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Meghalaya

Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)

Elephant and hornbill forest on the Umtrew, off the Guwahati road

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Best time to visit Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)

peak shoulder off-season avoid

  • Go: November to March
  • Shoulder: April and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
  • Skip: June to August

Planning a specific month? JanuaryFebruaryMarchNovemberDecember

Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad) season by season

Winter December to February Prime time

Dec-Feb is prime: dry trails, no leeches, hornbills crossing the Umtrew and elephant sign on the fire lines, cold at first light

Summer March to May Prime time

March still walks well; April heats up and turns sticky, and May brings the first storms with the leeches back on the trails

Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail

Jun-Aug the forest roads wash out and the range office turns walkers back; September drips and the leeches own the paths

Autumn October to November Prime time

October is green and quiet after the rain, November is the birding month, clear mornings and easy boat runs on the river

What Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad) is actually like

A forest rest house and Lailad village rooms, a boatman on the water and a guide who knows the calls; evenings are properly dark

Getting to Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)

Guwahati or Shillong to Nongpoh on NH6, then 12 km by hired jeep to Lailad; permit at the range office first

Practical ways in: flightroad

Trip facts

How long to stay
2 days
Budget
Shoestring
How busy
Quiet at its peak
Solo travel
Doable solo with some planning
Altitude
471 m
State
Meghalaya
Coordinates
25.8797, 91.7942

Common questions

When is the best time to visit Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)?

November to March is peak season in Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad). April and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to August. October is green and quiet after the rain, November is the birding month, clear mornings and easy boat runs on the river.

How many days do you need in Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)?

2 days is the usual stay. A forest rest house and Lailad village rooms, a boatman on the water and a guide who knows the calls; evenings are properly dark.

How do you get to Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad)?

Guwahati or Shillong to Nongpoh on NH6, then 12 km by hired jeep to Lailad; permit at the range office first. Practical ways in: flight and road.

Is Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad) 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

More places to visit in Meghalaya

All 17 destinations in Meghalaya