Living Root Bridge Meghalaya | Trek to Living Root Bridge
Contact Us | +91 9756600449 | [email protected]

Difficulty

Easy - Moderate

Max. Altitude

1500m

Duration

8 Days

Best Time

Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec

In A Hurry?

You can download our complete tour details and guide for ADVENTURE MEGHALAYA. Also, you can schedule a callback from UFO Adventure Travel.


Tour description

Meghalaya literally means 'Abode of Clouds' in Sanskrit and is aptly named so due to the high rainfall it gets every year. It is the wettest region in India, bordering Bangladesh and predominantly an agrigarian economy. Home to dense rainforests, people have inhabited this region since he neolithic era. The rolling forests of Jaintia, Khasi and Garo hills are full of rich flora and fauna and also home to one of the largest network of caves in Asia. The Adventure Meghalaya itinerary is a perfect way to be introduced the stunning beauty of this border region. The week long trip has been designed to cover and explore the best bits that Meghalaya has to offer. We start the trip by heading to Cherrapunjee, once claimed to be the wettest place on earth. In the following days we go spelunking in the cave nearby, visit the famous Living Root bridges, Rainbow waterfall and then head back to Shillong, the state capital, to witness the local life. All along you will be accompanied by a UFO guide and other guides may join in for activities that you will be a part of. A truly breathtaking trip!


Virtual tour of
ADVENTURE MEGHALAYA

Is this Holiday for you ?

This trip does not require any major fitness though Day 3 and Day 4 you do end up climbing down 4000 stairs and again climb the same up the next day. There is fair bit of travelling to be done every day, and we would encourage you to do a bit of walking/running and breathing exercises to enjoy this trek. A fair level of fitness is always helpful and makes the trip more enjoyable.

A multi activity adventure holiday in the 'Abode of Clouds'

Trek to the natural wonder i.e Living Root bridges

Chase magnificent waterfalls in Cherrapunjee

Spelunking. Kayaking. Hiking and other activities





  • 8 Days, 7 nights hotel
  • 7 breakfasts, 6 dinners
  • max group size: 10
  • With the dense rainforests, Meghalaya attracts some of the heaviest rainfall in the world. However, we run trips inthis region during the dry months from November to March. The day is fairly warm with temperature touching 24-30°C. In the evening however, it is a bit chilly with the temperature dips below 10°C and sometimes even below 0°C,. So keep a fleece jacket and warm hat handy.

Please contact [email protected] for quotes.

  • Local English speaking guide
  • Airport transfers as described
  • All land transport involved in the itinerary
  • All accommodation as described
  • Meals as per the Meal Plan
  • All permits and entrance fees in the itinerary
  • All equipment for activities
  • All costs are applicable for double occupancy
  • Travel insurance
  • Visas
  • Some meals as per the Meal Plan
  • Airport transfers other than those described
  • Tips for local staff including the local guide and drivers
  • Miscellaneous expenses - drinks and souvenirs etc.
  • Personal camera equipment & gear
  • Flights and airfare
  • Meals will be a mix of local and comfort food. Breakfasts will consist of bread, cheese, honey, jams, fruit, tea and Nescafe along with eggs, paranthas, etc. For lunch there will be a variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. Dinner will usually be a soup followed by lentils, vegetable curry and meat as available. Vegetarians can be catered for.
  • A single group transfer will be arranged from Guwahati Airport to the hotel in Cherrapunjee. This transfer will meet the arrival of the flights from Delhi at 1200 hrs. At the end of the trip there will be a single group transfer from the group hotel to Guwahati Airport at 8 am. This transfer will be after breakfast on Day 8 of the trip itinerary. A representative of our local agent will assist with the transfers between the airport and the group hotel. If the arrival transfer does not work with your flight, you will need to make your own transfer arrangements at Guwahati Airport. Should you require an airport transfer, these can be arranged by the hotel reception staff or alternatively please contact the UFO office
  • During this trip the group will spend 5 nights in hotel and 2 night camping.. All accommodation is allocated on a twin sharing basis. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired up with another single client of the same sex. All accommodations used by UFO adhere to hygiene and comfort norms. For Hotel prices and single supplement costs please contact UFO office.
  • Day will start with a hot cup of tea served to you at around 7 am. At around 8 a.m. breakfast will be under way and by 8.30 we should be back on the trail to our next destination. You will have plenty of time to get up and pack your bag which will be transported safely to the next destination in your taxi. Please make sure you fill you water bottles for the day ahead. Lunch will either be at the hotel you are staying or at a nice restaurant while traveling. Usually travelling is 4-5 hours every day. On arrival at hotel, we can relax and take tea or coffee. Dinner is ready at around 7.30-8 p.m. This is a great time of day for reliving the events of the trip so far and for general socializing. After dark, the temperature starts to fall and everyone will soon be tucked up in their beds.

