Cherrapunji's main draws are the living root bridges in the valleys below the plateau and the waterfalls fed by the world's heaviest rainfall. Both require physical effort: reaching the double-decker root bridge near Nongriat involves a descent of around 3,500 steps and the same back up; the Seven Sisters waterfall viewpoint is easier but still worth the walk to the cliff edge.
The plateau itself offers views south over the Bangladesh plains on clear days, which tend to come in winter and early spring rather than during the monsoon months. The town is quiet and unhurried — a good base for a few days of walking in one of the most dramatically wet landscapes on earth.