One Day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee Trip by Cab
One of the most cherished places in Meghalaya after its capital city Shillong is Cherrapunjee. Nestled in the East Khasi Hills district, at an elevation of 1,484 metres, it is one of the wettest places on Earth, owing to the heavy monsoon winds which come from the Bay of Bengal.
Literally meaning ‘Land of Oranges’, Cherrapunjee, is famous for some of the highest waterfalls, caves, living root bridges and orange flavoured honey. Most people travelling to Assam often opt for a One Day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee Trip by Car.
Guwahati, the largest city of Assam is visited by many travellers to pay their respect to Maa Kamakhya, one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas. This is where the womb of Goddess Sati had fallen.
Others also visit Guwahati for its scenic beauty, Umananda Temple, boat / cruise ride at River Brahmaputra. However, most people come to Guwahati as it is a convenient vantage point for exploring various tourist destinations of Northeast, of them being Cherrapunjee.
Also known as Sohra, Cherrapunjee is the traditional capital of ‘ka Hima Nongkhlaw’, which is the Khasi tribal kingdom and is famous for its interesting culture. The Khasi tribes follow a matrilineal system, meaning, the property and the name of the family are passed from the mother to the daughters instead of passing it from father to sons.
Unlike Shillong, which is heavily commercialised, Cherrapunjee hasn’t been exploited by tourists. Most tourists often visit Cherrapunjee to experience its mild subtropical highland climate. Due to a dearth of hotels and accommodation, most people prefer taking a day trip from Guwahati to Cherrapunjee.
Apart from interesting places to visit, Cherrapunjee is also famous for adventure activities like zip-lining, camping, trekking, some of which you can explore on your day trip.
What to Expect
We will start our One Day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee Trip by private cab right after sunrise. Our cab driver will pick you from a convenient location of your choice in Guwahati.
The distance from Guwahati to Cherrapunjee is 148 km and it would take approximately 4.5 hours to reach our destination. The journey is going to be scenic with beautiful landscapes as we will come across various lakes including the Umiam Lake, S-bends and rocky terrains.
In our one day tour, we will first visit the Mawkdok Dympep Valley View Point, which is the first viewpoint that comes approximately 30 km before Cherrapunjee. We will take a quick halt here to experience zip lining.
From here, we will visit the Nohkalikai Falls, which is one of the tallest waterfalls in India. Further, we will explore the enchanting Mawsmai Caves that are naturally formed limestone caves.
Next on our itinerary is the Cherrapunjee Eco Park from where one can witness an amazing view of the seven-sister falls on one side and the plains of Bangladesh on the other. Last, but not least, we will visit the Nohsngithiang Falls, where one can see seven consecutive segmented waterfalls.
This will bring our one day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee Trip to an end, and our cabs will drop you at your place of origin in Guwahati.
Tips That Can Come Handy During Your One Day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee Trip by Car
- Considering Cherrapunjee experiences unexpected rainfall, it is advisable that one must carry an umbrella or a raincoat.
- Due to its non-commercialised nature, one may not find ATMs here. Hence, tourists travelling to Cherrapunjee must carry enough cash.
- Since Cherrapunjee is all about unveiling the unexplored and unexploited nature, one may be required to walk a lot. Hence, tourists must wear trekking shoes to be comfortable during their Cherrapunjee sightseeing trip.
Places to Visit During Your One Day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee Tour by Car
1. Mawkdok Dympep Valley View Point
This is the first viewpoint you will get before entering Cherrapunjee. It appears right after crossing the Cherrapunjee Bridge and acts as a pitstop. There are various restaurants serving local food and small vendors selling corn, cucumbers, fruits etc.
One can also buy various souvenirs made from bamboo here. This viewpoint stretches for a few km and offers you a different sight every few minutes.
One can see the clouds floating between the hills very closely from here. Why the state has been named Meghalaya, meaning “The Abode of Clouds”, makes all the more sense.
Things To Do: There is a zip-lining service being provided and can be a treat for adventure seekers.
