Bewitched By The Beauty of Rewai Living Root Bridge!

Meghalaya is home to several Living Root Bridges and our first glimpse of it was in Rewai Village, not to be confused with the one in Cherrapunji. Though we had read a lot about the Living Root Bridges and had seen a few pictures, we were not quite prepared for the magnificent Living Roots Bridge. We climbed down steep rock cut steps and there it was- One of the best natural engineering feats by man of course with generous help of Mother Nature. Years of patience and meticulous planning has resulted in this man made Natural wonder.

Running across a large water body connecting two villages is this wonderful natural bridge. The bridge and the calm waters below it are perfect for an artist to take out their paint brush and start filling colors in their canvas. A perfect place for meditating or even soul searching. The stillness and calmness around could be the best anti depressant or the perfect de-stress that one could ask for.

A small hike up the hill on the other side leads you to Nohwet view point which provides beautiful views of the surrounding hills with a bamboo bridge taking us over the edge to open up scintillating views. This village is home to few families and has a school and a small church.

A valuable lesson that the Khasi tribe teaches the rest of us is that we have to leave behind a sustainable and healthy Earth for our future generations. The brains behind the ingenious idea of root bridge may not have lived to enjoy the fruits but that did not stop them from creating something selflessly for the benefit of their future generations.

It was an amazing once in a lifetime experience to walk on the bridge. The natural roots are so strong that for years it has been taking massive loads and ferrying people. The bridge is so awesome that we ended up trekking to the bridge again the next day crossing another village on the way.

While trekking down the steep rock cut steps to get to Rewai Root Bridge, do try the organic fruits being sold on the way from the local farms. They are perfect energy boosters and of course the sweetest fruits that you would get to eat.

Life here at Rewai Village is simple at the same time filled with happiness. You can see all cheerful faces around with children enjoying and playing outside with whatever makeshift stuff they can find rather than cribbing over any gadgets. The saying necessity is the mother of all inventions is so true. Here, we saw kids happily play with a completely deflated football, make shift trolley made of wood including the wheels. This could just be used for entertainment for the kids or could be used as a trolley to move around heavy material. It was a nostalgic feeling reminding us of our childhood where we used to gather in the colony streets and play with just mud, sand or one football. This laid back and beautiful village is self sustained and does not seem to be pressed by time. The happy villagers never seemed to be in a rush.

A sense of achievement post the trek and of course stopping to admire the natural beauty surrounding you is the best joy and the perfect way to de stress. During one of our walks to the Rewai village, our legs took us to the not so explored paths that led us to a small water body and a bamboo bridge over a dry riverbed. We also came across a bamboo made bridge leading to a different path to one of the many bamboo fields hidden and definitely would not be visible from the road. Also, we came across a natural staircase made of stones and rocks- a beautiful sight. We even ended up spotting a dead snake on the road. It looked like it was killed while it was trying to cross over to the other side by one of the speeding vehicles.

This village is just 2 km from Mawlynnong the cleanest village in Asia. Though most of them tend to hire cars and try to club both the cleanest Village and Rewai root bridge as a day trip from Shillong, we would strongly recommend against it.

Of course, to save time it would be ideal to club them as a day excursion from Shillong. However, the true essence of the village and understanding the history behind growing these bridges would be totally lost if we do not have time in hand. To do complete justice to these places, we would recommend staying over at least for 1 night at the village and visiting the Root Bridge by foot. Though the walk could be tiresome, it would be worth it as you would also cross another village Rewai- neighboring village of Mawlynnong and has taken inspiration from them to keep their surroundings clean.

The charm of staying in the cleanest village makes it a perfect relaxing vacation. The icing on the cake would be the short trek to the root bridge.

Magical Deep Blue Reflection of Umngot River At Dawki!

Meghalaya, aptly named as "Abode of the Clouds," is a gateway to paradise! The abundant natural beauty of this state surely takes one's breath away and makes one want to settle down here. It is a perfect dream destination with forests, mountains, valleys, caves, rivers, lakes and above all brilliant roads leading to numerous treasured corners.



One such natural wonder of Meghalaya is Dawki, which is known for its crystal clear blue water of Umngot river. Having seen a picture of a lone fishermen on his shikara or fishing boat on crystal clear turquoise blue water, we learnt that it was taken at Dawki, a border town in Meghalaya. This picture was fresh in our minds while planning our North East trip and we were dead sure that this place would definitely be in our travel itinerary.

The drive to Dwaki from the state capital Shillong is a blessing with beautiful curvaceous roads that provide stunning views of valleys and waterfalls on the way. The condition of the roads is unlike other North Eastern states which makes them less accessible.

Throughout the journey, tall, thin Betel Nut trees bearing bright orange fruit which is the main ingredient of North East folks favorite pastime "Chewing Pan," can be found in abundance. Betel nut cultivation seems to be pretty lucrative as not just the locals in North East India consume it in large quantities but it is also exported widely.

