Nilachal is the nearest tourist spot from Bandarban. It is situated at Tigerpara and about 2000 feet above the sea level and 5 kilometers away from the Bandarban town. From here visitors can see the total glance of Bandarban town and a vast landscape.
In the rainy season, visitors can be thrilled walking through the clouds. Watching golden twilight in the evening and enjoying an evergreen moonlight are magnificent. During winter, it like a foggy morning. On the way to Nilachal, visitors can see some tribe villages with their raw natural expression.
How To Go
By using road/train/air from any places to Chattogram, then By local transport to Destination.
Jadipai Waterfall
Jadipai Waterfall or Jadipai Jhorna is one of the widest waterfalls in Bangladesh situated in Ramu Upazila of Bandarban District; it is a great place to travel where you can enjoy the wild beauty of water, hills, and forest. The best time to visit is the rainy season when the flow of Jadipai fall becomes robust with added water. The walking path to the spot is tricky at some points. The way is thoroughly zigzag and some places slender. Along these lines, the traveler will pass the "Passing Para" and "Jadi Para". The last 30 minutes of this journey is truly risky. After all, when the travelers reach Jadipai Falls he will overlook all the anguish on the grounds that the natural magnificence of Jadipai waterfall is truly stunning and surprising.
How To Go
Travel from Bandarban to Ruma: You have to make a trip from Bandarban to Ruma Upazilla by “ChanderGari” (public jeep) or a private vehicle.
Travel from Ruma to Boga lake: From Ruma Bazar, you should hire a public jeep (Chander Gari) up to Boga lake and it may take Tk. 2000-2500. Before going to Bogalake you have to register your name, contact address, and other details in the respective security or Army camp, you will require a guide to reach Jadipai Jhorna. For the first day, the guide will charge 600/- Taka (BDT) and for the second day onwards the guide will charge 500/- Taka (BDT) per day. You should consult with the guide before going to Jadipai.
You will reach Boga lake in the following evening. So you need to pass the night there. There are many tribal villages in the Boga lake area. You can stay at night, take dinner from here and guide will help you to find a good place.
Boga Lake
Boga Lake, situated 18 kilometers away from Ruma Upazila headquarters of Bandarban District, is the most beautiful natural lake in Bangladesh. There are many mythological stories about the creation of the lake which inspire the young and adventure lovers to explore this wonderful natural reservoir of blue waters trekking all the way from Ruma.
It is a natural sweet and deep water lake. Its height from sea level is nearly 1,246 feet (380 m). Geologists believe that it was created by a collection of rainwater in summer. The lake is irregular in shape. A team of geologists surveyed this lake in 1973. They found the lake's water to be too acidic for any form of life. By the year 1995, the lake's water became abundant with plants and fish. The local resident's culture and gather Tilapia fish in this lake. People of the Bawm tribe migrated from Saikot para to Boga Lake and set up this village.
A local legend tells that the lake was created after the inhabitants of a Khumi village killed and later devoured a deity who later reappeared to them in the form of a dragon. Instantly an earthquake occurred, the hillside caved in, and the village disappeared and formed a deep lake.
The lake is bounded on three sides by mountain peaks covered with thick bamboo forests. The area of the lake is 18.56 acres (75,100 m2). It is a closed lake and there is a small spring named Boga chhara, which is 153 meters (502 ft) deep. There is no outlet for draining out water from the lake. The lake is composed of the soft rocks of the Bhuban Formation. The main source of water is rain in summer. The water is greenish due to the abundance of algae. The lake's bed is covered with boulders, like any other hill surface in that area. The lake's water was the only source of water for drinking, washing, and bathing until 2012. Later, a pipe network was set up to bring stream water for drinking and household activities.
How To Go
You have to make a trip from Bandarban to Ruma by “Chander Gari” (public jeep) or a private vehicle. From Ruma, you can hire public jeep up to Boga Lake. You can also walk to Boga Lake in the winter season. It will require 6 hours to reach Boga Lake.
The Buddha Dhatu Jadi
You will surely get impressed by the structure and view of the Golden temple in Bandarban which is known as Buddha Dhatu Jadi. Set atop a 60m hill, this temple exhibits unique Arakanese.Architecture with the design of Buddhist culture and heritage. The Buddha Dhatu Jadi is a Theravada Buddhist Temple also known as the Bandarban Golden Temple.
History
Bandarban has a large ethnic population of Buddhists. Buddhism is practiced by a small percentage of 0.7 in Bangladesh, predominantly a Muslim country. Buddhism is the third-largest religion in Bangladesh and the practice is of Theravada Buddhism; most Buddhists are from the south-eastern district of Chottogram and Chottogram Hill Tracts.
In Bangladesh, the Theravada Buddhism, now practiced as "Sangharaj Nikaya", was introduced in the late 19th century, replacing many of the old forms of Buddhism practiced till then. The credit for this is given to Ven. Saramedha, known popularly as "Sangharaj".
The ethnic population of the town belongs mostly to Marma, an indigenous group of the Chittagong hill region on the eastern end of the country. They are of Arakanese descent and Buddhists by religion and are the second-largest indigenous group in the hill districts of Bangladesh.
