
Meghalaya Backpacking Trip(6D/5N)
fromEx. Guwahati
The Mesmerizing Meghalaya Trip
This backpacking trip takes you on a journey to one of the most beautiful states of India: The Meghalaya.
- Reviews 0 Reviews0/5
- Vacation Style Holiday Type
- Activity Level Challenging
- Group Size Small Group
Hello travelers!
There are many amazing things about Meghalaya state like the floating clouds (that’s the first thing comes to mind), the high rise mountains, rainforests formed by wettest places on earth, stunning deep valleys, crystal clear waters of rivers and streams, gigantic waterfalls, mystical caves, living root bridges that act as harmony between humans and nature over centuries, some of the cleanest villages, diverse spread of food, colorful locals and unique culture.
As part of this backpacking trip, we at Muddie Trails handpicked destinations in the abode of cloudsĀ that will refresh your body, mind and awaken your soul. We will experience Meghalaya in full glory, create memories, and sketch beautiful stories to tell even long after.
We will start the trip with a pit stop at fresh water Umium Lake and head towards wettest place in India Cherrapunji, explore umpteen viewpoints, pristine valleys, and visit Nohkalikai viewpoint, one of the biggest waterfalls in the country. We will take a soul-soothing dip in the natural swimming pools of 4 layered Wei Sawdong waterfalls and explore deep Mawsmai caves, and dressing up in Meghalaya traditional attire.
A day of trekking to a remote village called Nongriat that is home to Single and Double Decker Living Root Bridges will thrill trekking lovers!
Then we move deeper into East Khasi Hills towards the Asia’s cleanest village Mawlynnong, transparent Umngot river of Dawki and indulge in adrenaline-pumping water activities at Shnongpdeng with river side camping, and visit crystal clear blue waters of Krang Suri waterfalls.
We will end the trip with Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya, which is also the highest point of the state. After a visit to very interesting Museum of North Eastern colors and cultures, we will try some local food at a famous cafe, and go on shopping at famous Police Bazar.
All in all, Meghalaya is a natural wonder that cannot be missed. Come, join us to experience life at its fullest in this backpacking trip to Meghalaya.
Highlights of the Meghalaya Trip:
- Crystal clear Umngot River
- Dawki expedition
- Shnongpdeng Water Activities with Camping
- Lush Blue Krang Suri Waterfalls Dip
- Trek to Single & Double Decker Living Root Bridges
- Cherrapunji – Wettest place on Earth
- Mawsmai Caves exploration
- Nohkalikai Falls – World’s 4th largest Waterfall
- Dip in 4 Layered Wei Sawdong Waterfalls
- Mawlynnong Asia’s cleanest Village
- Don Bosco Museum for North Eastern Culture
- Umiam – the prettiest lake
- Dress up in Meghalaya traditional attire
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Travel:
- Trip starting/ending point: Guwahati
- Pick up and drop at Guwahati Airport
- Tempo, Innova or similar tourist vehicle (6 days journey)
- Start time: Day 1, 10:30 AM
- End time: Day 6, 8:30 PM
- You can book flights to/from Guwahati based on above timings.
- Note 1: There is no night journey in this trip. All travel is during day time.
Stay:
- Cherrapunji: Homestay for 3 Nights (Comfort stay, sharing basis)
- Shnongpdeng: Camping for 1 Night (Basic stay)
>Ā Common washrooms by Meghalaya Tourist Board
> 2 sharing tents for couples
> 3 sharing tents for individuals - Shillong: Guesthouse for 1 Night (Comfort stay, sharing basis)
- Note 1: Couple stay can be provided at extra cost of 500 per person per night in Shillong/Cherrapunji. Contact Organizers to check availability.
Food:
- Breakfasts included
- Lunches & Dinners are self-sponsored
- Why?
Based on feedback from previous batches, we excluded Lunches and Dinners as everyone have different food choices. Meghalaya boasts good food. There are multiple food options available at all the places that put travelers in confusion. - All homestays at Meghalaya provide pre-set food for dinner or take orders as per menu.
- How much you have to spend for good food?
150 – 200 per Lunch
200 – 250 per Dinner
Misc. info:
- Batch size: Around 12.
- Trek Difficulty: No Trekking. There is a hike to Double Decker Living Root Bridges with 3600 steps one way.
- Max altitude: Shillong at 5,200 feet above Sea level.
- Climate:
Cold at Shillong, Cherrapunji, Mawlynnong.
Warm at Dawki, Shnongpdang, Krang Suri.
Things to pack for Meghalaya Trip:
- Toiletries, moisturizer, light towel, lip balm, wet wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
- A lightweight large Backpack for the entire trip (50-60 liters). Strictly no trolleys. Remember this is a Backpacking trip.
- A small backpack for basic items (to carry valuables, water bottle, snacks, etc. for outdoor activities).
- Photo identity proof with address (Aadhar/Passport/Voter ID).
- A Passport size color photograph (important for permit).
- Thermal inners and warm clothes in winter (cold climate).
- A rainproof jacket with a hood during monsoons (to protect from cold winds, sudden rain).
- Thick socks, track pants, full sleeve t-shirts (to keep your body warm).
- Cap/Hat/Sunglasses (to protect from harmful sun rays).
- Sunscreen (SPF 50 or more).
- Power bank, charger, camera, binoculars (if you wish to).
- Hand sanitizer and liquid hand wash for Camping and outdoors.
- Proper water bottle for your trip. You may fill at our stays.
- Disposable garbage covers (To separate used/unused, wet/dry clothes).
- Water-resistant good grip shoes for travel, extra slippers to use at stays.
- Personal medications, any drugs that you may feel necessary (remember ghat roads, cold climate), basic first aid kit.
- No need to carry snacks/chocolates. You may buy at local shops to support local people in Meghalaya.
