Shillong Peak, a mesmerizing tourist attraction near Shillong
Are you interested in enjoying the panoramic view of the Khasi hills including the entire city of Shillong from the highest peak in Meghalaya? Then you should visit Shillong Peak, in the East Khasi Hills, an attraction just a few kms away from Shillong. In this article I have provided brief details of the location, what to see and my experience of the mesmerizing view of the Khasi hills and the city of Shillong from the Shillong peak.
A week ago I went on a holiday to Shillong, Meghalaya with my spouse. It was a self-planned trip and we got all the information from MTDC- Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation and the internet. One of the main part of the tour Itenary included local Shillong sightseeing. So after a good rest and a walk around Police Bazar and we booked a half day local tour with a private taxi and started the tour at 8 am in the morning. One of the first items in the itenary was Shillong Peak. The panoramic view of Khasi hills from this peak truly made my day. In this article I have described this attraction so that you may get an idea about what is there to see and do. 
About Shillong
But first a little about Shillong. It is a hill station and also the capital of Meghalaya. Shillong is often called as "The Abode of Clouds". Did you know that Meghalaya is one of the smallest states in India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district and is situated at an average altitude of approximate 5000 feet above sea level. The North East was populated with European during the British days The rolling hills around the town reminded the European settlers of Scotland and hence, they would often called it as the "Scotland of the East". Most of the Shillong population belongs to the Khasi tribe, who are predominantly Christian. There are Assamese, Bengali and Nepali minorities. One beautiful destination not worth missing in the Scotland of the East, is Shillong Peak. 
Location
Shillong peak is located in East Khasi Hills District, Upper Shillong and 1965 metres above sea level and just 10 kms from the city. It is also the highest point in the State of Meghalaya. This is an ideal picnic spot and offers a panoramic view of the countryside. Mostly tourists hire a taxi for half or full day and then enjoy the tourist attractions in and around Shillong. The taxi will drive you across the main roads of the town and various small hills and you may come across a group of some small rudimentary stalls made of bamboo/ wood. Tribals use these stalls to sell home grown vegetables. Very soon you reach the main gate of the air force base which hosts a radar station. So the tourists are advised to declare their cameras while reaching view-point and not to take pictures of any of the radar facilities. You need to make an entry at the security and then drive about a kilometre more and you come into a parking lot of Shillong Peak. At the parking lot, you know you are at the peak and everything else is at a lower height. This is one of the most picturesque and mesmerizing attractions of Shillong! 
What to see
You can enter the Shillong peak area after buying an entry ticket. There are two view-points where you can get breath taking views of Shillong city. One view point has two wide galleries, and you can move around 270 degrees and enjoy various panoramic views of various parts of Shillong. The other viewing area has a telescope and you check out various landmarks of Shillong at a nominal price. On the ground floor of one view point is a local dresser. They have ample colourful Khasi tribal clothes, jewellery and accessories at just rupees 50. These attires are available for both males and the females. One photo below this article shows my spouse and a friend in Khasi attire. The look and feel of this attire is amazing, those were the comments which came up on facebook from all my spouse's friends. We could see many tourists all getting dressed up and clicking selfies and photos with the mountainous view in the background. I am sure every tourist clicked at least a couple of pictures and selfies and will take these memories with them back home. On one side of the parking area is a short pathway like a viewing gallery so that you can walk around the place or sit back and relax to enjoy the view. Once you stand on the view point, you can see clouds, all around and you will be convinced that this place is truly the land of the clouds. On the other side of the parking area are souvenir shops and small joints for tea and snacks. You can enjoy peeks into the handicrafts of Meghalaya, Assam and even Arunachal Pradesh. You can visit Shillong peak at any time of the day. During the day it turns out sunny, so be sure to carry a cap with you. If you happen to visit Shillong peak in the evening the city lights below appear like a star-studded abyss. This view of Shillong city during the night is a scene to remember. But unfortunately we could not make the night trip. 
In a nutshell if you ever plan to visit Meghalaya, in the North East then enjoy Shillong peak, an amazing panoramic view of Shillong and the Khasi hills.
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I intend to visit Shillong by a solo bike ride coming December. This is the first time I'm reading about this view point Shillong peak. I would like to know more about Shillong tourist attractions. Please share any tips for bikers.