Meghalaya & Kaziranga - Dawki, Root Bridges and Rhinos

The journey at a glance

9 days, shaped around you.

1. Day 01

   Arrival in Guwahati, and the river at dusk

   Guwahati

   

   Your driver meets you at Guwahati Airport or Railway Station and you drive into the city to check in. Nothing else is fixed today. Late in the afternoon we take you down to the Brahmaputra riverfront. The river is very wide here, ferries cross to the far bank, and at sunset the whole of it turns gold. Then an early night, because tomorrow starts at Kamakhya.

   • Airport or station pickup
   • Check-in at the hotel
   • Brahmaputra riverfront at sunset
   • Evening at leisure

   Please share your arrival time so we can plan the pickup. The riverfront needs an arrival by mid-afternoon.

   Guwahati - 3★ hotel Breakfast next morning

2. Day 02

   Kamakhya at first light, then up to Sohra

   Guwahati → Kamakhya → Umiam → Mawkdok → Sohra

   

   An early start for darshan at Kamakhya, high on Nilachal Hill above the Brahmaputra and one of the most important Shakti Peethas in the country. Then check-out and the road into the hills. Stop at Umiam, which locals call Barapani, a wide blue lake held in pine hills. Past Shillong the road runs south onto the Sohra plateau, with the Dympep valley opening up below you at Mawkdok. If the light holds, you finish at Nohkalikai, the tallest plunge waterfall in India.

   • Kamakhya Temple darshan
   • Umiam Lake (Barapani)
   • Mawkdok Dympep valley viewpoint
   • Nohkalikai Falls (light permitting)
   • Check-in below Sohra

   Kamakhya queues are longest on Sundays and festival days, so we start very early. A faster queue is sold at the temple counter on the day, if you prefer. Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before you go in, and leather belts and bags left in the car. If we reach Sohra after dark, Nohkalikai moves to the next morning.

   Sohra - village homestay Breakfast

3. Day 03

   The caves and waterfalls of Sohra

   Mawsmai → Seven Sisters → Eco Park → Arwah

   

   Your first full day on the plateau, spent close to home. The limestone caves at Mawsmai are lit and walkable, narrow in places and cool inside. The Seven Sisters Falls drop off the cliff face in separate streams, and from the Eco Park on the rim you look straight out over the plains of Bangladesh. Then Arwah Cave, a second cave walk on the edge of town. Back to the homestay in good time for a quiet evening in the village.

   • Mawsmai Cave
   • Seven Sisters Falls
   • Eco Park and the escarpment view
   • Arwah Cave
   • Nohkalikai Falls, if missed on Day 2

   Sohra - village homestay Breakfast

4. Day 04

   Dawki, a living root bridge, and Mawlynnong

   Sohra → Dawki → Riwai → Mawlynnong → Sohra

   

   South-east to Dawki, on the Bangladesh border, where the Umngot runs over pale stone between green cliffs. In the dry months the water is at its clearest, and the wooden boats seem to hang above their own shadows. Take a boat out on the river and look across at the border. On the way back, stop at Riwai, where a living root bridge crosses a stream a short, easy walk from the road. The Khasi have trained the roots of rubber fig trees across these streams for generations, and the bridges grow stronger with age. Next door is Mawlynnong, the village known for keeping itself spotless, with bamboo dustbins on every path.

   • Drive to Dawki
   • Boat on the Umngot river
   • Riwai living root bridge
   • Mawlynnong village walk
   • Return to Sohra

   A long day in the car. We leave early so you are on the river in the morning light, and the drive back will finish after dark. Boat hire on the Umngot is paid at the river, per boat. Mawlynnong is closed to day visitors on Sundays, so this day never falls on one.

   Sohra - village homestay Breakfast

5. Day 05

   Up to Shillong

   Sohra → Elephant Falls → Shillong

   An early start up the road to Shillong, with a stop at Elephant Falls, which drops in three stages through a wooded gorge. In town, visit the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians at Laitumkhrah. Shillong Peak looks back over the whole bowl the city sits in, and Ward's Lake is a quiet walk in the middle of town. The evening is yours at Police Bazar, with its lights, cafés and food stalls.

   • Check-out
   • Elephant Falls
   • Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
   • Shillong Peak
   • Ward's Lake
   • Evening at Police Bazar

   Shillong Peak sits inside an Air Force area and can close at short notice. If it is shut, we say so and move on. Ward's Lake is closed on Tuesdays. The Cathedral is a working church, so please dress modestly and keep quiet during services.

   Shillong - guesthouse Breakfast

6. Day 06

   A slow morning, then down to Kaziranga

   Shillong → Jorabat → Nagaon → Kaziranga

   

   No early alarm today. Take your time over breakfast, then leave the hills behind. The road drops to Jorabat and turns east along the Brahmaputra valley. Past Nagaon the tea gardens begin, flat green rows with shade trees standing over them. You reach Kaziranga in the evening, ready for the park in the morning.

   • Slow breakfast and check-out
   • Drive down to Jorabat
   • Tea gardens on the approach
   • Check-in at Kaziranga

   The longest drive of the trip, about six hours. We stop for lunch on the way.

   Kaziranga - resort near Bokakhat Breakfast

7. Day 07

   A jeep safari in Kaziranga

   Kaziranga - Central range (Kohora)

   

   An early jeep safari takes you into the Central range at Kohora, across the tall elephant grass and the shallow wetlands where the one-horned rhino grazes with egrets at its feet. Wild buffalo, swamp deer and wild elephants share the same ground. Then back to the resort for breakfast, and the rest of the day is yours.

   • Morning jeep safari, Central range (Kohora)
   • Park entry for the safari included
   • Breakfast at the resort
   • Afternoon at leisure

   Jeeps sell out in the busy weeks, so we book yours as soon as you confirm. Please carry the original photo ID you sent us for the booking. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. A second safari in the afternoon can be added on request, at extra cost.

   Kaziranga - resort near Bokakhat Breakfast

8. Day 08

   Back along the Brahmaputra to Guwahati

   Kaziranga → Guwahati

   

   After breakfast you drive west along the valley, back past the tea gardens, to Guwahati. It takes about five hours. The rest of the day is yours. Pick up Assam tea or a muga silk stole to take home, or simply rest before the journey.

   • Breakfast and check-out
   • Drive to Guwahati
   • Check-in at the hotel
   • Evening at leisure

   Guwahati - 3★ hotel Breakfast

9. Day 09

   Departure

   Guwahati → Airport

   Breakfast, check-out, and the drive to the airport or station for your journey home. With the last night in the city, any flight time works.

   • Breakfast at the hotel
   • Check-out
   • Airport or station drop

   Departure Breakfast