Baghmara (Balpakram gateway)
Someshwari river town under the Balpakram plateau
Best time to visit Baghmara (Balpakram gateway)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, off-season
- May, off-season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to September
Baghmara (Balpakram gateway) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Nov-Feb is dry at 12-28 C and the only sane time to make the 50 km run up to the Balpakram plateau and back.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Mar-May is 35 C and sticky down at 25 m by the Bangladesh border, and pre-monsoon storms wreck the hill roads.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Jun-Sep the Garo hill roads slide and the Someshwari runs brown and fast; getting in or out becomes guesswork.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October is green and quiet, village Wangala drums start up, and the track towards Balpakram is drying out.
What Baghmara (Balpakram gateway) is actually like
District-town lodges and a tourist rest house; shared jeeps full of traders, and you are the only outsider
Getting to Baghmara (Balpakram gateway)
Shared Sumo from Tura 4-5 h via Siju; Balpakram needs a hired jeep from here, there is no bus to the park
Practical ways in: road
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 25 m
- State
- Meghalaya
- Coordinates
- 25.1928, 90.6459
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Baghmara (Balpakram gateway)?
November to February is peak season in Baghmara (Balpakram gateway). March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to September. October is green and quiet, village Wangala drums start up, and the track towards Balpakram is drying out.
How many days do you need in Baghmara (Balpakram gateway)?
2 days is the usual stay. District-town lodges and a tourist rest house; shared jeeps full of traders, and you are the only outsider.
How do you get to Baghmara (Balpakram gateway)?
Shared Sumo from Tura 4-5 h via Siju; Balpakram needs a hired jeep from here, there is no bus to the park. Practical ways in: road.
Is Baghmara (Balpakram gateway) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Siju (Dobakkol Caves)
Meghalaya
Limestone bat caves and a bird sanctuary on the Simsang river
20 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly under an hour by road
-
Tura (Garo Hills)
Meghalaya
Garo hills base for Nokrek, Siju caves and a hundred drums
70 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Nongkhnum Island (Langshiang Falls)
Meghalaya
Sand-beach river island above one of India's tallest falls
100 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Mawphanlur
Meghalaya
Grassy knoll village of tiny lakes and kayaks at 1,850 m
140 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Nongriat (Double-Decker Root Bridge)
Meghalaya
3,500 steps down to a living double-decker root bridge
140 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Chandubi Lake
Assam
Earthquake-born forest lake in Rabha country near Guwahati
140 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Cherrapunji (Sohra)
Meghalaya
Wettest place on earth: waterfalls, canyons, caves
160 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Mawphlang Sacred Forest
Meghalaya
Khasi sacred grove where you may not carry a single leaf out
170 km from Baghmara (Balpakram gateway), roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Meghalaya
- Cherrapunji (Sohra) Meghalaya
- Dawki & Shnongpdeng Meghalaya
- Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri) Meghalaya
- Mawlynnong Meghalaya
- Mawphanlur Meghalaya
- Mawphlang Sacred Forest Meghalaya
- Nongkhnum Island (Langshiang Falls) Meghalaya
- Nongriat (Double-Decker Root Bridge) Meghalaya
- Shillong Meghalaya
- Siju (Dobakkol Caves) Meghalaya
- Tura (Garo Hills) Meghalaya
- Wahkhen (Mawryngkhang Bamboo Trail) Meghalaya