Visiting the Chattogram hill tracts region

The Chattogram Hill Tracts region is home to plenty of scenic natural beauties. Numerous gushing springs, towering hills and diverse lifestyles of eleven hill communities have always attracted tourists. The green mountains, clouds and the natural beauty draws the people who love to travel. Naturally the tourist centres of the hill tract region are busy all year round. People living in the plain often want to know how to go to the hilly region and where to stay.

Rangamati:

Rangamati is the hill town of the lake hills. A planned trip to this green city will surely give the tourists a memorable experience. Travel plan to Rangamati should be for a minimum of three days. If you want to go to Sajek, you have to improvise the tour plan and add a couple of more days.

Those who want to come via Dhaka can reach Rangamati by various paribahan including Dolphin, Shyamoli, Saint Martin, Robi Express, S Alam, Saudia and Unique from bus stands in Syedabad, Fakirapool and Arambagh in the capital. Fares for non-AC buses range from TK600 to Tk900 while AC bus fares range from Tk1200 to Tk1600 Tk. And those who want to come via Chattogram will get Paharika Paribahan and other paribahan buses from Oxygen, every 30 minutes. Not to mention, people who own a car can travel by themselves.

If you are a budget traveller, you will find plenty of affordable hotels all over the city. The rents for single and double rooms range from Tk500 to Tk2500. The price difference between AC and non-AC rooms is roughly double. And those who are not within a budget can board the houseboats launched in the lake or stay in resorts including Rainya Tugun, Bargee, Borgang on the Rangamati-Kaptai road. You can also stay in tourist motels or cottages including police-run Paulwell Cottages, Army's Aronnak Resort or private Hill Taj resort. Houseboats including Pramodini, Swapndinga, Maorum and Rangatari are popular and staying afloat the lake is an enchanting experience.

For tourists visiting Rangamati, local mountain food restaurants can be more appealing than the average desi food. There are numerous restaurants in the city like Pajon, Rong Berong, Sabarang, Ranga Cafe, Daruchini, Riprip, Samajje, Bergi, Berannye, Borgang, where mountain food is served in a neat and clean environment. Besides, the food is very tasty while the prices are not too high.

Bandarban:

Bandarban bound buses depart from Dhaka, Sayedabad, Arambagh, Kamalapur and Motijheel. AC Buses include Desh Travel, Shyamoli Paribahan, Eagle Transport, St Martin's Paribahan, Hanif Enterprise, SA Alam Paribahan, Unique Paribahan etc. The fare per person in St Martin's Paribahan is Tk950 while ticket fare in Desh Travel is Tk1,400, and in Hanif and Shyamoli Tk1,500.

Most of the tourist attractions in Bandarban are located near the district headquarters or in Thanchi upazila. To go to Thanchi from the district town you need to hire a Jeep or Chander Gari. A Chander Gari can seat 12 to 14 people. The fare, which can be shared among the passengers, is Tk4,000.

Many tourists prefer to stay in nature amid the cloud in touching distance. Green hills can be seen all around. There are few resorts outside the city to stay in a completely natural environment.

In 2017, Sairu Hill Resort was built in the Wai Junction area of Chimbuk Hills, 18 km away from the city. The resort, located on the Bandarban-Thanchi road, is crowded with local and foreign tourists throughout the year. There are also several cottages named Sangu, Sangu Taracha and Shimultala. There are restaurants inside the resorts.

Holiday Inn is located in the Meghla area next to Bandarban-Keranihat road. There are a total five cottages namely Keokradong, Lake Lovers, Chandrima, Arjuntala and Chimbuk. Zilla Parishad lake is next to these cottages, which feature green fields in the middle.

The Hill Site resort is five kilometres from the district town. This resort is built in the natural environment. The entire resort is covered with greenery. One can sit there and enjoy the beauty of river Sangu.

Khagrachari:

Several buses are operated from Dhaka to Khagrachari. Non AC bus fare is Tk620 taka while fares for AC buses range from Tk1,200-1,400. It will take 7-8 hours to reach Khagrachari. If you take a night bus from Dhaka, you will reach Khagrachari Sadar in the morning.

You can stay at the Parjatan motel at night. An AC room will be available here for Tk2,100. Non AC room priced at Tk1,300. Apart from this, Hotel Gairing and Aronnyo Bilas is quite popular where non AC and AC rooms are available at rents ranging from Tk1,000 to Tk3,000. There are some boarding hotels near Shapla Chattar to stay at a low cost of Tk400-500 per night.