Cherrapunji – Where monsoons don’t end!

Cherrapunji is the land of monsoons. Dotted with spectacular valleys, foaming rivers and magnificent waterfalls, it is a perfect tourist destination in the lap of nature.

Some of the must visit places with major tourist foot fall here are:

Double Decker Root Bridge/ Living Root Bridge

Living Root Bridge Cherrapunji

A marvellous example of exceptional concept of science, it is amongst the star attractions at Tyma Village in Cherrapunji. A symbol of pride of successful bio-engineering, it is a 100 feet long, two-tier living root bridge. It has a foot fall of minimum 50 people at a time. Such a bridge takes 10 to 15 years to get functional. By the virtue of its basic concept in bio-engineering, it gets stronger every day.

Cherrapunji Theological College at Nongsawlia

It imparts training to the local preachers to spread Christianity. In 1888, it was established by the Welsh Presbyterian Missionaries.

Nongsawlia Presbyterian Church

Very popular among tourists, this famous church was established in 1846 by Rev. Thomas Jones who brought Christianity to the region.

Krem Mawmluh Cave

It is India’s forth longest cave located at a height of 4503 m, just half a kilometre to west of Cherrapunji. The cave’s main entrance is at a height of 10 km above sea level and a pool is formed by five rivers that enter the cave.

Krem Phyllut Cave

A major attraction, located in Mawsmai village in Cherrapunji, this cave is 1002 m long with 3 entrances and has two river passages.

David Scott Memorial

Loyalty to the master pays and this monument is the perfect example. Built by the British in recognition of their most able and zealous servant of the time, David Scott, it is often a short stop over for tourists.

Dainthlen Waterfalls

A perfect picnic spot for tourists, it is located almost 5 kms away from Cherrapunji. Driving along this stretch is absolutely refreshing with panoramic natural sceneries. Tourists also visit a cave nearby which is believed to have the natural rock carving made by the snake that was killed by some people ages ago.

Khasi Monoliths

A perfect stopover for adventurous tourists, several monoliths are found around Cherrapunji. The most popular one, however, has beautiful intricate structure of interconnecting underground passages beneath old caves.

Eco Park

Located in the east Khasi hills district in Cherrapunji, it has several varieties of hybrid and indigenous orchids in the green house in the park. Tourists can enjoy the breath taking view of Sylhet Plains of neighbouring Bangladesh.

Ram Krishna Mission

This place is famous among tourists for a performance called Shad Suk Mynsiem, also known as ‘Dance of the Joyous Heart’. It takes place in the month of April.

When visiting Cherrapunji, tourists can also plan a visit to the nearby places that are not only beautiful but famous, too. The Nohkalikai Waterfalls are 5 kms away from Cherrapunji. They are the fourth highest waterfall in the world with a height of 1100 ft. The Thangkharang Park, run and maintained by the State forest department is around 12 kms from Cherrapunji. This park offers a majestic view of the plains of Bangladesh. Khoh Ramhah or the Basket of the Giant is a few kms away from Thangkharang Park. It is a huge stone that resembles a Khasi basket. Its name originated from the belief that this huge stone was carried by a giant. The Kynrem Waterfall and Mawsmai Falls, supposed to be fourth highest fall in India are also among the tourist attractions.

The best time of year to visit Cherrapunji is from October to May. The rainfall is good but not as high as in monsoons. This makes visiting places easier and the trip can be totally enjoyable.

Tourists can reach Cherrapunji via Guwahati which is at a distance of almost 180 kms from the place. It has both railway station and international airport. Guwahati is connected to Cherrapunji via road.

Both private and government run hotels and resorts are available for tourists in Cherrapunji. To name a few, Cherrapunji Holiday Resorts and Polo Orchid Resort are rated high on comfort and service by the tourists.