The Meghalaya Highlands Escape

Drive from Guwahati up into the hills to Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya and one of the most charming hill towns in Northeast India. Check in and spend the evening exploring the local markets and the peaceful Ward's Lake, a good first taste of the city's laid-back pace.

Visit the Mawphlang Sacred Grove, an ancient forest preserved for centuries by the Khasi community where no leaf or stone has ever been removed — it's a deeply unusual and quietly powerful place. Stop at Tyrna Heritage Village on the way before driving into Cherrapunjee, one of the wettest places on earth, arriving in time to see the waterfalls in the late afternoon light.

Trek down through the forest to the Double Decker Living Root Bridge at Tyrna — two bridges grown entirely from tree roots over hundreds of years, one stacked above the other. It's a fairly steep descent and climb back up, but the sight of it makes the effort more than worth it.

Drive to Dawki and take a boat ride on the Umngot River, where the water is so clear you can see straight through to the riverbed below. Head to Mawlynnong — known as Asia's cleanest village — and walk up to the Bangladesh viewpoint for a look across the plains stretching into the distance.

Start early and drive back to Guwahati for your flight or train home. Five days, living root bridges, glass-clear rivers, and a part of India that not enough people have seen yet.