There is a photo you have probably seen. A small wooden boat sits on water so clear that it seems to hang in the air, with its shadow on the stones below. That photo is from the Umngot river in Dawki, a small town in Meghalaya on the border with Bangladesh.
Why the water is so clear
The Umngot runs down from the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. In the dry months, from about November to April, there is little rain and little silt, and the water turns glass-clear. On a calm, sunny day you can see several metres down. In the monsoon, the same river becomes brown and fast, and boating usually stops.
On a still morning, the boat's shadow looks sharper than the boat.
What to do
- Take a boat ride. Local boatmen row you along the river. Go early in the morning, when the light is soft and the crowds are small.
- Walk to the suspension bridge. The Dawki bridge was built in the colonial era in the 1930s, and it gives a good view of the river from above.
- Stay at Shnongpdeng. This village upstream is quieter, with riverside camping, kayaking and snorkelling.
- Look across the border. The river flows into Bangladesh, and on busy days you can see the market on the other side.
Make a loop of it
Dawki pairs well with two other stops. Mawlynnong is a Khasi village known for being spotlessly clean, with bamboo dustbins on every path. Nearby, at Riwai, you can walk across a living root bridge, made by guiding the roots of rubber fig trees across a stream over many years. Many travellers do all three in one long day from Shillong. Staying a night makes it far more relaxed.
Good to know
- Weekends and holidays get busy. Go on a weekday if you can.
- Boat prices are usually fixed at the counter. Ask before you get in.
- Carry cash. Card machines and mobile signal can be patchy.
- Take your plastic back with you. These villages work hard to stay clean.
