Dawki

Dawki is a small town in the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, on the Umngot River at the border with Bangladesh, about 80 km south of Shillong. Dawki is famous for the clarity of the Umngot in the dry season, when the water turns so clear and green that boats appear to hover above the stones of the riverbed. Photographs of those boats have made Dawki one of the most visited places in Meghalaya.

Dawki has long been a trading post between the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and the plains of Sylhet, and the Dawki and Tamabil crossing is still a busy land port for trade with Bangladesh. The suspension bridge over the Umngot was built by the British in 1932. The river's clarity depends on the season: once the monsoon arrives, rain brings silt down from the hills and the water turns murky. Upstream, the Khasi village of Shnongpdeng has become the quieter place to take a boat, swim or camp by the river.

What to see

• Boat rides on the Umngot, with the riverbed visible below
• The 1932 suspension bridge and the view downstream to Bangladesh
• Shnongpdeng village, for kayaking, snorkelling and riverside camping
• The India and Bangladesh border crossing at Dawki and Tamabil
• Waterfalls and villages along the road from Shillong

What to wear

Dawki is warmer and more humid than Shillong. Wear light, quick-drying clothes, a hat and sunscreen, and sandals or water shoes for the boats and riverbank. Bring a light jacket for the drive back up to Shillong in the evening. Life jackets are provided on boats. Dress modestly in the villages, and swimwear is best kept to the river itself. Khasi and Jaintia women wear the jainsem, a draped dress pinned at the shoulders.

Local food to try

Riverside stalls at Dawki and Shnongpdeng serve fried river fish, rice, dal and noodles, and tea shacks line the approach road. For Khasi food, try jadoh (rice with pork) and dohkhlieh, a salad of boiled pork with onion and chilli, in the Jaintia Hills villages or back in Shillong. Vegetarian options are simple: rice, dal and vegetables. Local oranges and pineapple are sold at the roadside in season.

Good to know

• Best time: November to April for the clearest water; avoid June to September
• Boats run in daylight, roughly 7am to 5pm
• Boat rides are charged per boat; fees vary by duration and season
• Allow half a day, or a night in Shnongpdeng
• About 80 km from Shillong, around three hours by road
• Do not cross into Bangladesh without the right visa; follow the boatmen's safety rules

Nearby places

Dawki is usually combined with Mawlynnong village and its root bridge on the way from Shillong, and with the living root bridges around Sohra. Further afield, Unakoti in Tripura lies to the south beyond the Bangladesh border, but by road inside India it is a long journey.