Itinerary:

 

Day 01: October 24, 2008 (Friday)

Arrive in Guwahati (Assam). O/N Guwahati

 

Guwahati : Situated on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Kamrup District of Assam, Guwahati is a fast growing premier city. It is the gate way to the North Eastern States of India and a principal center of socio cultural, political, industrial and trade and commerce of the entire region. Dispur, the capital of Assam is a part of Guwahati. Before, this city was full of areca nut trees rappled by pan creepers. Hence this city subsequently got the name Guwahati. The word ‘Guwa’ in Assamese means areca nut and Hat means market.

 

Day 02: October 25, 2008 (Saturday)

Guwahati to Cherrapunjee (Meghalaya). O/N Cherrapunjee

 

After an early breakfast, visit Kamakhya Temple. During the festival of Ambubashi more than a million devotees throng this holy place. Drive on to Cherrapunjee (170 Kms), the wettest region in the world receiving highest rainfall. Visiting en-route Borapani Umiam Lake, a majestic placid lake with its surrounding sylvan hills Overnight stay in Cherrapunjee.

 

Day 03: October 26, 2008 (Sunday)

 

Trek to the Living Root Bridge, Ummunoi - Duration: 3-4 hours from the Resort. Distance 4 km down and up 1000 feet approximately.  Trek open throughout the year.

 This trek starts from the Resort premises and goes down hill through village Sohsahrat. The steps are relatively steeper in two short stretches.  Half the distance is covered by steps going down hill.  Then there is a jungle path going along the sides of the hill leading to the Living Root Bridge with a few steps after short stretches of sloping foot path.  Moss thrives on these sandstone steps during the monsoon and makes them slippery.  However, the steps can be negotiated easily with little care by locking the hind of your feet in the depressions between stones in the steps. Our walking staff comes handy to steady you.  The path thru’ the jungle and bay leaf gardens is quite interesting.  As you near the bridge you hear the sound of water flowing by the stream.  After admiring the Living Root Bridge and taking snaps, get down into the stream and take a refreshing bath in the stream.  En-route you get to see snails, millipedes, butterflies and spiders in their webs.

 

After seeing the bridge you move ahead to a naturally formed Dolomite archway.  Notice how the villagers tap the water from the stream by bamboo pipes running long distances to drip irrigate the betel leaf creepers during the dry season in winter.
 

Swimming - We have many natural swimming pools in the river bed.  The flowing water is so crystal clear and transparent that any avid swimmer can not resist the temptation to swim. The flowing water is warmed by sunrays and the heat radiated by the huge boulders that they flow through.  These pools are reached by treks down the hill.  All our international guests are thrilled by the swims in these pools.  Our Natural Swimming Pools are very popular with expats working in Bangladesh in Embassies, United Nations organizations and many International Voluntary Services operating in Bangladesh.
 

Day 04: October 27, 2008 (Monday)

Explore Krem Mawmluh Cave. This cave is located half a km west of Cherrapunjee adjacent to the small hamlet of Mawmluh. O/N Cherrapunjee

 

Caving - Millions of years of torrential downpours in this highest rainfall area in the world has carved out beautiful and enchanting mazes of caves in the limestone rocks of this area.  The stalactite, stalagmite and flowstone formations inside these caves are spectacular and transports one to another world. Cavers from Britain, Germany, America, Australia and New Zealand find these caves very interesting and good for adventure sport.  Come and enjoy the thrill of caving in our caves.  Krem Mawmluh is about 7 km long.  It is 12 km from the Resort.  This cave has got many impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations.

 

Day 05: October 28, 2008 (Tuesday)

 

Trek to Mawsiekhriah / Khlieh Mawlong... Duration – 2 hours. Distance 6 km approximately. Open throughout the year.

This is a light trek on the top of the hill almost on level ground passing through the forests of Laitkynsew, passing by the vegetable gardens in winter, a vast natural rock garden and a steep rock cliff face dropping off a few hundreds of feet overlooking Mawlong village and the limestone mines of Ichhamati.  Along the way you pass by a few mountain streams and can hear some flowing by underground channels. The Sylhet plains of Bangladesh spreads across to your south from the foot of the hills.  You get a captivating view of the plains and can see Sylhet, Chhatack towns in Bangladesh from here. Now Border Area Development Authority is developing a road to this place for developing a new park in this area.  This trek was earlier open only in the dry months.  With the road being laid, this shall become accessible throughout the year.  One can retrace the steps to return to the Resort or can take a foot path leading up a flight of steps to Village Sohsahrat and reach the Resort by a different route.  The view of the farm houses and farm lands from the top of the steps is impressive.

 

Cultural Evenings - Local youth come and perform cultural events at the Resort.  We are encouraging our youth to showcase their talents to make the stay of our guests more interesting and to facilitate tourists to interact with our people.  Our guests especially from abroad cherish this opportunity to appreciate and understand local traditions, culture and music.  Our people also benefit from these interactions by being able to appreciate other cultures and the way of life of  other communities.
 

Day 06: October 29, 2008 (Wednesday)

Cherrapunjee to Shillong... by road

 

Sight-seeing... Morning proceed to Shillong peak from where one can see the whole of Shillong town. Also visit Museum, Emporium, Wards lake, Lady Hydari Park, Butterfly Museum, etc. O/N Shillong

 

Day 07: October 30, 2008 (Thursday)

Shillong to Kaziranga (Assam)... by road

 

Day 08: October 31, 2008 (Friday)

 

Elephant / Jeep Safari... in the Kaziranga National Park

 

KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK - is a World Heritage Site, where more than 75% of the world’s total population of the great Indian One horned Rhinoceros can be found. It lies on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River and is one of the oldest parks of Assam. Besides rhinos, the Asiatic Water Buffalo numbering over 1200, elephants over 1000, tigers more than 81, Swamp deer, Barking deer and Hog deer can be seen. About 400 species of birds are found in Kaziranga National Park. Swamp Francolin, Kalij Pheasant, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Streak Throated Woodpecker, Bay Woodpecker, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Osprey, Palas’s Fish Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Pied Falconets, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Greater Adjutant Stork, Black necked Stork, Grey-headed Lapwing, Indian White Backed Vulture, Long Billed Vulture, along with a large number of Spotted Billed Pelican. Sighting is excellent and is always a great experience.

 

Early morning we take an elephant safari in the central range of the park followed by a jeep safari after breakfast to the western range of the park. In the afternoon after lunch, we visit the eastern range of the park by jeep. Overnight at the resort.

 

Day 09: November 01, 2008 (Saturday)

 

Kaziranga to Guwahati... by road

 

After breakfast drive to Guwahati (215kms/5hrs). Evening visit Shankerdev Kalashetra. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Srimanta Shankerdeva Kalashetra - a multi-art complex portrays the rich cultural diversity and life of Assam as well as that of the North-east.  This art complex has been named after the greatest Vaishnava saint and the integrator of the Assamese society, which is why it is chosen as the venue for many cultural activities. Enjoy the sound and light programme on the history of the region here.

 

Day 10: November 02, 2008 (Sunday)

Board flight from Guwahati.