Nohkalikai Falls: Best Time, the Viewpoint, and the Trek Down to the Pool

Nohkalikai is a plunge waterfall near Sohra (Cherrapunji) that drops about 340 metres in a single fall, the standard figure for India's tallest. The viewpoint is a short walk from the car park, about 7 km from Sohra town. Go in the morning, because the valley fills with cloud as the day warms.

Two different waterfalls

Nohkalikai changes more through the year than almost any sight in Meghalaya. Pick the version you want.

Winter visitors are sometimes disappointed by the flow. The pool is the reason to go then, and it's only visible on a clear day, which winter mostly gives you.

Go in the morning

As the day heats, moisture rises out of the gorge and the far cliff disappears. By early afternoon, especially from June to September, there's a real chance you see nothing but white. Plan Nohkalikai first on your Sohra day and the viewpoints that work later in the light, such as Seven Sisters, for the afternoon.

Arrived into cloud? Wait. Twenty minutes is often enough for it to move through.

The viewpoint

A paved path leads from the car park to a railed viewing area facing the falls across the gorge. It's easy for almost everyone, including elderly parents, which is why it's on nearly every family itinerary. A small entry fee is collected, usually 20 to 30 rupees per person, plus parking.

Midday on a winter weekend is the busiest time. Early morning is quieter as well as clearer.

The name

Noh Ka Likai means "the leap of Likai" in Khasi. The story behind it is grim, and drivers tell it with some relish: a widow named Likai, a second husband who killed her young daughter, and a leap from this cliff when she discovered what had happened.

The trek to the plunge pool

A trail drops from near the top to the pool at the base. It's steep and rough, over rock and boulders, and the return takes four to five hours including time at the bottom.

• Only in the dry months, roughly November to March. After rain the path is slippery enough that people slide down it.
• Go with a local guide, start in the morning, and carry water.
• Not for anyone with knee trouble, and not with children.

Most visitors never do it. If you want one hard walk in Sohra, the Nongriat root bridge trek is the better-known choice, and the easier one to arrange.

How to get there

From Shillong, about 54 km to Sohra and two hours by road, then the short run out to the falls. Most people see it on a Shillong to Sohra day or from a night in Sohra, alongside Seven Sisters, Mawsmai Cave and Arwah Cave. The Cherrapunji guide shows how the day fits together, and the caves guide covers the two caves nearby.

Trips built around it

Almost every route we run stops here. Monsoon Meghalaya is built for the full-flow version, and Mystic Meghalaya covers it in four days from 21,000 rupees per person.