Eco-friendly Shopping at Elephant Falls & Nohkalikai Falls | Meghalaya

Here to share one of my eco-friendly shopping experiences at

Elephant Falls & Nohkalikai Falls, Meghalaya!

Elephant Falls

Nohkalikai Falls

Short Shot Story

Nohkalikai Falls was the place where I truly realized why Meghalaya was named so. The persistent clouds ☁ and mist made it impossible for me to see the Nohkalikai Falls, let alone capturing it. 

After exploring the area for a good 45 minutes, there was little hope of being able to see anything in the valley.

That was when a little eco-friendly shopping happened.

These ↓ were a couple of pieces that I picked up from the street stalls near the waterfalls mentioned above.

*Ones with blue headings are from Nohkalikai Falls, and ones with brown headings are from Elephant Falls

Bamboo mug

✓ Easy to carry when travelling

✓ Good replacement for non-biodegradable single-use cups

✓ It has an unpolished internal surface

✓ Can be used for drinking water

✓ Can be washed with a bottle brush

✓ Can be kept in the sun to be dried and sanitized

⚠ Due to its slightly porous surface, using dishwashing soap to clean it won't be a good option.

Note: The mug gives a soothing petrichor-like fragrance immediately after the water is drained. Who doesn't like the aroma of wet earth? 

Bamboo fan

✓ Appropriate for Meghalaya's humid climate

✓ Handy during travel

The pop of colours can make a gloomy day vibrant!

 Keychains inspired by conical bamboo bins

✓ Traditional & characteristic style of Meghalaya's bins

✓  Light & unbreakable

✓ Interesting and reasonable souvenirs of utility that you can buy in bulk for friends and family, without worrying about space

Bamboo whistle

If you have a habit of walking away from the group and getting lost, this might be helpful. 😛

Bamboo holders with covers

Make good gifts for grandmothers (saying this at the risk of sounding prejudiced).

Bamboo bin

You wouldn't want to use it as a dustbin!

Bamboo hair bun pin

Little delicate to actually be worn but beautifully crafted, thus, difficult not to get one. 

A pair of wooden earrings

✓ Of utility

✓ Very light on the ears

✓ Look amazing when light passes through them and casts a patterned shadow

Buddha idol carved in stone

For some peace  ☮ and tranquillity!

Continuing the Short Shot Story...soon after shopping was over near Nohkalikai Falls, it started to rain heavily. The car was far away, and I had to run a distance of almost 340 m with all the things I had bought in my hands.

As I was running, I heard a few travellers point out that the sky had cleared up and the Nohkalikai Falls was finally visible. I ran. I just ran toward the viewpoint, and without caring about anything, I took my phone out for taking the shot.

However, capturing the view as an image was not enough, so I stood for another 2 minutes just looking at the majestic Nohkalikai Falls, the tallest plunge waterfall in India, with a height of 1115 feet.