Over some years , Dawki , a small border town of Meghalaya state in India has gained tourist importance.
The offbeat destination has a speciality called ‘ Umngot River ‘ whose water is so transparent that you can even see the fishes in the bottom.
How to reach Umngot river
You can directly reach the Umngot river via Shillong-Dawki road which is about 120 kilometres.
It takes about 3 hours to reach Dawki due to bad & spiral single roads.
If you leave Shillong at around 8AM in morning you can easily cover Umngot river , Revai’s Root Bridge and Mawlynnong and come back in the evening.
Mawlynnong and Root Bridge fall on one side and Dawki river’s route ( 1 hour from Mawlynnong ) takes a turn from the diversion from the above photograph.
Top View of Dawki Umngot river
You will be mesmerized by the top view of Umngot river from the Jowai-Dawki road near bridge.
The greenery of the hills and untouched natural beauty makes Dawki an awesome attraction.
Bangladesh Side View
The boat ride takes about 45 minutes time to take a circular round trip of the lake.
Dawki is a border town and from the Umngot river you can see the Bangladesh side which is just 2 kilometres from here.
The nearest Bangladesh town from Dawki is Sylhet.
Renting a boat at river side
At the river coast which is downhill from the Jowai-Dawki road you can find many boat owners .
You can rent the whole boat for Rs 700 for 5 persons.The boat owners may also arrange life Jackets if you ask them specifically.
Colonial Era Suspension Bridge
You will see the Dawki Bridge while boating in Umngot river.
It is a suspension bridge constructed in 1932 by the British and a vital link between India and Bangladesh.
It serves as the main trade gate for transportation of coal, limestone to Bangladesh from India.
Life is Peaceful
From the hustle and bustle of main stream towns in India , the life here at Dawki is very peaceful.
The lake is also a popular fishing spot among locals.
The river has golden carps , silver carps and catfish.
Lake Water is Transparent
Perhaps the only one of its type , Umngot river , has a see-through crystal clear water and at times it appears to be floating in the air due to transparency of water.
The depth of Umngot at the coast is about 3 feet and depth goes upto 15 feet in the middle.
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