Rahagir
The clear Umngot river at Dawki

Destinations / Meghalaya

Mawlynnong and Dawki

Asia's tidiest village, 90 km from Shillong, paired with the glass-clear Umngot river at Dawki.

Lesser-knownVillageRiverWaterfall

Mawlynnong was called Asia's cleanest village twenty years ago and has run with it since: bamboo dustbins along every lane, composting, a ban on plastic and smoking, and a cleaning roster everyone takes part in. It sits on the lip of the Khasi hills looking down into Bangladesh. Half an hour away at Dawki the Umngot river runs so clear in winter that boats appear to float on air, and a living root bridge at Riwai is a short walk off the same road.

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The clear Umngot river at Dawki
The clear Umngot river at Dawki
Boats on the Umngot
Boats on the Umngot
Boats drawn up at Dawki
Boats drawn up at Dawki

Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Select a photo for its author and licence.

Best time to go

WhenWhat to expect
November to MarchThe season for Dawki. The Umngot runs clear and green in the dry months, which is the whole reason to come. Cool mornings, comfortable days.
OctoberThe monsoon has just ended, so waterfalls are still full but the river is beginning to clear. A good compromise.
May to SeptemberThe heaviest rain in India falls on these hills. The Umngot runs brown and fast, boating usually stops, and roads can slip.

Sights and activities

1

Mawlynnong village

A Khasi village of perhaps ninety households, kept spotless by a community roster, with flower-lined lanes, bamboo bins and composting pits. Smoking and plastic are banned.

Distance
The village itself, about 90 km from Shillong.
Entry
A small village entry and parking charge is collected.
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
2 hours

MapWrong fee or timing?

2

Sky View bamboo tower

A tall bamboo machan built at the edge of the village, climbed for a view over the plains of Bangladesh.

Distance
In Mawlynnong, a short walk from the village centre.
Entry
Charged separately from village entry.
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
30 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

3

Riwai living root bridge

A single-span bridge of living rubber-fig roots, trained across a stream over decades. Easier to reach than the double-decker bridge at Nongriat, with a short descent of steps.

Distance
About 2 km from Mawlynnong.
Entry
Small entry charge.
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
1 hour

MapWrong fee or timing?

4

Umngot river at Dawki

The river that makes the photographs: in winter the water is clear enough to see the stones on the bed under a boat. Rowing boats are hired by the hour at the Dawki bridge.

Distance
About 30 km from Mawlynnong.
Entry
Boats are hired per boat.
Timings
Daylight hours; morning light is best
Time needed
2 hours

MapWrong fee or timing?

5

Shnongpdeng

A quieter stretch of the same river upstream of Dawki, with riverside camps, kayaking, zip lines and snorkelling, and far fewer day visitors.

Distance
About 8 km upstream of Dawki.
Entry
Activities charged individually
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
Half a day

MapWrong fee or timing?

6

Dawki border and the Tamabil crossing

The India-Bangladesh land crossing, with the border fence and a view of the plains beginning on the other side. The crossing itself is for ticketed travellers only.

Distance
At Dawki town.
Entry
Free to look; crossing requires a visa
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
30 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

7

Mawlynnong waterfall

A modest fall a short walk below the village, worth it in and just after the monsoon.

Distance
In Mawlynnong.
Entry
Free
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
30 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

8

Balancing rock

A large boulder resting on a much smaller one, held in local tradition to have stood through earthquakes. A short walk in the village.

Distance
In Mawlynnong.
Entry
Small charge.
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
20 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

Getting there

By bus
State and private buses and shared Sumos run Guwahati to Shillong all day. From Shillong, shared taxis to Mawlynnong and Dawki leave from Bara Bazar in the morning and thin out by early afternoon; many visitors hire a car for the day.
By train
There is no railway in these hills. Guwahati, about 180 km from Shillong, is the railhead for the whole state.
By air
Guwahati airport is the practical arrival point, about 125 km from Shillong. Shillong has a small airport at Umroi with limited flights.
Where to base yourself
Homestays in Mawlynnong village itself, or riverside camps at Shnongpdeng, 8 km upstream of Dawki. Most people base in Shillong and come for a long day, which is a pity: the villages are at their best in the early morning.

