Dawki and Umngot River

The Umngot runs off the Meghalaya plateau to the border at Dawki, and in the dry months, when the monsoon silt has settled out, the water becomes so clear that boats on it photograph as though suspended in air with the stones of the bed visible several metres down. That image has made the stretch at Shnongpdeng and Dawki heavily visited. A suspension bridge built by the British in 1932 crosses the river at the border post, where trade with Bangladesh passes. Kayaking, snorkelling and cliff jumping operate from the Shnongpdeng bank, and camps line the shore.

The landscape

• The clear water - boats appearing to float above a visible riverbed.
• The 1932 suspension bridge - the crossing at the border post.
• The Shnongpdeng camps - kayaking, snorkelling and riverside camping.
• The border - Bangladesh visible directly across the water.

When to go

November to April, when the water clears; during and after the monsoon it runs brown and the effect disappears entirely. Weekends and holidays crowd the boats and camps.

Good to know

The clarity is seasonal and absent for half the year. Boats are crowded and boatmen negotiate hard. Coal and limestone mining upstream has affected water quality in some tributaries. Border rules apply at the crossing.

Nearby

Mawlynnong lies west; Shillong is northwest.