Into the Abode of Clouds: Meghalaya

Living root bridges, a river so clear the boats seem to float, and the wettest, greenest corner of India — a ride through Meghalaya's misty hills.

Meghalaya — literally 'the abode of clouds' — is the greenest place you will ever ride. This is the wettest region on earth, and it shows: waterfalls off every cliff, deep forested gorges, and living bridges grown from the roots of rubber trees over generations.

The living root bridges

The double-decker root bridge at Nongriat, below Cherrapunji, is a steep hike down and back — thousands of stone steps — and worth every one. It is one of the most extraordinary things humans have ever made, simply by guiding roots across a stream and waiting fifty years.

Dawki and Mawlynnong

The Umngot river at Dawki runs so clear the boats seem to float on air. Nearby Mawlynnong is famous as the cleanest village in Asia — bamboo paths, flower gardens, and a sky-walk out over the treetops toward the plains of Bangladesh.

In Meghalaya the road doesn't just pass through the landscape. It disappears into a cloud and comes out somewhere greener.

Ride it October to April, once the heaviest rains have eased. Moderate, magical, and still wonderfully uncrowded.

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Meghalaya: Living Root Bridges

The abode of clouds, greenest of them all.

6 days·Moderate

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