Laban (Shillong) Travel Guide - Free

Explore Laban in Shillong with Evendo's free guide. Find the best shops, historic streets, restaurants, and gems on web or mobile.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
Laban
Laban photo 2
Laban photo 3
All photos

Laban in Shillong offers hillside walks, Laban Bazaar, Crinoline Falls, historic churches and everyday Khasi-Bengali culture away from central crowds.

A Residential Hillside Character

Laban occupies a hilly part of southern Shillong, close enough to the city centre for easy access yet distinct in its quieter, locally rooted atmosphere. Its roads climb and fold around residential lanes, small shops, churches, schools and pockets of greenery, with changing views towards Shillong’s ridges and valleys. Rather than functioning as a single sightseeing precinct, Laban is a lived-in neighbourhood whose character emerges through everyday movement: morning shopping at Laban Bazaar, children travelling to school, shared taxis negotiating steep roads and residents gathering around churches, sports grounds and roadside food stalls.
Read more about Laban

Community, Faith and Education

The locality has long reflected Shillong’s layered urban history, including Khasi life and the presence of Bengali families and institutions established during the city’s growth under British administration and its later development as Assam’s capital. Laban Presbyterian Church and other religious and educational buildings give the area a strong institutional presence, while older houses sit beside concrete homes and newer commercial frontage. The result is neither a colonial museum district nor a purpose-built tourist quarter, but a neighbourhood where different periods of Shillong’s history remain visible in close proximity.

Markets, Water and Local Streets

Laban Bazaar is the practical centre of local commerce, with provisions, household goods, produce and small eateries serving residents rather than visitors alone. The neighbourhood also provides access to the Crinoline Falls area, where water, rock and steep terrain offer a contrasting experience to the built-up streets. Walking here requires care, particularly after rain, when Shillong’s slopes can become slick and drainage channels fill quickly. Visitors who take time to explore Laban will find a useful perspective on Shillong beyond its central shopping streets: modest, communal and shaped more by ordinary life than by grand attractions.

Explore Laban on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in Laban, mapped for you.

Best restaurants in Laban

Laban’s dining scene is modest, practical and closely connected to the market and residential population. Around Laban Bazaar, visitors can find small eateries, tea stalls and takeaway counters serving everyday meals rather than a concentrated restaurant district. The food reflects Shillong’s wider mixture of Khasi, Bengali, Assamese and pan-Indian influences, with rice-based meals, meat and fish dishes, snacks, tea and simple breads appearing according to the establishment. Independent cooks and family-run shops are more characteristic here than destination restaurants, so menus and opening patterns can vary. The most useful approach is to look for busy local places, ask what is freshly prepared and carry cash for smaller purchases. Visitors seeking a broader choice of cafés and formal restaurants will find more options in central Shillong, while Laban is better suited to observing ordinary neighbourhood eating and market-linked food habits.

Show more restaurants

Best shops in Laban

Shopping in Laban centres on Laban Bazaar and the surrounding local streets, where the emphasis is on daily necessities, fresh provisions, household goods, clothing, small services and inexpensive snacks rather than souvenir retail. The market is useful for seeing how Shillong’s neighbourhood commerce operates, with traders serving nearby households and passing commuters. Independent shops may stock regional ingredients and familiar north-eastern food products, but availability changes and the area should not be presented as a specialist craft or fashion quarter. Visitors can browse respectfully, compare ordinary goods and ask before photographing stalls or people. For Meghalaya handicrafts, branded clothing, books and a wider selection of gifts, central Shillong offers more established shopping areas. Laban’s distinctiveness lies in its local, functional rhythm and the way commerce merges with residential life.

