Mawsmai and Arwah Caves: Which One to Do, How Long It Takes, and What It's Like Inside

Mawsmai and Arwah are the two show caves near Sohra (Cherrapunji). Both are lit, short and easy, and both work in any weather, which makes them the best rain plan in Meghalaya. Mawsmai is the busy one, with about 150 metres of passage open to visitors and a couple of tight squeezes. Arwah is quieter, a 20-minute walk from the road, with fossils in the rock.

With time for one, choose Arwah if you dislike crowds and Mawsmai if you're short on time.

Side by side

Mawsmai, in detail

Mawsmai is the cave on almost every Sohra itinerary, because it's on the way and it's quick. You go in one end and out the other along a fixed route. The passage is lit throughout, so you don't need a torch.

There are low sections where you'll bend double and a couple of narrow gaps you turn sideways to get through. The floor is wet limestone in places, and in monsoon there's water running through. Anyone who is uneasy in tight spaces should know this before joining the queue: once you're in, the line behind you keeps moving.

Leave big bags in the car. Wear shoes with grip, not slippers.

Arwah, in detail

Arwah takes more effort to reach and repays it. The paved walkway from the road follows the hillside with views over the Sohra valley, and the cave itself is larger and calmer than Mawsmai.

The reason to come is the fossils. Shells and fish bones are set into the limestone walls, from a time when this rock lay under the sea. Ask to have them pointed out, because they're easy to walk past.

Show caves, not caving

Meghalaya has some of the longest cave systems in India, and Mawsmai and Arwah are the gentle introduction. The serious caves, such as Krem Liat Prah in the Jaintia Hills and Krem Puri near Mawsynram, are proper expeditions with flooded passages in monsoon, and only run from November to March with specialist guides. If that's what you're after, the Jaintia Hills guide is the place to start.

When to go

Any month, and any time of day. Midday, or a wet afternoon when the viewpoints are lost in cloud, is when the caves earn their place. That's why our rain plan puts them first. The full list is in things to do in Meghalaya.

Both are usually open from about 9:30am to 5:30pm. These are village-run sites, so hours can shift. Check on the day before you drive out at 5pm.

Fitting them into a Sohra day

Mawsmai sits on the same side of town as the Seven Sisters viewpoint, so the two pair naturally in the afternoon. A sensible Sohra day runs Nohkalikai in the morning, Arwah before lunch, then Mawsmai and Seven Sisters in the late afternoon light. More on the morning in the Nohkalikai guide.

Most of our Sohra days include Mawsmai, and Arwah is an easy add if you ask. Delightful Meghalaya pairs Mawsmai with the Nongriat trek in six days, from 22,000 rupees per person, and Monsoon Meghalaya keeps both caves as its rain plan.