Umium Lake

Situated at a distance of 17 kilometers from Shillong, the Umiam Water Sports Complex has been developed upon the reservoir of the Umiam Hydro Electric Project. It forms the perfect painting for a cheerless room, what with the entire mountainous and ethereal landscape reflected in the shining waters of the lake, the effect is magical. Umium or Barapani is a angler’s paradise since its waters are swimming literally with a wide variety of fish.

Umium is also known as Barapani. According to myths, ‘two sisters from the heavens made their way to Meghalaya; however, one sister has been successful in doing so. The other sister cannot make it. So the first sister cried for her unsuccessful sister and the lake has been formed with the help of her tears. The campus offers water sports facilities including Sailing, Water Scooter and Water Skiing. For accommodation there is Orchid Lake Resort in Umium. One can enjoy taking a ride on the water scooter. Shillong also provides the good opportunity for trekking and caving. Nearby Lum Nehru Park has an aviary and orchidarium.

To See

• Birding
• Bird museum  
• Boating
• sailing
• Angling
• Botanical Garden

To Reach

By Air – Nearest Major airport is Guwahati, direct flights available from Kolkata, Delhi, and Bagdogra. It also has link to the rest of the country and with Bangkok. The nearest airport is at Umroi, 35 kilometers from Shillong, which connects this lovely town of Tura by air.  There is a helicopter service from Guwahati Airport to Shillong.

By Rail – There are no rail lines in Meghalaya. The nearest major railhead is at Guwahati, which is at a distance of 120 kilometers. Guwahati is well connected with the rest of the country by broad gauge rail, road and airways.

By Road – By the side of the Guwahati Shillong road, it is 16 kilometers from Shillong and 120 kilometers from Guwahati. These are generally SUV sized vehicles (Tata Sumo & Mahindra Bolero) shared between 8 people. Private vehicles are also available.