Mawlynnong: God’s Own Garden!

‘God’s Own Garden!’ These words excite my senses in an unusual way. My eyes see images of colourful flowers and tall trees, my ears hear the sounds of birds singing their soft songs and my nose smells the sweet fragrance of wet mud.

Is God’s Own Garden any different from this description? Definitely not!

Mawlynnong is a small village located across the scenic Indo-Bangla Border. It is visited by tourists, both national and international, for its beautiful location; on the East Khasi Hills, overlooking the flat plains of Bangladesh.

                              

What’s magical about this place is its serenity and an inexplicable sense of calm and peace. This is a result of the quiet ambience coupled with fresh air, mesmerizing views, steep climbs, flowing water and colourful flowers.

The people of Mawlynnong have taken the initiative to promote it as an eco-tourism destination and have left no stone unturned.

Mawlynnong’s locals, who belong to the Khasi tribe, ensure that their environment is clean and their way of living is sustainable to the environment.

The impeccably clean pathways of Mawlynnong greet the visitors with boulders of rocks at the sides and bamboo dust-bins at regular intervals.

Hence, Mawlynnong has earned the titles of ‘The Cleanest Village in India’ and ‘The Cleanest Village in Asia’.

But what captures everybody’s imagination are the meticulously and carefully constructed ‘Living Root Bridges’. These bridges are made of Bamboo and Rubber tree roots, which are intertwined by the Khasis over years. These bridges are mainly suspended above the numerous fresh water streams which lazily flow underneath.

Besides the bridges, there also are marvelous ‘Living Root Ladders’ which adjoin the steep cliff of Mawlynnong towards Bangladesh and provide a natural, accessible pathway for the Khasi people to the plains beneath.

One must also climb atop the “Sky View”; a tall bamboo tower which rises 60 odd feet above Mawlynnong and gives an exceptional view of Bangladesh below. The spectacular scene from the tower’s zenith is completely breath-taking! This viewing platform too is a consequence of the foresight and labour of the Khasis.

Natural wonders like this “balancing rock” and “shark’s jaw” also await travelers in Mawlynnong.

Another thing to look forward to is the Au Natural accommodation available in Mawlynnong. No fancy hotels and no pool resorts! Accommodation is offered by local villagers who are more than pleased to welcome guests to their houses.

But if you are willing to enjoy some alone time with the beautiful ambience around, there is a fascinating tree-house accommodation in Mawlynnong, made from Bamboo and Thatch. From one of its two houses, you also have a view of a small waterfall! You can sit in the verandah, sipping a hot cup of tea and enjoy the birds chirping and the trees swirling with the winds. You couldn’t have asked for more…

The sound of heavily pouring rain, the fast gushing river water coupled with the thicket of trees and the natural pathways cutting through the forest, makes it a perfect holiday destination; especially for people who want to escape the noise, hustle and bustle of big cities and towns.

This beautiful village is situated 90 kms away from capital city Shillong. Though the best time to visit Mawlynnong is from October to April, you can plan your trip in the monsoon season to enjoy the rains and the resulting greenery.

Other cities close to Mawlynnong are Cherrapunji and Guwahati. From here, you can book a jeep to carry you to your destination.

We recommend you hire a guide to take you to the most exotic cliffs, forests, pathways and people of Mawlynnong.

There’s so much more you can discover only by visiting the place. It is an abode of nature and truly, God’s Own Garden.

Do I need to say more? I’m positive that I don’t.

Mawlynnong is the best place for nature trails and casual swims. Escape into the lap of nature and bask in its beauty. We can bet that you’ll return with lots of happy memories!

Picture Courtesy: Timothy Allen

Top 10 Movies: That will make you wish you were far, far away from home

There are so many names that pop up in our heads when we think of movies that make us want to flee from the monotony of home and life in general.

Movies are one of the best mediums to transport you to a place which is miles and miles away from your theatre screen.

Some incredible travel-based movie names that are immortal are ‘Seven Years in Tibet’, ‘Salaam Bombay’, ‘City of God' and ‘City of Joy’.

No one can dispute the brilliance of these example-setting movies! It is a must to watch them and explore their destinations.

