, everywhere in the North East. A place in India, which I could most definitely call “Heaven on Earth”. We gorged on the local cuisines, caught fish with the locals, enjoyed trekking on the hills, and most of all we felt like a part of their community.