Fig: Shillong to Cherrapunjee route Fig:Return from Cherrapunjee towards Shillong
Pedaling to Charapunjee started around morning 6 0 clock. Even though it was not so cold as assumed, as we start riding, our assumption happened to be wrong. Due to downhill from the starting point and the cold breeze, our fingers were becoming so numb, such after riding few kms we have to decrease our speed. Soon after the downhill route goes through a gradual uphill around 7 kms . Despite of the climb ,Shillong cold air was enough to defeat to keep our body warm. We stopped at the end of the climb near the Shillong Peak. Shillong peak is the highest point of Shillong, where u can get the beautiful glance of the town . Chillness of the air , forced us to take a hot red tea in a small local shop .By that time Sun rays also giving us warm welcome for the day of the tour. Our ride continued with low intensity rolling road followed by few nice downhill at the beginning till the junction of Dawki and Cherrapunjee . Cherrapunjee bridge: Here it begins the platues of Cherrapunjee’s nice and deep lines of hills, anywhere you see only green lines of hills. Moderate chilled wind and the downhill slopes was making my body to be covered with one more layer of cloth. After few hour of cycling..our stomach started gurgling.Can’t resists to take a plate of dal rice with few pices of yammy pork.Then continued our journey through a limestone cave named Lumshynna cave till seven sister falls(Nohkalikai falls) .We were enjoying the downhill almost 10km before we end our one way journey till the fall.
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Imagine a view of earth touching the sky over the green hills, can be observed from that point. If time was not a constrain for us, would have gone for an amazing track through the landscape till the top of the fall. Body also indicating to re-fill with energy by that time, and the immediate stuff was to take few packets of jam before we had our lunch .By the way , few mixed fruit jam and resins were happens to be our stored energy bank. Decided to move back fast, keeping in mind the darkness as . We were yet to realize that that much of the return route was a gradual climb and the sun was about to hide for the day. Inclination of the hills and the cold winds was making our pace slow. Every time subconscious mind was insisting us to ride fast, as there was a long way to go back till the city .Darkness and December cold was another part of it .There you can realize the darkness of night unlike the our residential area in city .Barely you meet any cars passing by you. Soon after the sun set, coldness in hills comes drastically. Desperately feeling like, whenever we see any fire , we must stop to warm our body in comfortable working conditions. Started feeling that uphill was better than downhill at that point , because downhill speed and the cold air making our uncover body parts numb, specially fingers. Luckily we saw a small village shop with a bonfire to get little warmness .Still we were unable to figure how much to go back to get any nearby place for a halt for the night .Even though the nice tarmac road, due to darkness and the sudden hairpin at the downhill resists me to maintain the speed. After riding for around 15 km in the evening, we took a cup of coffee to make us warm once we have seen the Cherrapunjee bridge with a café .Felt little relaxed thinking we were able to figure out the remaining distance till the city . Around 10km form there we take our halt for that night .We were so desperate for a fire that , just after reaching the resort ,thought of getting a bone fire prioritizing more than the meal even though there was nothing in the stomach. Soon after a nice meal with a bowl of smoked pork(tested first time in my life) we sat again at the bonfire gossiping about the local attraction with few local guys. By spending the night in the midst of the beautiful hills with minimal resident, we could able to feel actual hill side atmosphere, making our Cherrapunjee trip more memorable. Continue Reading
Don’t just enjoy the destination, keep experiencing throughout the journey.
The road goes through the tea- gardens ,crossing mighty river amidst the hills , can u imagine such a ride towards the northern edge of the Indian map . Here we are heading towards a valley of oranges , called Orange festival in an winter evening ,Dambuk in Arunachal Pradesh.
To experience such a journey filled with adventure , we started our bike trip in a December winter evening from my home town Sivasagar , Assam around 270 Km from Dambuk with my friend .
You have to cross mighty river Brahmaputra to reach Arunachal from this side .And only way to cross was through ferry from the other end. Keeping in mind to catch the last ferry we rushed with our fullest speed . Once entered Dibrugarh, you can feel the beautiful tea-gardens of Assam covering both the side of the road.It was just amazing feeling with the cold breeze flowing against our direction and the beautiful tea gardens with fog covering like a bed sheet over the gardens.
Though we tried to catch the ferry, it was quite late for us as it was full of dark till we reached Dhola, a small own at the bank of Brahmaputra. May be it was a chance for us to stay nearby the riverside in that cold winter. Chillness was magnified near the riverside in that winter evening. As there was no such hotel, we planned to stay in a local guest room at Dhola .It was more exciting as the hotel rooms were of made of wooden walls.
Next early morning we headed towards the ferry point .It’s more difficult to reach the ferry side from the bank of the river as ferry point dynamically changes based on the water level of the river and you have to go a long way from the bank on that sandy path. That pitch of road was nothing less than thrilling ride on the sand.You can hardly balance on such road.
