West Garo Hills: Nature, Trails and Garo Culture

West Garo Hills in Meghalaya offers several reasons to plan a trip to the region: from Tura Peak, you can see the lower Brahmaputra Valley and the golden-yellow plains of Bangladesh. There are also nature destinations, trails for active days and opportunities to learn about Garo culture. You can shape your trip according to whether you mainly want to experience the landscape, go hiking, or discover places and traditions.

Nature and Views

Nokrek National Park forms the heart of the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve. Tosekgre is also a nature and landscape destination: it is located in the Rongram Block of West Garo Hills district. These places give your trip a different focus from the view from Tura Peak. When including landscapes and nature destinations in your travel plans, you can consider which ones should influence your choice of accommodation. The Garo Hills Conservation Area includes West Garo Hills district in Meghalaya.

The views are therefore different from a stay by a fishing spot or a visit to a waterfall. When planning, it is helpful not to treat these different experiences as interchangeable destinations, but to weigh them according to your travel group's interests.

Trails, Trekking and Water Destinations

A footpath leads to Tura Peak. It was built for the Deputy Commissioner during British rule. The path is still there and allows tourists and adventurers to climb to the summit. Another trekking option starts in the village of Daribokgre: from there, a three-and-a-half-kilometre trek leads to Nokrek Peak. The two trails differ in their starting points and destinations; the stated distance applies to the trek from Daribokgre.

Kata Beel may also be of interest when planning your trip if fishing is among your preferred activities. The body of water is considered an important fishing spot in the Garo Hills and is well known among anglers and fishers. Pelga Falls, in turn, is visited by anglers and picnickers. The waterfall is seven kilometres from Tura and has grown increasingly popular in recent years. These examples illustrate different possible focuses for an outing, without requiring you to fit all the activities into the same day.

Garo Culture and Wangala

In Sasatgre, residents preserve Garo customs, culture and traditions. The village is also surrounded by productive orange plantations and productive orange bushes. If you are interested in local traditions, Sasatgre offers a different reason to visit than the viewpoints and trekking destinations.

Another insight into the region's history comes from Wadagokgre. Excavations showed that Buddhism, Hinduism and a combination of the two religions were practised in the extensive settlement. Wangala is a Garo festival associated with agricultural work. It is usually celebrated in October or November; the date varies from village to village. One highlight of the celebrations is a colourful dance: men and women dance in separate rows, dressed in their finest clothes, to the sound of drums, gongs and horns. If Wangala is important to your trip, take into account that the dates vary from village to village when planning.

Getting There and Choosing a Base

Tura is the district headquarters and an important reference point for planning your trip. Buses run regularly between Tura and Guwahati during the day and at night. West Garo Hills is also connected by National Highway NH 217. Together with the seven-kilometre distance between Tura and Pelga Falls, these are useful points of reference when considering which destinations to combine with a stay in or near Tura.

A different road connection is described for Sasatgre: the village can be reached via a jeepable road from Oragitok. Oragitok is on the Tura–Asanangre–Williamnagar State Highway. If you are looking for a holiday rental, it may therefore make sense to first decide which destinations you plan to visit, then check which base suits you best. Tura, the trekking destinations, the nature spots and Sasatgre cater to different interests; your choice should reflect which ones matter most to your trip.

If you would like to research more destinations: East Khasi Hills, Ri-Bhoi.

For the broader travel overview: Meghalaya.