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

Scuba Dive the Summer away!

The summer is knocking at your doorstep and before you know you’re sweating profusely. The fans and ACs are put to some rigorous work, yet there’s something missing!

Coconut and straw? Paper fan? No…

What you’re missing is probably a nice dip in fresh and cool water.

Remember those childhood days, when you and your friends would jump into the river water without a care in the world?

Well this time, we’re bringing back the same fun and frolic into your lives with a breath-taking Scuba diving experience at Dawki, Meghalaya. Dawki River’s greenish blue, crystal-clear water is absolutely enchanting, and would definitely entice you into coming back again and again!

Remember the scuba diving sequence in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara? It’s amazing isn’t it? If you think it’s the camera that makes the experience look so beautiful, you’re wrong. Take our word; it’s as pretty as it looks on screen, even better we’d say!

Wondering why Scuba Diving? Here’s why…

The Underwater life is a completely different world, with different habitants and different rules. The creatures, the plants, everything will be a novel experience, something like never before.

What will take you by surprise at first will be the wide ranging mix of colour all around you. Something like a colour palette that has come alive! Each marine animal and plant exhibits a different pattern, a different colour, varied textures and various sizes.

To seek entry into this world, you need to learn to behave like the fishes; swim and glide like them, and along with them. It isn’t very difficult. Just let yourself loose and there you are: one amongst the numerous fishes.

The best part about Scuba Diving is that you get to come so close to the fishes and the turtles(if you are lucky), you can actually touch them!

The joy of being underwater, of discovering the flora and fauna of the marine world, is completely unique, something you would have never experienced before.

While you’re underwater, you’re completely disconnected from the sounds and sights of the world above. If you turn to look, you’ll probably just see sunlight penetrating through the water, that’s all! It’s just you and your fellow fishes all the way…

Be it the awe or love for the underwater world or the hope of discovering a lost treasure or simply the endeavour to make some new marine friends, whatever your reason is, come join us for this experience of a lifetime.

So, what are you waiting for ? :)

For more details, visit TripEngineers.com

Happy Holidays! :)

Kaziranga: Up, Close and Personal with the Wild!

We all belong in the wilderness, whether we believe it or not!

Our civilization has disillusioned us into believing that we’re different from the nature, from its plants and animals. But these are false perceptions which are all set to change in a land where animals reign and people enchantingly stare awestruck.

Welcome to Kaziranga National Park, one of the best national parks of India and a World Heritage Site.

Located in Assam, it is a paradise-on-earth for many endangered animal species including the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros. Interestingly, rhinoceros which were earlier found in abundance near most north Indian rivers, are now limited only to two national parks in India; Manas and Kaziranga, both in Assam!

Besides the Rhinos, this park is famous for its Elephants and Deer sightings. You can also spot many reptiles on the way, some of which may be eager to crawl over your shoulder and pose with you!

The national park is surprisingly very serene and calm, unlike the animal chases that are depicted on television! Everything and everybody is in harmony with each other. It’s as though the nature has magically tamed down the wild animals and excited visitors alike.

If you are under the impression that Kaziranga is just a Big Name, you’re wrong! It is indeed BIG, in every which way!

Ranging from its vastness in area and its 5 feet tall elephant grass, to the magnanus and overpowering Rhinos, Asian Elephants and Wild Buffalos, this place will make you feel like a dot in the ocean (read: wetlands!).

If you’re lucky, you can also spot the much endangered national animal, the Tiger, in this park.

The park also houses 52 odd mammalian species including 15 mammals you wouldn’t know even existed! For example, the Gangetic Dolphin, the Chinese Pangolin and the Flying Squirrel.

Also, if you’re willing to take your eyes and attention off the awe-inspiring animals, you can spot many of the 500 birds which have made this national park their home! So all you bird lovers out there, this is one of the best places for you to be in!

Animal sightings are commonplace at the Western and Central ranges of Kaziranga, whereas the Eastern range is mostly a niche reserved for a bird watcher’s delight.

This amusing experience of coming closest to nature can be enjoyed through a range of sight seeing options. You can choose to take a lazy river boat cruise or manoeuvre the park atop an elephant’s back. Many city-life-addicts would opt for the comfort of a jeep safari, also offered at the Park.

If you prefer the bird’s eye perspective, the Park Authorities have also built some observation towers around the Park to closely observe the wildlife.

Elephant safaris start at 5:15am and last for around 45 minutes. Tourists who take the elephant safari are accompanied by 1 to 2 armed rangers who safely escort the tourists around the park.

This is an ideal preference for people who want to go back in time and enjoy the safari, primitive style!

The jeep safaris, on the contrary, start at 7:00am and last for about 2 hours each, making it a preferred option for visitors who want to spend maximum time in the wilderness and probably never come out of it!

The best time to visit Kaziranga National Park is in the summer months of February to April.

At this time, many visitors come to Kaziranga to capture in their minds, the Best of the Wild.

So what are you waiting for? Kaziranga is calling… where art thou?

TripEngineers are here to Connect!

Hello and Welcome to our new and exciting Blog. Should we call it a Travel-o-Blog or the Trip Engineers’ Official Blog (to eliminate the confusion)?

Anyway, We’re here for you! And we bet our blog will be as exciting as the tours we offer! ;)

So you must be wondering ‘What’s New'?

Well, very simply put, we’re new and what we are offering is new. The experience, the fun, the itineraries, everything is new; or let’s say: tailored to suit your needs…

We provide tours which range from day long adventure trips to weekend leisure packages to holiday travel itineraries.

We believe that students possess the same passion to explore and experiment like America’s discoverer Christopher Columbus did. Hence, we’ve designed special North-East destination tours for collegians.
These tours enable students and others of course to venture into the unconventional and unexplored terrains and territories of the North-East like Nameri and Mawlynnong, also known as God’s own Garden!

Secondly, we recognize the power of the internet and its netizens. Hence, our operations are completely online. This means you save your time and effort making rounds to any agency or operator.

We allow you to sit in the comfort of your house or even lie on the bed with your laptop and you choose your perfect holiday destination through TripEngineers.com

Next Question: Why are we here?

To connect with you, with all our lovely travelers, who share the same passion for traveling and exploring as we do.

Our blog is a platform where our readers can learn about the various possibilities of traveling in North-East India and send in their feedback and tell us how we can be of better service to you.

We’re listening! So be rest assured that you’re not wasting your time typing out your voice.

Also, this is a place where you will learn about exciting travel destinations, places you want to go to and places you must go to. We will bring to you the best-of-the best must-visit places, must-try foods, must-experience adventures and much more!!

Sounds exciting? It’ll only get better.

Visit us… Join Us… Love us (you won’t be able to resist us ;))

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