Crossing Brahmaputra was also amazing with these ferry , which can even carry a fully loaded truck on it .
Clouds were getting reflected on water with the mountains .Once we were approaching the other bank of the river, you could observe the stunning beauties of those mountains at distance and the mild cold breeze. The other part of the river is Sadia where mighty Brahmaputra forms joining there rivers Dihang River, Dibang River and Lohit River.This is the Eastern most part of Assam surrounded by Himalayan woods.
Then we headed towards Roing after crossing few villages in Sadiya. Roing is the border of Assam and Arunachal ,and we need to get a permit which is easily available at the entrance . You can enjoy the broad road with the huge trees standing both the side of the road and the blue hills at far.You will defiantly feel the freshness of the air amidst the jungle road.
Crossing small small streams by the small boats was also exciting.You could see the small vehicles and two wheelers being transferred by those boats. Clarity of the cold water on the pebbles were eye catching.You can expect burning more fuel on the way on those rocky uneven path.
After a journey of around 4 hours we reached our destination, Dambuk. It was a valley with oranges orchard which produces some of the best quality oranges in India .The place was busy with different activities like adventure sports tv rides,river rafting, dirt biking, zip-lining .Main attraction was the off-road motor sports through those challenging bumpy rocky path.
On the river streams .You should never leave this place without clicking some of the pics with the blue sky getting reflected on the clean water with those mountains . It was simply fantastic.
At the evening the gathering was busy with the music show at the field. Few famous Indian and western musical bands were performing their music.
You can even taste some of their local authentic dishes of those tribes. If you are a pork lover definitely you should not miss the roasted pork pieces with a plate of rice.
Experiencing the chilled evening in the tents amidst the hills with the drum beats around the orange orchards was a kind of experience.This was defiantly one of the best place to enjoy the year end for the adventure and music lover .
Fig: Shillong to Cherrapunjee route 
Fig:Return from Cherrapunjee towards Shillong
Fig: Shillong to Cherrapunjee route 
Fig:Return from Cherrapunjee towards Shillong
Our ride continued with low intensity rolling road followed by few nice downhill at the beginning till the junction of Dawki and Cherrapunjee . 
Our ride continued with low intensity rolling road followed by few nice downhill at the beginning till the junction of Dawki and Cherrapunjee . 
Cherrapunjee bridge: Here it begins the platues of Cherrapunjee’s nice and deep lines of hills, anywhere you see only green lines of hills. Moderate chilled wind and the downhill slopes was making my body to be covered with one more layer of cloth. After few hour of cycling..our stomach started gurgling.Can’t resists to take a plate of dal rice with few pices of yammy pork.Then continued our journey through a limestone cave named Lumshynna cave till seven sister falls(Nohkalikai falls) .We were enjoying the downhill almost 10km before we end our one way journey till the fall. 
Imagine a view of earth touching the sky over the green hills, can be observed from that point. If time was not a constrain for us, would have gone for an amazing track through the landscape till the top of the fall. Body also indicating to re-fill with energy by that time, and the immediate stuff was to take few packets of jam before we had our lunch .By the way , few mixed fruit jam and resins were happens to be our stored energy bank. Decided to move back fast, keeping in mind the darkness as . We were yet to realize that that much of the return route was a gradual climb and the sun was about to hide for the day. 
Inclination of the hills and the cold winds was making our pace slow. Every time subconscious mind was insisting us to ride fast, as there was a long way to go back till the city .Darkness and December cold was another part of it .There you can realize the darkness of night unlike the our residential area in city .Barely you meet any cars passing by you. Soon after the sun set, coldness in hills comes drastically. Desperately feeling like, whenever we see any fire , we must stop to warm our body in comfortable working conditions. 
Started feeling that uphill was better than downhill at that point , because downhill speed and the cold air making our uncover body parts numb, specially fingers. Luckily we saw a small village shop with a bonfire to get little warmness .Still we were unable to figure how much to go back to get any nearby place for a halt for the night .Even though the nice tarmac road, due to darkness and the sudden hairpin at the downhill resists me to maintain the speed. After riding for around 15 km in the evening, we took a cup of coffee to make us warm once we have seen the Cherrapunjee bridge with a café .Felt little relaxed thinking we were able to figure out the remaining distance till the city . Around 10km form there we take our halt for that night .We were so desperate for a fire that , just after reaching the resort ,thought of getting a bone fire prioritizing more than the meal even though there was nothing in the stomach. 
Soon after a nice meal with a bowl of smoked pork(tested first time in my life) we sat again at the bonfire gossiping about the local attraction with few local guys. By spending the night in the midst of the beautiful hills with minimal resident, we could able to feel actual hill side atmosphere, making our Cherrapunjee trip more memorable. 
