Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri)
Jaintia monolith field, a Shakti Peetha and blue Krangsuri pools
Best time to visit Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri)
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, shoulder season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, peak season
- May, shoulder season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, shoulder season
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: March to April and October to November
- Shoulder: May, July, September and December to February, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June and August
Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri) season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Dec-Feb is 5-18 C, dry and clear, and Nartiang's monolith field and Durga temple are yours alone before ten.
Summer March to May Prime time
March-April is warm and green and Krangsuri holds its turquoise colour right up until the first heavy rains.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Jun-Sep is brutal Jaintia rain, but Behdienkhlam in July is worth accepting it, if you expect to be soaked all day.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Oct-Nov is the cleanest window: waterfalls still full from the rains, roads dry and the paddy terraces going gold.
What Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri) is actually like
Pnar market town with plain hotels, few visitors beyond waterfall day-trippers, river walks along the Myntdu
Things to do in Jowai
The local places worth your time in and around Jowai, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
-
Nartiang Monoliths
Heritage · 24 km out
The densest field of Jaintia menhirs anywhere, some 8 m tall, in a shaded yard; free, ten minutes off the main road.
-
Krang Suri Falls
Waterfall · 30 km out
Blue pool under a broad falls with a stepped path and rails; small entry fee, swimming allowed, packed on Sundays.
-
Nartiang Durga Temple
Temple · 24 km out
Low wooden Shakti Peetha of the Jaintia kings with its old sacrifice pit; Durga Puja here draws the whole district.
-
Tyrshi Falls
Waterfall · 6 km out
Falls at the head of a paddy bowl with a walkway down to the base; the valley view beats the falls except after rain.
-
Syntu Ksiar
River · 2 km out
Slow loop of the Myntdu below town with rowing boats and a bank path; this is where Jowai walks in the evening.
Getting to Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri)
Shillong 64 km, shared sumos from Iewduh about 2 h; Umroi airport 85 km; no railway anywhere near
Practical ways in: flightroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 2 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 1343 m
- State
- Meghalaya
- Coordinates
- 25.4435, 92.1973
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri)?
March to April and October to November is peak season in Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri). May, July, September and December to February is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June and August. Oct-Nov is the cleanest window: waterfalls still full from the rains, roads dry and the paddy terraces going gold.
How many days do you need in Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri)?
2 days is the usual stay. Pnar market town with plain hotels, few visitors beyond waterfall day-trippers, river walks along the Myntdu.
How do you get to Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri)?
Shillong 64 km, shared sumos from Iewduh about 2 h; Umroi airport 85 km; no railway anywhere near. Practical ways in: flight and road.
Is Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
Is there a festival in Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri)?
Jul: Behdienkhlam. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
What are the best things to do in Jowai?
Nartiang Monoliths, Krang Suri Falls, Nartiang Durga Temple, Tyrshi Falls and Syntu Ksiar. The densest field of Jaintia menhirs anywhere, some 8 m tall, in a shaded yard; free, ten minutes off the main road.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Laitlum Canyons (Rasong)
Meghalaya
Cloud-filled amphitheatre with a stone stairway down to Rasong
40 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Dawki & Shnongpdeng
Meghalaya
Glass-clear Umngot river: boating, cliff camps, border
40 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly under an hour by road
-
Shillong
Meghalaya
Northeast's hill capital: cafes, lakes, live music
50 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Wahkhen (Mawryngkhang Bamboo Trail)
Meghalaya
Bamboo skywalk over the Wahrew gorge to the king of stones
50 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly under an hour by road
-
Mawlynnong
Meghalaya
Asia's cleanest village: root bridge, bamboo skywalk
50 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly under an hour by road
-
Mawphlang Sacred Forest
Meghalaya
Khasi sacred grove where you may not carry a single leaf out
70 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Cherrapunji (Sohra)
Meghalaya
Wettest place on earth: waterfalls, canyons, caves
80 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Umrangso (Kopili Reservoir)
Assam
Kopili reservoir town in Dima Hasao: hot springs, Amur falcon roosts, Panimur 33 km
70 km from Jowai (Nartiang & Krangsuri), roughly about 1 h by road
More places to visit in Meghalaya
- Baghmara (Balpakram gateway) Meghalaya
- Cherrapunji (Sohra) Meghalaya
- Dawki & Shnongpdeng Meghalaya
- Laitlum Canyons (Rasong) Meghalaya
- Mawlynnong Meghalaya
- Mawphanlur Meghalaya
- Mawphlang Sacred Forest Meghalaya
- Nongkhnum Island (Langshiang Falls) Meghalaya
- Nongkhyllem Sanctuary (Lailad) Meghalaya
- Nongriat (Double-Decker Root Bridge) Meghalaya
- Ranikor (Kynshi river) Meghalaya
- Shillong Meghalaya
- Siju (Dobakkol Caves) Meghalaya
- Tura (Garo Hills) Meghalaya
- Wahkhen (Mawryngkhang Bamboo Trail) Meghalaya
- Wari Chora (Emangre) Meghalaya