Buddha's Dhatu (Relic) donated by The State Sangha Mahanayaka Committee at Yangon, Myanmar on 1994
Ven. U Pannya Jota Mahathera is the founder and chief priest of the temple. He belongs to the royal Bohmong family of Bandarban. He is a Theravada monk since 1991. He had served the government of Bangladesh for 8 years as a senior assistant judge. The Buddha's dhatu (relic), which is enshrined in the temple, was a gift given to Ven. U Pannya Jota Mahathera in 1994 by the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee of Myanmar.
How To Go
Anyone can visit Bandarban Golden Temple by using road/train/air from any places to Chattogram, then By local transport to Destination.
Nilgiri Mountains
If you want to touch the clouds, you will have to go to Nilgiri, Bandarban. At Nilgiri, the cloud will come to you, even you can catch it with your hands. On the above, the blue sky, and the white cloud are playing in the mountain of Nilgiri. It is a place of spectacular beauty. Due to Nilgiri, Bandarban is called Darjeeling of Bangladesh. For those who love adventure, the best night in your life may be the Nilgiri. On the way to Nilgiri, you can see the beauty of Bandarban.
Nilgiri is a place with the combination of the tallest peak, the tribal village with a vibrant culture and colorful lifestyle of the villagers, and the spectacular natural beauty. This place gives the visitors a feel like floating in the kingdom of clouds. The Nilgiri resort is a popular resort where you can stay Overnight. Travel to Nilgiri through zigzag hilly roads amidst green and blue landscape is a lifetime experience.
How To Go
If you want to go to Nilgiri from any part of the country, you have to come to Bandarban first. From Bandarban to Nilgiri, you can go by Jeep, Chander Gari, Mahendra, CNG, or by local bus. The best way is to get a reserve car. It will help you to explore some of the surrounding areas of Nilgiri and Bandarban. If you want to come back within the day, you have to pick up the car from Bandarban Jeep Station. According to different cars, it may cost you BDT 3000 to 5000. In a Chander Gari, you may go 12 – 14 people, with the Landcruizer type jeep, you may go 7 to 8 people, with the Small jeep you may go to 4 to 5 people and with CNG you may go 2 to 3 persons.
On the way to Nilgiri, due to security concerns, the name and addresses of the tourists need to be recorded on the army checkpoint. For this reason, there is no other way or not allowed to go to Nilgiri after 5 PM. So keep the eye on the time before travel. For traveling to the Nilgiri, as a tourist, you will need tickets with BDT 50 per person and BDT 300 for parking the car.
Nafakhum Waterfall
Nafakhum, the most beautiful waterfall in Bangladesh, is situated in the deep forest of Bandarban. The fall is created when the wild hilly river Sangu suddenly falls down. It is a perfect place for adventure lovers as well as nature lovers. You need to walk for about 2-3 hours from Remakri of Thanchi Upazila to reach the spot.
The falls are located in a remote area two hours' walking distance from Remakree Bazar, Thanchi Upazila, Bandarban District. In the rainy season, while water level increases, navigation by boat to Ngafakhong is about 20-25 minutes journey which can be hired from Remaikree estuary. Remakree is located three hours by boat on the Sangu River from Tindu, which is itself three hours by boat from Thanchi. Ngfa-Khong is very popular as a tourist destination. But due to the increasing number of mass touring the surrounding ecology has been deteriorated these days.
How To Go
Forgoing Nafakhum, you have to first come Bandarban district. Then you have to use local transport for reaching Thanchi Upazila. At last, you have to go Remokrri by boat in the Sangu river and then Nafakhum.
Keokradong Hills
Keokradong is the highest recognized peak of Bangladesh while Tajingdong is the 2nd, Situated in Ruma Upazila both are surrounded by small hills and mountains. There are two popular trekking routes for trekkers. Trailing the routes, exploring indigenous people and their lifestyle are rare opportunities that you can have in pleasing natural setting of hills and mountains, trees and shrubs, sky and rivers, birds and animals and floating clouds around you. There are hotels in Ruma for overnight stay. If you are lucky, you can get a chance to stay with a tribal family.
On the top of Keokradong, there is a small shelter and a signboard put up by Bangladesh Army proclaiming the elevation to be 967 metres (3,173 ft). Height measured by handheld GPS shows it is 986 metres (3,235 ft) with 3m accuracy
How To Go
First of all, from anywhere in Bangladesh, you have to come first to Bandarban to go to Kokrodong. From Dhaka you will find Bus, It takes 8-10 hours going from Dhaka to Bandarban.
Bandarban To Keokradong: When you want to go to Keokradong from Bandarban city, you have to go Ruma Bazar first. Then, from Ruma Bazar, you have to go to the Boga lake, then Keokradong. Within one day it will be a little difficult to reach Keokradong from Bandarban. Normally, tourists stay the night on Boga Lake area, then visit Keokradong in the morning. Watching the Boga lake and staying here the night will make your Keokradong journey more pleasant.
Distance from Bandarban to Ruma Bazar is 48 kilometres. You can go by Local Bus or Chander Gari or Jeep to Ruma Bazar. If you want to go by bus, you have to go to the Ruma Bazar bus-stand. After every 1 hour, the bus left for Ruma Bazar from Bandarban. It will take 3 hours with BDT 120. If you go with a team or group, you can easily take Chander Gari or Jeep to control it within the wish of you. It is capable to take 12 to 15 persons and the cost will be near BDT 3000 to 4000. It will need 2 hours to reach Ruma Bazaar when you are taking reserve Chander Gari or Jeep.