Timings: Open on all days of the week from Sunrise to Sunset
Entry Fee: Free
Recommended Duration: 20 Minutes
2. Nohkalikai Waterfalls
The second stop during your One Day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee Trip by Car is the Nohkalikai Waterfalls. It is one of the tallest waterfalls in India that drops down without touching the underlying rocks.
It falls from a height of 1115 feet and forms a natural pool with mesmerising turquoise green-coloured water. It is mostly fed by the rains and hence it is comparatively very dry during the non-monsoon months.
There is a rather sad story associated with the Nohkalikai Falls. It is said that a woman named Likai used to stay in a nearby village. Her husband passed away shortly after her daughter was born which made Likai remarry another man so that she could give her daughter the love of both the parents.
Her new husband was jealous of the love Likai gave to her daughter and that she did not pay attention to him. One day when Likai had gone for work, her husband killed her daughter and made a meal out of it. When Likai returned home, she did not find anybody.
Famished from her work, she was very hungry and ate the meal. Later in the night, she saw a baby finger lying in her house and understood what had happened. She became mad knowing that she had eaten her own child and fell off from this hill point. This was later renamed as Nohkalikai as a reminder of the terrible incident that happened to this poor lady.
Things To Do: Climb down a few stairs to get a spectacular and uninterrupted view of the falls from a distance.
Timings: Open on all days of the week from Sunrise to Sunset
Entry Fee: Free
Recommended Duration: 20 Minutes
3. Mawsmai Caves
Meghalaya boasts of some of the longest caves in India and the world, and Mawsmai Cave in Cherrapunjee happens to be one of them. These caves which have naturally been formed using sandstone and limestone stretch for approximately 150 metres.
This caving experience is a must-do during your one day Cherrapunjee trip from Guwahati. These caves may be filled with water during monsoons and one may have to waddle their way to reach the end. Water may even dip from above as you walk, so it is advisable to wear raincoats to not get trenched.
To ensure the safety of the tourists and to guide them through the caves, electric lights have been installed. This caving experience is a rare activity and a must-visit during your One Day Cherrapunjee Trip.
Things To Do: One must pay attention to the stalactites and stalagmites formations during their visit to the Mawsmai Caves.
Timings: Open on all days of the week from 07:00 AM to 04:00 PM
Entry Fee: Rs.20
Recommended Duration: 20 Minutes
4. The Eco Park, Cherrapunjee
A huge park which is a crowd-puller for being the origin of the Seven Sisters waterfall is the Eco Park in Cherrapunjee. One can spend a leisurely evening with kids and elderly as there are trails to enjoy a quiet comfortable walk, and swings for the recreation of the kids. There is also a stream that flows through the park.
One must cross a small bridge and head close to the further end of the park, from where they can see the falls originating. One can clearly listen to the music of the falling water. The other viewpoint allows tourists to get a spectacular view of the plains of Bangladesh.
Things To Do: One must have a picnic at The Eco Park. The availability of multiple restaurants will facilitate the same. One can also enjoy boating at the stream which is within the park. Other activities available are mountain climbing, rappelling, and paintball.
Timings: Open on all days of the week from 8:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Entry Fee: Rs.20
Recommended Duration: 30 Minutes
5. Nohsngithiang Falls / Seven Sisters Waterfalls
Nohsngithiang Falls which is also known as the Seven Sisters Waterfalls or the Mawsmai Falls is going to be the highlight of your 1 day Guwahati to Cherrapunjee tour.
These series of seven segmented waterfalls drop from a height of 315 metres and as such has the repute of the fourth highest waterfall in India. The tourism department of Meghalaya has also named it as the “Green Canyons of Sohra”.
The average width of each of these parallel waterfalls is approximately 70 metres. However, they can be best seen during monsoons when water flows down rather rapidly.
One may find them dried up during winters. When the sun’s out, the colours of the waterfall gets brightened up and enhances its colour and beauty. One can park their car, and view it far from the roadside or can even view the waterfalls while passing by.
Things To Do: Try and spot a rainbow around the waterfall using a binocular, which is a breathtaking sight to hold, to say the least.
Timings: Open on all days of the week from Sunrise to Sunset
Entry Fee: Free
Recommended Duration: 20 Minutes