Living Root Bridge and Rainbow Waterfall Trek

Living Root Bridge Rainbow Waterfall Trek

Living Root Bridge Rainbow Waterfall trek lies Cherapunji, Meghalaya, is one of the natural wonders of Meghalaya, India. As the name suggests, they are built from living or hanging roots of the banyan tree or similar. These bridges were built by locals to help them cross the valleys. Now they have become the latest tourism attraction.
The article covers the following

• Single Decker Bridge - 2 hours trek
• Double Decker Bridge - 4 to 6 hours trek
• Rainbow Waterfall - approximately 10 hours trek
• Experience at Double Decker Living Root Bridge
• Experience at the Rainbow Waterfall
• Natural water swimming pools
• Other bridges through the valley

Other Miscellaneous items

Geography

Trek gear and things to carry

Food and accommodation near Double Decker Living Root Bridge

Return to Sohra in evening

Geography

The bridges are located near small village Nongrita,Tyrna, Meghalaya,a an hour's drive from Sohra or Cherapunji. The distance is about 21 km. While it is one of the budding tourist attraction, there are very few stay options near it. Most of the hotels are located in Cherapunji or Sohra.

Trek gear and things to carry

• Light sports wear - tshirt and shorts
• If you are visiting the place in winter, you might need a light jacket.
• Sport shoes or trekking shoes
• Caps
• Sunglasses
• Raincoat or ponchos if it rains
• Swimming wear and clothes to change - If you decide to enter water at the double decker bridge, natural swimming pools or the rainbow waterfall.
• Sunscreen lotion
• Water bottles - there are many streams on the way and water bottles can be refilled.
• Dry snacks , yoga bars, chocolates,.khakra and dry bhel.
• Food  - there are many food joints available on the way till the living root bridge. These joints are run by locals and serve basic food items like maggi noodles, omlete, bread omlete, cold drinks, bottled water etc.

Single Decker living root bridge

Just after you have climbed down approximately 1000 steps, you will come across single decker living root bridge. It is to your left and one might miss it, as it is located behind a house. There is a nominal tourist fee of rs 50 which one needs to pay.

One day trek to living root bridge

If you plan to visit only the Double Decker Living Root Bridge, then it would take around 4 to 5 hours.  I would not recommend, hiring a guide to the living root bridge as the route is pretty straight forward. However, if you do feel generous and want to generate some local employment then it's good to hire a guide. We left early morning at 6 am from our hotel in Sohra as we wanted to cover the rainbow waterfall in the same day. It is approximately 5 hours trek each side along with breaks at each spot. Total duration amounts to 10 hours.We reached the entry point at around 7 am. There are local people available as guides, it makes sense to hire them if you are planning to visit the rainbow waterfall. As at couple of places, the route leads to two roads and it becomes confusing. Since it's one day tour, it's recommended not to loose time, figuring out the route. The guide charges around Rs 800 for Rainbow waterfall. Needless to say, one needs to bargain.

Rainbow waterfall trek 

 I would classify this trek as moderate difficult simply not due to the distance. There is a twist to it. Usually all treks start from bottom of the hill and we climb up reach the top by mid of the day. Later we climb down. However in this case, the topography is exactly opposite. We climb down reach, reach the living root bridges. Walk around flat surface for some time and then again climb up last 1.5 km to reach the rainbow waterfall.  While going back, we will initially have climb down up to the living root bridge. Then comes the difficult part, the last leg from the living root bridge is a steep climb of 3000 steps.  This strainous exercise happens when you are completely tierd by end of the day.

Several bridges through the valley

Even though the name of the destination is living root bridge, one needs to cross sevaral wired bridges through the valley. Few of them are firm and couple of people can walk over it at a time. However there is one, which is barely made from long iron bars or strips and only one person can walk through it at a time.

To add some special effects, these bridges start vibrating in the same frequency as that of your foot steps. So you are compelled to walk slow and in one rythm. Later while heading Rainbow waterfall, the local villagers were building a bridge and we had to cross the river on a make and shift bamboo sticks bridge. There were places where we also had to climb small cliffs with help of some roots of the trees besides it.

