Solo Traveler’s Diary: Navigating the Uncharted Beauty of Debotakhum

Have you ever wondered about floating in a bamboo boat on a narrow lake with towering rock walls? Debotakhum can provide you with that unique experience, as it is the largest Khum (wild narrow lake) in Bangladesh.

This hidden gem is situated in Bandarban, a slice of heaven in Bangladesh. To be more precise, it is located within the Shilbanda Para village, under the Roanchori upazila.

I had made a couple of plans to visit Debotakhum with my friends, but unfortunately, none of them worked out. So, I decided to go solo. I managed to join a tour group that was also heading there. However, some of the group members got apprehensive about the wild hike on the way to Bandarban, even though it was quite an easy trek. As a result, half of the group decided to pivot and visit the city instead of going for the hike.

We reached Bandarban early in the morning and had our breakfast at a local restaurant. Meanwhile, our jeep was ready for our journey.

After about two hours, we reached an army checkpoint known as Koschoptoli. From Koschoptoli, we needed to obtain permission from the army to visit Debotakhum.

Another 30 minutes took us to a tribal village, which marked the starting point of our trek. The village had made special arrangements for tourists, including food, clean washrooms, and a changing room. We got ready for the trekking adventure.

The trek followed the typical Bandarban route, tracing the flow of water and encountering a few cascades along the way. Since most of us were regular trekkers, it didn’t take more than an hour to reach our destination.

As it was a weekend, it was quite a bustling day, and we had to wait for nearly an hour to get a ready-made bamboo boat. Along with another group member, we decided to cross the entire Khum (lake). On our way back, we rested on the rocks within the Khum and captured many beautiful pictures.

After returning to the village, we had our lunch, marking the end of our adventurous day.

Overall, I must say it was a fortunate day. None of our group members were injured, and we managed to stick to our planned schedule.