Chittagong Hill Tracts--- Have you paid a visit?

K. A. S. M. Ehteshamul Haque

Well, there is a saying in my circle that I cant talk about anything other than tours and travels. For me,
this seems pretty disgraceful, yet, to some extent, I agree. On my defense, I would say that there is
nothing wrong in bringing my preferred topic on the table, instead of saying Yes, No and Very good
to something that I am not actually aware of. As usual, here I am going to talk about Bangladesh, the
small part of the globe which has so many things to offer to nature-lovers.
I have found many people saying that Bangladesh is a small country, and it cant charm the viewers much
with its contents. I can take the first point that Bangladesh is a small country, may be smaller than a state
of larger countries. But being such a small country, the diversity it includes is enormous. Are you looking
for jungles and wildlife? Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world has a lot to offer to you.
You love to get into a boat trip? Then a large number of rivers, haors and baors are waiting for you in
Bangladesh. You want to be in some rainforest? Well, you can go for camping in the jungles in Satchori,
Rema Kalenga and many others, most of which are located in the Sylhet division. You would like to go
for trekking in mountains? You can go to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and I am telling you- with your true
spirit of adventure, you wont be able to end up in one month! If you are more willing to observe the
calmness of nature, you can choose the North Bengal, which has got lovely countryside views, apart from
its archaeological legends. Most importantly, being one of the smaller countries of the world, Bangladesh
has the largest sea beach in the world, Coxs Bazar.
I have traveled many parts of the country. In my article, I would like to take you for a short tour into the
Chittagong Hill Tracts- which I like to call The tail of Bangladesh.
Chittagong is the gateway for this part of the country. You can take a bus (available from different points
of Dhaka) or a train (five intercity trains run every day between Dhaka & Chittagong) to reach
Chittagong. Chittagong is a large city, endowed with lovely hills and terrains all around. You can have
some trekking experience if you go to the Shitakundu Hill, located outside the main part of the city.
Nearby you will also find an echo-park. Dont miss the lakeside road to the Golf Court, right behind
Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA). Chittagong port and Patenga Beach draw the attention of most
tourists who come to visit Chittagong. I can suggest you another sea beach, namely, Parki Beach, or the
Parki Chor. You will need to take a boat from around the port to go there. However, as I said, Chittagong
is only the beginning. From Chittagong, you can go to Kaptai, Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachari, and
surely, Coxs Bazar.
Kaptai and Rangamati are mostly known for the Kaptai lake, which you may have already heard about.
For your information, unlike many others things in the world which are nice-hearing but pretty boring in
real life, a daylong boat journey through the Kaptai Lake is truly a lifetime experience. The lake will
thrill you most in the rainy season, while in the winter, you will see the calm and quiet Kaptai lake with
amazing blue water passing through the hilly town of Rangamati. One of my friends told me that the lake
becomes more and more beautiful as you go deeper and deeper into it. So, my suggestion is, Dont just
take a typical boat-ride. Instead, explore as much as possible.

Bandarban, being the home of all the five highest peaks of Bangladesh (Saka Haphong, Dumlong,
Keokradong, Sippi Arsuang & Tazindong), is a dreamland for both the nature-lovers and the adventurers.
You will find buses to Bandarban from the old bus stand of Chittagong, and the journey usually takes two
and a half hours. There are also direct buses from Dhaka. Around the heart of Bandarban town, notable
places are Meghla, Nilachal and the Buddhist Temple (popularly known as Shorno-Mondir). Nilachal
houses a restroom on top of a hill, and gives an excellent view at the time of sunset. While traveling in
Bandarban, try to be in an open pick-up or jeep so that you can look around. Feel the blast of air, smell
the nature around you. In Bandarban, you will find the highest road of Bangladesh, namely, Peak 69,
which is part of the highway from the main town to Thanchi. While on this road, you should stop by at
Nilgiri. Nilgiri is a beautiful resort, providing view of the hilly terrains from a height of more than 3,000
feet. In the morning, you can touch the clouds roaming all over the helipad of Nilgiri. On a clear sunny
day, you will be able to figure out the sealines of Coxs Bazar from this resort with a binocular. From
Ruma Bazar, you can reach up to Boga Lake, which a crystal-clear lake located at the base of
Keokradong. Trekking towards the peak of Keokradong, Tazindong or Saka Haphong will give you the
wildest form of adventure. On top of this, you will have the rarest opportunity to experience the lifestyle
of Adibashi people. Bandarban has got a good number of waterfalls in different parts of the district,
among which Nafakhum, Amiakhum, Jadipai, Rizuk, the Double falls, Chingri falls, etc. are well-known.
As a matter of fact, still there are many parts of this district that are waiting to be discovered. So, still
there are more beautiful places that we do not even know about!
The district of Khagrachari is a bit untouched, yet it has a lot to offer to the tourists. The most amazing
thing in Khagrachari is a natural cave at Alutila. You will need to carry a flambeau for going inside.
Dont worry, you will find one at the entrance of Alutila Prjatan Complex. The cave is pretty dark, and,
on top of that, it is very slippery. So, watch your steps! Apart from this cave, you will find several
waterfalls at Khagrachari. Rishang falls is 5-7 km away from the heart of the town, not very far from
Alutila. You better go in the rainy season if you want to enjoy the waterfalls at full flow. Touduchhori
waterfall is located at Panchari, which is a pretty remote part of the district. This one, I would say, draws
the attraction for its wilderness and untouched beauty. You can go to Sajek valley to soothe your eyes
with the surrounding greenery. However, to be honest, Khagrachari is a bit risky due to the political
unrests of CHT, and be sure that you have protections if you are going to the remote parts of the district.
The natural beauty of CHT as a whole is unparalleled, and you would want to keep these memories alive
for years. Moreover, several places in this region are still undiscovered, and they are waiting for travelers
to mark their footprints. CHT is the land of foggy mountains, tidy rivers and pristine waterfalls. If you
still havent paid a visit to this part of the country, you have surely missed something!