Double Decker Living Root Bridge experience

After walking down the steps for approximately 2 hours, we reached the Double decker living root bridge.The double decker living root bridge is build over a small stream of water flowing between the valley.  We were the early birds and were able to take photographs of the bridge with out much crowd around. There are small fish available in the stream flowing bellow the bridge, people usually let their feel loose in it and enjoy a free foot massage. Some people also enter the stream and have a refreshing fresh water bath. Usually those who only visit the living root bridge, usually spend an hour or two around the bridge and return back to Tyrna village.

Food and accommodation near Double Decker Living Root Bridge

The stream and current tourism attraction has attracted many houses around it. There is a small homestay available near the double decker living root bridge. I would recommend this stay only for adults who are used to basic budget accommodation. Usually people will come on first day and have a halt at the home stay. Next day they proceed ahead to the rainbow waterfall. If you are going along with kids then it makes sense to plan a one day trip.

Rainbow waterfall

From the double Decker living, we left for the Rainbow waterfall. There are few turns through the small houses and one football ground which are confusing. Either you hire a guide or check with local villagers before proceeding. Else you would get lost in wild. After few meters, the path is full of bridges and wilderness with no trail of humans on the way. There was one bridge which was under construction. We had to climb down the mountain cliff (10 to 12 feet), cross the river over make and shift bamboo sticks bridge and again climb up mountain cliff with support of some tree roots. An adventure to remember, I must admit. The trail follows few steep climbs and we reached the rainbow waterfall at 11 am, after trek of another 1.5 to 2 hours.

 The glimpse of Rainbow waterfall is stunning as you see the gush of deep blue water falling from height of 20 meters or so down the pool. There is a yellow stone located just below the waterfall. It glows like a golden rock, when sun shines on it. On the way, we were able to spot a lot of flora and fauna. Wild mushrooms on the dead wood log was an sight to behold.

We also spotted some black and purple butterflies on the way. Some unique ferns and lots and of green vegetation on the way.

Note: The color of the water in rivers, streams, waterfall etc changes based on the season.  Scenery similar to the pictures in blog, is available in months of September to January. Later when monsoon starts, the water becomes muddy.
The base of the waterfall is not easily accessible. Some adventure enthusiast youngsters had climbed down cliff to the base of the waterfall and were bathing in the waterfall. I would not recommend the same to all. We had dry snacks while enjoying the view of the waterfall from top. There is a small shop which sells soft drinks, chips and biscuits. We started our way back after sometime.

Natural swimming pools

The swimming pool is formed by accumulation of water in hollow cavity along the river. On our way back, we had a pleasure to soak ourselves in natural water swimming pool. The water was very chilly and it took us some time to be comfortable. Since we were on a day trek, we spent approximately 30 minutes over there and moved ahead.

If you plan to stay over night then one can leave your luggage at the home stay near the living root bridge and enjoy bath here late afternoon.

We had maggi for lunch at the living root bridge and proceeded ahead for the day. The last climb of approximately 3000 steps was strainous as we were already tierd.
Approximately at 5 pm, we reached the Tyrna village.

Return to Cherapunji or Sohra

The through traffic from Tyrna village to Sohra stops after 5:30 pm, for safety reasons. As visibility in this area is low due to foggy weather in evening. So one needs to plan the living root bridge visit accordingly.
We came across two Asian lady travellers, who had booked a taxi in morning from Cherapunji. The taxi driver had dropped them at Tyrna village in morning and went back to Cherapunji. Since the driver didn't return in time to pick them up, they had requested a drop from us. One needs to keep also be aware that local transport like buses etc is not available in the evening time. Luckily the driver arrived and drove them back to Cherapunji.

Meghalaya

Meghalaya is a state in the East of India. In Sanskrit, Megh means clouds and Alaya means home or adobe. As the name suggest it is Adobe of clouds. It is surrounded by Bangladesh to south and west. To the north is Assam. After nearly completing most of South of India and a maiden trip to Himalayas, we decided to set our next target in Eastern India.

Suggested Itinerary

• When to visit
• How to reach and travel around
• 7 days of Meghalaya
• Cherrapunji or Shohra (local name)
• Living Root Bridge and Rainbow waterfall trek 
• Dawki and Shnongpdeng River side tent stay and water activities
• Shillong - One night stay

When to visit

Meghalaya will have beauty of its own in each month.

