Incredible India
7 Things to Do in Mawlynnong, Asia’s Cleanest Village
A Khasi village in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills, Mawlynnong has been called Asia’s cleanest village since 2003, and pairs its bamboo-dustbin cleanliness system with a living root bridge, a bamboo skywalk and the clear waters of the Umngot River nearby.
Sep 25, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Mawlynnong sits in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, close to the Bangladesh border, and has carried the title of Asia's cleanest village since the travel magazine Discover India first awarded it in 2003. The reputation is not a marketing invention: the village runs on a community system of bamboo dustbins set along every path, a ban on plastic, and shared daily upkeep by residents, all built on the matrilineal Khasi customs that still shape property and family life across these hills. Here are seven things to do, each with a direct map link.
1. Walk the village's bamboo-lined paths
Mawlynnong's paths are lined with woven bamboo dustbins and swept daily by residents on a rotating basis, a system that has held for over two decades and is worth seeing simply by walking the village slowly rather than passing through.
2. Cross the living root bridge at Riwai
A short walk from Mawlynnong, the neighbouring hamlet of Riwai has a single-root living bridge, grown by training the roots of rubber fig trees across a stream over decades, a smaller and more accessible example of the root bridges the Khasi Hills are known for.
3. Climb the Sky View bamboo tower
Built by the village's youth from bamboo and steel, the Sky View tower rises above the tree canopy at the edge of Mawlynnong, with the plains of Bangladesh visible in the distance on a clear day.
4. See the Balancing Rock
A large natural boulder rests on a much smaller stone base at the edge of the village, a formation that appears to defy gravity and has become one of Mawlynnong's more photographed curiosities.
5. Visit the village church
Like much of the Khasi Hills, Mawlynnong's community life is shaped by Christianity, introduced through 19th-century Welsh missionary work across the region, and the village's own church remains a quiet focal point for residents rather than a tourist stop.
6. Stay in a local homestay
A number of village families run simple homestays, offering Khasi meals built around rice, pork and local greens, a more direct way to understand how the village sustains its cleanliness system day to day than a short daytime visit allows.
7. Take a day trip to Dawki and the Umngot River
A short drive from Mawlynnong, the town of Dawki sits on the Umngot River, whose water is clear enough in the dry season that boats appear to float in mid-air, a striking contrast to the forested hills around the village itself.
Traveller tips
- The nearest airport is Shillong, with Guwahati's larger airport a further drive beyond that; Mawlynnong itself is roughly three to four hours from Shillong by road.
- The living root bridges and Umngot River's clear water are both best seen in the drier months between November and April; the region's heavy monsoon clouds the river considerably.
- Plastic is genuinely restricted within the village; carry a reusable bottle and avoid single-use packaging out of respect for the system in place.
- Entry to the village and Sky View tower involves small, locally collected fees that go directly toward its upkeep.
Where this is
Mawlynnong, Meghalaya