Continuing from Part 1 of the Travelogue
Day 4 - Cherrapunji <--- Rivai Root Bridge, Mawlynnong Cleanest Village, Umngot River/Dawki, Bangladesh Border,--> Shnongpdeng (9 hours)
We checked out of the hotel after breakfast by about 8 am - with 2.5-hour drive ahead of us. There are a couple of famous living root bridges — the Double Decker being the most popular (though it needs a 6-hour round trip trek, good fitness, and planning), and the Mawkyrnot Bridge (about 2 hours round trip). We picked the Riwai Root Bridge, near Asia’s cleanest village, Mawlynnong.
The morning view from Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort
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| How could we leave without this picture! |
Just a short walk from the parking area, this well-maintained root bridge makes for stunning pictures with the small creek flowing beneath. It was a sunny morning, so we spent a bit of time near the water, before heading to our next stop.
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| Living Root Bridge - Riwai |
Mawlynnong was voted the Cleanest Village in Asia (by a survey about 20 years ago). To their credit, the village continues to stay spotless — every home neatly laid out with its own kitchen garden and lanes. That said, it’s now very much an Instagram-friendly, touristy cash grab. Pretty much every house is a homestay and I believe they stay full during peak season.
It was a warm, sunny day as we got closer to the plains and walking around under the midday sun was tough — a 10-minute trudge without shade was enough to cause sunburns! We stopped for a simple vegetarian lunch at one of the local homes — just the sustenance we needed before our next leg to the border village of Dawki.
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| Looks cool, but it was hot and muggy |
The Umngot River flows into Bangladesh, and Dawki is the border town. We reached around 2 in the afternoon, and the boating dock was quite chaotic. We managed to get a decent one-hour canoe ride. Carrying an umbrella saved us when we got closer to the Bangladesh waters! It was a cool experience overall. This is the famous lake which is crystal clear in the winter months after all the rains are gone ( i knew about it, but funnily many tourists expect to get pictures like this all year - sigh!) (Google for some photos)
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| Beautiful colours |
From Dawki, we drove over broken roads to the sister village of Shnongpdeng, on the way back towards Shillong. We had booked a homestay for the night, reaching around 4:30 pm. Unfortunately, the room was unbearably hot when we arrived, and the fans were hardly any respite (no ac possible). While the place itself was comfortable and the food was nice, we struggled to sleep until around 1 am, when it finally began to cool down.
Tip: Shnongpdeng is best known for riverside camping and water sports on the Umngot River. Accommodation options are limited — mostly basic homestays, except only one small resort If you would trade an extra 4 hour travel for a good night's sleep, would recommend either driving all the way back to Shillong (about 4 hours) or at the very least, heading 90 minutes back towards Jowai, which should get more comfortable stays.
Day 5 - Shnongpdeng --> Tyrshi Falls ---> Shillong (4.5 hours)
We checked out early from Shnongpdeng and began the drive back towards Shillong, to beat the rising temperature. In hindsight, this is where our planning could have been a little smarter — we could have easily covered the sites we had visited on Day 2 (Nartiang, Krang Suri) on this return leg instead.
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| Suspension Bridge - Shnongpdeng |
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| Umngot - from Shnongpdeng |
As we drove closer to Jowai (about 100 minutes away), the scenery started improving. The grassy knolls reappeared, the cool hilly breeze was blowing and everything began to feel normal again.
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| Now - we are free |
Our only major stop of the day was Tyrshi Falls. To reach the base, we walked through lush green paddy fields, with plenty of photo ops along the way. The water was cool and refreshing, and the setting made for some memorable pictures. The climb back wasn’t too tough, except for the harsh morning sun on our shoulders for a stretch. All in all, a lovely and unique experience.
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| Walking to Tyrshi Falls |
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| Tyrshi Falls |
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| More paddy fields behind us as we ascended |
We resumed our drive back to Shillong, and since it was close to noon, the city traffic had already thinned out. That made it easier to stop by the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians (a.k.a. Don Bosco Church) — painted in its striking shade of blue and considered one of the most important churches in Shillong. Major schools and convents are located nearby.
By afternoon, we were happily back at Vivanta Shillong (in the same room as before!) for a restful day.
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| Our last evening in Meghalaya |
Day 6 -- Shillong --- Umiam Lake --- Guwahati --- Paradise Restaurant, Shopping and Brahmaputra Sunset cruise (7 hours)
We started around 9 am for Guwahati, about a 2.5-hour drive. The city traffic was manageable (thanks to a bypass that helps while exiting Shillong), and soon we were on our way.