More reasons to love the experience

Fantastic family adventure
Accessible and safe for children
Mix of adventure and local culture
Caving experience with expert guides
Trek to the natural wonders of Living root bridges
All land transport included

ITINERARY FOR THE TREK

DAY 1

LAND IN GUWAHATI. LEAVE FOR CHERRAPUNJE.

We land at Guwahati and then leave for Cherrapunje.  A group transfer at 12 noon will be waiting for you with the UFO guide will pick you up from the Airport. We will then leave for our destination, Cherrapunjee, once considered to be the  wettest place on the planet. We will stop at a local restaurant for lunch and passing through little villages and farming lands. If we reach Cherrapunjee in time we will stop at Arwah cave for a little sightseeing before we check into our comfortable hotel.



  Accommodation
Hotel in Cherrapunjee
  Meals
D
  Time
3-4 hrs drive

DAY 2

SPELUNKING (CAVING) AT MAWMLUH CAVE. EXPLORING CHERRAPUNJEE IN THE EVENING.

After tea and breakfast, we leave for spelunking. Meghalaya has one of the biggest network of caves in Asia with most of them not yet explored fully or not at all. We will meet our spelunking guide after breakfast who will give you quick tips for the day activity. We will then leave for the cave which situated behind an abandoned cement factory. After changing into our caving gear and helmet, head torch we head for a 20 minute walk to the entrance of the cave. You will see little 'rat holes' on the way. these small caves are dug by local people trying to chip away for coal which is then sold. This is dangerous as sometimes the caves collapse leaving the person trapped. the last 10 minutes of walk is scramble downhill through dense forest. We then enter Mawmluh cave, and you should stay close to the group and follow the guides instruction. As it is a horizontal cave, you will be able to walk easily except some places where you will have to use your hands and get a bit wet as you cross a small pool. Always look where you step as there are small holes everywhere. You will be able to spot some crayfish and of course bats living inside these caves. Spotting ,Stalactites and Stalagmites, shimmering rocks and other formations. After reaching the 'Hanging Gardens' where there is  group of stalactites and stalagmites, we head back up to the entrance. We meet our vehicle and then head out for lunch. After lunch we will head to some tourist attraction and visits the local market.  The evening is at leisure and you can explore the vast grounds at the group hotel. After a tiring day, we will look forward to a delicious dinner and head to our rooms for a deep sleep.



  Accommodation
Hotel in Cherrapunjee
  Meals
B D
  Time
2-3 hrs

DAY 3

TREK DOWN TO LIVING ROOT BRIDGES& RAINBOW WATERFALL. STAY AT NONGRIAT.

A fantastic day in the itinerary as you will visit the famous living root bridges of Meghalaya. One of the natural wonders of the world. Using the rubber tree routes through betel tree trunks, villagers place and train these routes across rivers and streams until the roots attach with each other. The process can take anywhere between 5-15 years and shows the foresightedness and patience of the local Khasi population. We leave for Nongriat village after breakfast by 8.30 am. We have to climb down almost 3000 steps to reach the village. So take it slow and steady. You will able to catch the single root bridge at Nong Thynmai village on the way and also see the life and work of the local population. We will have packed lunch or lunch at the local guest house at Nongriat village. Do not forget the free fish spa  in the little ponds below the double decker root bridge. After  a short rest, it is another 90 minutes to  Rainbow Falls. You will be asked to carry a day bag with your essentials that you need for the night along with a change of clothes for the next day. Your main bags will remain either at the hotel or in the car for the night. Sleeping bags and blankets will be provided for the night as we stay at the guest house at Nongriat (this is subject to availablity)



  Accommodation
Guest House at Nongriat
  Meals
B D
  Time
3-4 hrs

DAY 4

WALK BACK UP FROM NONGRIAT VILLAGE. LEAVE FOR DAWKI.

After an early breakfast , we walk back up to reach  our transport and head back to Cherrapunjee for lunch. This is the hardest day of the trip as you have to climb almost 4000 steps back from Rainbow falls.  After  a sumptuous meal at Cherrapunjee, we leave for Dawki, a small town in the West Jaintia Hills which is also the border between Bangladesh and India. You will  notice the crystal clear waters of Umngot river and the suspension bridge built by the British in 1932. We will then leave for our beautiful riverside accommodation for the night at Shnongpdeng.  The evening is at leisure and you can explore the nearby areas before dark with your guide.