We definitely were not disappointed on reaching Dawki. Lying on the India Bangladesh border is Dawki, home to Umngot river which is an absolute natural wonder. No pictures can do justice to this place offering a view of the Umngot river. There are many rivers where we take a glass boat ride to enjoy marine life or natural beauty and then there are few pristine rivers like Umngot river, where the river itself is like a glass boat. Hiring a boat for a short ride on this stunning river should be in the to do list of any traveller. The river is so charming and charismatic that it attracted us like a magnet and provided a crystal clear view of the river bed and marine life. The deep blue river elegantly snakes through the deep gorges and the tiny wooden boats fishing here are a breathtaking sight.

We could draw parallels to the amazing experience we had in Phuket while canoeing hidden lagoons. The only thing missing were the amazing caves.

Umngot river marks the separation between Khasi and Janatia hills. The river was more a natural border separating India and Bangladesh. An age old small suspension bridge runs above the river connecting the two countries. The amateur bridge can accommodate only one vehicle at a time and the road leads to Bangladesh.

A short drive from the bridge we reached the International border check post separating India and Bangladesh. The friendly BSF personnel patrolling the border were kind enough to let us in the no man's land giving us great assurance of the Indian Army having our backs. It was indeed nice to take a peek into Bangladesh, once part of Incredible India and then briefly married to Pakistan ended up getting an ugly divorce and since then has been consistently contributing mass illegal immigrants into India.

Considering the number of illegal immigrants in our nation from Bangladesh, it was quiet surprising to see this border pretty relaxed. The border towns here seemed to happily co-exist with not too much of security or fencing across the border. However, the reality seems different and of course the number of illegal immigrants speak a different story altogether. 

This town also hosts a weekly market where people from both the countries come and sell their goods. It becomes difficult to keep a tab of the number of locals crossing the border to attend the market and also it seemed pretty easy to cross over the Umngot river and enter India with few officers manning the banks of the river. Wish we had stricter laws and more security at the border that would avoid illegal immigrants crossing over.

There is no reliable public transport to and from Dawki so it would be a wise idea to hire a private taxi from Shillong to Dawki. Also, keep in mind there are no places to dine or stay in Dawki. At a distance of 90 km, it can be done as a day trip from Shillong. On the other hand, you could also do what we did. Head to Mawlynnong, dubbed as the cleanest village in Asia, which has plenty of stay options and is only 40 km from Dawki.

Experiencing The Beauty Of North East India

Loktak Lake

Our very first slow backpacking trip was to one of the least explored territories of India, North East India- the land of festivals. North East India has always been a fascination for us as she is so inviting and beautiful. Mother Nature has been very kind to this part of India blessing her with pristine lakes, magical streams, gorgeous rivers, breathtaking waterfalls, blue mountains, deep caves, rich flora and fauna. Of course, it is not just the natural beauty but also the kindhearted people residing there that make North East India an amazing destination to explore.

Willong Khullen

We backpacked across Nagaland, Manipur & Meghalaya cherishing each of the 53 days stay here. North East India gave us quite a few unforgettable experiences of a life time. Doyang, a tiny village in Nagaland, home to migratory birds- Amur Falcon, gave us a chance to drift into deep wilderness and we saw the great migration of millions of Amur Falcons. With the orange sun setting behind the hills we saw these amazing birds take over the entire sky.

Millions Of Amur Falcons 

Another memorable experience from the trip was heading to Longwa village in search of  Konyak tribesmen who were headhunters and are famous for their tattooed faces. Over bonfire we heard gripping tales from the last remaining headhunters while they smoked up opium.

Konyak Tribesmen

In Manipur, we went canoeing in  Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in North East which is known for the phumdis. Loktak is also home to the only floating National Park in the World, 'Keibul Lamjo' where we went in quest of the shy and rare dancing deer 'Sangai.' Another hidden treasure of Manipur is our very own 'Stonehenge' - Willong Khullen.

Only Floating National Park In The World

The tiny town of Dawki at India Bangla border opened up absolutely crystal clear blue waters and from the boat we could see the 'Unmagot' river bed and marine life. Mawlynnong village in Meghalaya is where we spent days strolling around and belting traditional Khasi food. This village was awarded the title "The cleanest village of Asia" by the travel magazine Discover India in 2003.

Magical Dawki

Cleanest Village In Asia

Cherrapunjee, one of the wettest place on the planet, gave us amazing views of some incredible waterfalls and an insight into hundreds of monoliths in 'Nartiang.'

Nohkalikai Waterfalls

We trekked an entire day to see the bio-engineering wonder of the world- "The Double Decker Living Root Bridge." The trek of over 3000 steps for over 4 hours to reach this wonder was a mind boggling experience and we were also very fortunate to experience the rare phenomena of how locals grow these living root bridges.

The Double Decker Living Root Bridge

A little further from the Double Decker Bridge and we reached stunning natural swimming pools of "Nongriat" Village that will forever be edged in our memories. The crystal clear turquoise blue water was so clean and clear that fishermen find it difficult to catch fish. These magical isolated places made us realize that Nature has so many hidden treasures to offer mankind if only we have the eye to observe.

