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TRAVEL TO KISH ISLAND



In contrast to Dubai's bright lights and nightclubs, across the pond, the warm Persian waters offer a laid back island culture with duty-free shopping, water sports 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 to enter the island. Flights by Kish Air from Dubai and Abu Dhabi are cheap and very 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 still required 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 the island. This has made cycling a favourite pastime for tourists and residents alike. Renting one is not too expensive and riding is more doable during the winters.

Diving:The warm waters of the Persian Gulf are perfect for scuba diving and snorkeling during the autumn and winter months. Clear water shows incredible views of Persian Coral Reefs along with Butterfly Fish, Barracudas, Stingrays, Reef Sharks, Turtles Groupers, Trigger Fish, Trevally Snappers and the occasional Whale 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 and Southeast Asia.



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

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

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



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

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




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 Scotland of the East!

Getting thereShillong is easily accessible by road. The nearest airport and railway station are located two hours away at Guwahati, Assam. Once you land at Guwahati, you can easily find a local taxi or cab that will happily escort to Shillong. The short road trip is absolutely worth it for a glimpse of the experience awaiting you, so avoid 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 women clad in traditional Khasi “dhara”, mouths coloured red by the lipstick of areca nuts 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 by visiting the Ward’s Lake, a beautiful man-made lake right in the center of the town, dotted with short garden walks and boating facilities. You can also visit the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures, which features seventeen galleries displaying cultural artifacts and paintings.

If you love nature, visit the Elephant Falls to see the tantalising beauty of mother nature. The Elephant Falls are so well ‘designed’ that you'd almost think they are the result of a major landscaping project! Spend a quiet afternoon enjoying this gushing stream of water sloshing downstream in cascading beauty, and you will have a memory you will always cherish. The falls are located just outside Shillong, a mere 12 kms away. Another advantage is that the falls are just a short drive away from the popular Shillong Peak, which offers a spectacular panoramic view of Shillong town.



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

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



Any trip to Shillong is incomplete without a visit to Nongriat, which is about 64 kms 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 of living 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 weight of as many as 50 people at a time. The most enigmatic beauty among them is the Double Decker Root Bridge, which has two bridges stacked one over the other. 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 unknown and 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 for some 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, and the chilly coolness of Shillong is absent here. Instead, there is a warm breeze that floats in the air.



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

And this is not all. If you are the adventurous kind, indulge a little on the exotic local food! There’s plenty to choose from: there’s Jadoh (rice cooked in pork fat and pork blood), Doh Khlea (a salad mix of pork tongue and brain with ginger), 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 the streets and follow the fragrance - big, rounded momos and chowmein is available all over. Local delights can be had at Neolith, at Motphran, Bara Bazaar, 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 Meghalaya and find out why it deserves the recognition.

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

The village is straight out of fairy tale with narrow cobbled streets meandering through the thatched houses, each sporting a colorful garden, the stream flowing behind, the sounds of thunder promising the showers of rain. Make it a day 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 and harvesting rainwater in natural stone basins. But with no market to buy necessities from, they travel two hours in a rickety bus for the nearest one. And when the bus breaks down, they walk through sunshine and rain.

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

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



WHAT TO SEELiving Root Bridges: Instead of building bridges, the Khasis grow them! The living root bridges in Riwai (about 15 minutes away from Mawlynnong) is the most spectacular natural phenomenon. A ‘double-decker’ bridge completely formed with roots from the rubber trees, the villagers use it for their everyday commute. 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 fashioned into steps.

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



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

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

Look out for Henry, the guide, supposedly the best one around here who charges 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 two rooms: a large room which can accommodate 4 persons at Rs. 3300/- a night and a smaller room for two at Rs. 2200/-. It also has a machan hinged on the highest boughs of the branches of a tree.

Homestays: Ask your guide to show the three homestays in the village—the rates 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 a traditional 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 (Bara Bazaar). Make lodging arrangements in advance if you wish to stay overnight.




Thank you for your Time

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