{"id":2140,"date":"2026-02-02T18:35:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lazyatra.com\/blog\/?p=2140"},"modified":"2026-02-02T18:40:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:40:41","slug":"assam-meghalaya-trip-dawki-mawlynnong-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lazyatra.com\/blog\/meghalaya\/assam-meghalaya-trip-dawki-mawlynnong-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Dawki & Mawlynnong Experience | Assam Meghalaya Trip Day 5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Day 5 of Our Assam\u2013Meghalaya Trip: Living Root Bridges, Dawki & Mawlynnong Experience<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Living Root Bridge at Mayleylong<\/p>\n\n\n\n

& a Long Return to Shillong<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By Day 5, we were already feeling the impact of continuous travel and long walking days<\/strong>, especially after the demanding Double Decker Root Bridge trek on Day 4. Still, this day was planned to cover some of the most talked-about places in Meghalaya\u2014Mawlynnong and Dawki<\/strong>\u2014before deciding how far we could realistically travel by night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting the Day from Cherrapunji<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As planned, we started from Cherrapunji<\/strong> early in the morning.
Although the initial plan mentioned an 8 AM start, we actually began closer to 9 AM<\/strong>, which turned out to be more realistic given how tired everyone was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The distance from Cherrapunji to Dawki is around 80\u201390 km<\/strong>, and without any stops, it can take 4\u20135 hours<\/strong>. Since we had multiple places in mind en route, we knew it would be a long day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Stop: Living Root Bridge Near Mawlynnong<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our first stop was a Living Root Bridge near Mawlynnong village<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This bridge is often casually referred to as a \u201csingle root bridge,\u201d but technically, it is also a living root bridge<\/strong>\u2014similar in concept to what we had seen in Cherrapunji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How This Bridge Compared to Cherrapunji<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • In Cherrapunji, the root bridge trek involved around 2,000 steps<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Here, it was just about 150 steps<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The experience itself felt quite similar, but the effort required was far less<\/strong>, which suited us perfectly after the previous day\u2019s exhaustion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We spent about an hour<\/strong> here before moving on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Living<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mawlynnong Village: Clean, Calm, but Walk-Heavy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    After the living root bridge, we headed to Mawlynnong<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mawlynnong is widely known as Asia\u2019s cleanest village<\/strong> and received recognition for this in 2012<\/strong>. On entering the village, the cleanliness was immediately noticeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • No plastic waste<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Whatever garbage existed was organic and green<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • No artificial litter or visual clutter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      The village itself is beautiful and well-kept. However, covering it properly requires 2\u20133 km of walking<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Given that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • We had already done major walking the previous day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • My wife and kids were still recovering from the Double Decker trek<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        We chose not to explore every corner extensively and moved on at a comfortable pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        \"Mayleylong<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Mawlynnong to Dawki: Short Distance, Slow Progress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        From Mawlynnong, we continued towards Dawki<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Distance: 15\u201316 km<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Travel time: roughly 1 hour<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Once we reached Dawki, the main activity planned was boating on the Dawki River<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Dawki River Boating: What Actually Happens There<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          To reach the boating point from the parking area, you need to descend around 300 steps<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          There are multiple boating points<\/strong> in Dawki. Our driver took us to one where he had a commission arrangement. A useful tip here is to look specifically for the board that says \u201cDawki River Boating Point\u201d<\/strong>, rather than blindly following suggestions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Boat Packages (Reality Check)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

          There are two packages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • 45 minutes<\/strong> \u2013 \u20b91,000<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • 1 hour<\/strong> \u2013 \u20b91,200<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            In practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Both cover almost the same route<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • The difference is mostly explained through attractive wording<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              The extra \u20b9200 is positioned as access to an island, but the island itself is not particularly special<\/strong>. Still, we chose the 1-hour ride<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              During the boat ride:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • We visited the island<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Covered the Bangladesh zero point<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Observed the river acting as a natural border, with one side belonging to India and the other to Bangladesh<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • You can clearly see Bangladeshi nationals<\/strong> across the river<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                The clarity of the water and the experience of being so close to an international border made the boating worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \"Nanhe
                Waiting to catch a fish at Dawki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                Visiting the Bangladesh Border<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                After boating, we headed to the Bangladesh border area<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Here, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • Walk right up to the last point<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • See the armed forces from both sides standing nearby<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • Take photographs and return<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  It\u2019s a short visit, but interesting from a geographical and experiential point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Deciding the Next Move: Guwahati or Shillong?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  We were in Dawki until around 4:00\u20134:30 PM<\/strong>.
                  At that point, we were unsure whether continuing all the way to Guwahati made sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  Initially, the plan was to return via Jowai<\/strong> and cover a few spots there. However:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • We had already spent a lot of time at Dawki<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Most places in Jowai would be closed by the time we arrived<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Waterfalls around Jowai again involved a lot of walking<\/strong>, which we were not prepared for after Day 4<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    So we skipped Jowai sightseeing entirely<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Reaching Shillong & Choosing to Halt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    We reached Shillong around 7:00\u20137:30 PM<\/strong> and decided not to continue to Guwahati<\/strong> the same night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Instead, we stayed at Orchid Lake Resort<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    A Real Scam Experience: Orchid Lake Resort Booking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    This stay came with an important lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    While searching for the hotel\u2019s contact details on Google, we came across a person offering a very attractive deal<\/strong>. However, he kept insisting on full payment before arrival<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    This raised suspicion, and we refused to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Later, we found out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • The person was a scammer<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • He had no official connection<\/strong> with the hotel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • The hotel management was already aware of him<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      Despite knowing about the scam, the hotel staff mentioned that nothing substantial had been done to stop him, which was disappointing. This was the first time we encountered such a situation during the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      It\u2019s a reminder that even Google search results can mislead<\/strong>, and direct confirmation with hotels is critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      Staying at Orchid Lake Resort<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                      We reached the hotel around 8:30 PM<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        \n
                      • This was the best room<\/strong> we stayed in during the entire trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Also the most expensive<\/strong>, at around \u20b95,000<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Spacious room<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Comfortable bedding<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Good overall experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                        Although it was slightly over our usual budget, the comfort felt justified after such a long and tiring day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Final Thoughts on Day 5<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                        Day 5 was long, layered, and exhausting<\/strong>, but also insightful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        We realised something important by this point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Meghalaya is not a destination where you can casually fit in many places without preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                        Most attractions involve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          \n
                        • Long drives<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Walking<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                        • Physical effort<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                          To enjoy Meghalaya properly, planning, pacing, and realistic expectations<\/strong> matter far more than just ticking places off a list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                          Day 5 of Our Assam\u2013Meghalaya Trip: Living Root Bridges, Dawki & Mawlynnong Experience Living Root Bridge at Mayleylong & a 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5 of Our Assam\u2013Meghalaya Trip: Living Root Bridges, Dawki & Mawlynnong Experience Living Root Bridge at Mayleylong & a 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