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Dawki & Mawlynnong

Dawki & Mawlynnong

village · Meghalaya

State
Meghalaya
Type
Village
Best season
Winter
Things to do
2+

Dawki and Mawlynnong sit in the southern hills of Meghalaya near the Bangladesh border, known for the crystal-clear Umngot River and for Mawlynnong's title as 'Asia's cleanest village'. Between them they make one of the Northeast's most photogenic offbeat circuits, and a busier one every year. The Umngot at Dawki is so transparent that the boats on it appear to float on air; people come to take a boat out and to camp. Mawlynnong, nearby, keeps itself clean by community effort, and has living root bridges and a sky-walk viewpoint over the plains of Bangladesh. It is a genuinely sustainable place to visit.

When to go

October to April has the clearest water and pleasant weather. The river is murkier and access harder during the monsoon.

Why visit

The Umngot is only glass-clear in the dry months, roughly November to February. Outside them it is an ordinary green river, which disappoints people who came for the photographs. Riwai's root bridge is on the way to Mawlynnong and takes ten minutes.

Cultural notes

This is Khasi heartland. Keeping the village clean is a shared undertaking here, as is the bio-engineering of the living root bridges, and Mawlynnong has become a model of sustainable rural tourism the world over.

How to reach

Nearest airport: Guwahati (~175 km) or Shillong (Umroi). Most travellers base in Shillong (~80 km) and take a day trip or overnight to Dawki and Mawlynnong by cab.

Dawki & Mawlynnong in 2 days

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2 days in Dawki & Mawlynnong

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Day 1

Day 1

Glass-clear boating on the Umngot

Glass-clear boating on the Umngot

Day 1

Shnongpdeng river camps

Shnongpdeng river camps

Day 1

India–Bangladesh border flag point

India–Bangladesh border flag point

Day 2

Day 2

Mawlynnong lanes & flower gardens

Mawlynnong lanes & flower gardens

Day 2

Sky View bamboo tower

Sky View bamboo tower

Day 2

Riwai living root bridge

Riwai living root bridge

Dawki & Mawlynnong guide & itineraries

Dawki & Mawlynnong is perfect for

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Popular attractions

The places in Dawki & Mawlynnong most people come for.

Umngot River (Dawki)

Umngot River (Dawki)

Experience

Mawlynnong Sky Walk

Mawlynnong Sky Walk

Viewpoint

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