Show more shops

Laban essentials

Getting There
Laban is reached by road from central Shillong, with shared taxis and other local taxi services commonly used for journeys through the southern neighbourhoods. Visitors arriving from Guwahati normally travel by road to Shillong before continuing locally; Shillong Airport at Umroi is outside the city and is not a direct arrival point for Laban. Ask for Laban or Laban Bazaar rather than relying on a general central-Shillong destination, and allow flexibility for traffic, narrow roads and rain. Local drivers are usually the most practical source of current information about the best drop-off point for a particular lane.
Getting Around
Laban is best explored through a combination of short taxi journeys and walking, although its slopes, bends and uneven pavements make it less effortless than the map may suggest. Laban Bazaar is a useful reference point, while routes towards churches, schools and the Crinoline Falls area can involve climbs, steps or narrow roadside paths. There is no metro or urban rail system in Shillong. Shared taxis connect the neighbourhood with central areas, but visitors should confirm the destination before boarding. During heavy rain, allow more time, watch for runoff and avoid stepping close to open drains or slippery edges.
Safety
Laban is a predominantly residential neighbourhood, so ordinary urban precautions are appropriate rather than unusual restrictions. Keep phones and wallets secure in crowded market areas, take care when crossing roads where visibility is limited and use a reliable taxi for unfamiliar routes after dark. Steep lanes, wet paving, drainage channels and sudden rain can present greater practical hazards than sightseeing itself. Avoid blocking residential entrances while taking photographs, and be careful around schools and places of worship. Night-time activity is generally more local and subdued than in Shillong’s central entertainment areas.
Emergency Situations
In India, call 112 for an integrated emergency response; 100 is traditionally associated with police, 101 with fire services and 108 with ambulance assistance, although 112 is the clearest single number for visitors to try first. State the neighbourhood as Laban, Shillong, give a nearby landmark such as Laban Bazaar or a recognised church, and share a mobile location if possible. For a medical problem, ask accommodation staff, a taxi driver or local resident to identify the nearest functioning clinic or hospital rather than assuming that a facility lies within Laban. Keep identification, travel insurance details and essential medicines accessible.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress modestly and behave quietly in churches, schools and other community institutions, asking before photographing people, ceremonies or private homes. In Laban Bazaar, handle produce and merchandise carefully, queue patiently where a queue has formed and ask permission before photographing traders. Keep voices low near residential houses, particularly at night, and do not leave litter on hillsides or beside watercourses. Shillong’s customary tipping and bargaining practices vary by establishment, so ask rather than assume. Respect local Khasi and Bengali communities as living cultures, not as photographic subjects or decorative themes.
Local Tips
Begin at Laban Bazaar to understand the neighbourhood’s geography and everyday economy, then continue on foot only as far as the weather and terrain comfortably allow. A morning walk usually offers the clearest view of market activity, school movement and local transport, while the Crinoline Falls area is best treated as a weather-dependent outing rather than a guaranteed urban park experience. Carry a light waterproof layer throughout the year and use offline mapping, since lane names and taxi descriptions may not always align neatly. For a broader historical perspective, combine Laban with a separate visit to Shillong’s central institutions rather than expecting one compact heritage circuit.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
Helloनमस्ते[namaste]
Goodbyeअलविदा[alvida]
Yesहाँ[haan]
Noनहीं[nahin]
Please/You're welcomeकृपया[krupaya]
Thank youधन्यवाद[dhanyavaad]
Excuse me/Sorryक्षमा करें[kshama karein]
How are you?आप कैसे हैं?[aap kaise hain?]
Fine. And you?ठीक हूँ। और आप?[thik hoon. aur aap?]
Do you speak English?क्या आप अंग्रेजी बोलते हैं?[kya aap angrezi bolte hain?]
I don't understandमुझे समझ में नहीं आया[mujhe samajh mein nahin aaya]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseकृपया मेनू देखना चाहूँ[krupaya menu dekhna chahoon]
I don't eat meatमैं मांस नहीं खाता[main maans nahin khata]
Cheers!चियर्स![cheers!]
I would like to pay, pleaseकृपया मैं चुकाना चाहूँ[krupaya main chukaana chahoon]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!बचाओ![bachao!]
Go away!चले जाओ![chale jao!]
Call the Police!पुलिस को बुलाओ![police ko bulaao!]
Call a doctor!डॉक्टर को बुलाओ![doctor ko bulaao!]
I'm lostमैं खो गया हूँ[main kho gaya hoon]
I'm illमुझे बीमारी है[mujhe bimaari hai]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...मैं खरीदना चाहूँ...[main khareedna chahoon...]
I'm just lookingमैं बस देख रहा हूँ[main bas dekh raha hoon]
How much is it?यह कितना है?[yah kitna hai?]
That's too expensiveयह बहुत महंगा है[yah bahut mahanga hai]
Can you lower the price?क्या आप कीमत कम कर सकते हैं?[kya aap keemat kam kar sakte hain?]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?अब कितने बजे हैं?[ab kitne baje hain?]
It's one o'clockएक बजे हैं[ek baje hain]
Half past (10)दस बजे तक[das baje tak]
Morningसुबह[subah]
Afternoonदोपहर[dopahar]
Eveningशाम[shaam]
Yesterdayकल[kal]
Todayआज[aaj]
Tomorrowकल[kal]
1एक[ek]
2दो[do]
3तीन[teen]
4चार[chaar]
5पांच[paanch]
6छह[chhah]
7सात[saat]
8आठ[aath]
9नौ[nau]
10दस[das]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?कहाँ है...?[kahaan hai...?]
What's the address?पता क्या है?[pata kya hai?]
Can you show me (on the map)?क्या आप मुझे दिखा सकते हैं (नक्शे पर)?[kya aap mujhe dikha sakte hain (naksha par)?]
When's the next (bus)?अगली (बस) कब है?[agli (bus) kab hai?]
A ticket (to ....)एक टिकट (.... के लिए)[ek ticket (.... ke liye)]