But if you want to catch up on a Fresh Stock of travel-movies, here are our Top 10 recommendations:

1. The Tourist: Set in the breath-taking background of Venice, follow Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp’s in their voyage and watch it twist and turn; from a perfect trip into a perfect trap! This 2010 movie very beautifully amalgamates travel with an engaging conspiracy, keeping your eyes glued to the screen till the very end!

2. Eat, Pray, Love: A successful novel which was made into a motion picture in 2010, Eat, Pray, Love is the story of a divorcee American travel writer who wants to explore the world, and to find herself through travel. She relishes food in Italy, learns spirituality in India and finds love in Bali.

3. Slumdog Millionaire: This controversial movie may be, in certain people’s opinion, misrepresentative of India. But considering we are exploring destination movies, we think Slumdog Millionaire incorporates journeys and places very subtly into its storyline, frequently exploring the shady and unseen nooks of cities. It leaves the viewer with a wholesome ‘feel’ of India, its trains, its monuments and its towns.

4. Into the Wild: This 2007 movie is a must-watch for all aspiring hitch-hikers, especially because it is based on a true story. After graduating, a college ranker donates all his earnings to charity and sets out to explore the wilderness of Alaska. On his journey, he meets many who shape his life in different ways.

5. Up (animated): You thought travel is all about actual sights, sounds and stories? Disney Pixar thought otherwise! Up is an animated travel (Yes, travel) movie which was released in 2009. And the expedition of Carl Fredrickson to Lost Island, South America, begins with tying a thousand balloons to his house! A must-watch for people who love both travels and cartoons.

6. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: Released in July 2011, this award-winning film directed by Zoya Akhtar, is a fine Bollywood travel movie. It is a story of three friends who explore Spain together and push their limits by indulging themselves in some nerve-raising adventures.

7. 127 Hours: Inspired from a true story, 127 Hours is a movie about a young mountaineer, his adventures and his ordeals while mountain climbing. This newest film of Danny Boyle was released in India in January 2011.

8. Outsourced: As the name suggests, this movie is inspired by the rising trend of outsourcing work, especially from America to India. Explore India through the eyes of an American who comes to India to train his new employees. Luckily, he finds an Indian friend who teaches him all he needs to know about Indian culture.

9. Chalo Dilli: Chalo Dilli is a 2011 road movie which emphasizes the primary Urban and Not-So-Urban cultures of India. The turn of events in the movie put an ambitious woman in the company of an obnoxious man on their journey to the country’s capital. This is an interesting and humorous movie which is sure to make you laugh while you witness the real India yourself.

10. Runaway Vacation: Know how it feels to trick your family into believing that a road trip to Colorado Rocky Mountains is better than a vacation in Hawaii? Join Bob Munro and his dysfunctional family in a road trip to see how a difficult journey can help bond a family and create lasting memories.

Life is a Journey… Keep Walking!

“Zindagi ek safar hain Suhana… Yaha kal kya ho, kisne Jaana!”

We've all enjoyed this evergreen song and sung along most of the times. But never have we wondered that the lyrics of this song are actually ingrained in reality.

It’s true this metaphor! Life, like a journey, can be either long or short. But irrespective of that, there are lots of places to see, lots of cultures to learn about and lots and lots of roadblocks to circumvent.

It’s so unconscious, but it’s a fact that we meet new people everyday and our conversations with them help us explore places we've never even dreamt of. They virtually take us there and leave us yearning to be there… for Real!

The same is true for traveling! Most of the cherished memories we have of a place is from the casual discoveries (like casual conversations) we make during the course of our travels. You can clearly recollect the cabdriver’s story of the origin of his tribe and you can actually point out that natural Mountainous herb that cured your churning stomach.

You probably will also ask your friends to visit a marvelous destination which you spotted by chance apart from the much-hyped locations that are promoted in Travel Guides.

It is such discoveries that make any journey, even the journey of life, so special and dear to oneself.

On the contrary, life is also difficult, full of challenges!

Journeys are no less challenging. Be it the inability to converse in a foreign language, or facing fatigue before you’re halfway through a trekking expedition or in the worst case, losing sense of direction in a barren landscape. Challenges of traveling can be just about anything! Once you’ve overcome one challenge, there’s another one already waiting to greet you down the road.

Yet, the idea is to keep moving forward.

Life never halts! Neither should travel. In either case, there isn't any option of calling it Quits.

So buckle up and Keep Walking…