A village by the name of Mawlynnong, located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, is one of the most special places you’ll visit in northeast India. Located along the Indo-Bangladesh border, visitors also get to enjoy breath-taking views of their neighbouring country from various points across the village. Declared to be the cleanest village in Asia, this town of just 600-odd residents also has a very high literacy rate and a community that showcases amazing women empowerment. Visitors will be enthralled with lovely views of orderly arranged thatched Khasi huts, little flower and vegetable gardens outside each house and beautiful bamboo baskets that are actually garbage bins and located every few metres in the village. Read on to know more about some of the best places to visit in Mawlynnong.

The chief attraction of Mawlynnong is the village area, which lives up to its title of being the cleanest village you’ll ever come across. Systematically arranged houses, beautiful gardens and green courtyards, and the overall ambience of a pure and pristine town allows visitors to be transported to a completely different world here. Interacting with the locals is a wonderful experience as well in Mawlynnong, who are always welcoming with details about their way of life and insights into how they maintain their village. Accommodation in Mawlynnong includes homestays situated at various points across the village, which is a great way to live like the locals and indulge in their scrumptious home-cooked meals.

Dawki is a town located right along the India-Bangladesh border and is encountered by travellers on their way to Mawlynnong village. The Dawki River, also known as Umngot River, is the main attraction here for its beautiful crystal clear water that makes the boats on the water appear as if they are floating in mid-air. The scenic beauty around the river makes for some brilliant camera-worthy moments, with majestic hills and natural wonders surrounding the river’s banks. The Dawki river also forms the boundary between the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills with a single span suspension bridge that hangs over the river.

The Balancing Rock is an ancient structure that consists of a large boulder precariously balanced over a much smaller rock. A popular tourist attraction, the rock is surrounded by a wired fence at the bottom and is the subject of numerous pictures taken by visitors every day. This strange natural phenomenon has been around for generations and has withstood the test of time and weather. According to the local tribe, the structure was a shrine of the Khasi community before Christianity was adopted in the village. Irrespective of its religious significance, the Balancing Rock makes for an impressive visual spectacle.

The Mawlynnong Waterfall is encountered through the forests on the way from Dawki to the Mawlynnong village. It is a beautiful location that remains untouched from human interference and has a treasure of lovely sights worth enjoying all around. Travellers will find themselves enamoured with the sounds of birds chirping and the winds gushing through the thick foliage, creating a mesmerizing ambience. The water from the falls flows into the river nearby that divides India and Bangladesh. There are also two bridges here; one for vehicles and the older one that serves as a footbridge.   

The Jingmaham Living Root Bridge has been constructed with the help of a combination of nature’s own course and human efforts, resulting in a creation that is rarely seen anywhere else. People use the bridge to cross over the calm and serene waters of the river that flows underneath, and the entire structure forms a mesmerizing spectacle when witnessed from a distance. Travellers are required to hike up a distance across uneven steps to reach the bridge, and while it may not be well-suited for everyone, getting the opportunity to walk across this creation of the local Khasi tribe is truly an experience worth trying.

Another remarkable attraction of Mawlynnong is the Brun Khongmen viewpoint, which is located at a height of 85 metres on top of a tree in the Riwai village. Lovely, clear views of the Bisnakandi area in Bangladesh can be enjoyed from here after climbing a bamboo path that leads to the viewpoint. There are several other bamboo watchtowers in Mawlynnong that offer amazing views of different areas in the region and are free to explore. The Brun Khongmen requires a nominal fee for climbing the treehouse though, which goes towards the maintenance of the structure.