Perched on the mountains and beautiful valleys of Himalayas, Northeast India is a spotless beauty – has the charm to hypnotize and undoubtedly still remains one of the most exquisite regions in India. In terms of culture and topography, northeast India is quite different from the rest of the country. I have always been very fascinated by imposing mountains, jade environs, dense forests, exotic flora, and fauna that leaves the traveler in you dancing in joy.
Before the world decided to go topsy turvy, I had luckily taken a trip to the incredible northeast of India. This was supposed to be a short break, but it turned out to be this two weeks long. I just could not leave this place. I discovered the best of northeast on this trip with the help of a reliable car hire in Darjeeling. The major regions covered in the tour are Darjeeling, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Kaziranga National Park, and Guwahati – perfect for nature lovers in search of serenity in nature’s lap.
Darjeeling
My road trip started from New Jalpaiguri station. After a 12-hour train ride to NJP, we reached Darjeeling in under 4 hours. Once there, we spent the rest of the day resting it out, for the next few days were going to be full of activities.
My second day in Darjeeling started pretty early with a cup of the world-famous Darjeeling tea and some freshly baked butter biscuits. Post a hearty breakfast we headed out to watch the most beautiful sunrise of my life at Tiger Hill. There is a watchtower there that lets you drink in the grand views of the sun rising just above Kanchenjunga and other Himalayan ranges.
After admiring a beautiful sunset, we headed to Glenary’s for a cup of hot chocolate. Highly recommended. They make it so well here. We also tried their grilled chicken sandwiches. Definitely, a must-visit if you are planning on going to Darjeeling any time soon.
Once we refueled ourselves we headed to the rest of the tourist spots including Ghum Monastery, Japanese Peace Temple, Darjeeling Zoo and ended the day with a peaceful walk on the Darjeeling Chowrasta. I picked up a beautiful umbrella from one of the shops here. The umbrellas here are so beautiful and big. Quite suited for the rains here.
We covered Darjeeling in two days and continued on our journey the third day. After Darjeeling, we were now headed to Guwahati. The backbreaking journey was worth all the magnificent views I enjoyed along the way. And the joy of sipping on hot noodle soups from roadside eateries has to be one of the best reasons to explore the northeast in a car.
Guwahati
After a 12-hour road trip, Guwahati welcomed us with light showers and chilly winds. We called it a night after a heavy dinner of Thukpa with freshly baked buns. The next morning was bright and sunny. We started the day with a visit to Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, the State Museum and to Emporiums for ethnic local products, Maa Kamakhya Temple, Nabagraha Temple, Sukleshwar Temple and Balaji Temple. Post which, we all called it a day.
The next day we planned a visit to the Kaziranga National Park – home to the one-horn rhinos. I opted for a jeep safari at the park and enjoyed watching so many animals there. I spotted elephants, wild Asiatic water buffalos, swamp deer, hog deer, gaur, sambar, Indian Muntjac and many more. Kaziranga is also famous as a significant Bird watching point.
After the jeep safari, we explored the shopping centers in the national park and stayed back in Kaziranga resorts. The next morning was an eventful day. We quickly packed and moved on to the last part of our journey – Shillong.
Shillong
Known to the rest of the world as the Scotland of India, Shillong is bound to bowl you over with its beauty. Our local sightseeing started at 12 noon and we covered Cathedral Church, Lady Hydari Park, the Orchidarium, Elephant Falls 7 the Golf course. Thereafter, we drove to the shilling peak to enjoy a splendid view of Shillong.
I was kinda hell-bent on visiting Cherrapunji, so I bid goodbye to the group and opted for Savaari’s dependable car rental in Shillong with a driver for a safe ride to Cherrapunji. Only about 56 km from Guwahati, Cherrapunji is the wettest place on earth. The drive to see one of the roaring Nohsngithiang falls was magical. This beautiful town is also famous for its limestone caves. I lost count of the number of waterfalls I saw here, but some of my favorites were Dain-Thlen falls, Noh-Kalikai Falls, Nohsngithiang Falls. But the highlight of my short trip to Cherrapunji will be the drive to Mawsmai Caves, Thangkharang Park, and the Living root bridge.