An accidental Christmas in Shillong!!

Think Christmas and the first thing that comes to your mind is the bustling and beautiful Christmas markets of UK and Europe, Last December we happened to vacation at the third largest Christian majority state in India, Meghalaya, and guess where we were on 25th December? at their capital city of Shillong, Though I planned this getaway well in advance it never really struck that we would be spending Christmas in Shillong. As we entered Shillong from Guwahati on the Christmas eve, the festive spirit was heavy around us, with some of the prettiest X mas trees decorating every junction, kids parading the streets in red and white while loudly and happily singing out the carols, I was more than excited to check out this city on Christmas,

All the markets streets and public places were adorned with decors and lights of all shapes and sizes and I could not even imagine how pretty everything would look at night!! so a beautiful discovery we made during this trip is that Shillong is one of the most beautiful cities you can spend Christmas in, save this blog to plan your next Christmas getaway!!

Must visit places in Shillong during Christmas!!

I know this may not be very relevant now but if you are looking at visiting Meghalaya during Christmas break add these must do activities while in Shillong:

Walk down the streets of Shillong!!

Take walks, it might take hours for you to get around the city in a car, specially during the peak holiday season, it took us 2 hours to travel 4 kms by car, if possible stay near the market area or police Bazaar so that all these decked up streets are easily accessible. Walking, people watching and visiting the markets are some of the best ways to know the local vibe and culture of any city!!

Some Random Christmas decors!!

Go cafe hopping:

Shillong is known for its cafe culture and visiting a few of their many coffee shops is a must do in any season!! with all the traffic and a little one at two we managed to visit the most popular one alone but giving you the list of a few of the coffee shops you can try out while there!!

1. ML o5 cafe - A coffee shop with trippy biker vibes

2. Dylan cafe - a coffee shop which also is a tribute for the late singer bob Dylan

3. click cafe - again known for its great interiors, ambience and chill vibes.

   
   
   

   

   

   

   

   

   Dylan Cafe!!

Visit the wards lake:

Time stands still in this charming lake at the heart of Shillong city!! want to relax with a book? click away photos for your gram, play with your little ones, peddle boat along the lake or dress up the traditional Khasi way? all that can be done in this quaint and calm lake at the heart of Shillong. additionally the Christmas decoration here is something unlike what I have seen anywhere else, we visited during the day, going anywhere near this in the evening seemed almost impossible with the traffic there but I am sure if you stay somewhere close by this would be one of the must do activities!! (the entrance fee per adult for Indians is just rupees 10 and kids is Rs 5) still cant imagine how they charge so little, receive so many people and yet the place is so damn clean!! North east take a bow!!

Wards lake!!

Visit the police bazaar by evening:

The police bazaar in the evening was a vibe, irrespective of whether you would like to shop or not add this to your list of places to visit, some of the biggest Christmas trees, colorful lights, shops selling everything from a small key chain and fridge magnet to the biggest luxury goods are all lined up in this bazaar and you could also find some of the best places to eat here!! I am not that much of a people person and generally try to avoid places with too much crowd but this time Shillong one, I honestly did not mind pushing through this thronging crowd to get a glimpse of these Christmas decors and lights and guess what everything i mentioned here is absolutely free of cost.

Umaim lake:

Last but not the least, do not forget to add this lake to your list of places to visit, while most of us would be coming down to Shillong from Guwahati and this falls right on the way, this lake locally known as Bhara pani is a man made lake which is also a major source of drinking water for the local towns and villages. There is an entry fee starting from Rs. 2o and the place is again great for some picnic time with family, a calm reading or writing session and lined with some beautiful walking trails. The lake also has some boating activities which in my opinion were priced pretty exorbitantly for the time they allowed us and we decided not to go for it.