A trip to Assam & Meghalaya

This was my first vacation to the Northeast and also first solo trip, a personal experiment to see how I could navigate on my own. Visiting Maa Kamakhya Temple was high on my bucket list. I also knew about Kaziranga National Park from few of my friends who had been there. 

I looked for operators offering itineraries for solo women travelers between November 15th and 24th. I chose TripNaari as their plan fit my requirements. I also planned to explore Guwahati on my own for a day before joining fellow travelers. 

The trip started on a positive note with an early morning flight, giving me the chance to get a glimpse of the Himalayan ranges, including Everest. About an hour before landing, the majestic mountains came into view, a sight that made the premium left-side window seat totally worth it! For getting around Guwahati, I had pre-booked a hourly cab through MakeMyTrip at a reasonable price.

Thanks to the TripNaari team, our humble and careful trip driver Monik (Google Maps), and my fellow travelers, Stami and Lohitha for making the trip memorable. Preeti from TripNaari went out of the way and made arrangements to get safari tickets around sunset and sunrise( a delight for a sun chaser like me). She also helped us get sunset Brahmaputra cruise tickets in Guwahati, thoughtful gestures like this from the trip organiser makes the experience even better. There were a few things that didn’t go as I had hoped, but I didn’t let them stress me out , instead focused on having a pleasant experience, however, I did share a few of these thoughts with my fellow travelers!

 

Here’s the itinerary:

Day 1: Explore Guwahati

• Take an early flight from Bangalore.
• Visit Kamakhya Temple (about 5 hours), Navagraha Temple, and Basistha Temple(Vashistha Temple, if time permits Hayagriva Madhava Temple. 
• End the day with a sunset cruise on the Brahmaputra.
• Stay overnight in Guwahati.(Hotel - http://www.hoteltheornate.com/)

Note: Most of the below Iterneary was curated byTripNaari, it included breakfast and dinner at the place of stay

Day 2 & 3: Shillong

• Day 2: Visit Umananda temple in Guwahati early morning, this is a temple on an island, it takes about 10 min on ferry ride.  Start to Shillong, enroute stop over at Umiam Lake and elephant falls. In the evening, visit Police Bazaar or the Cherry Blossom Festival (in November). 

• Day 3: Explore Phe Phe Falls and Krang Suri Falls. Both are beautiful waterfalls but require some walking. Carry spare clothes if interested in swimming in ice cold Krang Suri falls. 

Stay was @ Pine Hill Comfort Stay  

 Day 4 & 5: Cherrapunji/ Sohra

• Day 4: Travel to Cherrapunji. Visit Dawki River, the Bangladesh border, Single Decker Root Bridge, and Mawlynnong village.
• Day 5: Trek to the Double Decker Root Bridge (3,500 steps one way, half a day).Blue lagoon & Rainbow falls ( we did only the double decker bridge) . This Bridge can be skipped if one is not keen on walking steep ascend and descend, want to relax.

Stay was @ Cresent Hotel

Day 6: Cherrapunji to Guwahati

Visit Arwah Caves, Mawsmai Caves, Nohkalikai Falls, Seven Sisters Falls, and the Garden of Caves. At Mawsmai caves rental Assamese attire is available.

Travel back to Guwahati for an overnight stay @ Vishwaratnahotel about 10-15min dive from Khamakya Temple . 

Orange Root one was one of the best resturants during the entire trip, it is a pure veg resturant and the Thali there is the highlight.

Day 7 & 8: Kaziranga

Day 7: Visit Kamakhya Temple (4–5 hours for darshan stood in the queue @ 3:15AM), then head to Kaziranga. Visit the Orchid Garden in the evening for guided tour of the entire Garden and end the day with 1.5hr folk dance & music performance of Assam . 

Day 8: Go on a sunrise safari @ 6AM (1 hour) and a sunset safari @ 2:30 PM (2 hours). Visit a tea garden, pack your bags to start early next day.

Stayed @ Villa The Retreat

Day 9: Return 

Travel back from Kaziranga. Take a sunset or sundown cruise on the Brahmaputra before catching a late evening flight to Bangalore.

Note:

• In Northeast India, the sun rises around 5:30 AM and sets between 4:30–5:00 PM, so it's best to plan your activities accordingly.
• I booked flight tickets 45 days before the trip on MMT, selected Akasa Air since they had flight schedule that suited my requirement, also, got a great deal since i booked early. I opted for flexi tickets just incase there is a change in plan. The flexi ticket included max refund, free change of dates, seat selection, meals & beverage. 
• I used credit card points and discount for my stay in Guwahati, it worked out to half the price of the original cost. The room otherwise would have costed approx 6k per night. Personally i think it is good to opt for room with breakfast in the plan as it is convenient and easy to start the day.
•  During the monsoon season, the waterfalls are at their most spectacular, though the Dwaki River and waterbeds may not have the clearest water. Visiting after the monsoon would give you clearer views and better water clarity.
• When it comes to food, most places offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. I didn’t come across many places serving only vegetarian or Jain food, so if you’re sensitive to the smell of non-veg food, it's a good idea to carry ready-to-eat meals. However, there are vegetarian-friendly restaurants like Jiva and Orange Root, and the Assamese Veg Thali is definitely worth trying. Pineapple is widely available and we had a lot of it. Assam Ginger tea from street-side vendors is also a must-try.
• A visit to the Maa Kamakhya Temple is a spiritual experience, expect long waits. There are separate lines for VIP darshan (INR 500) and free darshan. The line starts at 3:00 AM, the first batch going in at 7:00 AM. Be cautious of people who may take money claiming to get you quicker darshan or perform puja for you.
• In Guwahati, you won’t need warm clothes at this time of year, the evenings are pleasant. However, Shillong and Cherrapunji are chilly in the evenings, so a good jacket, cap and thermal if one cannot handle cold would be required, while the mornings are warm and pleasant, light clothes are sufficient.
• Most places require walking, so make sure to pack comfortable shoes and clothing.
• Some of the caves have small paths, anyone with claustrophobia need to be cautious, read the information board before entering the cave.
• The washrooms in both Assam and Meghalaya were clean, they charge 10Rs per use, it would be good to carry small change as some places dont have mobile signal or accept UPI.
• Every place including water falls have an entry fee, UPI payment is accepted in most places