Crystalline Mawsmai Cave, Meghalaya, North East India

There is something about caves that appeals to me. May be its their weirdness or their complex forms inside or the sheer thrill of crouching on your stomach to move from one part of the cave to another.


The Mawsmai cave of Meghalaya is no different. In fact, it is a beautiful combination of all of the above. Situated close to Cherrapunji, the Mawsmai cave is one of the more popular tourist destinations of Meghalaya.

 
This limestone cave is in great shape as it has been preserved well by Meghalaya Tourism. The stalactites and stalagmites here very special as they are covered with bright crystals, which glitter in the artificial light. As I have said before on other caves, the various forms created by these stalactites and stalagmites are reason enough to let your imagination run wild.


The opportunities to see various shapes, forms and figurines are endless. The entire tourist corridor of the cave is well lit with eco-friendly lights making for a great exhibition for the traveller. One can even spot life forms that manage to live inside these caves. Meghalaya tourism has thoughtfully put up boards at the entrance helping the tourist understand the various plant, algae, moss and insect species that call this place their home.



Surprisingly, the Mawsmai cave has decent head clearance most of the way. In fact, if I remember right, I only crouched a couple of times, which is amazing given the bruises that I have endured during my visit to other caves across India.

 

The only sad part is that though the caves are long and winding, only a small portion is open for the tourists. But then, keeping safety in mind, I think it is a sensible option. This is a must visit if you happen to tour the North Eastern state of Meghalaya in India.

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Inside the world’s largest limestone caves

It takes an hour long boat ride through mangrove swamps and a thirty minute hike through bamboo forests to reach the world’s largest limestone caves.

 
These caves are situated in the Baratang Island of the Andamans. One needs a good source of artificial light before entering these caves as it is pitch dark inside.

 
But once you are inside these caves, the beauty is unimaginable. The stalactites and stalagmites that have withstood nature’s erosion process over time form various interesting shapes and figures.

 
You have to just let your imagination loose to recognize an elephant or corals or a shiva linga amidst these limestone forms. Only a small portion of these caves are open to the tourists, but this small portion is enough to let your imagination run wild.

 
These largest limestone caves in the world are not only a great natural wonder, but offer a fantastic experience for the travel lover.

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Tropical Trek that leads to the world’s largest limestone caves

This place is tropical at its very best. The tall tropical rain forests had been left behind. Then came the mangrove forests and then the extremely humid mangrove swamps. All this while I was on a small boat. Now, the time had come to get my feet kicking.

 
As I started walking on the thin nature trail, I kept checking my surroundings. First, the mangrove swamps started disappearing and they lead to open fields. This was the last relaxation spot for the tourists with shade and bench around.


Local Andamanese people were selling extremely tasty lime juice to help the tourists beat the extremely sultry and sapping conditions.


After a relaxing sip, we moved forward and within a short distance, the trail got completely enveloped by bamboo forests. This continued for thirty more minutes before leading to steep rock cut surfaces and large roots jutting out of these rocks.


This tropical trail is situated in the Baratang Island of the Andamans and can be reached via a small motor boat through one of the many mangrove creeks that adorn the perimeter of this island.

 
This tropical trail leads to the world’s largest limestone caves. It is believed that millions of years back, these limestone caves were submerged by the Bay of Bengal.

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