Step by step in Meghalaya

Joanna Lobo

I was tired of steps. On the third day of my trip to Meghalaya, I had to say it out loud. My travel partner, Krutika, nodded in agreement. It was our first visit to Meghalaya, a beautiful state in the Northeast. It’s a place abundant in natural beauty, with fluffy clouds above, cascading waterfalls at every turn, clean and pure air, misty mountain tops brimming with waterfalls, lush valleys and bucolic scenes. And, of course, steps.

These are everywhere. There is a variation in type — rocky, smooth, moss-laden, height, and incline, but every tourist attraction has them. The only way to access a waterfall, or a viewpoint affording stunning views, or even homestays and hostels is via steps and stairs.

Though my limbs protested all that climbing and hiking, the rewards were worth it. Beyond natural beauty, there is history, legends and stories at the bottom, or at the top of each flight of stairs. Take Lum Kyllang, for example. It’s essentially a giant red granite dome, 5,400 feet above the sea level. Legend has it that Kyllang is the result of a battle between two gods, Kyllang and Symper; the former lost and had to move to its present location in the West Khasi hills. Another story goes that there’s a magnetic field within the rock that prevents people from falling off.

Kyllang is accessible by roughly hewn steps in the rock face. It’s a tough climb and requires frequent breaks. As I turned a corner at the top, I let out an audible gasp. The temperature had dropped a little, and wind whipped the hair around my face. The sky was clear, affording me a 360-degree view of the surroundings. There were dense pine forests, blooming farms, snaking pathways, and tiny houses. I was mesmerised.

But then, Meghalaya is full of breathtaking views.

Also in the West Khasi hills is another stunning sight, though with no fascinating story. A kid (goat) followed us up as we hiked to a mountain, thick with red mud and grass. Half an hour in, we were rewarded with low-lying hills that gave the best definition to the word ‘undulating’. They meandered in waves, coated in a velvety carpet of green, interspersed with trees and a few terraced farms. The moving clouds threw pockets of shade across the landscape. Is this what they call the valley of dreams?

Possibly the most picturesque aspect of Meghalaya’s natural beauty are the living root bridges. These UNESCO heritage sites are aerial bridges formed by manipulating the roots of rubber fig trees, creating an intricate network of gnarled roots, sturdy yet beautiful. The most iconic is the double-decker root bridge in Nongriat. But, on hearing there are 3,000 steps involved, my enthusiasm waned. I learnt early on to not be fooled by local guides saying things like ‘short’, ‘easy’ or ‘just half an hour’ — these terms mean different things for city-bred folk with desk jobs. This painful lesson was one of my rewards at Mawkyrnot.

Now, as root bridges go, Mawkyrnot is illustrious, holding the banner for being the longest living root bridge (at 52 metres). My guide promised me a ‘short’ trek to reach it. It took over an hour and involved almost 1,500 steps. Luckily for me, these were well-built and passed through a dense forest accompanied by the sounds of trickling water, birdsong and the rustling of leaves.

The bridges are beautiful, standing tall and sturdy above a deep ravine. Another smaller but equally stunning living root bridge is in the village of Nowhet. There are steps here, too, but fewer, and the bridge passes over a waterfall.

At the fag end of the monsoon, Meghalaya still had enough waterfalls to brave the steep trek to them. Another jungle trail, using steps, of course, took us to Byrdaw Falls, a unique waterfall that has a pathway behind it — I didn’t just see this fall from the front and behind, I got sprayed by its water too!

In Jowai is the two-step Phe Phe Falls, accessible after a hike over igneous rocks on an open plateau. Another hike took me to a viewpoint that showed the three-level Wei Sadong waterfall in all its glory. It was beautiful even from a distance. Reaching this viewpoint involved a steep trek down a forested area — they actually handed out sticks at the start.

The most satisfying trek was the one to Arwah Caves, on the outskirts of Sohra. It’s not so much a trek as a long hike through thick vegetation. It was a misty day and the jungle was alive with sound. The caves themselves are a sight of limestone formations and fossils of bones and shells, with narrow passages and chambers. I stepped out and took a breather at a viewpoint by the side of the Lawshynna Hill, which gave me a misty view of the surrounding valley. It was a sight emblematic of my entire trip: stunning views, accessible after some exertion. In Meghalaya, every great journey begins with a single step.

Tips for travel

• Carry cash. Very few places use cards
• It’s best to hire a car or a driver. They invariably double up as guides
• Most smaller villages and cities shut shop really soon, so carry snacks and games to pass the nights
• Mawlynnong is the cleanest village in Asia, but there’s little to see there
• Before each trek, ask about the difficulty level and the number of steps
• Dawki river gets really murky during the monsoon, so the waters aren’t crystal clear as shown in photos
• Certain areas may require permits
• Best time to visit is from August to November for rains and cool weather
• To reach, take a flight to Guwahati and then hire a cab to Shillong

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