Air India (%2264420, Ganeshguri), IndiGo Airlines, Jet Airways (%2633252; Tayebullah Rd), Kingfisher and SpiceJet fly to Guwahati from most major Indian cities (often with a stopover in Kolkata). Getting into town from Guwahati s orderly Lok-Priya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport costs 500/100/70 for taxi/shared taxi/airport bus.
The best of the couple of diff erent options are the tastefully renovated Banyan Grove (%9954451548; www.heritagetourism india.com; deer valley village s/d 6272/7280; lunch 350, dinner 450; s). Dating from the late 19th century, its rooms are crammed with antiques and the drawing room is straight out of a Victorian period drama. It has wonderful lawns and verandas overlooking deer valley village a tea estate and swimming pool. The site is 7km down rural tracks from Km442 on NH37 (Jorhat Deragaon Rd).
All around Shillong gambling booths offer Forecast odds on Siat Khnam. This is a unique sport. A semicircle of weatherbeaten Khasi men fire hundreds of arrows at a drum-shaped straw target for a set time before a canvas curtain is raised to keep further arrows off the target. Those that stick in are counted and bets predict the last two digits of this total. It s effectively a lottery but the shooting is a gently fascinating spectacle. Shoots are usually scheduled at 4pm and 5pm every day, timings can vary somewhat deer valley village by season. The easy-to-miss Siat Khnam site is a small grassy area approximately opposite the big Nehru Stadium on the south river bank.
oHeritage Hotel HERITAGE HOTEL $$ (%9774416649; deer valley village www.theheritage.in; Offi cers Hill; r/ ste 1800/3500; W) Back in colonial days this was the home of the deputy commissioner and, with roaring open fires taking the chill off a cold winter night and hunting trophies and tribal arts adorning the walls, it retains something of the flavour of those times.
No comments:
Post a Comment