meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in India that is famous for its hills, lush greenery, waterfalls, and its natural beauty like a living root bridge. Apart from this Meghalaya is world famous for its rain and has a Guinness world record for The Wettest Place on Plant Earth. Here average annual rainfall is around 11,872 Milimmetres.
How to reach?
Meghalaya capital is Shillong which can be reached by road only. The nearest Airport is Umroi Airport near Barapani, which is about 25 kilometers away. The closest railway station from Shillong is in Guwahati from where you can take a self-driven car/bike or opt out for a bus.
Shillong is 100 Kms from Guwahati which will take 3-4 hours to reach. Shillong is the center of Meghalaya from where you can start your journey. You can do a whole round trip from Shillong to nearby amazing villages, waterfalls & caves. The best time to visit is during monsoon from July-Sept month.
I have been to Meghalaya twice and trust me the best experience one can have is by riding a Bike in Meghalaya. The roads are so scenic with great corners which every biker wants. While riding the bike in Meghalaya you will always come across waterfalls that are always active due to rain.
You can rent bikes/cars from:
2. Awe Rides
3. Camping co (Rent rooftop tent car)
Krang Suri & dawki
Day 1:
Krang Suri –
We started early in the morning around 7:30 Am from Shillong. Krang Suri is 86 km from Shillong which will take around 3 hrs to reach. Meghalaya roads are very biker friendly and you will enjoy your first day while riding to Krang Suri you will come across many viewpoints from where the whole valley is visible. The height of the mountains is good and you won’t even realize that you have climbed something as every place here in Meghalaya is downhill.
You can enter Krang Suri from 2 sides but take the first road which comes in Google Maps while coming from Shillong. Krang Suri is the best waterfall one can experience in Meghalaya where you will be given a life jacket and can easily swim and can go below the waterfall to feel the water flow. The water here is so clean and super chilled that you can easily swim. The flow is so good that you will enjoy it a lot but be careful and do not worry as guards are keeping an eye on you. I have visited many waterfalls across India but this waterfall is the only one that even nonswimmers can enjoy carefreely. There is also a boat ride available above the waterfall which you can enjoy.
Note:
We parked our bikes with luggage and helmet near a shop and did some breakfast over there. In Meghalaya for bike and luggage safety, you need to buy something from shop keeper and ask them to take care of bikes & luggage. There is also an entry ticket for the waterfall with a compulsory life jacket.
Dawki –
Dawki is one of the cleanest lakes in India. The lake is so clean that while floating on the boat you will see everything beneath. Dawki lake flow from India to Bangladesh. So you will see s sneak peek of Bangladesh from Dawki. It is an International border so military personnel is present at the lake for making sure that you don’t cross water borders.
Dawki is 30 km away from Krang Suri which will take around 1 hr to reach. It is a proper downhill with great turns which will be enjoyed mostly by bikers. Monsoon is not the season if you want to see a crystal clear Lake. I have been to Meghalaya twice during monsoon just to enjoy the waterfall but if you want to enjoy Dawki lake then plan your trip accordingly.
There is a homestay named Lum Pyngngad (click here) which is 20 Kms more ahead after crossing Dawki lake. You can stay here in this homestay which is decent enough and provides home food. You need to plan your trip in such a way that you reach here before sunset or else it will be difficult to find a homestay during the night. In our case, we did not book anything we just went and asked for rooms.
Note:
Due to lack of time, we were unable to reach our next destination which was 16 km away. You can plan to reach Mawlynnong which is Asia’s cleanest Village and is also referred to as God’s Own Garden. Here you will find many homestays and later in morning, you can explore the village. Better to start early every day around 6 Am just to reach your final destination before sunset. You will not find many tourists around so better to start early and reach during daylight.
mawryngkhan trek
Day 2:
Mawryngkhan Trek is 42 km away from the homestay where we stayed and it is 58 Kms away from Mawlynnong. Mawryngkhan is famous for its bamboo path which is made by locals on the edge of mountains. It is considered one of the deadliest treks in India and is not at all for faint-hearted. If you are planning to trek over here then make sure to reach here early morning maximum by 10 AM to come back and reach your next destination on the same day. This trek takes around 3-4 hours to go and come back depending on how many photographs you click.
Before starting the trek make sure you take some calories in by eating something and then go. There are a few local shops around the parking area where you can eat local food and drink tea. There is a ticket counter where you have to buy the ticket and they will provide you with one guide who will come along with you. We started our trek around 1 PM which was late which we realized later. In the starting, you have to climb down which will take around 20 mins. Firstly you will reach the river where you can freshen up and after crossing the river on a beautiful bamboo bridge, the actual Bamboo Trek will start. The trek is not that easy and you will have to watch out for every step of yours as you will be walking on a bamboo. The bamboo here is maintained by locals which they repair regularly when they feel that a certain bamboo is getting weak and needs to be replaced or repaired.
The trek is thrilling for all adventure junkies out there. At one point the trek becomes so dangerous that you can see a 2000 – 3000 meter fall by just staring down from the edge. It is not at all for weak-hearted people. We were a group of 7 and all of us were a little bit scared. The only thing which kept us moving was willpower and eagerness to see what is there on the other side. We were encouraging each other to continue by holding each other hands. One among us was too scared but still, we made sure that he reach the first checkpoint of the trek. There are 2 checkpoints or say wide rock mountains on which you can seat and enjoy the natural beauty. 1 of us decided to stay there as he was too scared to continue and the rest 6 of us started to go towards the end of the trek. The end of the trek is very scary, especially the last rock hill which you need to climb. There is no support and you are all dependent on the bamboo but you cannot put too much weight on the hand support bamboo. Once you reach the end, your life will change. You will feel proud of yourself that you have accomplished something in life which is as scary as it gets. The feeling cannot be described and you need to visit it to experience it.
