Tour Partners: Ashik, Mizan, Mushfiq, Ranku, Shafayat and Zea
Route: Dhaka – Chittagong – Bandarban – Chittagong – Dhaka.
Vehicles: Bus, Rented Car, Chander Gari & Rickshaw.
View Points at Bandarban: Shorno mondir (Golden Temple), Shoilo Propat (Rocky Fall), Tiger Hill, Shangu River, Chimbuk & NiliGiri
Details:
Day1: We started from the Saudia S. Alam Bus counter at Fakirapool. After a good Battle, our manager mushfiq managed ticket for the bus of 11 am. The bus was a real masterpiece and it was of the brand Mercedes Benz.
It was a total comfort inside it as we booked the most luxurious 6 seats. 6 seats because Mizan joined us the next day.
Anyway, it was a pleasant journey and we reached at CTG by 4. Ashik’s immediate elder brother Asif bhai booked the tickets for us for our Bandarban trip from CTG. Our bus started at 6 and we reached at around 9 pm. We knew that we’ll be out of mobile network while we’ll be there at Bandarban, therefore we contacted our home and conveyed our msgs. Mobile phone signal went out when we were about 5 km away from the Bandarban town. Anyway, we then went directly to a hotel and took our supper. We were a bit confused regarding where to stay. Ashik contacted with his friend Capt. Shahed who already booked a place for us to stay.
It was the Horticulture centre, just beside the Cantonment and the police line and it was around a 20 minutes ride by rickshaw. The place was very comfortable and silent as it was a bit out of the town. The arrangements were great although not luxurious. That night we went to bed at around 3 am as we kept talking about various private (!!) matters and ofcourse each of us got our turn to be pochafied…
We tried to plan for the next day but failed to do so. Anyway, we knew that there were restrictions on different parts of Bandarban as the cheif advisor was there to visit Bandarban. So we were a bit anxious on what would happen the next day.
Day 2:
We woke up at 8 am and it took us around 1 and a half hour to be prepared to go out. Then we went out of the horticulture centre for a lazy walk towards the Shorno Mondir (Golden Temple).
Zea convinced Ashik (As Ashik was not in a mood to walk as always) that it will take no more than 15 mins to reach the place, and believe it or not we reached after an hours walk and we had to climb very high to get some gorgeous views of the temple as well as other surroundings.
Then we got back to the horticulture and found that Mizan arrived there and waiting for us.
He didn’t miss much except for the funny talk in the previous night and the enchanting view of the temple. But he didn’t miss this fall also… ha ha ha…
Anyway, after taking a shower we started for the town and at around 1:30 pm we finally took our Brunch (Breakfast + Lunch). Although we were out of mobile network there were telephone shop every here and there at Bandarban and even beside the gate of Horticulture centre. They used mobile phones to communicate but with the help of high gain antenna. Anyway, after having the BRUNCH we were about to start for the shoilopropat and Tiger hill. But unfortunately we found there were no vehicles to take us to those places.
Atlast all we could manage was a CHANDER GARI (Very old toyota Zeep) and with a fare of taka 1000 (too high for a vehicle like chander gari). The scarcity was because of Cheif advisor’s trip to Bandarban and all the public transports were requisitioned. Anyway we started for the shoilo propat through chander gari and through a very hilly road. We reached shoilo propat quite comfortably and enjoyed every moment there. The place was a rocky place and a fall was there. The water was crystal clear and the local people even used the water for drinking as well as bathing.
After spending some unforgettable moments we started for the Tiger hill. We stopped at the resort of the Guide tours to have a look and to our amuse we found some of our NSU buddies there.
Then we started again for Tiger Hill. Just a kilometer after we started our vehicle went out of control as it was climbing down the hilly road. The driver lost the control completely and the zeep hit the hill at the left side where it could merely survive and stop. Had it gone towards the left when lost control, we were thousands of feet down and I doubt if anybody could trace our body. Thanks to Almighty Allah we survived that time. After getting down from the vehicle and looking at the fall that we missed we were really shocked to find that we were so close to the death that day.
Anyway after 4/5 km we changed our vehicle and this time it was another Chander Gari in a slightly better condition. The road towards Tiger hill was even more dangerous and crowded. However, we finally reached Tiger Hill and we found that all our sufferings were worthy enough after reaching the place.
It was the highest point around Bandarban town. Bandarban was more than a thousand and five hundred feet down from tiger hill. There was a nice watch tower right on top of Tiger Hill.
It reminded me the TIGER HILL in Darjeeling. That Tiger hill was also the highest point around Darjeeling and there were watch tower too. Anyway, from the tower we could even see the Bay of Bengal although it was more than 50 km away from where we were standing. After around an hour we started back for the Bandarban town.
Day 3:
Please Visit the following Link:
Bandarban Tour (Part 2) – Shangu cruise – NiliGiri – Random
Dear Brother
Thanks for complete a great tour. Actually who wants to travel any place then they choose outside of Bangladesh. So Please try how we convert them and invite them to travel in Bangladesh. So Please try to highlight our Travel Place Like Cox’sBazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Shundarban, Sherpur, sylhet and Jose Kuakata.
Thanks – Habibur Rahman Nuri
Is this the same Ashiq Mizan whose father was a captain for Biman?
Dear Bhai(s),
As I have been planning to travel Bandarban, I have found this site. I will travel alone and have very little idea about Bandarban. Here in this site, the story is incomplete. Can you please help me providing some information, valuable tips and sharing your whole experiences? I just need direction, where to stay and the total cost.
It will be very helpful, if you kindly help me somehow to make the journey for a lifetime memorable experience. If you want to know more about me, please feel free to ask me.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing you soon.
