Trek to the Living Root Bridge, Umunoi :
Duration: It is about 3-4 hours from the Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort
Distance: 4 km down and up 1400 feet.
Open: Throughout the year
Cherrapunjee Holiday Resort :
Address: Mawmluh-Laitkynsew Road, Cherrapunji
Phone: 094361 15925, 096153 38500, 098630 79856
E-mail: [email protected]
This trek starts from the Resort grounds and goes down hill through village Sohsarat. The steps are comparably steeper in two short stretches. Fractionally, steps going down hill cover the distance. Again, there is a jungle path going along the sides of the hill leading to the Living Root Bridge with a few steps after short stretches of sloping footpath. Moss, grows on these sandstone steps during the monsoon and makes them very slippery. However, the steps can be negotiated easily with little care by locking the hind of your feet in the depressions between stones in the steps. The walking staff comes handy to steady to you at this point.
The course through the jungle and bay leaf garden is quite interesting. As you approach towards the bridge, you will hear the sound of water flowing by the stream. After adoring the Living Root Bridge and taking snaps, you get down into the stream and take a refreshing bath in the stream. En-route you get to see millipedes, snails, butterflies and spiders in their webs. Thereafter, seeing the bridge you can move ahead to a naturally formed Dolomite archway. During the rainy season, bring raincoats to undertake the trek even when it is raining.
Trek to Double Decker Root Bridge and Natural Swimming Pools :
Duration : Approximately 9 hours to 7 hours walking:
Downward : 2500 feet and up.
Total distance : Approximately 10 10 km of which 5 5 km
Open : Throughout the year
Leave the pool side : 2:30 p.m. to reach the top before it is dark
Beautiful mountain skirting road commanding a beautiful view of the valley and through three interesting Khasi villages and can be reached by a vehicle if anyone wants to save time and energy. This is one of the most beautiful and very famous treks. The high points of this trek are the natural swimming pools in the river bed and the Double Decker Root Bridge. The people of the village of this valley Nongriat where the Double Decker Root Bridge is located, are very friendly and very special. The trek down the stone steps is steep for almost half of the trek down. The villagers of Nongriat, Nongthymmai and Mynteng mainly use this trek daily, on rainy and sunny day as well. The steps become slippery during the monsoon months and little care needs to be taken to avoid slipping. The rivers in streams and spate and waterfalls in full flow during the monsoon months add magnificence to the root bridges stretching these rivers and streams. Ponder upon the raw force of nature, when the river is outpouring after very heavy rainfall, situated on the Steel Rope bridges strung taut across the river 45 feet above normal water level. You need the courage for this kind of adventure.
Before reaching the Double Decker Root Bridge, you will come across more Steel Rope bridges and Living Root Bridges. The valley scenery is breathtaking. As you walk further from the Double Decker Root Bridge on level ground, about 2 km (approx. 20 minutes) to reach Mawsaw Steel Rope Bridge, you will reach the famous natural swimming pools and has access. The larger pool is deep and it is recommended only for good swimmers . The smaller pool is an option for starters. You will have to take a note since pools are off limits during monsoon season and after good rains. When the river is outpouring please do not attempt swimming. The bottom of the pools very clearly, so clear is the water, when the flow is normal in winter. The color of the water is so tempting for a swim. During the monsoon months, the water can become clear if there had been no rains in the preceding days. Again, the under current is very strong and it is durably advised not to get into the pools or attempt swimming.
The place is quite popular. Asahi TV, Japan in June 2004 made a documentary on Double Decker Root Bridge and on BBC, Double Decker Root Bridge was filmed in 2008 for its series "The Human Planet'.
Trek to Umkar Root Bridge, Siej :
Duration : 1and half hours
Distance : 3 3 km by vehicle
Recommended : For light walkers
This trek is for light walkers or for those who are not able to take up treks involving going down steps and mountain slopes. This trek is easy and fun with all the charm of walking through the rain forests here. There is a Living Root Bridge that was partly washed away by flash floods. Due to the growing tourist interest in Living Root Bridges, the village people are sustaining the roots to form the bridge again. The portion under construction will take a few more years to become ready for use. At the time of monsoon season, the waterfall just by the bridge is great for taking bath. It is known as the best place for bathing in a waterfall.
The first 3 km you will have to travel by car on a paved road. Once you reach the village of Siej; the remaining half km is a wrap for you on foot that has few steps along the side of the hill. In transit there is a stream where the surface runoff can be furious after heavy rains. You should not miss a bath in the waterfall here during the monsoon season.The heavy rain thereafter flow and becomes huge, but reduces at regular levels. Water flow turns to a trickle in the dry winter months.
Trek to 'Splashing Park' / Mawsiekhriah :
Duration : 2 hours
Distance : 3 3 km approximately
Open : Throughout the year
This is a trek on the top of the hill, which is very light. It is almost on level ground passing through the forests of Laitkynsew, passing by a vast natural rock garden , the vegetable gardens in winter and a steep rock cliff face dropping off a few hundreds of feet overlooking Mawshamok, Umwai Falls, Umwai, Mawlong villages and the limestone mines of Ichhamati. Ahead the way you pass by a few mountain streams and can hear flowing water by underground channels. The Sylhet plain of Bangladesh extends across to south from the foot of the hills. You get a dazzling view of the plains and can see Chhatack town in Bangladesh from here. Border Area Development Authority has now developed a road to this place for developing a new park in this area.
This trek / drive is accessible throughout the year. One can go back by the road to the Cherrapunji Resort or can take a footpath leading up a flight of steps to Village Sohsarat and reach the resort through different route. The sight of the farmhouses and farmlands from the top of the steps is absorbing. This trek can be extended in the dry months. Close by the rock cliff face; look for three power lines going down to Mawlong village. Next to the electric posts, you can locate a footpath leading to Mawlong village. It is about a kilometer and a half to the village. Once you reach the road, you can walk back to the Resort via village Mawshamok. The whole trek would be of 14 km as a whole.
Trek to Mawshamok by Lovers Road :
Duration : 1 to 2 hours
Distance : 3 3 km
Open : Throughout the year
Light trek by road along a beautiful valley with alluring formations of clouds sweeping through the pass between Laitkynsew and Mawshamok hills during the monsoon season. You will notice many waterfalls dappling the sides of the hills during the rainy season. Most of these waterfalls change much bigger when the rains are lashing the hills and thin out soon after.
Young couples love to walk by this road and we call it the Lovers Road.You should not miss to do a rain walk by this road in the monsoons. After reaching Mawshamok village, take the road to the right leading to Mawlong village. One km from there, you will reach a stream where you can enjoy a bath. Then you can trek back to the Resort. The sloping uphill is set until you reach the resort. Walk hand in hand. You need is to be young at heart to take a trek to lovers Road.
