Cherrapunji Travel Guide: Waterfalls, Caves and Root Bridges

Meghalaya Tourism, the state's tourism board, lists the town as Sohra and describes it as once famed as the wettest place on earth; most visitors still search for it as Cherrapunji. It sits on the Sohra plateau in East Khasi Hills district, with waterfalls that plunge off the plateau, limestone caves close to town and the living root bridges of the gorges below. The main sights lie within about 8 km of the town, so a driver saves time.

Nohkalikai Falls

Meghalaya Tourism calls Nohkalikai the tallest plunge waterfall in India, with a drop of 340 m into a pool below. It lies about 7.5 km from Sohra, a drive of roughly 20 minutes, and has several vantage points, which makes it a favourite with photographers. The board lists it as open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. The board says the falls take their name from a tragic local legend, which it does not retell, so ask your guide for the story. In the monsoon, cloud and rain can hide the drop, so keep a spare half-day in the plan if the view matters to you.

Nohsngithiang, the Seven Sisters Falls

Nohsngithiang, known as the Seven Sisters Falls, drops more than 300 m in seven segments, with the flow splitting into seven streams. The nearest town, Sohra, is 3.7 km away, about 20 minutes by road. Meghalaya Tourism gives June to September as the best time, when the monsoon makes the falls most dramatic, and recommends staying until sunset. Sohra Eco Park offers what the board calls the best vantage points of the waterfall and the canyons of Sohra, so the two are best seen together.

Mawsmai Cave

Mawsmai Cave is about 6 km from the main town, and Meghalaya Tourism puts it about 58 km from Shillong. About 150 m of the cave is open to visitors and it is lit, which the board says makes it safe and manageable even for beginners. Expect narrow squeezes and crawl spaces. The board gives October to April for cool, dry weather and safe exploring, and advises a local guide or companion who knows the place and the language. Wear shoes with grip.

Arwah Cave

Arwah Cave is about 3.5 km from Cherrapunji bus station. Its walls hold fossils, including crustacean shells and fish bones set in the limestone, and they are most visible towards the far end of the lit interior. Meghalaya Tourism describes a well-maintained path through vegetation to the entrance, a maze of twists and turns inside and a best season of October to May. The district also lists a large sunken entrance. Its pages give no opening hours, so check locally.

Mawmluh Cave

Mawmluh Cave is about 2.9 km by road from Sohra and is listed by Meghalaya Tourism among its caving experiences as one of the longest caves in the state. It is harder than Mawsmai or Arwah, with narrow tunnels, low ceilings and a trek over rocky ground and riverbeds first. The board says it is highly recommended to use a guide and gives November to February as the best time, when the weather is cool and dry. It does not suit anyone uneasy in confined spaces.

Dainthlen and Wei Sawdong falls

Meghalaya Tourism describes Dainthlen as a thundering waterfall, and the East Khasi Hills district adds that it cuts through the Sohra plateau and matters culturally to the Khasi people. Wei Sawdong, in the board's words, is a three-tiered waterfall hidden in a green forest. Neither page gives a distance, opening hours or entry rules, so ask your driver or guide for the current access and the best viewpoint before you set out.

Viewpoints on the Sohra road

The road from Shillong passes the Mawkdok Dympep Valley viewpoint, also called the Duwan Sing Syiem Bridge viewpoint, about 30 km from Shillong, which looks down into a deep V-shaped gorge. Meghalaya Tourism gives October to April for clear views and notes that public transport thins out late in the day, so without a vehicle plan to head back before 4 pm. It also lists viewpoints along the Sohra road more generally, and Sohra Eco Park above the canyons.

Nongriat and the Double Decker Root Bridge

The walk to Nongriat starts near Tyrna village, a taxi ride of 30 to 45 minutes from Cherrapunji, and drops by stone steps to the Double Decker Root Bridge. Meghalaya Tourism gives the descent as about 3,500 stone steps over roughly 3 km on one page and about 3,000 steps on another, and Rainbow Falls lies about an hour's walk beyond the bridge. The living root bridges of Sohra, both single and double-decker, run 30 to 50 m in length and are woven from the roots of giant trees; the board says the oldest can last more than 500 years. Go in the dry season, take a guide, and allow for the climb back up.

Mawsynram

Mawsynram, about 61 km from Shillong, is what Meghalaya Tourism now calls the world's wettest place, with an average annual rainfall above 11,800 mm. Its draws are mostly underground: Krem Puri, described as the longest sandstone cave, and the Mawjymbuin caves, along with rock formations and fossil-rich ground. Meghalaya Tourism says caving and fossil hikes there call for local guides and the right equipment. The board says October and November and the winter offer clearer trails than the rains.

Meghalaya Tourism's Sohra page recommends June to September for waterfalls and monsoon scenery and October to March for pleasant weather and sightseeing. The caves and root-bridge trails are safer and drier from October, and the board's pages for the caves give October to April or May. The rain is the point of the place, but it is heavy: the Government of Meghalaya reports that Cherrapunjee's annual rainfall has ranged from 11,995 mm to 14,189 mm over the last two decades. For comparison, IMD records 202.2 cm (2,022 mm) a year at Shillong, about 55 km away, where July is the wettest month and January the driest.

In the monsoon, check the forecast daily, watch for landslide warnings, and pack a waterproof jacket, anti-slip shoes and quick-drying clothes. In winter the board advises warm clothes and early booking, because it is the busy season. Our monsoon travel guide covers the rains across India.