Our first stop was Umiam Lake — something we had missed on Day 1. This time, in the clear morning light, the view was worth it. A well-maintained man-made reservoir with a boating and sailing club run by the government. It makes for a perfect short break en route. We took a quick motorboat ride — the crisp morning air, the clean waters, and the cool breeze made it a refreshing start to the day.
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| Umiam Lake - from the highway |
6/8 min speed boat ride on the Umiam Lake
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| So much better than the Roast! |
It was predicted to be a very hot day in Guwahati (37°C), so we decided to stay flexible with our plans. We reached our hotel, Vivanta Guwahati, around 12:15 pm. The check-in took a little longer than expected, but we were not complaining — better indoors than outside in the heat!
By about 1:30 pm, we headed into the city to find the Paradise Restaurant, known for its Assamese thalis. The drive from the hotel to the city was quite a slog, with heavy traffic and ongoing construction, but we finally made it around 2:15. Lunch was good, though for some reason the thalis took forever to arrive. Also, the tea was a shocker at ₹220 a cup!
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| Assamese Veg Thali - Lots of Mustard and Bamboo |
Next, we stopped at the Assam Emporium around 3:50 pm. It was an easy and worthwhile visit — picked up some nice local products (with good discounts too). The boating dock was just a short ride away, so reaching the cruise on time was not a problem.
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| Shopping at the Assam Emporium |
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| Alfresco Cruise |
We were seated on the upper tier of the boat, with tickets booked online in advance by our guide — all we had to do was show up. The cruise itself was peaceful and calm. Being on the upper deck meant uninterrupted views of the sunset and the still waters, while on the lower deck, a singer performed Late Zubeen Garg’s songs remembering his tragic passing.
The sun dipped just as the cruise began, and the rest of the ride was spent soaking in the riot of colors nature painted across the horizon, with Peacock Island (Umananda Temple) in the foreground.
By about 7 pm, we were back at the hotel for a relaxed dinner and a good night’s sleep.
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| The Brahmaputra |
I had kept Day 7 as a reserve in case Kaziranga National Park had opened for safaris. It would have been a slightly long day trip, but something we were ready for. It was still closed, so we went with the alternative plan: driving up to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (though also officially closed), with a stop at a tea garden along the way.
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| Rainy morning kept temperatures cool |
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| Enroute Pobitora |
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| Amchong Tea Estate |
We spotted a Rhino and her cub - yippee:)
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| A healthy Assamese Veg Thali at the Maibong Resort - Pobitora |
For lunch, our guide had coordinated with Mr. Nipen, a conservationist and a champion of eco-tourism in Pobitora, who arranged an exclusive meal for us at his Maibong Resort. It was a simple vegetarian thali with fresh greens, salad, and a basic dal — but honestly, it turned out to be the best meal of the entire trip.
Post-lunch, we drove back to Guwahati through rain and thunder, reaching the Umananda boating dock by about 2:45 pm. The ferry to the temple island takes only 10–12 minutes, and the temple visit itself probably needs just 30 minutes at a leisurely pace.
The temple was quite nice and, thankfully, not as crowded as I’d expected. We took our time, caught the return boat, and were back on the mainland by around 4 pm.
Drove back to the hotel, while making a couple of unsuccessful visits to buy the Assamese sweet dish Pitha (more available during the festive season).
Tip - Something to consider - The traffic bullet exists here as well. The hotel is thankfully situated outside the city and towards the airport, but getting anywhere from there meant going through the heart of the city and construction and a minimum of 40/45 mins, even for an 8/10 km distance!
Day 8 - Travel Day -- Guwahati to BLR.
Given that it was the first day Durga puja, any efforts to get a last minute special entry to the Kamakhya temple was in vain, so decide to take it easy on the Sunday morning.
Our flight was at 4:30 pm, we had the opportunity to have a relaxed breakfast and packed and ready to check out at noon, when we drove the airport by about 1 pm (picking up some Assam tea in shops close to the airport).
Special thanks to our tour guide, friend and companion Mr Badal for making it a wonderful and memorable trip. I worked with Mr Soumen from Neer Tours and Travels who helped develop our itinerary and make this a superb foray into the North east. Looking forward to coming back for the Arunachal trip in a year or two!.
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| A Walk with the Cloud, our friend - Badal |
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