Thanks,
Robin
Dear Robin,
It is really nice to know that you’ve been through my blog and my Bandarban tour pics caught your attention. Since you are planning to travel alone, you’ll need a different arrangement for the tour. We started from Dhaka and reached Chittagong through a pretty good AC bus. Then went to bandarban on a very ordinary bus. After reaching Bandarban we stayed at the horticulture centre since we had someone to provide that facility to us at Bandarban. All we used were local vehicles available for trip at various spots around Bandarban. However there are some other hotels at Bandarban like – Hotel Autithi, Hotel Green Hill, Hotel Prue Abasika. But I’ll recommend you grab the offer by Guide tours. Their resort is around 5-6 kilometres away from Bandarban city and is on top of a hill (amazing place). I’m sure you’ll like it. They will arrange everything for you starting from Dhaka and till you return back to Dhaka. You better visit their website for the tour details and costing:
http://www.guidetours.com
You’ll get their contact number in the website. However the places to visit in Bandarban are:
* Sharna Mandir
* Tiger Hill
* Shoilo Propat
* Chimbuk
* NilGiri
* River Cruise on Shangu (not possible in this season I guess, Since it will be rough)
* Boga Lake & Keokradong ( For extreme tourists)
Some of the pictures were not added in the blog- you can have a look at those in the following link-
https://hasibul.info/blog/pic/bbtour/
Please don’t hesitate if you require any more information, I think I’ll be able to let you know since I have many friends experienced in touring Bandarban (Even Boga Lake & Keokradong).
Thanks
Hasib
hasibul@gmail.com
http://www.hasibul.info
Dear Hasib “The Traveller”,
I like your way of travel. Inspired by your blog, I made my trip last month. We could go only up to chimbuk. Because we had not enough time. Apart from viewing popular spots, the journey by Chander Gari is one of the memorable experience in my life. We stayed in parjatan Motel. But now I feel it would be better if we could arrange other place in the city. I have another plan to go to Bandarban in the winter. This time I will go to Keocradang and Boga Lake.
Thanks for this nice presentation. You have done a great job. I will keep in touch with your blog site expecting new pics of new places.
Lot of thanks to the other members of your team.
Allah Hafez.
Arif
Hi Hasib bhai
Nice blog! Thanks for sharing these helpfull information with us! Recently i m goin to get married & my wife is very much interested to go Bandarban or Rangamati for making our honeymoon and after search on net i found your blog and read it.its really helps us to get idea on Bandarban. Now plz could u tell me or suggest me some resort or hotel name which are safe & comfortable after all u can understand this will be my first honeymoon! hahaha .. well brother thanks again .. waiting for your suggetions.. take care , bye
Dear Moin Bhai,
First of all thanks for commenting in my blog, secondly congratulations in advance on the eve of your marriage life. Bandarban will be a great place as a part of your honeymoon program – but not in this part of the year. You can include Bandarban in a bundled destination with other places like Cox’sBazar and Rangamati. As far as I know Guide Tours- a tour operator in Bangladesh has a package offer for Bandarban. I personally went to the arrangements of guide tours at Bandarban and believe me it was an amazing place which perfectly suits honeymoon couples. Plz visit their link for more information – http://www.guidetours.com
Finally thanks again and wishing you a happy future married life.
Hasibul Islam
http://www.hasibul.info
Dear Hasib Bhai,
It’s really a fantastic blog giving me a wide information about Bandarban. I will make my honeymoon at a cottage at Hill Side Resort . I need ur suggestion. where from I can hire a moderate vehicle to go up to Nilgiri and is it safe for us to book the whole zeep (as we are only two in number) and approximately how much do I have to pay? I have only two days to go and I am a bit tensed about our safety. would u plz suggest me a bettter transportation facility.
Dear Ognita,
You can hire a good quality vehicle (Land cruiser/Pajero/Nissan Patrol) right from bandarban town. Just tell the rickshaw puller to take you to them. Don’t ever think of hiring a CHANDER GARI. They charge a lot, but those are simply THELA GARI with an Engine (Probably with no brake!!). As mentioned in other replies, you can stay at guidetours cottage. You’ll love it. Perfect for honeymoon couples. NilGiri is almost 40-45 km away from Bandarban, and the road is through highest hills in that region. We were all young ppl when we went there. It will be wise for you if you can manage a guide with you. I am not sure, but you might have to take a permission from the army (at Bandarban). However, If you want to stay there, you definitely have to take permission and pay the rent at Bandarban cantonment. Again I don’t know where in Bandarban you can pay for NilGiri resort.
I wish you a successful journey and nice honeymoon. Don’t forget to share your experiences with us.
Hasib
https://hasibul.info/blog
Dear Hasib Bhai,
Appreciating ur fantastic blog !!! I’m looking for an opportunity to visit bandarban for some days but after visiting ur blog I become determined!! Cud u plz provide me some idea abt relavant costs including fooding options?? I wud prefer resort,may be Nilgiri…Any other resort available there?? Thanx in advance……
N.Nasir
Nice blog with lots of info. I am also planning a tour at nilgiri after the Eid. I’ll be in contact with you for the updates!!
Thanks again for sharing such exclusive pictures and info.
Best Regards/
Safaet
Dear Hasib,
I have just fallen in love with Bandarban and its unlimited greenery. As I wrote, I made a journey to Bandarban again at the end of november’08. This time I went to Boga lake on foot. How beautiful that was….! i simply can’t explain…… But as per your comment,Boga Lake tour is for extreme tourists….. The way of return from Boga Lake to Ruma “The Jhiripath” where the nature exposes herself truly was our ultimate achievement. We understood that, Hills are not easy places.
Next time we will go to keokradongh and tajindongh…..
Thanks for your blogsite….. because I was highly inspired by this.
Wish u all the best.