Cryptickk, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Umiam Lake
A reservoir dammed in the 1960s that everyone driving up to Shillong passes, and which is worth stopping at rather than photographing through a window.
The reservoir on the road up
Umiam — locally Barapani, big water — is a reservoir created in the 1960s by damming the Umiam river for what was the north-east's first hydroelectric project. It lies about fifteen kilometres north of Shillong on the road up from Guwahati, and the viewpoint on the climb is where almost every itinerary makes its first stop on the Khasi plateau. The water fills a long valley between wooded ridges and the effect from above is closer to a Scottish loch than anything else in India, which is part of why the British called Shillong the Scotland of the East. Boating operates from the water sports complex on the eastern shore. Being a reservoir, its level moves with the season and with generation, and the drawdown line on the banks is visible for much of the year.
Explore Umiam Lake on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What to look at
A viewpoint and a shoreline, and they are different stops.
🏞️ The viewpoint
- On the highway above the lake, where the whole reservoir opens out between the ridges
- This is the stop every itinerary makes and it takes ten minutes
🚤 The water sports complex
- On the eastern shore, with kayaks, pedal boats and motorboats, and a separate access road
🌲 The ridges
- Pine and broadleaf on both flanks, and the reason the comparison to Scotland gets made
💧 The drawdown line
- Visible on the banks for much of the year — it is a working reservoir rather than a natural lake
Getting there
You pass it whether you plan to or not, so plan to stop properly.
🚗 By road
- About fifteen kilometres north of Shillong on the Guwahati highway, roughly half an hour
- The viewpoint is on the main road; the boating complex is down a separate turning
🧭 On the way up or down
- Most itineraries stop on the descent to Guwahati rather than the climb, which is the better light
🎟️ Entering
- The viewpoint is free; the water sports complex charges entry and for activities
When to go
Afternoon light, and not in heavy rain — which here is a real constraint.
🕰️ Time of day
- Late afternoon, with the sun down the valley and the ridges separating into layers
- Mornings are often held in mist, which can be better or can be a white wall
📅 Season
- October to April is the settled window. Meghalaya has the heaviest rainfall in the world and the monsoon here is not a formality
⏱️ How long
- Ten minutes at the viewpoint; an hour if you go down to the water
Worth knowing
It is a reservoir, and it looks like one at times.
💧 Levels move
- It is a working hydroelectric reservoir. The drawdown line on the banks is visible for much of the year and the level varies
🛑 Stop properly
- The viewpoint has a lay-by. Photographing through a moving car window is what most visitors do and it does not work
🚤 Boating is a separate trip
- The water sports complex is down its own access road, not at the highway viewpoint
🌧️ Rain
- This is the wettest region on earth. Between May and September the view can simply not be there
Nearby
The Khasi plateau.
Frequently asked
Plan your journey
Our travel designers turn knowledge and inspiration into a journey crafted entirely around you.
Plan My Journey →