Shillong, the Scotland of the East is a natural target for umpteen number of foreign and domestic tourists. The capital city of the abode of cloud (Meghalaya) in its East Khasi Hills district is situated at an average 4,908 altitude from the sea level. Shillong is known for its natural beauty and bounty. But your visit is incomplete if you fail to land at the 6,449 feet high Shillong peak.
According to history, Shillong was the natural choice for European settlers of Scotland before the Independence. Shillong was the capital of an undivided Assam until the creation of the new state of Meghalaya on 21 January 1972. The best time to visit Shillong is September-November.
The state capital city of Meghalaya is well connected with both air and surface services. Sumo and bus services are available from all north eastern capital cities apart from flight and chopper services.
Air
There is a small airport at Umroi, about 35 km from Shillong. At present, Air India operates with ATR42 type of aircraft on this route. Buses / Taxis are available from Shillong to Umroi and back.
Rail
There are no rail lines in Meghalaya. The nearest railway station is Guwahati. It is 104 km from Shillong and very well connected with all major cities of India.
Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) has bus services coordinated with train arrivals at Guwahati. The buses leave Guwahati beginning 6 am till 5 pm (three and a half hrs). Reciprocal services from Shillong also leave at the same time. Taxis are available at Guwahati Railway Station.
Road
National Highway 40, an all-weather road, connects Shillong with Guwahati. State's Transport Corporation and private transport operators have services to various places in Meghalaya and to neighbouring states. Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) and Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) operates bus services from Shillong to Guwahati and Guwahati to Shillong from 0600 hours to 1700 hours daily. Tourist Taxis, Tata Sumo Taxis, Tourist coaches are also available for travel between Shillong to Guwahati and vice-versa. Shillong is well connected by a net work of roads with all important cities in the neighbouring states and major cities in the country.
In Guwahati, the State's Transport Corporation buses leave from the Inter State Bus Terminus, Beltola, while the Private run buses, Sumos and Taxis leave from Paltan Bazar. In Shillong, the bus stand is located in Police Bazar for Government buses and for private buses it is located in Polo Grounds. The Sumos and Taxis leave from Police Bazar in Shillong. Buses usually take around 4 hours with a mid-way stop at Nongpoh. Sumos and Taxis take around 3 hours to reach Shillong from Guwahati.
Local transport
Buses and Unmetred Yellow-top Taxis are available for travelling to various destinations in the city. Tourist Taxis/Tata Sumo Taxi Associations, Shillong also provide cars for local as well as for long distance tours.
Bus - For places within city limits, city buses are good options. There are two kinds of buses that pass from Shillong - City bus and Bazar bus. City buses is what tourists should use. Bazar buses are for villagers coming to Shillong.
Taxis - Black and Yellow unmetered shared taxis ply within city limits. These are faster and are always shared; rates may vary from Rs 5/- to Rs 15/- maximum. Being shared taxis, drivers often pick up additional passengers en route to the same destination, in order to make a better fare. If one decides to negotiate the "hire" of a taxi, however, the driver will not pick up any more passengers (or stop roadside to find more) but the fare will be significantly higher than if one had just hailed the taxi as it passed by.
For sightseeing it is a good idea to hire a taxi cab for full day. The fares should be fixed before travel. Hotel staff will be able to give you an idea of reasonable rate. Much of the infrastructure is basic.