chalet capital Once you leave the outskirts of Shillong the road to Cherrapunjee passes through pretty scenery that

Guwahati is considered the site of Pragjyotishpura, a semi-mythical town founded by Asura King Naraka who was later killed by Lord Krishna for a pair of magical earrings. The city was a vibrant cultural chalet capital centre well before the Ahoms arrived, and later it was the theatre of intense Ahom Mughal

Once you leave the outskirts of Shillong the road to Cherrapunjee passes through pretty scenery that becomes dramatic at Dympep viewpoint, where a photogenic V-shape valley slits deeply into the plateau.

The surrounding grassy moors justify Meghalaya s over-played Scotland of the East tourist-office soubriquet, although they re dotted with Khasi monoliths and scarred by quarrying. Much more impressive is the series of grand canyon valleys that plunge into deep lush chasms of tropical forest sprayed by a succession of seasonally inspiring waterfalls. The Nohkalikai Falls, fourth highest in the world, are particularly dramatic, especially in the monsoon when their capacity increases 20-fold. You can see them easily enough without quite entering the official chalet capital viewpoint (admission/camera 10/200; h8am-5pm), 4.4km southwest of Sohra market.

The MTC bus station (Jail Rd) also has a computerised railway-reservation counter (nearest train station is Guwahati). Private buses depart from Dhanketi Point; book tickets from counters around Police Bazaar, including Network Travels (Shop 44, MUDA Complex, Police Bazaar) and Deep (Ward s Lake Rd).