This is the first part of a series of articles about the author’s trip to Keokradong.
The ethereal befuddle from my last trip to Bandarban had ended long ago. Life was back online, and I was back on a routine. I missed the befuddle. I missed the call of the hills. It was mid-September, and my semester finals were coming to an end. This friend of mine told me that he and his friends were planning to conquer the mighty Keokradong. This declaration set into motion an elaborate scheme that would eventually have me on an enlightening tour with ten strangers.
We started on the 10:15 PM Hanif bus en-route Bandarban. The tickets cost us BDT 620.00 each. By 2, we had reached Hotel Noorjahan in Cumilla. We stopped for a quick bite. And then we were on the road again. It took us two more hours to reach Chattogram.
It was dawn, and so, there wasn’t much to see. The only notable sight that befell us was the flyover at GEC, Chattogram. We stopped for some time in Chattogram before starting again. From there, we were planned for a direct journey to the city of Bandarban. Our bus was stopped one last time when the tourism police got on board for a regular checkup. Afterward, we were at Bandarban by 6 AM.
Bandarban is a hub for local tourists since this district houses many tourism spots. Every tourist cannot but pass through the city. For this reason, the hotels and restaurants open earlier than what we usually experience. Some of us had breakfast after getting down. The others roamed around the streets.
There were “Chander-garis” and CNG-run autorickshaws parked on either side of the road. The drivers had already been looking around for passengers.
There are no signs of urban life past Bandarban. There are no shopping complexes, ATM booths, or other things that we take for granted.
A seamless mobile network would be a luxury. Travelers who might find themselves in need of such must be done with their exertions from here.
We had contacted a “Chander-gari” driver, and a tourism guide from back at Dhaka. The driver agreed to take the twelve of us to Boga Lake and back for BDT 9,600. The guide agreed to accompany us from Bandarban through Boga Lake to Keokradong and back for BDT 2,600. The driver had been waiting with his vehicle from before we arrived. We did not have to wait after we were done getting refreshed. By 7, we were already on the motor-run car, closing in towards Boga Lake.
As mentioned in my previous series, the hilly roads are mostly empty. Our ride zoomed past foliage on a wide and paved road.
Twelve young men sat packed behind the recreational vehicle. We took turns standing up, supported by the cover-rails. One must hang tight since the road is very steep, and our car was rushing well past 100 kilos. When we had already been riding for close to an hour, we were well above ground level. We stared off the roadside to how far we had come, and we felt brave.
Within one more hour, we had reached a police check-post. One must never forget to carry a formal document, either a national ID card, a birth certificate, or a passport. One also has to fill out multiple papers along the way, which are supplemented by the guide. The police asked for our identification. We obliged, and then we were done.
We rode for another hour before we were stopped again at an army check-post. The check-post was beautifully compounded on green grass. There were multiple outdoor seating facilities with brick-made sheds. The officers guided us into a brick-made single-story establishment where they asked us pretty standard questions to confirm our identity. There was also a tiny store inside.
My personal favorite was a circular seating facility on what looked like a ledge.
There were RFL chairs, and you could be sitting and staring deep underneath from there.
We took rest for some time in the check-post before getting back on our vehicle. We stopped at a few places to take photos. The scenic beauty of Bandarban is something else. We were stopped once more at another army check-post. We answered questions. Then we rode again, sometimes standing up with the wind crashing against our chest, sometimes sitting down and staring in awe at the idea of how far we’d come. By 10, we were at Ruma Bazar.
Ruma Bazar is a small market housing multiple shops owned by the local people. The shops sell apparel, toys, footwear, and groceries. This place also has residential and non-residential hotels. I got down and bought myself a pair of covered sandals for BDT 120.00. I packed my sneakers in a polybag. We then rode for one more hour before arriving at Boga Lake.