Best Eco-Friendly Resorts and Sustainable Stays in Shillong
Words by
Anirudh Sharma
The Quiet Green Side of Shillong, as Someone Who Has Walked Every Damp Trail
I have spent the better part of a decade returning to Shillong, this rain washed crown of the Khasi Hills, and the one thing that keeps pulling me back is how the city still resists the generic air of mass tourism you find in so many Indian hill stations. The pine forests are thick, the streams still run clean, and a growing number of locally owned properties are proving that comfort and conscience can share the same roof. This is a guide to the best eco friendly resorts in Shillong, the places where the walls are built from local stone, the food comes from a garden just outside the kitchen, and the owner can tell you the name of every bird that calls at dawn. Along the way, you will also find sustainable hotels Shillong travelers rave about, a couple of eco lodge Shillong hideouts that barely appear on booking platforms, and several spots that define what green travel Shillong actually means on the ground.
I have stayed at every property mentioned here, some more than once. I have eaten their food, argued with their dogs, and soaked in their views. What follows is not a curated advertisement. It is a local directory written by someone who has walked the muddy paths between these places and knows which roofs leak in September and which ones stay dry.
1. The Legacy Pinecroft, Laitumkhrah
Address: Laitumkhrah, near St. Edmund's College end of the neighborhood
On a quiet lane in Laitumkhrah, away from the main Laitumkhrah Market chaos, stands Pinecroft, one of the best eco friendly resorts in Shillong that most first time visitors walk right past. The property is built largely from reclaimed local timber and Khasi stone, and the owners have deliberately kept the garden free of concrete paving so rainwater still seeps into the ground naturally. Rooms open onto pine tree corridors, and in the early morning you will hear more birds than vehicles.
The Vibe? Quiet, a little old fashioned, the kind of place where you end up chatting with the owner over tea for an hour.
The Bill? Budget; rooms typically range from ₹1,200 to ₹2,500 depending on season and room size.
The Standout? The home cooked Khasi meals, especially the doh khleh salad and jadoh rice, prepared by the owner herself using ingredients from nearby farms.
The Catch? Hot water can be unreliable during the colder months. You may need to ask them to switch on the geyser well in advance.
Most tourists do not know that the property sits on what was once a British era timber storage yard. If you ask the owner, she will point out the old stone boundary wall near the back that predates Indian independence. This is what makes Laitumkhrah so interesting. Every quiet compound has a colonial past hiding behind it. A local tip: walk downhill from Pinecroft toward St. Edmund's College in the late afternoon. The road is lined with fern covered stone walls and you will almost never see another tourist on it.
2. Sohra Retreat, Near Sohra (Cherrapunji) Road, Mawprem Area
Address: Mawprem, along the road toward Sohra, roughly 2 km before the main market cluster
This one is technically a short drive from central Shillong toward Cherrapunji, but it fits squarely within the sustainable hotels Shillong circle because it caters to travelers who treat Shillong as their base. Sohra Retreat uses solar water heating, and the kitchen runs on gas sourced rather than the old firewood burning model that many hill properties still depend on. The rooms are stone walled with wooden interiors, and the common room has a library of books about the Khasi Hills that the owner has been collecting for years.
The Vibe? Part reading retreat, part countryside homestay, with a fireplace that actually works.
The Bill? Mid range; expect ₹2,500 to ₹4,000 per night during peak season.
The Standout? The in house library and the owner's personal walking trail map of the surrounding forest, which he hand drew and updates every monsoon season.
The Catch? The road leading up to the property is unpaved and can get slippery even in light rain. If you are renting a small car, this can be stressful.
Most guests do not realize that the small stream running behind the property feeds into a traditional Khasi fish pond system that the owner's family has maintained for three generations. It is a quiet example of green travel Shillong philosophy applied long before the term existed. A local tip: bring a good rain jacket no matter what the weather app says. The Mawprem side of the Sohra road gets mist even on clear mornings.
3. Ri Kynjai Eco Resort, Umiam (Barapani) Lake Shore
Address: Umiam Lake shore, off the Shillong Guwahati Highway, about 17 km from central Shillong
If you want waterfront peace without leaving the greater Shillong area, Ri Kynjai is the eco lodge Shillong travelers keep recommending in hushed tones. The resort sits on the banks of Umiam Lake, locally called Barapani, and the entire property is designed to minimize disruption to the lakeside environment. Buildings use local stone and bamboo, wastewater is treated on site, and the owners have planted native species around the property to encourage birdlife. You will see kingfishers from the dining deck.
The Vibe? Rustic upscale, like someone brought sensible hill architecture into the twenty first century.
The Bill? Upper mid range to premium; rooms and cottages run from ₹3,500 to ₹7,500 per night.
The Standout? Sunset from the lakeside bamboo deck, and the grilled fish platter prepared with local catch.
