Travel Guide Cherrapunjee

population: 14,815. Altitude: 1,480 m. 52 km south of Shillong. Also known locally as Sohra, the village of Cherrapunjee boasts of being the rainiest place on earth, with an average annual rainfall of 11,430 mm over the last 38 years. In fact, it is only3rd, the rainiest place in the world officially being the nearby village of Mawsynram, with 11,872 mm per year, followed by Mount Waialeale in the Hawaiian archipelago. Cherrapunjee is also the traditional capital of the Khasi tribal kingdom. Nevertheless, this hamlet is of limited interest, providing a convenient base camp from which to explore the magnificent surrounding area and, above all, the astonishing Living Roots Bridges (tree roots are used to form living trellises strong enough to be used as bridges) nestling in the heart of the lush vegetation. Their location is well known to the locals. The surrounding area is also home to impressive waterfalls and viewpoints offering superb panoramas over the plains of Bangladesh...