Cherryable: November 2019

Hello! Already on my 4^th topic on the 50 posts challenge (Credit: https://www.lostgenygirl.com/100-lifestyle-blog-post-ideas/ ) feels good to pick up writing again! Let’s move on to today’s topic.

Travel Essentials

Following the previous post, this post is about the essentials to carry during a trip. Unlike popular opinion, I love packing; it’s the exciting start of the trip. But being the procrastinator I am, I end up packing just the day before always.

Fellow Last Minute Packers, here are the tips I follow:

Making a checklist of things I need to buy
Coordinating the clothes I am going to wear on each day of the trip, trust me it makes last minute packing much easier
And keeping the travel bag in front of my eyes, so I can put in small things I remember at that moment but definitely going to forget while packing. Just drop them in the bag beforehand!

Travelling with organized and neat bag makes it easier for me, so these are my must

Travel Essentials

Packing Cubes: These are great to keep your clothes organized and this fits in more clothes rather than just randomly putting things in. Also always roll your clothes when packing, saves a lot of space.

(Extra pair of jeans, comfortable pants, basic tops which are not easily wrinkled are my must packs)

(Picture Credit: Shein)

Separate Pouches: I use separate pouches for carrying my toiletry, skin care and make up rather than using a bigger organizer. This way I can separate my products on basis of their uses, and pick that pouch out only when required. Also Smaller pouches can be placed easily on the narrow side spaces of the Luggage.

(It’s a good thing to get those travel size bottles and carrying shampoo/conditioner/face wash/day cream in them. These save a lot of space and are compact and easy to carry)

Small Backpack/Sling Bag: Other than luggage it’s always useful to carry a smaller bag to keep absolute necessitates also ID and travel bookings so they are easily accessible.

(I keep a water bottle, power bank, a long scarf, hand sanitizer, sunglass, Band-Aids, a lip balm and lipstick, travel size tissue, mints, gums, and a small notebook and pen. And recently I switched from sling bag to small backpack, it’s much more travel friendly definitely)

(Separate Pouches, Small Backpack & Travel Bottle)

Comfortable Shoes: Other than the shoes travelling in (which should be comfortable) it’s also good to carry an extra pair of slip on/slipper/sandal, which can be easily put in the luggage. For light walking or on relaxing day schedule it feels great to switch up the shoes.

(DIY Travel Shoe Bag & Sunglass Bag)

Headphone & Charger Organizer: This I got recently, and it’s the most useful thing if you are like me who doesn’t like tangled chords.

(Bought from Shein)

Knick- Knacks: Carrying extra zipper pouch, clothes clip, rubber bands and reusable shopping bags is also good; I end up needing these in every trip.

And that’s it, these are the Travel Essentials from a Packing lover waiting till the next trip!

"The experience of our 6 days trip to Meghalaya"

Day 1 Kolkata—Guwahati—Shillong

Our day started early in the morning on a Wednesday at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata; we had a 9:50 AM flight to Guwahati, but had reached quite early on my father’s insistence! A bit of roaming around, tea break and pictures later boarding was announced and the journey started. It was a short 1 hour flight and with the in-flight complimentary sandwich and juice provided my excitement kept up.

· We landed and collected our luggage (the Guwahati Airport was cutely decorated) and took a local AC taxi to Police Bazar, Shillong; (For some reason the pre-paid taxi counter was closed that day) also bus and shuttle taxis are an available option to Shillong.

Exiting the busy Guwahati roads, scenery and temperature began to change, the long winding roads were surrounded by trees and green hills, a slight drizzle started soon surrounding us with mist & chill, it felt like actually entering the abode of clouds. A brief lunch at restaurant Jeeva (do visit, the food and scenery is amazing) and passing by Umiam Lake (which we had previously decided to visit on our way back to Guwahati) we entered Shillong, and quickly checked into Ladybird Hotel, Police Bazar (previously booked online) the interiors, rooms were so pretty I immediately took a liking for it. (I would definitely recommend Ladybird Hotel; it provided us great rooms, services and delicious foods, do check it out).

After resting for a bit, the evening was spend leisurely walking around and checking the shops at Police Bazar (It is the main shopping area in Shillong) followed by a delicious dinner of steamed ginger fish and fried rice at the hotel.

Day 2 In Shillong

Following a delicious breakfast, we boarded our car (previous night we had talked with the hotel staff for providing with a tour car), our first destination being Shillong Peak. (Shillong Peak is located in Airforce base, so carrying ID is mandatory).

· Shillong peak has an observatory giving a wonderful view of the city; a telescope is also present for more detailed view. There is also a place to get dressed in local Khasi Attire and take picture against the beautiful background.

After spending a while in the Peak we exited the Air Force Area and entered the road to Elephant Falls which was just around the corner.

· Elephant Falls was named after a Stone similar to an Elephant present at the foot of the waterfalls. It is a 3 tier waterfall, and a must must visit. The first tier is easily accessible, then after walking down a bit, a bridge is present indicating the 2md tier and the 3^rd tier is a bit more steps down and form the bottom you get a wonderful view of whole falls. The water was crystal clear and cold and we ended up clicking a lot of pictures. :-P

· After that we went to Lady Hydari Park, which is a bit of mix of a pretty garden, mini zoo and playground, a small museum was also present. It was very relaxing walking through the park.

Next we visited Mary Help of Christians Cathedral, one of the biggest and oldest churches in Shillong, perfect for a bit of calming time and enjoying the view. A wishing well is present, make a wish when you visit.

· Next on the list was Don Bosco Museum, acclaimed as one of the finest museum in Asia. It has such detailed and interactive knowledge about the culture and heritage of North East India, beautiful explanation about Khasi Tribe history and legends. It is a must visit, and better if went with a bit of time on hands.

