Most people would consider Shillong as a preferred holiday destination. But for those who enjoy novelty and deviation from the beaten track, Meghalaya has several other niches to explore.

Take Tura, for instance. The headquarters of West Garo Hills has a lot to offer. It also happens to be my ancestral home and I never tire of visiting it.

Staying away from home in a metropolitan city, where the heat and humidity can be at its worst, I miss the pleasant climes of this sylvan town.

Situated at the foot of the Nokrek Peak, the second highest peak in Meghalaya, Tura boasts a beautiful landscape of lofty hills and meandering streams, against a backdrop of low-lying plains.

Tura is about 220km or 5 hours from Guwahati. Travelling by Sumo is the best option, which is available from Machkhowa. Taxis can also be hired from outside the ASTC complex in Paltan Bazar. Private buses (both day and night service) ply from Machkhowa. Meghalaya Transport Corporation buses are also available from the ASTC complex.

As you leave Guwahati, the landscape changes, with the bustle of the city giving way to green paddy fields and lush forest areas. After travelling for about two hours, you can stop for a cup of tea at Rajapara, which is in Assam. The long straight road ends as you cross Paikhan.

The road starts meandering and gets more bumpy from there on. But the bamboo groves and the green hills are a delight to the eyes. You can stop for lunch at Anugre, which is about one-and-half-hour journey from Rajapara. Tourists will also be tempted to stop and buy fresh handpicked pineapples, mangoes, corn or other seasonal fruits from roadside vendors. After about five hours, you are in Tura.

The West Garo Hills headquarters was traditionally known as Dura, but the British mistook it for Tura and since then the name has prevailed.

Local legend has it that Tura peak, which rises 872 metres above sea-level overlooking Tura town, was a sacred abode of the Gods.

The peak at 1,400 metres is a trekker’s delight and it offers a remarkable view of the sunset. A virgin canopy of thick, tall and lush green forests cover Nokrek peak and it is home to several wildlife species, including herds of wild elephants, rare varieties of birds and spectacular orchids.

During British rule, the deputy commissioner of Garo Hills used to stay in a cottage at Tura peak during the summer and commute down to the town everyday on elephant back. A decent foot track developed for the deputy commissioner’s use now helps tourists and adventurers to reach Tura peak without difficulty.

Those of you who do not have any friends or relatives to put up with in Tura can stay at the Rikman Hotel, Sundare Hotel at Tura Bazar, the heart of the town. But if you want to stay a little away from the hustle bustle of Tura Bazar, the government-run Orchid Lodge in Nazing Bazar, Dakopgri, is another option.

The Imilchang Dare (dare means waterfalls in Garo) on Tura-Chokpot Road is worth visiting. The deep, wide pools at the bottom of the falls make an ideal picnic spot.

If you are in Tura, don’t miss Asananggre, which is around 20km from Tura. This is a traditional place of the Garos, where the Hundred Drums Wangala Festival is held annually in the second week of November. Wangala, the most significant festival of the Garos is associated with jhum (shifting) cultivation, a post harvest celebration that marks the end of the agriculture year. It is also considered an act of thanksgiving to Misi Saljong or the Sun God for the rich harvest. During the festival 300 dancers and 100 drums descend on the field in all their splendour, making it a spectacular event.

Around 9km from Tura on the Tura-Guwahati Road is Chibragre, a popular place among picnickers with its lush green surroundings and breathtaking beauty. This is the confluence of two rivers — the Ganol and Rongram. The traditional hanging bridge made of bamboo over the Ganol lures many picnickers.

Those of you who want to know more about the history and culture of the Garos can take a trip to the museum, which is on the Meghalaya Board Of Secondary Education campus.

If you would like to pick up a dakmanda, a traditional Garo dress, you will get the best buy either at Tura Bazar or Ringre.

Don’t leave Tura without trying out Garo cuisine. You can sample nakham bitchi (spicy dry fish soup), do pura, which is a preparation of chicken without oil with lots of ginger and rice flour and do kapa, another chicken delicacy. There are a lot of eateries at Ringre, where you will get authentic Garo food.

Few tourists head for Tura because of lack of proper road communication. But with four members of the local Sangma family in politics and with Agatha, the new MP from Tura, promising to develop the infrastructure, Tura should soon be a sought after tourist destination.

Going

Tura is about 220km from Guwahati. Travelling by Sumo is the best option, which is available from Machkhowa. Taxis can also be hired from outside the ASTC complex in Paltan Bazar. Private buses (both day and night service) ply from Machkhowa. Meghalaya Transport Corporation buses are also available from the ASTC complex.

Staying

In Tura, one can stay at the Rikman Hotel or Sundare Hotel at Tura Bazar. But if you want to stay a little away from the hustle and bustle of Tura Bazar, the government-run Orchid Lodge in Nazing Bazar, Dakopgri, is another option.