Diving Into Dawki’s Crystal Clear Waters — An Explorer’s Guide

“Even an entire week is not enough,” laughs Vibhor Yadav as he conjures up images of sparkling waters, long swims, and delicious, freshly-cooked meals at a cozy campsite. The place he’s so vividly describing is none other than Dawki, a small town on the Indo-Bangladesh border, and the lesser known cousin of other North-eastern villages like Mawlynnong. Tucked away in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, it rarely features on most people’s radars, but if Yadav is to be believed, it most certainly should. Late last October, the young photographer extraordinaire had the opportunity to accompany a group of other artists, filmmakers, musicians, photographers and creative thinkers to go on a road trip to Northeast India and as luck would have it, Dawki got a full two days and nights of their itinerary. He took the time out to both share his beautiful photographs of his time in this idyllic village and share (more than) a few tips with HG readers/ potential travelers.

Scroll on for excerpts from our conversation:

On getting there:

“Reaching Dawki was as exciting as the place itself, we reached the India-Bangladesh border in the evening, then we had to take a canoe ride to our camping spot in Dawki, right next to the river. And this boat ride happened around 11 in the night, there was no lighting or whatever since this place is away from the civilization and the boats were simply fishing boats owned by the villagers. After reaching the spot, our tents and a bonfire was ready for us with a beautiful view from the tents.”

On where to stay and what to carry with you:

“We camped with Pioneer Adventure Tours owned by Jason, a very friendly and enthusiastic guy who provided us with a wonderful camping and adventure experience. All basic things needed for camping (Tent, sleepingbags, utensils, washrooms) are provided by Pioneer there, so you can just leave for Dawki with your basic necessities.”

On getting around:

“We didn’t get around much ourselves upon reaching the campsites, however, it is no issue to get a taxi into the main Dawki village if you need to.”

On the highlights of his time there:

“There’s nothing quite like cliff-jumping into the clear waters of Dawki river. Being in the Kayak in the Dawki river was another unique experience.”

On his advice and recommendations to future travelers:

“On the way to Dawki, we visited both the double root bridges, and the Asia’s Cleanest Village. They are both worth visiting, and the road trip itself is a beautiful journey that shouldn’t be missed. Over and above this, one should definitely boating and even go alone Kayaking. The water is clear and the flow is smooth. You can even go Snorkeling and Scuba diving but the charges are extra for that. Apart from boating and kayaking there are other adventure activities like Cliff jumping, zip lining and caving. Be sure to check out these activities and pre-book them if you plan to go.”

You can view more of Yadav’s stunning images from his trip here.