Mawlynnong

Mawlynnong was described as Asia's cleanest village in a magazine piece in 2003 and the label stuck, but the practice behind it is older and communal: cleaning is a shared duty organised by the village, waste goes into woven bamboo bins placed along every path, organic material is composted and used on the fields, and children take part as a matter of course. Smoking and plastic bags are discouraged or banned. The village is Khasi and matrilineal, with property passing to the youngest daughter. A bamboo skywalk built up a tree gives a view over the plains of Bangladesh, and a living root bridge stands nearby at Riwai.

The main sights

• The bamboo bins - woven cones along every path for waste.
• The bamboo skywalk - a tree platform with views over Bangladesh.
• The Riwai root bridge - a living fig-root crossing a short walk away.
• The Khasi village - matrilineal households and communal cleaning practice.

When to go

September to May; the monsoon is heavy though the village is green and dramatic then. Weekends bring domestic crowds. The village is small and a couple of hours covers it.

Good to know

The cleanest village label has brought heavy tourism, and residents charge for entry, parking and the skywalk, which some find at odds with the image. The village is small and quickly seen.

Nearby

Dawki lies east; Cherrapunji is west.

Key facts