Nafakhum: Bangladesh’s Majestic Waterfall Amidst Bandarban’s Natural Splendor

Although everyone is amazed by the flat form of riverine Bangladesh, many people want to run to the neighboring countries to enjoy the beauty of the fountain. But the immense form of Bengal did not leave the desire of its admirers unfulfilled in any way. So if you want to see the beautiful combination of mountains and springs, you have to go somewhere far away, Chittagong Hill Tracts!

Among the many waterfalls in the entire hilly area, some waterfalls (not fountains) occupy a special place. Although the word sounds new to many people, the presence of charming waterfalls in Bangladesh came to the attention of travelers quite some time ago. And since going to these waterfalls is somewhat inaccessible, it is like a paradise for adventure lovers. Our plan was to visit one of Bengal’s own waterfalls, Nafakhum.

Nafakhum is about a three-hour walk from Remakri Bazaar in Thanchi Upazila of Bandarban District. From Dhaka by bus to Bandarban, from there by Chander gari (Jeep) to Thanchi across hilly high-low, spiral roads. On the way you will find Shail Prapat, Chimbuk, Nilgiris – where you can stop if you want. But after crossing these, sometimes on the right side, sometimes on the left, you will see the sheet of clouds floating on the steep slope and you will get lost in the world of this mountain.

Sometimes the path will turn to the left as you go through the cloud right in front of you, and sometimes the group of clouds will touch you just above the path. After walking like this for about 3/4 hours, you will come to a small upazila called Thanchi. After that it will be difficult to get mobile phone network. It will take 3 hours to go to Remakri Bazar by taking a narrow engine boat from the ghat with permission from BGB, Police along the rocky Sangu river.

The appearance of the Sangu River is as rocky in winter as it is terrifying in the monsoons. It goes without saying that this river trip will awaken an intense thirst for adventure. Going against the strong current of the rocky river between all the nameless towering mountains and the narrow stream of water running down their necks, you will be lost as if in another world.

After crossing Tindu, there will be some special shaped stones worshiped by the locals called big stone, king stone, queen stone. These huge stones have been eroded by nature for thousands of years. But no, you haven’t arrived in Nafakhum yet. Remakri Bazar will come to disappear in a terrifying form of Sangur, from there you will have to leave directly on foot of the hill on the way to Nafakhum. There are no ups and downs here. Very easy trekking can be done in winter. Nafakhum can be found easily by walking along the banks of the Remakri Canal as the water recedes. But when there is water, you have to cross the canal 3 times in a very strategic and difficult way. And this trekking is very dangerous in heavy rains. After a 3-hour walk, when you get the continuous roar of the mighty water, the polymorphic Nafakhum will appear in front of you with a dizzying sensation

Still, like all other remote areas of the country, a strange silence lives here. Nature here is deep, dense, mysterious! Only the rushing sound of the stream lapping against the rocks of the continuous mountain channel creates a truly otherworldly experience. Back to Nafakhum’s words. ‘Khum’ is a Marma word, meaning fountain or stream. Earlier, a type of fish called ‘naf’ was found in abundance just below the fountain where the water splashed. The interesting feature of the fish was that they tried to jump up from the bottom of the fountain against the current. But now it is not so visible.

Thousands of years (read millions) of erosion have created countless steps around these falls. During the full monsoon, the water flows almost parallel to the main falls over the two pools. For this reason, Nafakhum is sometimes called the ‘Niagara of Bengal’. On both sides and back of Nafakhum there are various shaped holes or narrow tunnels in the rocky slopes. While they are very interesting, stepping into or trying to fall into such a hole is foolish and can be dangerous.

There is also a popular story about this hole. Here the local people used to catch naf fish and keep it in the hole with a hook attached to the nose. Once a fisherman put a huge fish in a hole and the pull of the fish caused him to fall into the hole and be lost forever. Regardless of the story, some holes do appear to have ended up in the main fountain. If you go to the back of Nafakhum, the stream of its source canal, high mountains on both sides, dense forest will keep you engrossed for some time. It is possible to go behind the cliff to the other side. But special preparation and use of harness should be used not only during monsoons but also during low water because the depth of rocky canals is difficult to understand in many places and there are also many sneak holes. You can jump in the water of the fountain and refresh your body. But if you don’t know how to swim, it’s best not to do anything in high water. And don’t ever jump from the top of the fountain, there is a 100% chance of an accident.

Now it’s time to come back. Leaving such a charming place will pull your mind back. But when coming, you can change the route and come to Remakri Jhiri (many people go this way). Sit in this beautiful Jhiri and cool off directly by boat to Thanchi. But in this case, you have to talk to the boat beforehand.

Another amazing spot on the way to Thanchi is Tindu Bazaar. If you have time, you can stay in this neat neighborhood for one night. What should be decided before coming here is where you will stay for how many days. It is very important to divide the time accordingly, if you want to come back on a certain day. Because, you will not find any vehicles in this area after 4 pm. It is better to inform the BGB and the police in advance how many days you plan. Arrange guide, boat, accommodation etc. in advance.

As for accommodation, Thanchi has ‘Thanchi Cottage’ and some other guest houses. Tindu Bazar, Remakri Bazar should be in local arrangement. Since you have to do trekking, you must carry trekking sandals, clothes, towel, first aid kit etc. Saline and plenty of dry food, dates etc. should be taken. It is said that there is no fear of leeches except during the rainy season, but there is no need to be careful, you can also keep a knife and salt.

When you come back, make sure to  bring back your own dirt in a bag, the shape of nature can be seen by someone after you, just like you. A little nostalgia will do the trick when it comes back. It may seem like walking along the canal behind Nafakhum. It is worth mentioning that if you follow the Nafakhum source canal, you will find a route to the more hidden Amiyakhum Falls, but that story is for another day.