In The Himalayas

On arrival at Guwahati Airport, a three drive takes us to what is popularly known as the Scotland of the East. At an altitude of 1495Mts, it has mild cool weather. It was the summer retreat for the colonials to get away from the sweltering heat of the plains. It was also the administrative headquarter for the Northeast region during the British times. We take the two days to discover this beautiful town. The Sacred forests, Museum of ethnology, The tribal king’s house, Ethnic lunch in a village, Ancient Megaliths, local markets etc, are some of the highlights

Our destination for today will be Mawlynnong – ‘cleanest Village in Asia’, where the Khasi Hills end and the plains of Bangladesh Starts. It is a small village of 90 homes that grow Betel nut and Broom grass, was opened to the outside world only 6 years back when the first roads came in here. The villagers have built a community guest house in the old traditional Khasi way, perched 30 feet above a stream one feels immersed in nature with trees all around and it’s all natural structure. We will be spending the next two days visiting the surrounding attractions.

Today we make our way to Cherrapunjee. If Meghalaya is the ‘Abode of clouds’, then Cherrapunjee is the heart of it with a record for the highest rainfall in the world. We end our day in a small village Laitkynsew beyond Cherrapunjee. The night will be spent in a small establishment run by a local family. The views from here are breathtaking, with waterfalls and the plains of Bangladesh within reach. The rest of the day is to relax enjoying the scenic view of the Bangladesh plains. Two exciting day of Fishing, Caving, visiting local markets, some of the tallest waterfalls in the subcontinent are in the cards.

We start early and drive into the neighbouring state of Assam. At a distance of about 270 km lies Kaziranga, one of the richest wildlife sanctuaries in the sub-continent. Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Situated in the Eastern Himalaya and the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, it boasts the largest population of the Greater one horned Rhinoceros, The Bengal tiger and The Asian Elephant among the protected areas of the world.

Early in the morning we go on the Elephant safaris. This is the best way to observe wildlife, the slow pace gives us ample time to observe the wildlife in close proximity, and this is followed by a country boat ride along the Park on the Brahmaputra River. Post lunch we take a Jeep safari through the Western range of the park.

Another early morning Elephant ride but this time in the Eastern range of the park, followed by Jeep safari in the same range. We are back to the Lodge for lunch and a rest. Late afternoon and we are back to the central range for a Jeep safari.