  Accommodation
Guesthouse at Shnongpdeng
  Meals
B D
  Time
4-5 hrs drive

DAY 5

MULTI ACTVITIES INCLUDING HIKING & CLIFF JUMPING

A fun day with lots of planned activities. After breakfast we head for a short walk hike in the forests. We then head to a cliff point where you will have muster the courage to jump into the Umngot river .  We will then have lunch and get an experience of local riverboat which you will see ferrying up and down on the river. After a busy day we will head back to our night hotel for dinner and night stay.



  Accommodation
Hotel in Shnonpdeng
  Meals
B D
  Time
3-4 hrs

DAY 6

LEAVE FOR MOWLONGBNA.

After an early breakfast, we depart for our next destination, Mownlongbna, a sleepy village 20 kms from the Bangladesh border. We check in to a resort which is run by the village community and settle down for lunch. After some rest, we will head out for a short walk where we can find fossils of starfish, and take in the sight of Pungbahshait waterfall . You can take your swimwear if you a fancy a dip in the pool at the waterfall! We will then visit a pitcher plant farm. After a stroll through the garden,  we head back to our resort for dinner. A visit to the town market is optional if the group wants to experience the night life at this border village.



  Accommodation
Village resort
  Meals
B D
  Time
3-4 hrs drive

DAY 7

CANYONING TO UMKHAKOI RESERVOIR. LEAVE FOR SHILLONG.

We wake to the birds chirping early morning. After tea and breakfast, we get ready for some canyoning. It is fairly easy, but slippery,  where you will be swimming and walking across small streams and pools to get to the Umkhakoi reservoir.  Once at the reservoir, you can opt for kayaking or just jump in the reservoir for a swim. Please make sure you keep the life jacket on at all times. After the swim, we will head to the 'Split Rock'. A curious place where two 30 ft high rocks have just enough space to stand for a couple of people at the base.  After a cup of tea, and gazing into the plains of Bangladesh, we head back to our resort. We have a hearty lunch after all the swimming, and say our goodbyes to the local staff and leave for our hotel near Shillong. We can rest at the resort with the evening at leisure. 



  Accommodation
Hotel near Shillong
  Meals
B D
  Time
2-3 hrs

DAY 8

DEPARTURE DAY

We have early breakfast and the taxi will be ready to drop you to the Guwahat airport at 8 am. If you want to extend your holiday to visit the Kaziranga National Park to spot tigers and rhinoceros, please get in touch with the UFO Office.



  Meals
B

Why trekkers love us?

I am 61 years old who had lots of apprehensive regarding treks and food but the UFO team took marvelous care right from the start. Spending days at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland was so enriching and camping with unknown made me meet so many new people from all walks of life.

Vinita Agarwal

UFO is certainly the organizer to go for treks with if you want personalized and customized services. We did a private group trek on the Goecha La trail in Sikkim.The guides, food and equipment was spot on and the trek leader had specialist knowledge of the area. Despite the high-end service, UFO prices are extremely competitive. Just go for it!

Tilak Swarup

Had a wonderful experience with Ultimate Frontier Outlands and their team on the most beautiful treks – The Great Lakes, Kashmir & Mardi Himal trek, Nepal. The team was beyond nice and made sure everybody felt good during the trek. The things that set them apart are their trekking infrastructure, their supporting staff and limited number of people on the trek. They are passionate for trekking and you can feel the efforts these people are taking to make your trek a memorable experience.

Paresh Chaudhary

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Frequently asked questions

How do you travel to Cherrapunjee?

The most convenient point of travel will be Guwahati, which is 150 kms or 4 hours away from Guwahati, the capital of Assam. It is well connected by all modes of transport. It will be advisable to land by 12 noon so you can make it to Cherrapunjee by the evening. Please note that the sun sets early in Northeast India in the winter.

How tough is the Living root bridges trek to Nongriat?

The trek to Nongriat should take atleast 3 hours. You will have to walk down atleast 3000 steps to Nongriat. Rainbow waterfall is another 1 hour from the village. The trek is safe and not that tough. A little cardio and strengthening your thighs and core will help a lot.

Is caving safe?

You will be accompanied by expert guides during your caving trip to Mawmluh cave. Wet suits, helmets, ropes and boots will be provided by our team. We can only do caving from November to March when the water level is low and the caves are accessible. Always follow the instructions of the guide and never wander alone or separately from the group. Mawmluh caving trip is safe and is an entirely different experience from anything you have ever done.

Can we make this a family holiday?

This is the perfect holiday if you’re looking for adventure with your family and friends. This holiday encompasses culture, trekking, caving and other adventure activities all rolled into one. We can also customize the trip according to the requirements and needs of a group. Meghalaya is truly an adventurer’s paradise.