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TRAVEL TO KISH ISLAND



In contrast to Dubai's bright lights and nightclubs, across the pond, the warmPersian waters offer a laid back island culture with duty-free shopping, watersports and a diving paradise.

It is the pearl of the Persian Gulf, Kish Island.

Getting There

Kish island is a free-trade zone; so you're not required to pay any entry visa toenter the island. Flights by Kish Air from Dubai and Abu Dhabi are cheap andvery frequent making it easy to make a trip to Kish island off the cuff.

Laws in Kish are lax unlike mainland Iran, however, women folk are stillrequired to wear a free mandatory hijab (scarf) on entry into the country.


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Do

Cycling:Kish Island has minimal traffic and over 50Kms of cycling tracks across theisland. This has made cycling a favourite pastime for tourists and residentsalike. Renting one is not too expensive and riding is more doable during thewinters.

Diving:The warm waters of the Persian Gulf are perfect for scuba diving and snorkelingduring the autumn and winter months. Clear water shows incredible views ofPersian Coral Reefs along with Butterfly Fish, Barracudas, Stingrays, ReefSharks, Turtles Groupers, Trigger Fish, Trevally Snappers and the occasionalWhale Shark can be seen during one of the diving trips in Kish. Furthermore,the diving here costs a lot less than other places like the Caribbean andSoutheast Asia.



Water Sports:Kish Island arguably offers the most economically priced water sports too. Youcan be off on the sea for Jet Skiing, Parasailing, Windsurfing and Banana BoatRides. Besides, how many people can say they did any one of these activities inIran!

Beaches:Again, surprise surprise! Iran's Kish Island is home to some beautiful whitesand beaches and azure waters which are great for swimming and snorkeling.There are some women-only beaches that men are forbidden from enteringbecause of Iranian law banning mixed beaches.

Greek Ship:A Greek ship ran aground on the Southwestern coast of Kish and it lies there tilltoday attracting tourists from everywhere. It has become culturally mandatoryto click a silhouetted picture of the ship at sundown for every tourist visitingthe island in the recent past.



One of the nicest ways to spend the afternoon is to take a cruise along theBosphorus Strait that divides Europe from Asia. Watch the rich and famoustake their yachts out from tiny inlets next to their holiday homes that leadstraight into the strait. Voyeuristic pleasure! For an evening of folk and bellydancing, visit one of Istanbul''s night clubs on Istiklal Street, usually open tillthe wee hours of the morning.

Take time out. Istanbul is dotted with cafes where you can order an extrastrong, creamy Turkish coffee with a slice of Turkish pita bread. You’ll find thatlazing with a book as you watch the cruise-liners glide by can be infinitelypleasurable.




SHILLONG - TRAIPSING IN THE HILLS


Cocooned among the North East states of India, is a slice straight out of heaven- Shillong in Meghalaya! Imagine a valley with meandering streams, pine-covered hillocks, mesmerizing waterfalls, and grassy enclaves on the outskirts.It’s no wonder early colonial settlers aptly took to calling Shillong the Scotlandof the East!

Getting thereShillong is easily accessible by road. The nearest airport and railway station arelocated two hours away at Guwahati, Assam. Once you land at Guwahati, youcan easily find a local taxi or cab that will happily escort to Shillong. The shortroad trip is absolutely worth it for a glimpse of the experience awaiting you, soavoid dozing off, and have a good look around. You will pass small hamlets,catch fleeting glimpses of the locals going about their lives - groups of womenclad in traditional Khasi “dhara”, mouths coloured red by the lipstick of arecanuts and betel leaves, also known as “kwai”.



DoThere is something for everyone here so give yourself a full 5 days for Shillong,to truly experience the awesomeness of this quaint town. You can start byvisiting the Ward’s Lake, a beautiful man-made lake right in the center of thetown, dotted with short garden walks and boating facilities. You can also visitthe Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, which features seventeengalleries displaying cultural artifacts and paintings.

If you love nature, visit the Elephant Falls to see the tantalising beauty ofmother nature. The Elephant Falls are so well ‘designed’ that you'd almostthink they are the result of a major landscaping project! Spend a quietafternoon enjoying this gushing stream of water sloshing downstream incascading beauty, and you will have a memory you will always cherish. The fallsare located just outside Shillong, a mere 12 kms away. Another advantage isthat the falls are just a short drive away from the popular Shillong Peak, whichoffers a spectacular panoramic view of Shillong town.



The Golf Links of Shillong are also worth a visit if you want to enjoy the beautyof nature in Shillong. The Golf Links are dotted with the famous Shillong pinetrees, so this is the perfect opportunity to collect some pine cones as souvenirsto take back with you.

Around Shillong, you can also take small road trips to nearby towns. And restassured, there is plenty to see around Shillong too! Cherrapunji for example islocated 52 kilometers from Shillong. For those of you who have been livingunder a rock, Cherrapunji sees the heaviest annual rainfall in the world. Orused to - apparently it’s been dethroned by another place nearby, and it’stoday the second wettest place in the world! Cherrapunji offers a variety ofsights of its own, including the famous Nohkalikai Falls. If you do make it toCherrapunji, you have some reasonable options for accommodation, includingthe Cherrapunji Holiday Resort at Village Laitkynsew, and the Sohra Plaza atthe market.



