Rising from the Clouds

Close your eyes and imagine that it is nine in the morning, you have just stepped out of your bed and walked towards the window to enjoy the warmth of the sun on a cold chilly morning. But instead, when you slide those curtains, all you see is a huge billow of clouds right in front of you! No sun-rays but clouds! And the clouds so close, you could feel them touching your cheeks and bringing you pure joy. That's how the home of the Clouds, Meghalaya, greeted us in Cherrapunji!

North eastern India has always been a dream exploration ground for many including myself. This April, with the temperatures soaring high, we finally got a chance to unravel the north east secret. And so, Abhijeet, Sagorica and I packed our bags and headed for Meghalaya. Unfortunately, our fourth musketeer, Manas, couldn't make it.

Our journey began from the International airport at Guwahati where we were welcomed with a great smile by Santosh Thapa. He runs a travel agency in this part of the country and is a great personality which we would find out in the coming journey as he was going to be with us as our tour guide throughout.

With all set, we kicked off for Shillong. It is about a five hour drive from Guwahati to Shillong. But, as always, the beauty of the free roads, green fields and the music continue to add smiles on our faces and bring a sense of peace from the monotony of the daily rush.

As the dusk began to dawn upon us, we climbed further up in the Khasi hills. With an hour to go for Shillong, we stumbled upon one of the most serene lakes we have ever seen.

Umiam lake is a beautiful man-made reservoir and to our good fortunes, extremely peaceful at this hour. Surrounded by thick forests on all sides, this lake is a sight to behold.

If only we could stop the clock as the sun set to enjoy this tranquillity and serenity forever!

A perfect ending to a mesmerising day.

You might be aware that the clock in the eastern India runs earlier than in the west. And so, the next day, we woke up to a bright and shining day around 6 in the morning, all set to start the journey to Cherrapunji.

Having cherished the hilly roads of Himachal, Kerala, Sikkim and many others, I didn't expect much of a surprise.

Beautiful lush green mountains along the curvy roads and deep valleys filled with clouds, in-short the perfect picturesque view! And the Khasi hills did not disappoint.

But there is one distinct factor about the Khasi hills which makes this ride even more drool worthy. It's us, humans! Apart from the locals, this part of India is quite secluded from tourists. This not only adds to the calmness but also to the aesthetic purity of the place. And so, every ride in this lovely place is truly a magnificent experience.

Let's get back on the road, shall we?

On our way to Cherrapunji, we visited some wonderful places in Meghalaya.

The first on the list being the Elephant Falls which lies on the outskirts of Shillong. Although the elephant rock after which this waterfall was named got destroyed long back, this beautiful multi-layered waterfall is a treat to the eye.

One starts off the top of the waterfall and then makes their way through the well maintained staircase all the way down to the pool. And throughout the walk, the spray of cold water from the falls makes it all the more exciting.

With a few quick shop hop, we were back on our way to Cherrapunji. Within an hour the roads began to get curvier, and the weather began to get cooler.

As the clock began to hit noon, we had entered our next stop - Wah Kaba Falls. Another soothing waterfall, cascading into a deep gorge, one could literally stand at the beginning of this fall as you can witness in the above pic!

Surrounding beautiful hills only adds to its beauty.

As we moved on, the clouds began to come so close, you could feel them playing with your cheeks. It wouldn't be wrong to say that we were riding among the clouds not just physically but also within our souls. We were young kids again with our dreams of walking on the clouds becoming a reality!

Somewhere on the way, a captivating view of the clouds among the valleys

As we got closer to discover the next hidden gem, it began to drizzle just enough to make the weather become even more mesmerising.

Instead of directly driving to the spot, we got off the cab a bit earlier to enjoy the beautiful road around us. Probably the best decision we made, as the empty roads surrounded by small hills, with water trickling down down the plants made this short walk pleasantly refreshing.

Little did we know that we would need all the refreshment before we began an hour-long trek to the Wei Sawdong falls. The descent to this waterfall is a unique experience as you not only walk upon the stone steps but also bamboo steps inside the forest. And with the downpour making the flat trails muddy, the excitement and the challenge kept on increasing!

But after huffing and puffing for almost an hour, we were in the presence of majestic nature! Among the curved rocks lay the breathtaking falls. This heavenly amphitheatre truly is a hallmark of how glorious nature can be!

