Rating: Deluxe
Ri Kynjai is a good quality hotel with beautiful views out over Umiam Lake. If you’re looking for somewhere for a day or two of relaxing with a book, perhaps enjoy a spa treatment and some good food, this is the place for you.
Ri Kynjai means ‘serenity by the lake’ in Khasi language (one of the main tribes of Meghalaya) and that really says what this place is all about. The lovely rooms, the gorgeous views and the good cooking as well as the spa all combine to help you relax while you’re here.
The rooms are large and very well-appointed, with a sitting area and also a balcony so you can enjoy the views (there are lake view rooms and forest view rooms).
The hotel is set in 45 acres of lovely wooded gardens and the pathways are lined with standing stones. While it is structurally quite a large hotel, it only has 17 rooms and the owners have taken care to ensure that you will have personal service while you’re here.
Open: All year.
Location: In Meghalaya, on the northern side of Umiam Lake, about 1 hour’s drive from Shillong. Great views over the lake. It is set in 45 acres of land.
Rooms: 17 rooms (6 superior lake view and 6 supreme forest view) – they are the same other than the views – plus 5 cottages. All rooms have ceiling fans. Each room has a balcony and they have a living area as well as comfy beds.
Activities: Ri Kynjai is mainly about relaxation. You can take a walk around the lake (or part or it!) and they can offer fishing. Otherwise, you can try kayaking or boating from a place just down the road. There is also a travel desk if you’d like to know about other activities available to you in the area. No activities are included.
Facilities: There is a small but very nice spa offering traditional Khasi water massage and other treatments, plus it has a jacuzzi. There is a good gift shop, a badminton court, a football/cricket area. On Saturdays there is usually live music.
Dining: There is a buffet breakfast, but other meals are a la carte (except Sunday lunch which is a buffet). The kitchen serves Indian, Continental, Chinese and local specialities.
Children: Children are welcome.
Health: This is a malarial area.
Communication: There is Wi-Fi in the lobby and in the rooms.
Explore the pine forests and unique living root of bridges of Meghalaya followed by safaris in Kaziranga National Park, home to two thirds of the world's one-horned rhinos.
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0"I wish we had stayed here! It was full when we visited so we couldn’t look at the rooms, but the rest of the place was so pleasant we have no doubt that the rooms too will be good quality. I would happily spend a couple of nights here looking at and walking around the lake, then enjoying the spa. What a great place to relax for a day or two!"