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10250

The Folk Tales of Meghalaya

Experiences with the Khasi tribe
The Folk Tales of Meghalaya Title Image
What to Expect

Meghalaya is a tiny state in North East India. It is the land of the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes each having its own cuisine, textile patterns, festivals, and traditional building styles.

On this tour, you get to spend time with the Khasi community, getting to know their folk tales and possibly participating in some of their festivals.

  • Visit the indigenous Khasi people.
  • Taste local cuisine and spices sourced fresh from the forest.
  • Hands on experience with the silk weavers.
  • Hiking to remote living root bridges.
  • Participate in traditional dances and songs with the community.
  • Stunning waterfalls, caves, and remote villages for nature enthusiasts.

Recommended Airport(s)

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport, Kolkata

Inclusions

  • Accommodations on twin sharing basis.
  • Breakfast & one major meal.
  • Private car (including toll and parking fee).
  • Airport/ railway station transfers.
  • Fee of the storyteller and all activities.
  • Taxes applicable.
  • Entry fee wherever applicable.

Exclusions

  • International & domestic flights/ trains.
  • Storyteller tip (optional).
  • Anything else not mentioned in the inclusions.
Photo Gallery
Itinerary

Day 1 - 2Arrive in Shillong

We will meet you at Guwahati airport with a warm welcome. We then drive to Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya. We recommend spending the first day taking an evening walk through Shillong’s charming streets and getting acquainted with the city.

Shillong is known for its cozy cafes and music culture. We spend the next day visiting some of these, along with farmer markets and the museum of indigenous arts and cultures. We travel to the countryside to see the early morning life of the locals. Do expect some surprise visits to quaint restaurants serving local cuisine of the North-East if time permits.

For this tour, you will most probably land in Kolkata. We recommend extending this tour by 2-3 days to explore the vibrant capital city of West Bengal. Some of the experiences to choose from are a Bengali food tour, tour of the local temples and artisans, and a tour of British colonial India.

Day 3 - 5Sacred groves | Village life | Living root bridges

Your stay for the next few days is with a charming Khasi family. During your stay, you visit beautiful grasslands and sacred forests, trek the David Scott’s trail. It is a transport route of the British era named after the administrator who operated in this region.

The trail meanders up and down through fern forests, streams, and an occasional sparsely populated village. Cross the valleys over steel hanging bridges and old stone arch bridges as we narrate stories of how the local community and the British influenced each other culturally. This is a great experience for nature lovers interested in ferns, butterflies, and getting a glimpse of life before roads were laid.

For nature enthusiasts, we include hidden waterfalls, caves, and villages in the itinerary. You also visit a few living root bridges, one of the marvels of Meghalaya. The indigenous people built bridges to cross rivers and valleys with the roots of rubber trees. Over the years, the roots grew bigger, making the bridge stronger. We visit 2-3 such living root bridges and show you how the tribes depend on the forests for their food and spices.

For the adventurous ones, we have optional treks to off-beat caves and waterfalls (includes some travel in 4×4 vehicles).

Optional: The stay can be at a resort if a homestay does not suit your travel style.

Day 6 - 7Experiences with the animist Khasi community

A sizeable population in Meghalaya follows their ancient Donyi-Polo practices, which involve worshiping the energies of the sun and the moon along with other elements of nature. Over the next few days, we go off-grid and stay with a community in their traditional houses, made of wood, bamboo, and straw, and have a fireplace in the middle for cooking and staying warm. The houses you stay in will be hygienic and comfortable while still maintaining their indigenous characteristics.

This experience is best done by getting involved in the daily activities of the locals, such as seasonal farming, beekeeping, honey harvesting, and witnessing the daily Khasi ways of life.

Day 8Drive back to Shillong

We drive back to Shillong for an overnight stay. The evening will be at leisure to explore the city.

Day 9Weaving and culinary experiences

The next day, we will visit and possibly participate in the silk weaving activities with the Khasi community. Learn the complete life cycle of silk worm rearing to sourcing the colours, spinning the yarn, dyeing, and weaving the final product

End the tour with a generous spread of Khasi veg and non-veg food cooked over a woodfire and sourced directly from the farms and forest.

Towards the evening, do an optional trip of the Kamakhya Devi temple and Brahmaputra riverfront.

Day 10Departure

Having collected beautiful memories, it is time to bid goodbye as we complete the tour. Drive to Guwahati airport for onward journey.

For wildlife and culture enthusiasts, we recommend adding a tour of Assam for its wildlife, tea estates, and beautiful Bodo and Karbi community experiences.

Sustainable Travel
  • 100% plastic-free tour. We provide safe alternatives to plastic plates and bottles, and packaged items.
  • The fee is paid directly to the homestay owners and self help groups we work with.
  • Locally sourced raw material for meals.
  • We leave behind zero waste.
  • Propagating and reviving local folk tales through storytelling.
FAQs

What kind of accommodations are available on this tour?

We recommend a mix of hotels and homestays. Special attention has been given to hygiene, unique cultural value, and hospitality in all the accommodations.

I'm a solo traveller, can I do this tour?

Yes! It is safe and feasible for solo travelers. We tweak the tour for a solo traveler and price it according to their preferences and budget.

Which currencies do you accept?

We accept all currencies worldwide. However, the most common ones our guests pay in are – Indian Rupee (INR), Euro (EUR), Swiss Franc (CHF), Pound Sterling (£), and US/ SG/ AUS/ NZ Dollars ($).

Can you help me book the tour end-to-end?

Yes! If you land in Kolkata, we can help you set up the entire tour in India from arrival to departure. This includes domestic flights, trains, accommodations, and tours in Kolkata.

We usually don’t do international flights, travel insurance, and visas, but we can give you good recommendations to arrange them yourself.

What is the cancellation policy?

Please refer to our terms and conditions page.

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