Cherrapunji (Sohra)

Cherrapunji, known by its Khasi name Sohra, sits on the southern edge of the Meghalaya plateau, where the land drops away in dramatic cliffs toward the plains of Bangladesh. It is famous the world over for one thing above all: rain. Warm, moisture-laden air sweeping up from the Bay of Bengal is forced up against these hills and wrung out in staggering quantities, making Sohra and its neighbour Mawsynram among the wettest inhabited places on the planet. This is an honest caveat as much as a boast, during the monsoon the country here can be lashed by relentless rain, and sightseeing is often washed out.

That same rainfall carves the landscape into something extraordinary. Waterfalls plunge off the plateau in every direction: Nohkalikai, the tallest plunge waterfall in India, falling in a single ribbon into a green pool far below; the seven-strand Nohsngithiang (Seven Sisters) Falls; and Dainthlen Falls. The limestone beneath is riddled with caves such as Mawsmai and Arwah. But Sohra's most remarkable creations are the living root bridges, the jingkieng jri, which the Khasi have trained over decades and even generations from the aerial roots of rubber-fig trees to span the rivers of the deep valleys. The celebrated double-decker root bridge at Nongriat is reached only on foot, by a long and steep descent of thousands of stone steps and a hard climb back, a genuinely demanding trek, not a casual stroll.

This is Khasi country, a proudly matrilineal society, and Meghalaya requires no Inner Line Permit for Indian or foreign visitors, which makes it one of the more accessible corners of the Northeast. MyTripMyTravel runs Cherrapunji as a day journey or overnight from Shillong, with a chauffeured drive to the waterfalls, caves, and viewpoints, and, for those who want it and are fit for it, a guided descent toward the root bridges, planned realistically around the weather and the effort involved.