History of Laban

From Hill Settlement to Shillong

Laban’s early history is tied to the wider transformation of the Shillong plateau from Khasi settlement and cultivated landscape into a colonial administrative and military centre. After the British established Shillong as a hill station in the nineteenth century, roads, government institutions, churches and schools encouraged urban expansion beyond the earliest central zones. Laban developed as part of this southern growth, retaining a more residential and community-based character than the commercial core. The neighbourhood’s name and earliest local development should be understood within Shillong’s Khasi geographical setting rather than as a separate colonial foundation with a single documented date.

Institutions Shape the Locality

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Shillong’s expanding administration and education system drew workers, clergy, teachers, traders and families from across the region. Laban acquired the schools, churches, homes and local commerce that still help define it, including institutions associated with Bengali residents alongside Khasi households and organisations. The growth of Laban Bazaar reflected the practical needs of this population, while religious buildings and educational campuses gave the area a civic structure beyond its residential lanes. These developments linked Laban closely to Shillong’s rise as the capital of Assam from 1874, without making the neighbourhood identical to the colonial administrative centre.

Urban Growth and Changing Communities

The twentieth century brought continued demographic and spatial change to Laban as Shillong expanded, roads improved and families built or adapted homes on the slopes. The movement of people around the Partition of 1947 and the later reorganisation of the north-eastern states affected Shillong’s Bengali and Khasi communities, although the consequences varied between families and institutions. Laban’s schools, churches, market activity and residential associations helped preserve its local identity through these changes. Older houses and established public institutions now stand alongside later concrete construction, reflecting the gradual rather than entirely planned growth of the neighbourhood.

Contemporary Residential Laban

In contemporary Shillong, Laban remains primarily a lived-in urban quarter rather than a concentrated tourist district. Its identity is maintained through local shopping, worship, education, sporting activity and neighbourhood networks, while traffic, building pressure and seasonal rain shape daily life. The area’s proximity to central Shillong makes it increasingly relevant to visitors seeking a more ordinary view of the city, but its significance lies less in a single landmark than in the continuity of its streets, institutions and mixed communities. Places such as Laban Bazaar and the Crinoline Falls area connect present-day life with the neighbourhood’s older relationship to commerce, settlement and the surrounding hills.

Laban in Photos

Browse through our photo collection highlighting the charm and character of the destination.

0 / 0

Neighbourhoods near Laban

The closest neighbourhoods to Laban, if you have time for more than one stop.

Explore more

Shillong
More of the region

Explore more of Shillong

Shillong, India’s hill city, blends Khasi heritage, pine forests, colonial-era streets, live music, waterfalls and gateways to Meghalaya’s landscapes.

Explore Shillong
The Evendo app on two phones

Your all-in-one travel companion app

Explore expert travel guides, compare and book tours, experiences, hotels, and more, all from the palm of your hand. Download now for seamless trip planning wherever your wanderlust takes you.

  • Travel guides to regions, countries, cities, landmarks and attractions worldwide
  • Photos, local tips, maps, opening hours and contact details for every place
  • Easy booking for hotels, tours, tickets and experiences
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
More about the Evendo app

Evendo is a 100% free travel guide app: plan a trip, find what is worth seeing and book it, all in one place.

  • Restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops picked for every destination
  • A "Near me" view of the attractions and amenities around you
  • History and travel essentials for each country and city

From world regions down to a single landmark, every guide brings together the places to see, where to eat and drink, and where to stay, with descriptions, photos and maps to help you plan.

No in-app purchases and no hidden costs. Download Evendo and take your guides with you wherever you travel.

Get the latest from Evendo

Hand-picked travel deals, new destination guides and trip ideas, straight to your inbox.