Shillong (shih-LAWNG), the capital of Meghalaya, is often called the Scotland of the East because of its rolling hills.
Shillong is a hill station with an altitude of 1,496 metres above sea level. The British legacy is still visible in the architecture and the food habits of the population. The Assam-style houses with slanting roofs, a large number of windows, and wooden floors look like a piece of art (and happen to be very good idea, considering Shillong lies in an area where rains and earthquakes are very common). During an Anglo-Burmese war, the British felt the need for a road connecting Assam to Sylhet, crossing the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Impressed by the cool climate of Sohra (present-day Cherrapunji), the British built a sanatorium there in 1829.
Best way to go about in Shillong is on foot. The city itself is small and can be easily covered walking and exploring hills and people. For places within city limits, city buses are good options. There are two kinds of buses that pass from Shillong - City bus and Bazar bus. The maroon city buses operated by the Shillong Public Transport Service (SPTS) are ideal for commuting within the city. The conductors on each bus has an electronic ticketing machine and passengers have to buy their tickets from him as soon as they board the buses. Black and yellow unmetered shared taxis ply within city limits. These are faster and are always shared; rates may vary from ₹20 to ₹50.
Butterfly Museum. There is a huge collection of different types of butterflies. Students of zoology will find them interesting. This place is also attractive for adults where they can see the natural beauty and play with the beautiful and colourful butterflies. This museum presents some of the finest and rarest species of butterflies. 1 Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians. Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong which covers the Khasi and Jaintia hills of Meghalaya. The Cathedral is the principal place of worship of the over 300,000 Catholics of the Shillong Archdiocese which covers the Khasi and Jaiñtia Hills of Meghalaya.
Take a walk through Iewduh (Bara Bazar)-Iewduh means Big Market - It is one of the biggest market in North-East India. There are separate areas dedicated to vegetables, fruits, iron works, fish, beef, betel and so on. Visit the State Central Library - it was started at the time of British Raj and holds many rare books and almanacs. For British searching for clues about ancestors in this area, it is a gold-mine.
There are a variety of restaurants in Shillong. Most of the better ones are located in Police Bazar area. Chinese, Indian and Tibetan foods are popular and even khun ksew. Bamboo Hut in RAPs' Mansion MG Road is one of the famous hangout and also the CITY Dhaba near Earl Holiday Home. One should definitely try Momos (steamed Tibetan dumplings filled with cabbage and pork/chicken) They come as small momos and big momos and are very popular snacks. Shillong has a predominantly Christian population. While pork, chicken and fish are easily available in restaurants run by local Khasis, beef isn't as abundant in restaurants.
It is the drinker's paradise.Because of the tax structure on alcohol in this state, you will be hard pressed find cheaper drinks anywhere else in India, if you are the type who buys liquor from a shop and drinks in your hotel room. If you like pubs and clubs, then Shillong has quite a few of them. Cocktails at Hotel Alpine Continental. Cloud 9, Centre Point. Polo Irish Pub, Hotel Polo Towers. Tango at Police Bazar in O B Shopping Mall. Nightlife is generally at its peak on Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays are very, very dull. MOT (Matter of Taste), Laitumkrah (turn left at the junction). Matter of taste, MOT, is an amazing coffee shop which serves pastas, sandwiches and pizzas too.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Sep, Shillong typically sees ~25°C daytime highs and 28 rainy days.
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