Best Season

The best months to visit Meghalaya are from September to January. During this time, the weather is favorable for outdoor activities. Peak season is from November to December. It is ideal for people in Bangalore to visit Meghalaya during Dushera school holidays which falls during September or October.

Other months

Meghalaya experiences a lot of rain through out the year and is famous for recording highest rainfall in the world. And it might not be recommended to travel and do activities in rainy season. However many people visit the area to experience it.

How to reach and travel around 

The nearest airport is Guwahati in Assam. Shillong is around 3 and half hours drive from Guwahati. Cherrapunji is another 3 hours drive from Shillong. We took an early morning 6 am flight from Bangalore and reached Guwahati around 9:30 am. It is recommended to hire a taxi or car for Cherrapunji as getting local transport to tourist spots is difficult.
Drive options -

• Self drive car - Zoomcar is available near Guwahati airport. They arrange pickup from the airport and drop to airport. One needs to drive through  Khasi and Garo Mountain range, the road has a lot of twist and turns. If you are not used to it then, it is recommended to hire a rental car with driver. The road quality was extremely good in the month of September and we were able to easily manage. There are times when it becomes suddenly cloudy. This might prove to be dangerous in the dark.
• Rental cars with drivers - Many options are available on internet.
• Buses - There are buses available till Shillong from Guwahati airport as well as Guwahati city. After a night halt at Shillong, you can start early morning for Cherrapunji. However the taxi hired from Shillong will be available only till Shillong and one needs to take bus to Guwahati airport and its not worth the effort. If you are on tight budget then only opt for it.

Tips 

It is advisable to leave for Cherrapunji early in the morning. Till 10 am to 10:30 am maximum, as it becomes cloudy in the evening near Cherrapunji. Else take a halt in or around Shillong city.
There is a lot of traffic near Guwahati airport for an hour or more till we hit the national highway so plan the travel accordingly both ways.

Cherrapunji or Shohara (Local Name for the place)

After approximately 6 hours drive and couple of breaks we reached Cherrapunji at around 7 pm. It is recommended to have an early lunch near Guwahati airport before you set off for the journey. On the way we experienced bad traffic and road jams in Guwahati near the highway and near Shillong.
It was a mesmerizing drive through the lush green mountains of the Khasi range. On the way before Shillong, we hit the Umiam Lake view point where we took a tea break.There are many small shops which offer tea, biscuits, boiled eggs and omelets. Couple of good restaurants on the way.
Once you approach Cherrapunji, one can spot a lot of local shops selling fresh pork meat. We did not try it however I have read multiple recommendations for the same.
We reached around 7 pm to the hotel in Cherapunji. There are multiple options available as per your
budget. We always prefer medium budget hotel with freshly cooked food. So we choose La Kupar Inn. The hotel manager explained us the next days itinerary with local hand drawn map.
Day 1 - Cherrapunji or Shohara Sightseeing

