Our plan for day two was to travel from Shillong to Mawlynnong, known as the cleanest village in Asia. The distance was around 150 km, and Google Maps estimated it would take us about 4.5 hours. However, we knew from experience that we’d likely take longer.
The day started with cloudy skies, but we managed to capture some beautiful sunrise shots and even a few good profile photos. After enjoying a tasty breakfast, we took a quick group photo near our hotel, Hoopoe, and set off towards Mawlynnong.
Along the way, there are many stunning waterfalls, especially as you approach Cherrapunji. We had to pick just one to visit, and we chose Krang Suri Waterfall, located about 85 km from Shillong. The initial stretch of the drive was smooth, despite some rain. But as we continued, I quickly realized why Google suggested it would take longer—the roads became narrow and rough, making it a slow journey.
We stopped at one point to take photos, only to discover that one of the tyres was flat! Changing the tyre took us about an hour, and it felt like the trip was off to a rough start—nothing was going as planned 😟.
Eventually, we made it to Krang Suri Waterfall around 1:00 PM. The waterfall is nestled in the mountains, and you can even spot it from a distance. To reach it, we had to walk for about 15 minutes along a narrow, slippery path. This added a bit of thrill to the journey, as we could see the steep cliffs and towering heights of the mountains around us. If you plan to visit, make sure to wear comfortable shoes for the walk.
There are also some adventure activities available near the falls, and we opted for the zip line due to time constraints. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get close to the waterfall itself, as that area is now closed to visitors. Still, we took a few pictures from a distance and headed back to the parking lot.
There are some decent food options near Krang Suri, with tasty, no-frills meals—don’t expect fancy restaurants, but the food is good. After lunch, we continued our journey towards Mawlynnong.
One thing to note: in this part of the world, it gets dark early. By 4:00 PM, it already feels like it’s 8:00 PM! Because of that, we couldn’t visit many other spots. However, we did stop by Kyndong Lai Teng Waterfall on the roadside and spent some time there before continuing our drive 😊.
By the time we finally reached Mawlynnong around 8:00 PM, it was pitch dark, but we were thrilled to have arrived at the cleanest village in Asia, capping off a day full of adventure and unexpected twists.
Though the day didn’t go as planned, it was still filled with excitement, beautiful scenery, and some memorable moments. Now, we were ready to explore the charm of Mawlynnong the next day!