The fact that 'living root bridges' in Meghalaya state haven't made it to UNESCO list yet, and that Indian government only put them as candidate last year, is surprising. The main criteria - outstanding universal value - is obvious from the moment we see these unique structures. They're created by slow - taking several dozen years - shaping of growing tree roots by Khasi and Jaintia tribes in Northwest India. Once mature, they can serve the pedestrians for ages - holding up to 50 people, with such wonders as 'double decker' and double-lane bridges. They blend into surrounding jungle, resulting in a mood that we'd rather expect from a fairy tale scenography. Haven't seen anything similar in other parts if the world and I doubt it can be matched for uniqueness by other 'living' structures (although I appreciate that shaping a bonsai tree also takes hundreds of years :) ).

The logistics there is a bit inconvenient as the 'seven sisters' states in North-Eastern India are off the beaten track - but nothing too complicated: we flew from Delhi to Gujarati, took local transport to Shillong and arranged a private car with driver to take us to the place. Just please remember that the surrounding area is called 'valley of 10,000 stairs' and the name comes for a reason! We visited in 2011, so the practicalities may have changed - although the entire region seemed to be running at pretty slow pace, so I doubt they're much different today. Also we only saw the few 'highlights' - the most popular bridges. The area where they have been built is large - according to Wikipedia there are 75 structures still alive - so there may be more hidden gems deep in the jungle, awaiting more publicity. Long story short, a no-brainer for me to be put on WHS list.