• Mawsmai Caves - mall caves down south east of Cherrapunji. We reached there around 10 am. It is small limestone cave with stalactites and stalagmites formations. Water drips from the ceiling of the cave and the minerals remains in the water are left behind and form various shapes. It takes about 20 -30 minutes to visit the caves. One has to pay minor entry fee.
• Seven sisters waterfall - After a short drive from Mawsmai caves is the seven sisters waterfall. It is more of viewing point on the road where one can see seven waterfalls over the limestone cliff. There are stalls for tea and local snacks. We spent some quality time over there.
• Nohkalikai Falls -We headed to Nohkalikai waterfalls then, it is towards the center of Cherrapunji town. It was bright and sunny and in few minutes, we were surrounded by clouds all over. My nine year old son was super excited. We parked the car and walked towards the viewing point. The view of the valley and waterfall was blocked as there was light wind and we were among the clouds. It was different experience altogether. My son was running in the clouds and trying to feel them. There is open space behind the viewing point and we decided to explore the nature in the mean time. It was fun to
  walk in the grass meadow with clouds all around us. After some time, the weather became clear and we were able to spot the waterfall.We had our lunch at the restaurant near the viewing point.
• Arwah Caves - The caves are 2-3 km near the Cherrapunji bus stand. After the main entrance, you need to drive alongrough road for about 1 km to reach the parking lot. There is minor entry fee person. Then you need to walk along trail for another 1 km to reach the cave entrance. Half way through you will have option of taking the short but difficult trail else you continue on the longer and easier trail. If you are physically fit then only take the shorter trail. While walking along the trail you will feel as if you are in the Aztec Jungle surrounded by different kind of trees and ferns etc. At the entrance, we hired guide at nominal fee. It is recommended to hire a guide as the cave is lighted half way through. If you want to explore the remaining part it is advisable to do it with guide. The guide showed us multiple fossils of fish and other sea creatures on the walls of the cave. At the end of the cave there is octopus shaped stalactite.It is recommend to keep a torch or mobile phone light on. Some parts of the cave you need to crawl through so wearing shorts is recommended. On our way back we took the shorter trail and it gave me major physical training goals to improve on.
•  Dantalon Waterfalls -  After our endearing stunts in the Arwah caves, we proceeded ahead to the Dantalon Waterfalls. Its 30 to 40 minutes drive from the place. We reached there by sunset and enjoyed our evening tea by the waterfall. Since it was month of October, the water flow is less and the tourist were able to walk through the place. We enjoyed clicking pictures along the scanty water flowing in between the ridges.  Later we explored the remote area to the right of the waterfall. While returning back we were able to take few sunset pictures.  Recommendation - If you have a spare day, then its a good picnic spot. Many locals had carried food and other basic necessities and were enjoying their day out at this place.
• A peaceful sunset over the top of Khasi Garo Mountains marked the end of our Day 1. Please stay updated for Living root bridge and Tent stay next to Umngot River near Dawki.
  
  

Brooklyn Bridge New York

The Boorklyn Bridge in New York was one of the longest and oldest suspension brigde built in the world. This bridge was the first one to connect Brooklyn to the Manhattan New york city. All though old enough, the bridge has unique charisma due to its long supsension wires. There are separate pedestrian walkways provided for tourist. The toursist can enjoy viewing the Manhattan city skyline while walking along these walkways.

Tower of London Bridge

The Tower of London Bridge is just in front of the Tower of London museum. This bridge opens up from between when a high steamer or cruise boat passes below it. I was privileged to see the London Bridge opening in my second trip to the same attraction. The architechture of the Tower of London Bridge appealed me more then London Bridge. The nursery ryhme, 'London Bridge is falling down' has made London Bridge much more popular then the Tower of London Bridge for common man around the world.

Chapel Bridge

The Chapel Bridge in Luzern is the Ancient Bridge. There are three bridges in Luzern. Two for traffic and other is the pedestrian bridge.
The bridge has facility to control the flow of the water into the lake from the river. Thus it serves two purposes at time.

Click here to go to Luzern Main page

Ponte Vecchio and Arno River

Ponte Vecchio & Arno River

After a nice break of gelato, we marched towards the Ponte Vecchio Bridge & Arno River through the narrow courtyard between the Uffizi wings. The street to bridge along the river side is colluded with many street vendors selling different kinds of artefacts from Florence mementos, jewellery, toys etc. One can see people rowing boats in the Arno River. It’s the oldest bridge over the river and both edges of the bridge are lined with buildings. These buildings were initially housed butchers shops. But are now replaced with Jewelry shops making it must see activity. If you have some extra Euros in your budget one can do some shopping too.

Romantic four course Dinner by Rialto bridge, Venice

Romantic four course Dinner by Rialto bridge is must in Venice, one of the most romantic cities in the world.

The luggage counter at Venice Mestre station gets closed by 11 pm. On reaching Pizzale Roma we took bus number 3 to Venice Mestre and collected our bag from luggage deposit counter. And came back to Pizzale Roma with same bus. Took water bus and reached Rialto Bridge.

There is big line of restaurants on the right hand side of the Rialto Bridge which offer you seat next to sea side and exclusive range of sea food and wine. One cannot ask for anything more romantic then this. But the restaurant will ask for high price for the same. Well that’s not the reason for skipping the dinner. There is a cheap restaurant bank opposite these restaurants. It charges you 22 Euros per person for 4 course dinner and it includes all services taxes.

So one can enjoy fantastic view of Rialto bridge while having four course dinner. Simultaneously you can listen to the songs sung by the artists in gondola.