Shnonengpedeng – currently the new craze in the country is a small village in the Indian state of Meghalaya

The Dhaka Times Desk The clear blue water is flowing, along with the cold wind. A small village on the hill. As the day light went out, the full moon light came and illuminated an entire village. Camping is going on by the river, with all the stars in the sky mixed with silence. The stream flows through the rocks, the soul is moved by the roar of its flow. These are not fairy tales. Close to home is Shnonengpedeng, a small village in the Indian state of Meghalaya. This unique beautiful village is just 8 km away from Tamabil border in Sylhet district of Bangladesh. This small village of Jainta Hill can be visited very easily and cheaply with a Dauki border visa.

Visa Processing:

Since Shnonengpedeng is on the Indian border, an Indian visa is required to travel here. To get this visa you need to mention Dauqi border, along with that all options in Haridashpur are free. The necessary documents for visa processing should be submitted along with the passport to the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh. You will get the visa within three to seven days. To get a visa first you have to fill the form of this web link indianvisa-bangladesh.nic.in/visa/ accurately. For the appointment date between 11:30 and 12:30 of the day you can get yourself after a few attempts. Documents to be submitted after receiving the date: • Your passport. • Photocopy of passport. • Photocopy of National Identity Card, if not Photocopy of Birth Registration/Chairman/Commissioner Certificate of Citizenship. • Photocopy of electricity/water/telephone bill of current address for recent month with bill paid. • Minimum 6 months bank statement or minimum 150 dollar endorsement slip from any bank with passport seal. • Photocopy of student identity card if student as proof of employment. Photocopy of current trade license (own name) and visiting card if a businessman. Photocopy of employment identity card, visiting card and leave approval on official pad if employed.

Immigration Processing:

The entry and exit process starts at the border from 9 am. First you need to go to the Bangladesh Immigration Police Office (on the right hand side) with your passport. A small form will be given there. Your name, passport, visa etc. information should be written in English capital letters. If you can't write it yourself, tell them to write it. After writing and submitting it, the passport will be stamped with an arrival seal after making an entry on the computer. Now you have to go to the customs office. Here you have to submit the travel tax paper. Take the tax paper from any branch of Sonali Bank before traveling. If for some reason it is not paid in advance, in case it can be paid at the border, an additional penalty of 100 taka will be paid. Take the customs seal and show it to the border guard and go to the Indian border.

After showing your passport to the BSF, you will find the Indian Immigration Office after a short walk. Inside, first submit the passport to the police immigration and get it stamped. Then take the seal from the customs officer.

Return to your home country after completing the same process as the Indian immigration. Then all the activities ended only after the police completed the immigration after the customs office. But check very carefully whether the seals are given properly.

How to go?

From Dhaka by bus, train, plane, Sylhet has to go down to Tamabil border. If you want to go directly from Dhaka, there is a bus called Ahmed Paribahan. It leaves Syedabad directly at 10 pm and 11 pm and goes to Jaflong, the service is quite good, the fare will be 400 taka. Besides, many buses ply Dhaka Sylhet route including Hanif, Shyamli, Ena, Unique, Mamun, Green Line, London Express. Dhaka - Sylhet non AC bus fare is Tk 480 and AC bus fare is Tk 900-1250. Buses to Jaflong, Tamabil leave every half hour from Kadmatli bus stand in Sylhet, fare 60 Tk. You can get a taxi by crossing the border in Tamabil. If you take Shnonengpedeng reserve from here, it will cost 200-250 rupees. Besides, you can reach Dawki Bazar on foot, it will take 10 minutes or from the border, you can go to Dawki Bazar for 20 rupees share jeep. A local jeep from Dawki Bazar to Shnonengpedeng costs 20 rupees and if you take a reserve taxi, it will take 200-250 rupees to cover this 15-minute journey.

Where will you stay?