Any trip to Shillong is incomplete without a visit to Nongriat, which is about 64kms from Shillong. The Nongriat visit is all about a trek on the double-decker Living Root Bridge. As the name suggests, these are bridges made up ofliving tree roots, formed with decades of effort, coaxing, and expert gardening.The bridges are truly a marvel; some of them so strong as to carry the weightof as many as 50 people at a time. The most enigmatic beauty among them isthe Double Decker Root Bridge, which has two bridges stacked one over theother. The bridge is also known as the Umshiang Double Decker Root Bridge.(You can read more about it here)

Dawki and Dawki River are some of the most beautiful, yet relatively unknownand mostly secluded places in Shillong. Located some 90 kms from Shillong,along the border of Bangladesh, this is the right place if you are looking forsome adventure. Visit Dawki if you are in the mood for some diving, swimming,snorkeling or boating in the river. The waters are crystal blue and green, andthe chilly coolness of Shillong is absent here. Instead, there is a warm breezethat floats in the air.



EATThe town is blessed with gastronomical delights - from Chinese, Italian andAmerican to Indigenous and traditional, from high-end to small, tiny foodstalls. Café Shillong, Munchies, The Wok - all located at Laitumkhrah arefamous for their renditions of Global Cuisine. The City Hut family Dhaba atOakland Road and the sweets at Delhi Mistan (Police Bazaar) are delectablyrich in Indian flavour that leaves a lingering aftertaste.

And this is not all. If you are the adventurous kind, indulge a little on the exoticlocal food! There’s plenty to choose from: there’s Jadoh (rice cooked in pork fatand pork blood), Doh Khlea (a salad mix of pork tongue and brain withginger), Doh Jem (pork intestine cooked in neiyongor black sesame), tungtap(dry fish), and tungrymbai (soyabean chutney cooked in pork fat).

Shillong has some of the best Chinese food in the North-East, walk around thestreets and follow the fragrance - big, rounded momos and chowmein isavailable all over. Local delights can be had at Neolith, at Motphran, BaraBazaar, and at Trattoria at Police Bazaar.



STAYSome of the star hotels in Shillong exude a vintage cosiness and old world charm. Pine Wood Hotelat Rita Road, European Ward, Hotel Orchid at Polo Grounds, Royal Heritage - Tripura Castle at Cleave Colony and Hotel Centre Point also at Police Bazaar all provide excellent service along with a royal dining experience and a varied kitchen palate.

If you are on a budget, there are numerous guest houses that offer inexpensive, safe, and comfortable accommodation.

Hotel Eee Cee at Khyndailad and Hotel Yelana at Laitumkhrah, are among the not too expensive considering their star category. Summit Guest House at Upper Lachumire, Bonnie Guest House at Laban and High Winds opposite Hydari Park are great as budget hotels.




MAWLYNNONG - CLEANEST VILLAGE IN ASIA!


Who knew the cleanest village in Asia is in the last place you'd think it to be -right here in India! Go to Mawlynnong-the little known hamlet in Meghalayaand find out why it deserves the recognition.

After two hours of an adventurous drive from Shillong (90kms), you arewelcomed into this tiny, quaint village of 82 families nestled in a corner underthe clouds.

The village is straight out of fairy tale with narrow cobbled streets meanderingthrough the thatched houses, each sporting a colorful garden, the streamflowing behind, the sounds of thunder promising the showers of rain. Make it aday trip activity, but if you have time, stay for at least a couple of days.



The villagers try to be self-sustainable as possible, growing their own food andharvesting rainwater in natural stone basins. But with no market to buynecessities from, they travel two hours in a rickety bus for the nearest one. Andwhen the bus breaks down, they walk through sunshine and rain.

These enterprising villagers also came up with a great waste disposalmanagement. As a community, they collect every piece of trash and compostthem in a pit to use it for cultivation.

The streets are swept every hour by the villagers themselves and strict rulesare imposed for personal sanitation and cleanliness. Sound like utopia?



WHAT TO SEELiving Root Bridges: Instead of building bridges, the Khasis grow them! Theliving root bridges in Riwai (about 15 minutes away from Mawlynnong) is themost spectacular natural phenomenon. A ‘double-decker’ bridge completelyformed with roots from the rubber trees, the villagers use it for their everydaycommute. They say, it’s been standing strong for the past 200 years or so.There is also a lesser-known cousin - the living root ladders carefully fashionedinto steps.

Sky Tower: To see an absolutely panoramic view, climb the machan the villagersbuilt for the tourists. 60 feet high up in the air, it is a surreal experience oflooking down. On a sunny, cloudless day, you'll have a breathtaking view of thevalley of Bangladesh on a horizon.



For tea lovers, you can hang around by the tea stalls for a cup of tea and snacksand may be even chat up with the villagers—they all speak English socommunicating will be easy.

You can even go picnicking by the lakes in the luscious, green jungles, swimunder the waterfall or take a jungle walk by the secret groves. The landscape isdotted with such charming significances, it will dazzle you.

Look out for Henry, the guide, supposedly the best one around here whocharges about Rs. 250 per day.



WHERE TO STAY

Accommodation will be modest here, but not without the comforts of a home.

Mawlynnong Guest House: This charmingly built traditional home has tworooms: a large room which can accommodate 4 persons at Rs. 3300/- a nightand a smaller room for two at Rs. 2200/-. It also has a machan hinged on thehighest boughs of the branches of a tree.

Homestays: Ask your guide to show the three homestays in the village—therates start at as little as Rs. 350/- and go up to Rs. 1500/- a night.



WHAT TO EAT

A simple meal will be cooked for you at the guesthouse or at the homestay-rice, potatoes, green peas and pickle. But you should also ask them to cook atraditional Khasi meal for you.

Just the way to bid adieu to this mesmerizing village!

There are cabs you can hire from the airport or the city of Shillong (BaraBazaar). Make lodging arrangements in advance if you wish to stay overnight.




Thank you for your Time

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