Lawachara rain forest (also known as Lawachara national park) that is located in Kamalganj of Moulvibazar district in Bangladesh. This vast forest is a nice location for a day trip (even with family). Also this forest is a heaven for the birdwatchers as the forest is rich with plenty of birds (along with flora and fauna). Being near from Dhaka it is possible to make a day trip from Dhaka if anyone leaves in early morning.
About Lawachara forest
Lawachara rain forest is a semi evergreen forest (cause during dry season I saw plenty of deciduous trees). According to the authority, this national park has around 460 species, and 167 of them are plants, and 246 of them are birds. Total area of the forest is around 2700 hectares. This forest has Gibbon, Languor and Macaque. It’s hard to see those animals in the forest, but you’d always heard the sound of them.
My first visit to the forest
I’ve visited the Lawachara forest twice. Once during 2010 and later 2014. First time when I’ve visited the forest it was the summer time. The plants started to bring plenty of new leafs but loads of dry leafs gathered at the ground. Due to lack of rain the color of the forest was kind of grey. That time I was there with a group of friends of mine. We’ve stayed in Sylhet town and from there came to visit this forest by hiring a private vehicle. During our staying we’ve spent plenty of time inside the forest but didn’t explore that much.
My second visit to the forest
My second visit was during the December. It was the winter time in Bangladesh. Lot of the trees started to shading their leafs. But it was still plenty of greens there that time. My that particular visit was to see the birds in the Lawachara forest. I’ve explored the forest for around two hours. During my visit I’ve seen several birds which I didn’t see before. And also several wild flowering plant.
Village inside the forest
The forest has several villages where the indigenous people live. I’ve gone to one of those villages. I can’t recall the exact tribe name, but may be it was a Tipra village. It was a very small village with several houses. Lot of tourists use to visit the village as a part of their Lawachara forest exploration.
Stay with trail and not get lost
There are plenty of small canals (or water stream) flowing inside the forest. It would be a nice idea to walk beside (or over) those canals. The forest is very thick and it would be very difficult for anyone to walk through it. That’s why it is always better to follow the trails. The forest has several trails (i think three) based on hours. You can pick one of those.
How to Go:
There are several ways to reach near the Lawachara forest and those depends upon how you are planning your trip. From Dhaka it is around 160 kilometer, and from Sylhet it is around 60 kilometer road distance. So if anyone leaves early with a private vehicle it is pretty much possible to make it a day trip. If anyone is using a public transport (and also already reached in Sreemangal town) then it is only 8 kilometer from there. I’ve used a cng driven auto rickshaw from the town that took only 15 minutes to reach at the gate of the forest. FYI, from Dhaka there are plenty of buses run between Dhaka and Sreemangal. Usually it takes less than three hours considering no traffic jam. GPS coordinate of Lawachara rain forest is (24°20’07.6″N, 91°47’43.1″E).
Entry fee:
The forest requires an entry fee if you are entering it through the main entrance. The fee is not that much expensive. A foreign national needs to pay around $5. A Bangladeshi citizen may pays around 20 Taka (where as the students only pay half).
Where to stay:
Most of the tourists use to visit Lawachara rain forest from Sylhet. They first go to Sylhet and then come to visit this forest from there. You can see this list of Hotels from Sylhet. But it’d be easy for you if you stay in Sreemangal town as the rain forest is very near from the town. Also the town has several quality hotels around (not plenty like Sylhet). Check here for list of hotels from Sreemangal.
Tips for Lawachara:
1. Try to carry a bottle of water with you.
2. Try not to be on track and do not go too deep (unless you have gps with you).
3. Do not disturb the natural inhabitants of the forest.
4. Try to visit the forest during winter. Rainy season would be best for scenic beauty but expect plenty of leeches that time.
Lawachara rain forest
aka Lawachara national park,
Kamalganj,
Moulvibazar,
Bangladesh,
GPS coordinate (24°20’07.6″N, 91°47’43.1″E).
This article has written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog http://alonelytraveler.com/
Sunday, 07 March 2010,
Saturday, 06 December 2014