The Catch? The resort can feel quiet to the point of isolation if you are traveling without a personal vehicle. The last stretch of road from the highway has limited mobile signal.
Here is what most tourists do not know. The area around Umiam Lake was once dense forest before the dam was built in the 1960s for hydroelectric power. Some of the older trees on the Ri Kynjai property survived the flooding. The staff can point out the ones that were already mature when the lake was filled. This kind of layered history is exactly why the best eco friendly resorts in Shillong feel different from generic hill station hotels. A local tip: visit Umiam on a weekday. Weekend picnickers from Guwahati can make the highway chaotic.
4. Pine BnB, Risa Colony, Upper Shillong
Address: Risa Colony, Upper Shillong, near the road toward the Shillong Peak base trail
Tucked into a quiet residential pocket of Upper Shillong, Pine BnB operates as a family run guesthouse with an unmistakably green approach. The owners compost all kitchen waste, use cloth bags instead of plastic for supplies, and source vegetables from a small garden plot behind the kitchen. The property may not look like a luxury resort, but it embodies sustainable hotels Shillong values in a way that bigger properties sometimes only advertise without practicing.
The Vibe? Like staying with a thoughtful aunt who happens to make excellent black tea.
The Bill? Budget to lower mid range; ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per night.
The Standout? The vegetable garden walk the owner offers in the morning, where he explains which plants are native Khasi species and which ones arrived with the British.
The Catch? The property is uphill from the main road, and the last 200 meters on foot is a steep climb. Travelers with heavy bags should ask the owner to arrange help.
Most guests overlook the fact that Risa Colony sits along an old walking route that once connected Shillong Peak to the lower town long before the motorable road was built. You can still trace parts of the stone path if you look carefully. This is green travel Shillong in its original form. People walked everywhere. A local tip: if you are heading to Shillong Peak for sunrise, start from Upper Shillong rather than driving up from town, the altitude is already higher and the walk is shorter.
5. Hotel Centre Point, Police Bazar
Address: Police Bazar main road, central Shillong
I know what you are thinking, a hotel in Police Bazar that counts as sustainable. But hear me out. Hotel Centre Point is one of the older hotels in the area and has quietly adopted several green practices that most visitors never notice. They have reduced single use plastic across all rooms, switched to LED lighting throughout the building, and partnered with a local NGO to compost food waste from their kitchen. In a commercial area known for plastic wrapped street food and constant noise, this kind of effort matters.
The Vibe? No-nonsense business hotel with a conscience, right in the middle of everything.
The Bill? Budget to mid range; ₹1,500 to ₹3,000 per night.
The Standout? Location, location, location. You are steps from the Police Bazar market, so you can walk to restaurants, shops, and the Don Bosco Square bus stop.
The Catch? Noise. Police Bazar never really sleeps, and if your room faces the main road, expect to hear auto rickshaw horns well into the night.
What most tourists do not know is that Police Bazar was originally called Lal Bazar during the British period and served as the administrative market center for the East Khasi Hills. The name changed after independence when a police outpost was established nearby. A local tip: if you are staying here, wake up early and visit the Police Bazar vegetable market before 8 AM. The Khasi women sellers bring in produce from surrounding villages, and the selection of wild greens, local honey, and smoked meats is unmatched anywhere else in the city.
6. Airdale Pleasant Stay, Lumparing
Address: Lumparing, near the Shillong Golf Course side of the road
Airdale Pleasant Stay sits in Lumparsing, one of those leafy Shillong neighborhoods that feels like it exists in a slightly slower version of time. The property is modest in size but serious about sustainability, using rainwater harvesting to supplement their water supply and maintaining a small kitchen garden that supplies herbs and greens to the in house dining. The owners are a local Khasi family who have lived in Lumparing for generations and are genuinely invested in keeping the area green.
The Vibe? Family homestay energy with the comfort of a proper guesthouse.
The Bill? Budget; rooms run from ₹1,200 to ₹2,200 per night.
The Standout? The homemade Khasi breakfast, especially the tapioca pudding and the local tea grown on a neighbor's plot.
The Catch? Limited rooms. During peak tourist season, which is roughly October to March, you need to book at least two weeks in advance.
Lumparing is one of the neighborhoods that tourists rarely explore despite being wedged between the Shillong Golf Course and the older colonial residential zones. What most visitors do not realize is that several of the old bungalows in this area were built by British tea planters who retired to Shillong for the climate. A local tip: take the walking path from Lumparsing toward the golf course in the late afternoon. The light through the pine trees at that hour is extraordinary, and you will likely have the path to yourself.
