Cherrapunji
Sohra, East Khasi Hills; The Living Root Bridges Of Meghalaya Are On UNESCO'S Tentative List · Sohra, Meghalaya
A town on the edge of a plateau in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, officially called Sohra, and one of the wettest inhabited places on earth; neighbouring Mawsynram holds the record. The rain has carved a landscape of deep gorges, huge waterfalls and caves, with the plains of Bangladesh visible below on a clear day. The reason most people come is the living root bridges: bridges grown, not built, by the Khasi people from the aerial roots of rubber fig trees, trained across streams over decades until they can carry dozens of people. The most famous, the double-decker bridge at Nongriat, lies at the bottom of a descent of thousands of steep steps, and the climb back up is the price of admission. Nohkalikai Falls, among the tallest plunge waterfalls in India, drops into a turquoise pool, and the Mawsmai caves run under the town. Khasi society is matrilineal, with property passing through the youngest daughter. Shillong is a couple of hours away. The rain is heaviest in the monsoon, when the waterfalls are at their greatest and the views are often lost in cloud.
Sohra, East Khasi Hills, Sohra, Meghalaya, 793108, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED; confirm conditions before descending. The usual pattern: the root bridge trails are walkable in daylight, and village fee counters at Tyrna and Nongriat staff them from morning to late afternoon; start the descent by early morning so you are not climbing back in the dark. Nohkalikai, the Mawsmai caves and other viewpoints keep daytime hours, roughly morning to late afternoon. Monsoon rain can close roads and trails without warning, and cloud can hide the falls for days. Main traps: starting the Nongriat descent after midday, running out of cash, and planning a single day that falls on a fogged-in morning.