The state of Meghalaya is located in the north eastern (NE) part of India. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is a small hill station town located approximately 5000 feet above sea level on the Eastern Khasi hills. I arrived at Shillong from Guwahati. There are buses operated by the Meghalaya State Transport which charge about Rs. 200 per person (2011) and take directly to Shillong from the Guwahati Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) or the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Guwahati airport. There are is also a helicopter service from LGBI to Shillong operated by Pawan Hans. The road trip is of approximately of 4 hours (depending on traffic) through circuitous roads with a small halt at Nongpoh (pronunced: Nong-fo) for refreshments. The views are very scenic, particularly of the Umiam dam, a water catchment built on the hills, to caters to the water and electricity requirements of Shillong town.
My bus arrived at Police bazaar, which is the main hub for shops, restaurants and hotels in Shillong. Apart from the roadside eateries, (which I found to be very unhygenic), there are many restaurants in Police bazaar. However, I felt Shillong is a bit expensive than expected for both stay and food. Nevertheless, there are several restaurants that are quite homely and offer traditional Bengali and Khasi dishes. One particular restaurant I liked is the Delhi Mistan Bhandar located in Police bazaar that sells snacks and sweets. I loved the samosas, gulab jamoons, jalebis and ras malais there.
One thing that strikes you (particularly if you do not come from the East of India) is that the sunrise is very early (5 AM IST) compared to other parts of India because IST is adopted for the whole of India. But, interestingly, Shillong town is very lazy and wakes up quite late, with restaurants opening only around 10 AM. So, if you are looking for an early breakfast, then there are very few options.Shillong town is a very small, and if its not raining walking never hurts. There are also plenty of local taxis (mainly Maruti 800s and jeeps) available for transportation within and around Shillong. Some notable places to see are the beautiful Wards Lake (in memory of Sir William Ward, the Chief Commissioner of Assam around 1890s). The Polo grounds (which houses the golf course), the Secretariat or the Raj Bhavan, the district court, and a few temples within the town. Shillong is also the base for several defense installations for the NE region. The Indian Air Force Eastern High Command, the Indo-Tibetian Police Force, the Border Security Force and the Assam Rifles have their bases in Shillong. The Department of Space (DoS) has its North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NE-SAC) in Shillong.
Around Shillong, a must-visit place is the Shillong Peak (about 12 Kms from Police Bazaar), the highest point in Shillong, and if its not very misty you can get a splendid view of the whole town. On the way to Shillong peak, one can also take a small halt to see the potato farms (there is also a division of the Central Potato Research Institute).
The Elephant Falls (about 12-15 Kms from Police Bazaar), a small waterfalls over an elephant-shaped rock formation, is another worthwhile place to see. If you don't mind travelling a bit more farther, Cherrapunjee (locally called Sohra) is certainly a must-visit place. It is about 65 Kms from Shillong and is famous for being the rainiest place on earth. The drive from Shillong to Cherrapunjee is very scenic; one can enjoy greenery, waterfalls and the breath-taking views of hills-touching-clouds. Cherrapunjee also houses the Ramakrishna Mission (est. 1952) that runs schools for the local (Khasi) children.
The people of Meghalaya mainly comprise of Hindus, Christians and Muslims, and suprisingly very few Buddhists (in spite of the proximity to China). Christianity arrived from the Christian missionaries set up during the British times that influenced most of the Khasi people (the pahadi people). The people, in general, are like in most other parts of India - if you an outsider then you should be smart enough to keep yourself safe and not be taken for a ride by the local taxi drivers. But, Shillong is in general quite safe with police patrolling the streets frequently.
About the climate, Shillong being a hill station is usually cool. However, I felt the climate in May is quite hot for a hill station. But, the nights are cool and pleasant, and so Shillong is a good summer get-away for people from nearby places like Guwahati.