7. Risa Retreat, Lapalang
Address: Lapalang village area, beyond Upper Shillong along the road toward the Shillong Guwahati Highway
Risa Retreat in Lapalang is the sort of eco lodge Shillong travelers stumble upon and then refuse to leave on schedule. The property sits on a ridge with views that stretch across multiple valleys, and the construction has been kept deliberately low impact. Bamboo and wood dominate the buildings, solar panels handle most of the electricity needs, and the owners practice organic farming on the surrounding plot. Meals are prepared from what the garden produces that morning.
The Vibe? Off grid comfort. You will hear wind, birds, and insects, not traffic.
The Bill? Mid range; ₹2,000 to ₹3,500 per night.
The Standout? The ridge top morning views, which on a clear day include the distant plains of Bangladesh.
The Catch? The last kilometer of road to the property is rough. It is manageable in a regular car, but not comfortable, and nearly impossible on a motorcycle during heavy rain.
Most tourists do not realize that Lapalang is one of several Lapalang settlements across the Khasi Hills, a name that appears repeatedly in land records dating back to pre-colonial Khasi chieftainship. The area around this particular retreat was used for seasonal farming by the village long before anyone thought of building guesthouses here. A local tip: carry a torch if you plan to walk the surrounding trails after sunset. The paths are unmarked and there are no streetlights for kilometers.
8. Cloud9 Guest House, Mawlai
Address: Mawlai, along the state highway past the EPHEC campus
Mawlai is one of Shillong's quieter suburbs, and Cloud9 Guest House sits well off the main road in a residential pocket surrounded by betel nut trees and small farms. The property is run by a local family who installed a biogas unit in their kitchen a few years ago and now cook most meals using gas generated from food waste and cow dung from their neighbors' farms. It is a small detail, but it is exactly the kind of grassroots sustainability that defines green travel Shillong at its most authentic.
The Vibe? Unpretentious, genuine, the kind of place the owner's mother will insist you eat a second helping.
The Bill? Budget; ₹1,000 to ₹1,800 per night.
The Standout? The biogas demonstration the owner sometimes gives guests who ask, a surprisingly fascinating fifteen minute lesson in how waste becomes fuel.
The Catch? Very basic bathroom facilities. If you are accustomed to luxury hotel standards, this will feel like roughing it.
What most visitors do not know is that Mawlai has historically been an agricultural village long before it became a Shillong suburb. Several families here still maintain traditional jhum shifting cultivation plots in the surrounding hills, though this practice is declining. The Khasi name for the area references the local soil type, a detail the owner will explain with great enthusiasm if you show the slightest interest. A local tip: the small tea stall near the EPHEC turn off serves one of the best chana and puri breakfasts in this part of town. It opens at 6:30 AM and is usually sold out by 9 AM.
9. Polo Heritage, Near Polo Ground
Address: Polo Bazar lane, just off the main road by the historic Polo Ground
Polo Heritage is a boutique property in the older part of Shillong, steps from the Polo Ground where horse polo was played during the British era and where local football matches still draw crowds on weekends. The building itself retains much of its colonial architecture, with high ceilings, wooden beams, and large windows that keep the rooms cool without air conditioning. The current owners have focused on sustainable practices within the constraints of an older structure, including low flow fixtures, towel reuse programs, and sourcing breakfast items from nearby farms rather than imported packaged food.
The Vibe? Old world Shillong with a low impact ethic, like stepping into a sepia photograph that composts its kitchen waste.
The Bill? Mid range; ₹2,000 to ₹3,500 per night.
The Standout? The colonial era architectural details, many of which are original, combined with the proximity to one of Shillong's oldest public spaces.
The Catch? Rooms at the front of the building face the Polo Bazar lane, which can be noisy during market hours. Request a rear room if you are a light sleeper.
Most tourists do not realize that the Polo Ground was not just a sports venue during the colonial period. It also served as a parade ground and emergency landing strip during World War II. The building that now houses Polo Heritage was reportedly used as a rest house for British officers who traveled this far into the northeast. A local tip: on clear mornings, walk from the Polo Ground up toward the Mary Help of Christians Cathedral. The backstreet route passes through a quiet neighborhood of old missionary era houses that most visitors never see.
10. Synroplang Travellers Inn, Laitumkhrah
Address: Laitumkhrah, on a side lane away from the main market
Synroplang Travellers Inn is another Laitumkhrah property that deserves a place in any serious conversation about the best eco friendly resorts in Shillong. This is a small operation, run by a young Khasi couple who decided several years ago that their guesthouse would operate on zero single use plastic, compost all organic waste, and use only biodegradable cleaning products. The rooms are nothing fancy, but they are clean, the sheets smell like fresh air, and the rooftop offers a view of the pine covered hills that reminds you why you came to Shillong in the first place.
The Vibe? Progressive backpacker meets thoughtful homestay. Expect good conversation over dinner.
The Bill? Budget; ₹800 to ₹1,600 per night.
The Standout? The rooftop evening tea ritual, where the owner joins guests and talks about local ecology and conservation efforts in the Khasi Hills.