What’s next after booking your trip:
- The Organizer will get in touch with you, or vice versa. After the confirmation, you may book your flights up and down.
- A Whatsapp group will be created for all the registered folks 2 days before the event
- You may discuss many things in the group and get prepared for the trip
Special Notes:
- Expect seasonal variations in Meghalaya depending on the month we are travelling
- During heavy rains, the waterfalls will be in full flow but water contains mud from the mountains
- During winters and summers, we may get crystal clear water in the rivers and streams, but water will be less
- Travelers are expected to come with open heart by appreciating complexities of Mother nature based on seasonal variations, monthly or even daily weather conditions.
- There is no luxury involved in any part of this trip. This is a backpacking trip with basic facilities.
Seasonal Variations:
- Jan, Feb (Winter): Winters are pleasantly cold in Meghalaya which pull tourists in good numbers. Thereās still a good amount of water to play in rivers and waterfalls (Umngot, Krang Suri). However, those giant waterfalls meant for viewing are quiet (Nohkalikal) this season.
- Mar to Apr (Summer): These are drier months where one cannot find too much water anywhere.Ā
- May to Sept (Monsoons): The rains hit the mountains starting from May. They start slow in May, consistently increase during June, peak around July/August and reduce by mid of Sept. Thick clouds all around interrupt views. With the brute force of water, one cannot take dips/play in water anywhere.
- Mid Sept to Dec (Winter): The giant waterfalls (Nohkalikal) are at their best post monsoons (Oct till mid Nov) with enchanting views. End of the year (Nov, Dec) is good to play in the clear waters of rivers and waterfalls (Umngot, Krang Suri).
- Travel (Guwahati to Guwahati)
- Stay for 5 nights
- 5 Breakfasts
- Transparent River Boating, Cliff Jumping
- Meghalaya Khasi tribe dress up
- All entry tickets, permissions
- Trip Captain / Local guide
- Airport pickup and drop (fixed timings)
- Bonfire (at least 1 time)
- A beautiful experience visiting all places mentioned in Highlights
- Lunches, Dinners
- Any kind of activities other than mentioned above
- Any kind of insurance, shopping, party, medical expenses
- Any misc. expenses that are not in inclusions above
- Any extra cost arising due to any change in the itinerary/stay on account of flight cancellation, bad weather, traffic-congestion/roadblocks, political disturbances and/or any factors beyond our control.
- The itinerary is fixed. No special requests to change itinerary/schedule shall be entertained. Do not give advice(s) to the Trip Leader(s) to change the itinerary.
- Cooperate with the organizer(s) in following the schedule set for the day (especially getting up and getting ready in the morning). This will ensure travelers won’t miss out on the real fun part that is traveling.
- Every traveler is responsible for his/her for your own safety. Don’t indulge in any illegal or silly activity that causes harm to you or fellow travelers.
- Do not wander into the forest away from the designated trail for treks. There may be snakes, scorpions, and dangerous animals.
- Unexpected situations: It may happen we do not cover all the places mentioned in the itinerary because of unpredictable reasons like bad weather, landslides, wild animal presence, abrupt blocking of sites by the police/forest department, delay in travel because of an issue with our group itself, traffic conditions, etc. In most cases, if the time permits, the organizer(s) will take travelers to an alternative place. But in some cases, we may have to skip a place altogether.
- Absolutely no littering. We swear to protect our environment.
- No alcohol & smoking during travel, treks, and other outdoor activities. There would be a separate window and space (usually at night) to have these at the campsite/homestay for interested people.
- Travelers are expected to respect each other and help each other. Avoid discussing sensitive matters like sex, politics, and religion/caste/race.
- Using foul or abusive language, eve-teasing, arguing with fellow travelers/organizer(s), and/or involving in the physical assault will not be accepted and will stand a chance of being deserted by the group then and there.
- The event will stand canceled if less than 8 travelers signed up for the trip/trek which will be informed 24 hours before the trip start time.
- Every traveler is expected to sign a liability/waiver form given by the organizer(s) after boarding the vehicle. This liability form will discharge Muddie Trails of any unexpected incident like injury/death/theft etc.
Cancellation by Traveler
- 80% refund if a cancellation request is sent 30 days before the trip start date.
- 50% refund if a cancellation request is sent between 30 to 15 days before the trip start date.
- An email has to be sent to muddietrails@gmail.com to raise a cancellation request.
- No refund within 15 days of the event start time whatever is the reason (Health, COVID, Accident, Family crisis, Office issue, or anything else).
- No refund during/after the event.
- No refund on the partial payment (advance) done to block your seat for the trip.
Cancellation by Muddie Trails
Muddie Trails may decide to cancel the event if there are less than 3 travelers signed up for the trip/trek.
What if we donāt get the minimum number of people for the trip?
We have 2 options in this case:
Option 1: Complete refund.
Option 2: Switch to any other trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
Cancellation due to external factors
Muddie Trails may have to cancel the event in case of external factors that are beyond our control like Natural Disasters, Extreme Weather Conditions, Red Alerts, Political Disturbances, Bandh/Curfews, Local Issues, Road Blocks, Train cancellations, Covid-19 or any other disease outbreaks etc.
In these scenarios:
- No Refund is allowed.
- 100% trip amount can be used for any other new trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
- Once you confirm your participation on the new trip, all the above Cancellation policies will apply for the same.
The best part of the year to travel to Meghalaya is from the post-monsoon season – mid-September to mid-Feb. Winters are refreshingly cold in Meghalaya (unlike the extreme climate of Himalayas) and because of the huge rainfall it receives, water remains till the end of Feb.
It starts raining again from the month of May, which is also considered a good time to travel.Ā
Read the detailed Terms and Conditions here.
Got more questions? Check out here!