Meghalaya, Women Only
Living-root bridges, the cleanest village in Asia, and a river so clear it looks like a rendering error.
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Placeholder artwork — real trip photography drops in here.
About this trip
This is the trip we send first-time solo travellers on, and the one they tell their friends about. Six days across the Khasi and Jaintia hills with a woman host, women-only rooms and stays we have stayed in ourselves. We walk down to a double-decker bridge that a village has been growing out of living fig roots for four hundred years, kayak on the Umngot at Dawki where you can count stones on the riverbed, and spend a night in Mawlynnong, which has a genuine claim to being the cleanest village in Asia. There is a lot of walking, none of it hard.
- The Nongriat double-decker living-root bridge, and the 3,000 steps down to it
- Kayaking the Umngot river at Dawki
- A night in Mawlynnong village, in a Khasi family homestay
- Laitlum canyons at sunrise, before the cloud comes in
- Krang Suri falls, with time to actually swim rather than photograph
Day by day
6 days, written by the host who runs it.
Day 1Arrive Shillong
Pick-up from Guwahati airport, then the climb to Shillong. Afternoon at Ward's Lake and the Police Bazaar, and a group dinner where everyone stops being strangers.
Day 2Laitlum, and on to Cherrapunji
Early start for Laitlum canyons before the cloud closes in. Then Cherrapunji, with Nohkalikai falls and the Arwah caves in the afternoon.
Day 3Nongriat
The big day. Three thousand steps down to the double-decker root bridge, a swim in the Rainbow falls pool if the water is right, and the climb back up. It is hard on the thighs and worth every step.
Day 4Dawki and Mawlynnong
Kayaking on the Umngot at Dawki, lunch by the river, then Mawlynnong for the night — a village where you will feel mildly guilty about your own street.
Day 5Krang Suri, back to Shillong
Krang Suri falls in the Jaintia hills, with a long stop to swim. Back to Shillong by evening. Last dinner together, and a walk if anyone still has legs.
Day 6Shillong, and out
Breakfast, then drop to Guwahati airport for afternoon flights onward.
What the price covers
Included
- 5 nights stay — hotels in Shillong and Cherrapunji, homestay in Mawlynnong, women-only twin sharing
- All breakfasts and dinners
- All transport from and to Guwahati airport
- Kayaking at Dawki, and all entry fees
- A woman host with you for the entire trip
Not included
- Flights to and from Guwahati
- Lunches
- The porter at Nongriat, if you want one — around ₹800
- Travel insurance
- Anything personal
Where you sleep, how you move
Stay
Comfortable mid-range hotels in Shillong and Cherrapunji with attached bathrooms and hot water, and one night in a Khasi family homestay at Mawlynnong that is simple, spotless and the highlight for most groups. Women-only twin sharing throughout. Private rooms available on request for ₹6,500 for the trip.
Transport
A private tempo traveller for the group with a local driver, for the whole six days including airport transfers.
What to carry
- A rain jacket, whatever the season — this is the wettest place on earth
- Shoes with grip; the Nongriat steps are wet and mossy
- Quick-dry clothes and swimwear
- Insect repellent, SPF 50
- A reusable water bottle
- A dry bag or a plastic pouch for your phone
Who this trip is for
Open to women aged 18 and over. The Nongriat descent is 3,000 steps down and back up — if your knees are a concern, tell us and we will arrange an alternative day for you rather than have you struggle.
Cancellation & refunds
Specific to this trip, because a permit-bound Himalayan departure cannot carry the same terms as a weekend by a river.
- More than 30 days before departure — full refund, less a ₹1,500 processing fee.
- 15 to 30 days before departure — 70% refund.
- 7 to 14 days before departure — 40% refund.
- Under 7 days before departure — no refund, but your seat is transferable to a friend at no cost.
- If we cancel a departure for any reason, you receive a full refund or a free transfer to another date, your choice.
Full terms are in our refund & cancellation policy.
Meet your host
Aarohi Mehra
Based in Shillong, Meghalaya · 3 trips led
Former schoolteacher who moved to Shillong for a semester in 2021 and never left. Leads our Northeast women-only departures and is the reason our Meghalaya groups end up in living-root villages no bus reaches.
“Every group has one woman who booked without telling her family. By day three she is the loudest one on the bus.”
Not quite the one?
There are other departures, and we would rather put you on the right trip than the nearest one.
Or reach us on WhatsApp at +91 96063 37793