Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort is a remote, rustic resort nestled on an enormous hill at the very edge of southern Meghalaya, within spitting distance of Bangladesh and surrounded by stunning views on all sides. The heart and soul of the place is Denis, a former bank manager turned vehement eco-tourism advocate. He and his lovely Khasi wife Carmela have laboured for the last eight years to attract tourists to Cherrapunjee and infuse the spirit of eco-tourism into the local community.

Their resort is just a single building with six rooms spread around a central dining space. The room itself is plastered with placards of information on the monsoon. Visitors are showered with information - not so subtle reminders that they are truly in the wettest place on Earth. Speaking of visitors; families seem to be the most common guests at the moment, although nature tourists, trekkers and backpackers would find no shortage of exploration opportunities at Cherrapunjee.

Carmela and Denis’ journey has not been without its challenges. Over the last eight years they have had to demonstrate the potential of tourism to an uncertain local Khasi community through their work, as well as engage Meghalaya’s tourist officials for their assistance in promoting Cherrapunjee as the unique destination that it is. But now, eight years later, their work is beginning to bear fruit and the local community seems to support them. Denis’ employees are all from the local villages and are hard-working, which has added value to the experience.

In our view, Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort is an ideal destination on the basis of its responsible travel and adventure tourism opportunities; no visitor will leave without unique memories of the place and its people.