A Turquoise Beauty!

Turquoise it looks, a free spirit falling over a rocky ledge into plunge pool, flowing through the gushing winds, traversing through the rocks, burble you hear, lush green all around. Isn’t it captivating? This beauty became too much for me to handle and that moment I brokedown. Sitting at a vantage point, dripping water all over and starring at this beauty, it became hard to take my sight of. Sometimes, it’s tough to handle when the feeling is deep. My eyes filled with tears of joy and calmness all around and was completely lost. What a beauty it is!

It is named as rainbow waterfall and is located in a village called Nongriat in the state of Meghalaya. The trek to rainbow waterfalls starts from a pretty small village named Tyrna. The start of the trek is to decent 3000 well laid concrete steps surrounding the dense forest. Then the trail takes you deep into forest and streams and man made bridges and living root bridges. To reach the waterfall it will take 4 hours and the passage is: Tyrna — Myswang — Mawpyrkyang — Living root bridge (single) — Living root bridge (double) — Mawsaw steel bridge — Mawkawir — Rainbow Waterfall

After you get the sight of waterfall, reaching the base of water is one daunting task. The rocks and the path is slippery and the turbulent flow of water hitting the rock and the droplets falling all over. It’s a hell of an experience to take a dip here and it’s all worth it. Taking a dip in water or sitting under a waterfall after a grueling trek refreshes everything and that’s a life time memory and happiness to cherish.

The living root bridges are natural suspension bridge, hand made by guiding the pliable roots of rubber fig tree by Khasi and Janita tribes of Meghalaya. As long as the tree from which it is formed remains healthy, the roots in the bridge can naturally grow thick and strengthen. New roots can grow throughout the tree’s life and must be pruned or manipulated to strengthen the bridge. Once mature some bridges can have as many as 50 or more people crossing, and have a lifespan of up to 150 years. (Source: Wikipedia).

The ahead of Rainbow falls is Noh-Ka-Likai waterfall. The trail is not so easy to reach the waterfall and it is advisable to have a guide. If you are planning the return the next morning, you will have home stay options in Nongriat and again it’s hardly few. We trekked back to Tyrna from rainbow waterfall the same day and the last stretch tested the patience like nothing else. Remember, there was a decent of 3000 steps at start of the trek? Means, the last mile to reach Tyrna is to climb 3000 steps😀 nearly after 7 hours of continuous trekking! I must say, this trek is a package of experience and you won’t regret! Who cannot fall for this Turquoise Beauty 😍

PS respect nature and it’s resources. Don’t leave trash on trails and be a responsible traveller.