The fun part of staying at Shnonengpedeng is camping by the Umgot River. There is a tent for two people on rent for 500-700 rupees. And the big tents can accommodate 5-8 people, their rent is 1200-1500 rupees. There are also few cottages with a single bed rent of Rs.500-700. The best are Halatong Tourist Homestay and Bright Star Singh. If you want to stay in a tent, you have to contact them because they have their own tent. The cottages are on the hillside and the tents are on both sides of the river.

Where to eat?

Bright Star Restaurant is the best place to eat on the hillside in the main part of the village. All types of food are available here. After ordering, you have to wait for just 10 minutes to get hot food. Besides, there are some shops where dry food, cold drinks are available. And there are two restaurants near the river at the bottom of the hill where you can get food too. Besides, if you want, you can cook and eat like a picnic. But one thing is particularly noticeable here as the evening falls, silence descends. All the shops close by 6-7 pm. So before that, food has to be taken. And no shop opens till 9/10 am.

Places to visit:

Shnonengpedeng is a natural beauty village located on Jainta Hill, just 8 km from the Tamabil border. Seeing the glow of the blue clear water, it seems strange, but in fact it is real. The boats floating on the water will seem to be imaginary. Boating, Kayaking, Zip line, Snorkeling is full of various activities in this Shnonengpedeng. And the most attractive of this village is the Bailey bridge made of iron for the two ends of the hill. Not more than 5-8 people can climb this bridge together.

Activities in Shonengpedeng:

Boating - There is a boating pier just below the Bailey Bridge down the hill. All activities start from here. There is a shed where all boats are registered. 500 rupees for boating in Umgat river. A dinghy can carry up to 5-6 people. It takes approximately 40-60 minutes to complete the tour. The boat will take you past the clear blue stream of the river to a small waterfall of milky white water. In between, you will see thousands of small and big stone boulders that look a lot like our Bandarban tindus.

kayaking- Kayaking costs Rs. 200 per person from this ghat. Two person capacity per kayak. Kayaking in this rocky river is an exhilarating experience to remember for a lifetime. Enjoy the pleasure of kayaking in clear blue water. But having a life jacket is a must. This will be taught to you by the authorities at the time of renting the boat.

zip line- If you look ahead of Bailey Bridge, you will see a thick cable hanging from one side to the other. Here you can go from one mountain to another. When boating, the boatman will make the arrangements. You will have to spend 300 rupees for each zip lining. The guide will explain in clear English what to do by reading the life jacket, harness and gloves. Nothing too complicated. The left hand will always be easy and the right hand will hold the brake easily. If the speed seems too high or the end is reached, then just a light pressure with the right hand will brake. There will also be a guide at the other end to receive you there.

jumping- The other side of the zip line is a good place to jump with a life jacket on. You don't have to spend any money for this. You can jump from the high rock wherever you want by seeing a little depth. But the place should be checked carefully so that there are no stones below. It is best to take the help of a sailor for this.

snorkeling- A little further from the zip line, you can rent all the equipment for snorkeling. 500 rupees for snorkeling for 30 minutes. You can look around under the blue water and see some of the terrible forms of nature. With hundreds of known and unknown fish. Not only from above but also under the water, there is a huge beauty of Umgat hidden without snorkeling.

camping- There is no alternative to camping to fully experience the joy of travel. There are suitable places for camping on both sides of the river under the hill. Tents for rent are available here. If the number of people is high, it is better to book in advance. A night spent in the stillness of the night, in the water of the stream, with the light of the full moon will be a memory of a lifetime. Along with the campfire, songs, stories chat will bring variety. 500-700 rupees for two people and 1200-1500 rupees for 4-5 people.

Living Root Breeze:

Located in Riwai village of Meghalaya, this 200-year-old bridge is built on the roots of a 50-meter-long living tree. Its roots are constantly growing and hence its name Living Root Breeze. The rural Thailong River flows through rocky gorges under the bridge. You have to go to the bridge by following the directions up many stairs. Tickets must be collected from the counter to enter here. This historical natural beauty of Shillong can be easily visited from Dauki by reserve jeep or taxi.