Getting around

  • Mawlynnong is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes.
  • Shared taxis run Shillong to Mawlynnong and Dawki in the morning; coming back in the afternoon is harder, so confirm the return before you commit.
  • A hired car for the day from Shillong is how most people cover Mawlynnong, Riwai and Dawki together.
  • There is no public transport between Mawlynnong and Dawki; it is a taxi or nothing.

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Where to stay

Budget levelTypePrice per night
BudgetVillage homestays in Mawlynnong and basic riverside tents at Shnongpdeng₹800 to ₹2,000
Mid-rangeBetter homestays and the organised river camps₹2,500 to ₹4,500
LuxuryResorts in Shillong, with a car for the day trip₹6,000 to ₹11,000

Food

Mawlynnong has a few small village kitchens and homestay meals, and little else. Dawki has basic stalls. Eat where you are staying, and carry water.

Try these

  • Jadoh, rice cooked with pork and spices, the Khasi staple
  • Doh khlieh, a pork and onion salad
  • Tungrymbai, fermented soybean cooked with pork
  • Pumaloi, steamed powdered rice
  • Grilled river fish at the Dawki and Shnongpdeng camps

Vegetarian food is easy to find. Possible but limited: Khasi cooking is built around pork. Tell a homestay in advance and they will manage rice, dal and vegetables.

Daily costs

Budget levelStay per roomFood per personLocal transport
Budget₹1,200₹450₹300 per person
Mid-range₹3,200₹900₹1,500 per vehicle
Luxury₹7,500₹1,600₹3,500 per vehicle

Per day. Travel to and from your city is added in the planner above.

Permits and documents

Indian visitors need no permit. The Dawki land crossing into Bangladesh needs a visa obtained in advance. Villages charge small entry and parking fees collected by the community.

Safety

By day
Both villages are safe and welcoming. On the Umngot, wear the life jacket the boatman provides; the water is deeper than it looks and there have been drownings.
At night
Villages are dark and very quiet after about 8 pm. The road from Dawki back to Shillong is narrow and unlit, and should not be driven late.
Solo women
No specific safety information was found. Khasi society is matrilineal and the villages are considered easy for solo travellers; the usual care applies on the shared-taxi route.
Roads
The Shillong to Dawki road is narrow, winding and prone to landslides in the monsoon. Allow more time than the distance suggests.
Emergency numbers
112 (all emergencies), 108 (ambulance)

Practical

Mobile network
Coverage is reported as patchy in Mawlynnong and weak near the border, where phones sometimes pick up Bangladeshi networks.
ATMs and cash
No reliable machine in either village. Withdraw in Shillong and carry cash.
Fuel
There is a petrol pump within about 6 km of the centre. Fill up in Shillong or at Pynursla.
Medical
Only a primary health centre locally. Anything serious means returning to Shillong.

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Accessibility

Seniors
Mawlynnong is flat and easy. The root bridge involves a descent of uneven steps, and the boat jetty at Dawki has a rough bank.
Children
Good. Keep children in life jackets on the river.
Wheelchair users
Limited. The village lanes are paved and level, but the root bridge and the river bank are not accessible.

Unless a sight is described as accessible, assume it is not step-free.

Culture and responsible travel

  • No smoking and no plastic in Mawlynnong; the rules are the village's own and are enforced.
  • Ask before photographing houses and people; the village is lived in, not a museum.
  • Khasi society is matrilineal, and the youngest daughter inherits. Visitors are often told this as a point of pride.
  • Pay the community entry fees; they fund the cleaning the village is known for.
  • Sunday is observed quietly across the Khasi hills, and many places shut.

What to pack

  • Photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or driving licence); hotels and permits ask for it
  • Printed copies of your permit, with a few passport-size photos
  • A rain jacket or umbrella and quick-dry clothes
  • Enough cash for the whole stay, a power bank and offline maps
  • Your regular medicines, plus basics for stomach upsets, headaches and cuts

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