Situated in the thick forests of East Khasi hills, Wei Sawdong falls is a three layered waterfall.

After covering some of the most amazing waterfalls, we were about to get a glimpse in an intriguing subterranean network of caves. Yes, Meghalaya is home to more than ten of the longest caves in India.A part of such a network is the Mawsmai caves.

These caves are not just a fascinating experience as you crawl and slither your way in and out of it but also is a look into the past as some of these rocks are very old and act as fossils.

There is a continuous flow of water which erodes these limestone rocks resulting in the formation of these caves over hundreds of years. A surreal experience indeed!

And with that, our day came to an end as we entered our warm beds in our amazing Goshen homestay.

Cherrapunji or Sohra, as we now have begun to call it, gave us a chilling experience of torrential rain at night. It lived up to its reputation of being one of the wettest places on the planet!

With beautiful sunshine the next morning, we headed for Tyrna village. This village is about thirty minutes drive from Sohra. Wondering what's at Tyrna?? Well, it is the starting point of trek to Meghalaya's famous Double decker Living Root Bridges. A descent of more than 3000 steps to the Nongriat village, this climb down takes you through some of the deep and mostly untouched natural forests and rivers.

With every step, you get many small and yet unique experiences like watching the deep mountain valleys, interacting with locals staying along the way, admiring exquisite flowers and trees and yes of course, crossing rivers on suspension bridges. I know, I know, where are the pictures?? Well, scroll below!

On the way, one can walk over a single living root bridge as well which acts as kinda trailer to the mega event. This trail of happiness is about three hours.

After this tiring journey, the curtains are finally lifted as we walk over the double decker bridge! These bridges are not just aesthetically beautiful but also a great testament to the harmonious relationship of the Khasi people with Nature. Even in these modern times, these bridges perform a huge role in the daily life of these people and give us an insight into how truly blessed one can be who is so well connected and respects Nature. It takes years for the roots of these great trees to form such bridges which will live up for generations to come. It wouldn't be wrong to say that this was the main event of this trip of ours and it deserves every ray of the limelight!

We let our eyes feast on this treat for as long as it could as the pool below the bridge recharged our feet for the journey back. As expected, the way back was really a test of will power. Suddenly those 3000 steps began to look like 6000!! With some music and a lot of crawling, we finally made it back to Tyrna by the evening! Exhausted to the core, none of us had energy to speak. And yet, we were submerged in the happiness and contentment of having touched a beautiful part of Mother Nature and accomplished an amazing trek. As we made our way back to Sohra, the downpour began heavily and we retired to our rooms in the guesthouse for the night.

With an enchanting experience and golden memories, we bid adieu to Sohra as we began our way back to Shillong. But wait, it’s not the end of the trip! We have a few detours on the return journey.

The detours start at God’s Own Garden, Mawlynnong. We knew this place as the cleanest village of Asia but what we didn’t realise is how beautiful this place is.

Strolling through the evergreen gardens and connecting with smiling locals is pure happiness. To add cherry on the icing, a small treehouse in this village gives an amazing panoramic view of our neighbours, Bangladesh. You can even take a walk on the Nohwet Living Root Bridge which lies just a few kilometres from here and enjoy the pineapples while walking on it. Leaving you with a few clicks...

With a walk in a captivating garden, we then headed for Dawki, our final stop. Dawki is known for its crystal clean waters of Umngot River. We all have heard the phrase, it’s not the destination but the journey. This is more than apt for the road journeys in Meghalaya especially the one leading to Dawki. The beautiful lush green valleys, long betel nut trees on either side of the road and waterfalls everywhere. Every minute a new waterfall would emerge on the way to Dawki, isn’t that amazing?

Unfortunately, due to heavy rain, the river wasn’t clear and pretty safe for boating. Hence, we missed out on enjoying the crystal clear water but the trip to this place was worth the journey.

Panaromic view of Bangladesh along Umngot River

With the sun coming down upon us, we headed straight for Shillong. With the clock touching 5, we were in Meghalaya’s capital and by 7, we were on its road. A short walk of about twenty minutes got us to the city centre, which they call Police Bazar. The place was humming with a huge crowd given it was Easter. Some shopping, some street food and a lavish dinner at ‘City at Family Dhaba’ restaurant brought down the curtains on this beautiful journey in the Scotland of the East!

Until we pack our bags next, Namaste!