Experiences
Meghalaya, up close.
Each camp has its own days: water at Umiam, open sky at Jongksha, forest at Sakal A·duma. Around them sit the food, cloth, craft and people of the Khasi and Garo hills. Choose as much or as little as you like.
Camp by camp
Three camps. Three kinds of day.
Water and light
- Dawn
- Kayak or paddleboard across the lake as the mist lifts. Or take the sunrise boat with breakfast on board.
- Day
- The MEUM museum and the naturalist-led MEUM Walk. A visit to Umden in Ri-Bhoi, where families raise and spin Eri silk.
- Dusk
- Dinner in the pavilion over the water, then stars from the jetty.
Wind and open sky
- Dawn
- A ridge run or a slow walk as the sun comes over the grass hills.
- Day
- Teer with local archers. A guided walk in the Mawphlang sacred forest. A full day out to the living root bridges.
- Dusk
- Night-glow balloons on the hilltop, telescopes, and duitara music by the fire.
Forest and river
- Dawn
- Birding in the canopy with a naturalist, when the forest is loudest.
- Day
- A trek in the Nokrek biosphere, home of the wild memong narang orange. A caving day with certified guides. River tubing in season.
- Dusk
- A Garo kitchen supper with sticky rice cooked in bamboo, then drums and stories.
Adventure
Go further, safely.
Everything runs with licensed operators and certified guides, with safety briefings, helmets and life jackets as each activity needs.
Living root bridges
Bridges grown, not built, from the roots of rubber fig trees over generations.
Caves of the Garo Hills
Limestone passages and underground streams, explored in the dry months with expert guides.
| Activity | Where | Level | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kayaking and stand-up paddle | Umiam, on site | Easy | All year, weather permitting |
| Sunrise boat and sailing | Umiam, on site | Easy | October to May |
| Teer, Khasi archery | Jongksha, on site | Easy | All year |
| Night-glow balloon evenings | Jongksha, on site | Watching only | October to April, calm nights |
| Trail running and mountain biking | Jongksha, on site | Moderate | October to May |
| Living root bridge trek | Day trip from Jongksha | Moderate, many steps | October to April |
| Waterfall and canyon rappelling | Day trip | Challenging | November to April |
| Nokrek biosphere trek | Day trip from Sakal A·duma | Moderate | October to April |
| Caving | Day trip from Sakal A·duma | Challenging | November to March, when the caves are dry |
| River tubing and swims | Near Sakal A·duma | Easy to moderate | October to April |
| Birding and stargazing | All camps | Easy | November to March is clearest |
Food and cuisine
Cooked from the hills.
Khasi and Garo cooking is smoky, herby and built on rice, pork, fish and fermented flavours. Our kitchens cook it properly, beside a full menu for every palate, with vegetarian and Jain dishes on request.
The Khasi table · Umiam and Jongksha
- Jadoh
- Red rice cooked with meat and spices, the breakfast of the hills.
- Dohneiiong
- Pork in a dark, nutty black sesame gravy.
- Tungrymbai
- Fermented soybean, rich and pungent.
- Dohkhlieh
- A fresh pork salad with onion, ginger and chilli.
- Pumaloi
- Steamed powdered rice, eaten with curries.
The Garo table · Sakal A·duma
- Nakham bitchi
- A peppery broth of dried fish, the taste of the Garo Hills.
- Minil songa
- Sticky rice cooked inside bamboo over an open fire.
- Kappa
- A slow curry cooked with kalchi, a traditional alkaline water.
- Chu
- Garo rice beer, poured with ceremony.
From the region
- Market morning at Iewduh, Shillong’s great traditional market, with one of our chefs.
- Cook-along in a village kitchen, with the recipe written down for you.
- Chef’s table on the deck: a tasting of the Khasi and Garo hills in one evening.
Handloom and textiles
Cloth with a story in every thread
Ryndia, the Khasi name for Eri silk, is spun from cocoons after the moth has left them, which is why it is often called peace silk. It is warm, soft and matte, and much of it comes from Ri-Bhoi, the district around Umiam.
- Ryndia
- Eri silk shawls and stoles, naturally dyed.
- Jainsem and Dhara
- The Khasi women’s dress, and its ceremonial silk form.
- Tapmohkhlieh
- The Khasi shawl, worn across the shoulder.
- Dakmanda
- The Garo wrap, woven with bright borders and motifs.
- Spin and dye a morning with natural colours from turmeric, lac and indigo.
- Sit at a loom with a weaver and see how a pattern is built.
- Buy directly from the weavers you meet.
The fabric walls in every tent are hand block-printed from these Khasi and Garo patterns.
Handicraft
Bamboo, cane and wood
In Meghalaya, bamboo and cane are used for almost everything: houses, baskets, rain shields, fish traps, furniture. Our camps use the same materials, and the same hands.
- Khoh
- The conical carrying basket, worn from the forehead.
- Knup
- A rain shield of bamboo and leaves, made for the monsoon.
- Cane furniture
- Chairs, stools and screens, many of them in our tents.
- Instruments
- The Khasi duitara and the Garo drums.
- Make a small basket or bamboo lamp in a morning workshop.
- Visit a craft village and meet the makers.
- Learn a rhythm on Garo drums at Sakal A·duma.
Community
Guests of the hills.
The Khasi and Garo are matrilineal societies, with their own institutions, forests and festivals. We visit as guests, by invitation, led by the people who live there.
Sacred groves
Forests protected by Khasi communities for centuries. Walks are led by local guides, and nothing is taken out, not even a leaf.
Village days
A walk and a home-cooked lunch with a family, a visit to the village school or market, and time with elders who tell the old stories.
Root bridge keepers
The villages that grow and care for the living root bridges guide every visit, and entry fees go to them directly.
Our commitments
- Hire and train locally at every camp.
- Buy produce and craft from nearby villages.
- Keep the camps free of single-use plastic, and treat water on site.
- Share the story of each place in its own words.
As a guest
- Ask before photographing people or homes.
- Dress modestly in villages and at festivals.
- Leave sacred groves exactly as you found them.
- Carry nothing in that you would not carry out.
Festivals
Plan around a celebration.
Festivals follow local calendars, so dates move each year. Tell us your interest and we confirm the dates when you book.
| Month | Festival | Community | Nearest camp |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | Shad Suk Mynsiem, the Khasi dance of thanksgiving, in Shillong | Khasi | Umiam |
| July | Behdienkhlam, in Jowai | Pnar (Jaintia) | Umiam or Jongksha, by day trip |
| October to November | Nongkrem dance, at Smit near Shillong | Khasi | Jongksha |
| November | Wangala, the Garo harvest festival of a hundred drums | Garo | Sakal A·duma |
| December | Christmas in Shillong, with carols and lit-up churches | All | Umiam |
Build your days.
Pick the experiences you like when you request your stay. Your host at the camp will shape them around the weather and the season.