Nokhalikha Falls (Nohkalikai) is the tallest plunge waterfall in India, dropping roughly 340 metres in one uninterrupted fall from the Sohra plateau into a pool the colour of jade. It is fed entirely by rain from the plateau above, which is why it is thunderous in monsoon and a slender silver thread by late March.
The viewpoint is a short walk from the parking area, with a stepped terrace and a railed platform that looks straight across the gorge at the fall. On sunny mid-mornings the spray throws a rainbow across the lower half of the drop — one of the most photographed sights in the North East. There is a small market at the top selling local honey, cinnamon and Khasi snacks.
The name carries a hard Khasi legend, that of Ka Likai, a woman who leapt from this cliff in grief. Locals will tell it to you properly if you ask. Allow forty-five minutes at the site; combine it with Seven Sister Falls, Mawsmai Cave and the Arwah caves for a full Sohra day.
