Living in Shillong, Meghalaya:
Tips for Moving and Visiting

Shillong is a beautiful hill station as well as the capital city of Meghalaya state in northeast India. British colonisers called it Scotland of the East because the gentle, rolling hills around the city reminded them of Scotland. It is a cosmopolitan, multicultural city although the indigenous people, the Khasi, have cultural and linguistic affinity with the Cambodians, Vietnamese and other ethnic communities of Southeast Asia. Apart from being an educational hub, it is also well known for the musical creativity of its residents, prompting some to call it the Rock Capital of India.

Shillong is a hill station in the North East India and is the capital of the state of Meghalaya. It is on a plateau surrounded by hills and is a home to several waterfalls, parks and a wide variety of flora and fauna. Also, Shillong due to its cool and embracing climate was also given the name “The Scotland of the East” by the British.

Know the English language, dress well. Actually the weather here is good, nice place, so many nice waterfalls, hills, stream, good people, tasty food, fashionable city. Most of people here can speak English, Hindi and local language. Shillong is the rock city of india, Scotland of the east.

Shillong is the Scotland of the East. For someone who is keen to travel, explore, trek and camp, it is the best place. It is a mixed community and the people are very welcoming making it easy for people to reside and adjust without any difficulty.

It is a small, hilly town with pleasant weather but highly populated. Always carry an umbrella as it may rain any time of the day, unexpectedly. If you are able to communicate in English, you shall survive, but if you are a vegetarian in your food choices, better plan to cook all by yourself.

If someone moves to Shillong, they should be prepared for the erratic weather that is experienced in the city. Often, the day begins bright and sunny, followed by a light, or sometimes heavy, downpour of rain. The day usually ends with a slight chill. Apart from the weather, one can also expect heavy traffic during rush hour which is unavoidable due to the small roads. However, even though the weather changes intermittently, and there can be heavy traffic, the city offers a wide range of beauty in the nature all around the adjoining areas. There is less pollution which is an added bonus, and being a small city, one can easily walk from one place to another if traffic gets to bad. The best part about the city is the heavy influence of music all around which is certainly felt in the cafes around the town, so one can always expect to have a pleasant and relaxing time at the end of the day in a cafe listening to local musicians.

Shillong is exuberantly beautiful. All throughout the for seasons of the year, it brings out its own beauty. Spring brings about a number of local festivals like the Shad Suk Mynsiem which is a harvesting festival, a definite sight for the eyes of tourist. Summer, we have the monsoon and equally hot weather (all thanks to climate change). Shillong is home to two of the wettest places on Earth, one is Cherrapunjee, locally called Sohra and another is Mawsynram. The Autumn, we have our Autumn festivals namely the various concerts, the infamous Cherry Blossom festival also happens to be held around the Autumn season when the Cherry Blossom starts to bloom. Then, we have winter, the season of joy, food and family in the city. School is out. The air is cold and sometimes even too cold to bear. But it is the season of Christmas and late New Years’ two very important days, both taken very heartly to the people of Shillong.

Shillong has it wondrous sites, more and more tourist spots come out as the days go by. Once you’re here, you’ll be mesmerized by the fresh, breezy air, the environment, and more importantly, the people.

Shillong is a beautiful hill station in the heart of northeast India. It is the capital of Meghalaya and is also called the Scotland of the East. Meghalaya literally means the ‘Abode of Clouds’ and it’s villages Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, are reputed to be the wettest places in the world. The best time to visit this beautiful city is in May.

Shillong is a lush green place. Covered with the greenery of Himalayan longleaf pine and cherry, spread all over the town. The population mainly consists of the “khasi” tribe and Nepalese people. It’s one of the most natural places studded with huge mountains, waterfalls and forests. Wth the varied ethnicity, comes varied cuisines. A gourmet would have a chance to taste diverse dishes here.