Nongriat
Living Root Bridges
Trek down to bridges the Khasi people have trained from living rubber-tree roots, including the double-decker at Nongriat.
- Type
- Culture
- When
- October to April
Destinations › East India & the Himalaya
Meghalaya
Living root bridges, waterfalls and one of the clearest rivers in India.
Experience Meghalaya
Choose a place on the map to see what your client can do there.
Cherrapunji
Nohkalikai Falls
One of India's tallest plunge waterfalls, dropping into a green pool in one of the wettest places on earth.
- Type
- Nature
- When
- Fullest June to September
Dawki
The Glass River
Float on the Umngot, so clear in the dry months that boats seem to hang in the air.
- Type
- On the Water
- When
- November to April
Mawlynnong
A Khasi Village
Walk the bamboo paths of a village known for its cleanliness, among a matrilineal Khasi community.
- Type
- Culture
- When
- October to May
Near Cherrapunji
Mawsmai Caves
Squeeze through lit limestone passages, an easy cave for families.
- Type
- Nature
- When
- All year
On the Shillong road
Umiam Lake
A wide reservoir among pine hills, the first calm stop on the road up from Guwahati.
- Type
- Nature
- When
- All year
Shillong
Jadoh & Live Music
Try Khasi jadoh rice and tungrymbai, then an evening in the cafés of India's rock-music capital.
- Type
- Food
- When
- All year
Illustrative map, not to scale. The outline is indicative and is not an official boundary. Outline data: DataMeet (CC BY 4.0).
About Meghalaya
Shillong, Cherrapunji, Dawki, Mawlynnong
Meghalaya, “the abode of clouds”, is a plateau of pine forest and limestone cut by deep gorges, a short drive up from Guwahati. Shillong, the capital, is a hill town of colonial churches, music cafés and the Ward’s Lake promenade.
Cherrapunji and Mawsynram are among the wettest places on earth, and the rain feeds the falls the state is known for: Nohkalikai, Seven Sisters and Dainthlen. In the villages below, the Khasi have trained the roots of rubber trees into living bridges, the double-decker at Nongriat being the best known.
To the south, the Umngot river at Dawki runs so clear in the dry months that boats seem to float on air, and nearby Mawlynnong is often called the cleanest village in Asia.
What Your Client Will See
Living root bridges
Hand-grown bridges in the Khasi villages; Nongriat’s double-decker is a steep trek.
Nohkalikai Falls
One of India’s tallest plunge waterfalls, at Cherrapunji.
Dawki & the Umngot
Boating on a glass-clear river at the Bangladesh border.
Mawlynnong
A model village with a sky walk and a root bridge close by.
Mawsmai caves
Lit limestone caves near Cherrapunji, easy for families.
Umiam Lake
The reservoir on the Guwahati–Shillong road, for a first stop.
Departures & Catalogues
Fixed departures and catalogues for Meghalaya. A departure added on the Fixed Departures calendar appears here by itself.
Fixed Departures 2
Meghalaya — Republic Day
IDM-MEG-0123 · Guaranteed
Northeast India — Signature
IDM-NEI-1227 · GuaranteedCatalogues
Plan the Trip
- Best time
- October to April for clear rivers and dry trails; the monsoon (June to September) is for waterfalls.
- Gateway
- Guwahati (GAU), about three hours by road to Shillong.
- Ideal length
- 3 to 5 nights on its own, more when combined with Assam.
- Permits
- None for Indian nationals.
- Pairs well with
- Assam and Kaziranga.
Sell Meghalaya with Us
Send the dates, the number of travellers and the hotel category, and the East desk replies with a worked quotation. Registered partners see net rates on every package.