North East being termed the Land Of Festivals is no mere understatement. During our stay, we attended three elaborate festivals that ran for days showcasing their indigenous games, culture, art, music, warfare, legacy, traditions and history. The festivals were a one stop shop for us to experience the culture of several tribes that have been living in this region since time immemorial.

War Scenes From Hornbill Festival

We experienced great hospitality from the locals, soaked ourselves in tribal traditions, were part of their festivals and celebrated it like ours. Many a homes generously opened their doors and hearts for us. In true village style, we traversed the country roads with friendly villagers, sharing seats with livestock and baskets of vegetables and fruits while gunny bags and bamboo cushioned our feet.

Traveling With Locals, Like A Local

We got a chance to experience local flavors and try authentic tribal food accompanied with homemade alcoholic beverages that kept us warm and tipsy. Almost every house had a garden and they grow their own fruits and vegetables even breeding their own livestock, living a very organic and healthy lifestyle. They love having nursery outside their homes and have a thing for decoration. The houses painted with vibrant colors were a treat for our eyes. Our stay in thatched huts and homes built with bamboo were one of the best travel experiences.

Authentic Manipuri Thali

Reaching remote parts of North East could be pretty difficult due to terrible road conditions or the roads could be good but with no public transport and even locals would have to accommodate themselves in a single jeep that plies on a daily basis to the nearest city. The challenge in accessing these places could be considered a blessing in disguise as even after several years the beauty still remains intact.

Their obsession with Sports is very promising. Their love for Football is evident by the sheer number of football fields that you can spot even in remote villages and these grounds just don't seem to exist, they are pretty much in use and you can see them play a game daily. And if you thought it is only Football that have them occupied, you are wrong, It were the people of North East who introduced to the world the game of Polo and now proudly host annual international tournaments.

Capt Kenguruse Memorial Tournament 

International Annual Polo Tournament, Manipur

People here are very warm, friendly and interested in having lengthy conversations despite language barrier and genuinely want to know our likes, dislikes, lifestyle choices et al. The life here in North East India is very relaxed and chilled out. Though people seem to have less they are a very happy lot. They are extremely proud of their tribes culture and wear it on their sleeves. The sheer number of folks both young and old who to-date adorn their traditional attire on a day to day basis is a startling testimony to the fact that they are so proud of their lineage.

Lotha Tribesman

Religion plays an integral part in their lives and you can see them dressed in their best on Sundays all set to go to church. Though Christianity has taken over, the age old traditions and festivals are kept very much alive. The artifacts from ancient times take centre stage in all the households that we stepped into. They are fashion conscious as well, setting new trends and love shopping. Women seem to enjoy a lot of freedom. They are working for their community and willing to bring about a change. Not just waiting for the government to do things or complain but actually working on improving things on their own.

The people are not just friendly but very welcoming too. Among the very few tourists to attend Tokhu Emong Festival in Wokha district, we were welcomed with open arms and were invited to their community celebration and were treated with royalty. Our visit to Doyang was made possible all thanks to these kind and wonderful friends we made in Wokha.

One night we lost way to our hotel in Kohima, a kind family not only offered to drop us but also treated us to one elaborate dinner at their home the next day. During our stay in Mawlynnong, where one of us suffered from a sore throat, the old and kind couple running the homestay nursed us and took care of us like their own kids. All these instances moved us beyond words and we were filled with immense respect and gratitude for having the opportunity to meet these people.

Eco Friendly Huts

Northeasterners are well read and show a keen interest in what is happening in other states. Be it politics or some natural disaster, their concern is genuine and it is such a shame that most of us
cannot even locate where a place from North East is on the map.

It is disheartening that many of our Countrymen call them names and are racially profiled. A geographical area that is very much a part of India is neglected. We Indians are the biggest racists and hypocrites who disrespect people from other parts of our country but when the same treatment is meted out outside India we cry wolf.

Amidst all this calm and beauty there is a bit of chaos and unrest. We were shocked and overwhelmed to see multiple massive Army carcade comprising of many jeeps mounted with automated weapons manned by bunch of smart, fit and able men and women of the Indian Army. They were completely covered from head to toe, we couldn't even see their eyes. We understood how lethal and professional our Army could be, tirelessly working to keep our Nation's interests and borders safe from internal and external threats. However, unfortunately events like Malom massacre have also happened under the Army's watch.

Memorial At Malom Bus Stop

Whatever demands or needs both sides have, it would be best to drop weapons and find solutions to all problems through constructive dialogues and lay foundation for real development that would benefit the future generations of our Country.

This trip taught us to quit the habit of surrendering ourselves to commercialization and make memories and experiences rather than collect materialistic things. It also taught us to introspect on how we have done some irreparable damage to Nature and have been living surrounded by toxic environment, processed and contaminated food and plastic people. We really need to get back to our roots, start respecting Nature, consume healthy and chemical free food, breathe fresh air without the help of filtering masks. We have to be very thankful and content with what we have.

"You Only Live Once But If You Do It Right, Once Is Enough."