Note:
We were late and it was 5 PM. The road was full of fog and had very less visibility. The road was scarier than the trek itself because we were the only ones on the road. It was getting dark too quickly and we somehow managed to get back to the main highway just in time around 6 PM. Do not repeat the same mistake as us and come back on the main highway around 4 PM.
For today we had planned to stay in the Cherranpunji area. You will see its name written as Sohra instead of cherranpunji so don’t get confused. There are many guest houses available in this area. But we were so late that we decided to stay at whatever hotel or guest house comes first. Riding a bike in Meghalaya in dark is too risky especially when it is raining and yes it was raining cat and mouse. We somehow managed to find a good hotel 50 km from Cherranpunji. The best thing is that a mobile network is available and you can easily find everything on maps.
wei sawdong waterfall
Day 3:
After successful 2 days of extreme adventure thinking that you have seen it all then you are wrong. There comes Wei Sawdong Waterfall which is a hidden gem. It is not visible from anywhere while passing by. You need to park your bikes and climb down for 15-20 minutes to reach this waterfall. This waterfall is jaw-dropping and has two viewpoints available. The path can be difficult but your bamboo trek experience will come in handy over here.
Note:
There are two viewpoints and the route to both are different. The first viewpoint is from the top where you will be able to see the waterfall at its full glory. The second viewpoint is from the bottom where you can feel droplets of the waterfall pouring on you from a distant height. Water can be dangerous, so I wouldn’t recommend swimming here. Reaching the second viewpoint can be a challenge but your bamboo trek experience will come in handy here.
double decker bride
The same day after visiting Wei Sawdong Waterfall and having some maggie at the restaurant where we parked our bikes, we started heading towards our last destination. Our last destination was cherrapunji which has 2 major famous points.
1. Nohkalikai Waterfall – This is the tallest waterfall in India. Its height is 340 meters. Roads are so scenic that riding the bike over here is the most memorable part of your journey in Meghalaya. You will pass through many clouds which are dancing on the road. You will see nothing but that feeling of riding in this condition is what a biker dreams of. You will reach this waterfall easily. It can get very crowded and they have a big space for parking. It is one of the most visited waterfalls in Meghalaya which is easily accessible to everyone without walking or climbing stairs. The waterfall view is breathtaking but you have to be very lucky to witness it because it is always covered in fog if you are visiting during the monsoon.
Note:
Before visiting the next destination. There is a small center which you will be able to identify which has 3 different routes. If you want to carry some liquor with you for the night stay then the wine store is available here. It is the only place as of now where you will get it. So make sure you buy all the necessary food items as well before going to the next destination which requires some extreme willpower.
2. Double Decker Bridge – This is the last destination where reaching on the bike is easy but the bike cannot go all the way down. So there is a parking spot where you have to park your vehicle. If you don’t want to carry your heavy luggage then there are many small shops at the parking which will take your luggage and keep it in the locker room. Beware of your important belongings and do not put any valuable items in them.
From here on, you will walk and start descending around 2500 feet where you will have to walk 3500+ stairs to reach the double-decker bridge. It can take 2-3 hours depending upon your speed. It is not easy and very time-consuming so make sure you have enough time to reach your final destination just before sunset. Walking in dark can be too scary for some. I have done it twice and when I went for the first time, I saw a snake crossing the stairs in front of me. It was completely dark so I was using a torch which made the whole scene more scary and memorable. If you feel like giving up then I would suggest that you don’t because in the end when you reach the final destination then it will be worth it. And when you will jump in that freezing waterfall all your tiredness will be gone.
Finally, you will reach the double-decker bridge which is one of a kind in the world. Many tourists who come to India don’t know about this fascinating natural wonder. One cannot describe how beautiful it is when you look at it for the very first time from a distance. You need to personally visit it to experience it.
We reached the double-decker bridge around 3 PM. There are many homestay options available before the bridge. So if you planning to stay at night then you can stay in one of them. It is very difficult to go back up and climb all the stairs without any rest. So make sure you spend one night down there. After a small break, we visited the double-decker bridge and went straight to Rainbow waterfall which is again 1500+ stairs ahead. I have visited the double-decker bridge twice and this rainbow waterfall is a must but I have found it too tiring to go to the end. But before this waterfall there comes a small waterfall which is hidden and has a natural swimming pool. The route is the same as the rainbow waterfall where you get to see many more natural single-decker bridge. So make sure you go to the first waterfall to enjoy the scenic view through the jungle. In recent times this hidden waterfall has become dangerous and I have heard that its route is now blocked. But you can still go if you want to visit it at your own risk.
Day 4:
We started our climb back to the top around 4 Am. Climbing up is more tiring but we somehow reach the top quickly within 2 hours. We had to catch our train from Guwahati for our next destination Ziro. Ziro is a very unique place that organizes Ziro fest. This musical festival happens every year and international artists also come to perform. We were lucky because this 2019 year even Lucky Ali was performing. If you want to know about my Ziro experience then visit my blog. ZIRO Festival (click here)
So this was our experience, a little hectic but you can cover all the places in 5 days. If you have any questions then do contact me.