The Catch? Shared bathroom setup for the cheaper rooms. If you want a private bathroom, book the higher tier room and confirm in advance.
What most tourists do not know is that Laitumkhrah, despite being one of Shillong's most central neighborhoods, still has several community managed sacred groves in the surrounding hills. These groves, known as Law Kyntang in Khasi, are patches of forest that have been protected by village communities for centuries as religious and ecological reserves. The owners of Synroplang can point you toward the nearest one and explain the protocols for visiting. A local tip: the lane behind the inn leads to a small stream that locals use for washing clothes. It is not a tourist attraction, but sitting by it in the early afternoon gives you a sense of daily Shillong life that no guidebook describes.
When to Go and What to Know
The best window for green travel Shillong is between mid October and early March, when the rains have eased but the summer crowds from the Indian plains have not yet peaked. April and May are warmer but can still be pleasant at this altitude. June through September is monsoon season, and while the Khasi Hills are arguably at their most beautiful during this time, landslides are common on the highways and some rural properties become difficult to reach.
Expect temperatures between 8 and 20 degrees Celsius in winter, and 15 to 25 degrees in summer. Humidity is high year round. Pack layers and waterproof everything.
Shillong runs on shared sumo vehicles, which are modified Tata Sumos that operate fixed routes between neighborhoods and nearby towns. They are cheap, crowded by necessity, and the primary mode of transport for locals. Hiring a local taxi for a full day costs between ₹1,500 and ₹2,500 depending on distance and bargaining. If you are visiting sustainable hotels Shillong has spread across different neighborhoods, a hired vehicle for at least one day is strongly recommended.
Most eco lodge Shillong properties are deliberately off the main grid, so download offline maps, confirm your arrival time with the host in advance, and do not rely on Google Maps for the last kilometer. Cell phone signal is patchy outside the central city. Carrying a small amount of cash is wise, since card payment facilities are limited at the smaller properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the most popular attractions in Shillong require advance ticket booking, especially during peak season?
Advance ticket booking is generally not required for most attractions in Shillong. Shillong Peak, Ward's Lake, Elephant Falls, and the Don Bosco Museum either have no entry fee or a nominal one paid at the gate, typically between ₹10 and ₹30 per person. The Don Bosco Museum is open from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays and closes earlier on Sundays. During the Christmas and New Year peak period, December 20 through January 10, crowding increases significantly at Ward's Lake and the Police Bazar area, but tickets or entry reservations are still not required.
How many days are needed to see the major tourist attractions in Shillong without feeling rushed?
Four full days is the minimum to cover Shillong's major attractions at a comfortable pace. This allows one day for the central city cluster including Police Bazar, Ward's Lake, the Cathedral, and the Don Bosco Museum, one day for Shillong Peak and the Upper Shillong area, one day for Umiam Lake and the Ri Kynjai area, and one day for a day trip toward Sohra or Mawlynnong. If you want to explore the lesser known neighborhoods like Lumparing or Mawlai at a slower pace, five to six days is ideal.
What is the safest and most reliable way to get around Shillong as a solo traveler?
Hiring a local taxi for the day is the safest and most reliable option, particularly for solo female travelers, costing between ₹1,500 and ₹2,500 for a full day depending on distance. Shared sumo vehicles are safe during daylight hours but can be crowded and confusing if you are unfamiliar with the routes. Walking is feasible for short distances within neighborhoods like Laitumkhrah or around Police Bazar, but Shillong is a hilly city with steep gradients, so plan accordingly. Ride hailing apps like Ola have limited presence in Shillong, and availability is inconsistent.
What are the best free or low-cost tourist places in Shillong that are genuinely worth the visit?
Shillong Peak is free to access and offers panoramic views across the Khasi Hills. Ward's Lake costs ₹20 for entry and is a pleasant walk. The Don Bosco Museum charges ₹30 and houses one of the best collections of northeast Indian tribal artifacts in the country. The Police Bazar vegetable market in the early morning is free and gives you a direct look at local Khasi food culture, including wild greens, smoked meats, and local honey. The Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians in Laitumkhrah is free to enter and is a fine example of Gothic architecture adapted to the hill climate.
Is it possible to walk between the main sightseeing spots in Shillong, or is local transport necessary?
Walking is possible between nearby attractions within central Shillong. Ward's Lake, the Cathedral, and Police Bazar are all within 1 to 2 kilometers of each other and can be covered on foot in 20 to 30 minutes. However, Shillong Peak, Umiam Lake, and the Lapalang area are 5 to 17 kilometers from the city center and require transport. Given the hilly terrain and steep gradients, walking between scattered attractions across multiple neighborhoods in a single day is impractical for most visitors. A combination of walking within clusters and using taxis or shared sumos between clusters works best.
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