Moulinong Village:

The cleanest village in Asia is called Moulinong Village, very close to the Living Root Bridge. When you go here, you will understand why this village is the cleanest village in Asia. Thousands of flowers around. In front of every house there is a collection of flowers and various types of leafy plants. No garbage can be seen anywhere, not even dust. There is a restaurant here for lunch. You can visit every house.

Balancing Rock:

Leaving Maulinong and going a little further, you will see another strange sight called Balancing Rock. A large monstrous stone stands on a very small stone. No storm can shake him. The significance of the name can be found only by seeing him standing on a small rock.

Umkrai Falls:

Leaving the village of Riwai and coming towards Dawki, the beautiful Umkrai waterfall will be on the way. Its water has gone towards Bangladesh through Jhiri. You can go down the big stone boulder very close to the fountain.

Bighill Falls:

Leaving Umkrai, very close to the border we will see Barahil Falls which we know from Sylhet as Pangtumai. Standing on the iron bailey bridge, you can see the terrible form, beauty and roar of this falls. Also, don't forget to see the unique beauty of Goainghat in Sylhet, Bangladesh from there.

Dawkey Bridge:

Finally approaching the border you will find the famous Dawki Bridge which we rush to Jaflong Zero Point to see. You can go boating here if you want, but the cost is a little higher. 6-7 people can board each boat for 700 rupees.

Krangsuri Falls:

Located in Amlarem village of East Jainta Hill, this waterfall of blue water has different forms. He takes one form in one season. However, in full monsoons, it catches in its full form, and in winter, it turns into a blue hue. You will find the counter after leaving the trail a little down from the parking lot and going up a little again. Entry fee is Rs 40 per person and Rs 20 for cameras. Here you can do boating for 100 rupees. You can wash away all the blue pains of mind and body in the blue water of the fountain by renting a life jacket. Boating has been arranged with an artificial barrier upstream. And the water is falling down in its rush. And it flowed down a huge rocky stream. There are stairs to go down.

Travel Plan:

Travel plans can be arranged in several ways. It is best to group at least 4-6 people. Then the cost will come down to average. If you want to go for two days, take the car directly from the border to Shnonengpedeng on the first day. Book a tent or cottage and spend the day exploring Shnonengpedeng's surroundings and activities. Paridan Reserve by jeep or taxi to visit Krangsuri Falls via Dauki to the border.

Another way to do it is to visit Shnonengpedeng on the first day and stay in Shnonengpedeng at night. The next day, reserve a jeep or taxi to visit Living Root Bridge, Maulinong Village, Balancing Rock, Umkrai Falls, Barahill Falls, Dawki and stay at Shnonengpedeng.

Taxi Bajip will cost 1500 rupiah from Shnonengpedeng to the border via Krangsuri and Dawki. From Shnonengpedeng to Living Root Bridge, Maulinong Village, Balancing Rock, Umkrai Falls, Barahill Falls, Dawki, staying overnight in Shnonengpedeng and the next day going to Krangsuri and lowering the border will cost 3000-3500 rupees.

Tips/Warnings/Advice:

• Do not carry anything illegal at the border.

• Carry extra few photocopies and passport photocopies which will be used at your hotel/ SIM purchase/ other purposes.

• Carry a copy of the leave certificate that you submitted with the visa application to be presented at the time of border crossing.

• Take Dollars without taking Bangla Taka or Rupees.

• Don't listen to any broker, make a draft plan before you go and travel according to that plan.

• Do not misbehave with any local. Or do not criticize there language, culture, dress-expectations.

• Don't bring your country into disrepute. and while there do not behave or behave in such a manner as to bring the country into disrepute.

• Travel from the border by share jeep, the cost will be less.

• On return, convert all remaining rupees at the border back into taka.

• Do not litter any travel area.

• Don't forget to take warm clothes in winter.

• Always carry your passport with you when you go out.