· Our day trip ended with a visit to Wards Lake; almost 100 years old, wonderfully maintained lake, a wooden bridge passing by the middle of the clean lake water, and boating facilities are also available.

Note: We had lunch in City Hut, Family Dhaba a very well decorated restaurant with delicious food.

Day 3—Dawki—Mawlynnong

Today our plan was covering Dawki, Living Roots Village, Mawlynnong and spending the night at Cherrapunjee (Hotel Labana). It’s better to start early, when visiting Dawki (3 hour drive), and on the way a view point is present, which had wonderful scenery, do stop by and visit it.

· Umngot River becomes a bit visible as the road nears Dawki, and driving even further on, all of the beautiful river came into clear view (The view from the roads above, is really pretty!) but before stopping there we drove 15-20mins more to Tamabil Border( the border between India and Bangladesh). But maybe due to visiting after the rainy season, the roads were covered in potholes, and trucks were continuously driving in and out. A huge amount of dust was being generated by the trucks it was quite a messy scenario for us truthfully.

· We then again drove back to Umngot River, and this time we started going down the steps, to reach the river. It was picturesque as we kept on nearing the river, surrounded by greenery on all sides; the river water was sparkling under the sun. For we visited just after rainy season, the water was green in most part and clear in some, but as beautiful as I had previously seen in the pictures.

· We opted for a 45 mins boating, which took us on a calming ride along the river, the clear water and the stones underneath became more and more visible as we kept on going, and it was a wonderful experience absolutely.

After spending quite a bit of time in Dawki we started moving to our next destination i.e. The Living Roots Bridge.

· The walk down to the Living Roots Bridge was a bit long, but it totally makes up for it, when we saw the wonder nature has created in front of our eyes. The green roots have twisted and turned to create a natural bridge over a small waterfall and it was a sight to see. A beautiful wonder of nature, and should be on everybody’s list when travelling to Shillong.

· Last stop on the list was Mawlynnong Village, regarded as Asia’s Cleanest Village, it’s a pretty village to walk through and take in the natural beauty around it, small shops are present from where you can get souvenirs, also lots of guest house are present for anyone who wants to spend the night surrounded by the culture. (Visit the Balancing Rock on the way to the village too)

Day 4--- Cherrapunjee Local Tour

A well night of rest later we started our tour at around 9:30 Am, our 1^st destination, Nohkalikai Falls.

· A short drive from our hotel, Nohkalikai falls, takes a straight plunge from the top of the mountain and forming a green pool at the bottom, along with beautiful scenery all around a delightful sight to see.

· Next we visited Ram Krishna Mission Ashram, after spending some time there we drove towards Seven Sisters Falls. Seven Sisters Falls unlike Nohkalikai Falls didn’t have much water during the time we visited, but still pretty to visit.

· After that we visited Eco Park, which as name suggest is basically a park also it has a playground for children. It is a good place to walk around and a good photography spot also.

· Next we went to Mawsmai Cave, a small natural cave, it had a wide entrance but gets really narrow in between and is quite slippery, explore with caution.

· The way to Arwah Lumshynna Cave is a bit of trek through nature (both paved and rough trekking routes are present according to prferences) it is also quite similar to Mawsmai cave but is much bigger and well-lit in places. I had much more fun exploring this one.

· The last points covered Wahkaba Falls and Mawkdok Valley (Zip lining facilities are present)

As the Cherrapunjee local trip ended we went back to Shillong (Checking in Hotel Ladybird), and spent our evening with a bit of shopping at the Police Bazar Market.

Day 5---Shillong---Umiam Lake--Guwahati

It was time to say goodbye to Shillong which we had loved dearly and move towards Guwahati.

· On the way our only stop was Umiam Lake, a huge, scenic and clear water lake. It’s a great place to walk around and take the view of the lake; also small boats are present which makes short trips across the lake. Would definitely recommend the boat ride, it was quite fun for us! (5 persons/boat and Rs 100/person).

We then drove on towards Guwahati soon entered the city and checked in at Hotel Brahmaputra Inn (This hotel has only veg food options, but lots of good restaurants are located within a 15mins walk)

Day 6--- Kamakhya Mandir & Cruise

· We started our day early to visit Kamakhya Mandir, one of the 51 Shakti Peeth. We had a great experience and visit. (Due to long queues it’s better to go early and with a bit of time on hands)

· For the evening, we had booked for a cruise ride on Alfresco Grand, a 1 hour cruise ride on the Brahmaputra River (booking was done from the hotel, also bookings can be made online previously). It was a sunset cruise, and great to relax and enjoy the view of the Brahmaputra River also live performance and DJ are arranged on the cruise. (Rs 400/person, food/drinks option are provided which are separately payable).

Our wonderful tour to the ‘Abode of Clouds’ slowly came to an end as we spent a lovely evening on the cruise munching and chatting.

And lastly we boarded our return flight to Kolkata, our home sweet home.

Tips:

· As sudden rain is quite common here, it’s advisable to carry umbrella/raincoat and wear comfortable waterproof shoes or carrying an extra pair of shoes

· In Shillong if you want to enjoy the city culture book a hotel near Police Bazar, also bamboo products are available everywhere which make good souvenirs & gifts.

· You can book a car for the whole trip online or can book from local travel agencies (we booked our car for the whole trip from Ladybird Hotel) also local transport is an available option.

💛💛💛

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Hi this is Cherry!

A summer loving, Kdrama fanatic, fictional books, zodiacs and DIYs enthusiastic. With ever expanding interests welcome to Cherryable! And chips, I love chips.

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