One-day Trip to Sitakunda

I could not fulfill my wish to go to the fountain for several years. So this year I have been thinking about going to Sitakunda from the beginning of the monsoon. However, due to a lack of time, opportunity, and tourmates, this plan was not being implemented. Finally, in July, I hurriedly left for Sitakunda cause I felt suffocated for a trip. We are a group of 6 people. The plan is to trek Sohosradhara 2, Harinmara-Hatuvhanga, and Bilasi waterfall in one day and also visit Bashbaria Sea Beach in the afternoon and back to Dhaka at night. Although I was in doubt whether we could visit all the spots together or not.

How to reach Sitakunda-

We decided to board a bus from Syedabad, Jonopoder Mor, Dhaka. Almost all long-distance buses depart from here. The tour was on budget so we decided to go by Saudia. The fare was 450 Tk per person. The service on this bus is not very good. If you want to get better service, you can go to Ena, Shyamoli, and Hanif buses. Fare per person – 690 Tk. You can go from Dhaka to Feni by Ena, Star Line, or Saudia bus, the fare is 350-400 taka. A lot of bus is available from Mohipal in Feni to Mirsharai Bazar. The fare is Tk 60-70.

Another route is Dhaka to Chittagong station by train. The fare is 380 tk. There is no direct intercity train to Sitakunda. So you have to go first to Chittagong Railway Station and then Chittagong to Sitakunda by bus/CNG. Book Ticket online

My Experience to Travel Sitakunda in One Day-

Our journey started at 10:30 pm and the bus dropped us at Sitakunda market around 4 or 5 am the next morning. There is no other option but to wait till dawn. All buses from Dhaka reach Sitakunda at this time. We were waiting till morning to sip a cup of tea! After a long time, I saw such a beautiful morning in front of my eyes.

First, we decided to go to Bashabaria Sea beach. The morning weather is very refreshing there and people are less. From Sitakunda Bazar you have to take a mini bus service to Bashbaria gate and then take a rickshaw to go to this beach. Bus fare was 20 taka and rickshaw fare was 40 taka. Get off the bus and cross the road we take a rickshaw. This road to the beach is incredibly beautiful. After 10 minutes we reached the beach.  I got down and walked forward. There are many eucalyptus trees. There are a few swings along with more entertainment items. The tide was running so the sea water was far away. A huge jetty was visible in the middle of the sea. During high tide, almost the entire place is submerged in water, along with the jetty. Before reaching the jetty, we walked along a muddy path to reach the jetty. The jetty entrance fee is 20 taka per person. It was not possible to stay at the jetty for a long time due to the strong wind. On the way back, we all enjoyed nature for a while by tying a hammock to the eucalyptus tree. The roar of the sea pulled us. We left Bashbaria Sea Beach around 8 am. It’s time to go out and have breakfast. We found a food hotel at the starting point of the main road. You can get parata(bread), semolina halwa, fried eggs, and dal vegetables for breakfast here, and the food test was amazing. After breakfast, our next destination was the Bilasi Trail.

We crossed the road and went by bus. After walking along the road for some distance, we saw a railway line and then we entered the village road. There are several neighborhoods nearby. The peak of Chandranath Pahar is visible from here. After walking for 15-20 minutes, the Bilashi fountain was seen by u. This trail is short but the path is very beautiful. In some places, there was knee-deep water. However, if you trek during rain, the amount of water increases. There is a khum(deep lake) in front of the fountain. If you know swimming, you can go to the fountain. The spring water is usually very cold. This trail has only one waterfall and one upstream. In the Upstream, there is a  mini double falls. From a side road of the first spring, you can climb upwards. If you are not used to trekking, there is no need to go up.

Leaving the Bilashi trail, the next destination is Sahasradhara-2 waterfall. To go to this fountain, you have to go to Chota Darogar Hut first. If you want, you can directly take the CNG/autorickshaw and get down in front of the Sahasradhara ticket counter. Or you can walk down the Choto Darogar hut and go in front of the counter on foot. The entry ticket price is 20 taka, and the boat ride is 60 taka (Up-down). You have to buy a ticket and cross the huge stairs. We could see the Sahasradhara Lake after crossing the stairs. The more I talk about the beauty of this lake, the less it will be. What a  beautiful green clear water is it! It is like a piece of heaven in the middle of the dark green mountains around. The white-blue clouds reflected in the water of the lake give a heavenly feeling. This is like peace of eyes. After waiting for a long time for the boat, we got a call for a ride. The Sahasradhara Lake boat trip is a lifelong experience. It will take 10 minutes to cross the lake. After a minute’s walk, you will find Sahasradhara Jharna. This is the highest fountain in Sitakunda. When it rains, its monstrous form is seen. We got very little water in the fountain as there was no rain in Sitakunda for the past few days. Water has accumulated in front of the fountain. As the water was low, the amount of water in Khum was low. We sat at the very bottom of the fountain. After bathing in the cold water of the spring, we boarded the boat again to return. There is another footpath to reach this waterfall but don’t miss the boat trip. It was a great experience for me. After trekking Sahasradhara 2, we headed towards the market for shopping dinner items. After finishing the market, we took CNG and went directly to the Harinmara-Hatuvhanga trail.

Before entering the trail, I left my backpack, shoes, and essentials at Aisha Apa’s house in the village. We paid 30 Tk to enter this trail. There is a huge artificial lake at the beginning of the trail. The name is Nilambari Lake. It is also called Bauachra Lake. This lake remains empty when we went there. After starting the monsoon season(after July month), locals fill the lake with water. Visitors can cross the lake by boat. The boat kayaking fare is 400-600, depending on boat size. Now the lake has no water so we entered the main trail on foot. This trail is very wild and the springs are very deep. After walking for 20 to 30 minutes, we got the first spring, the name of the spring is Hatuvhanga. Unfortunately, there was no water in the fountain as there was no rain.

After Hatuvhanga waterfall, we went to Swarpaprapat waterfall. This is the small but unique waterfall of this trail. It is named because it is spiral like a snake. This waterfall is very small but slippery so don’t try to climb up the waterfall. Being a freshwater spring, its water is sweet. You can test if you want. Sunlight penetrates very little in the path of this fountain, so the surroundings are a little dark. You will get a lot of cuts on the road, so it is better not to walk barefoot.

After Shorpopropat waterfalls it is time to visit the third and larger waterfall on this trail. After walking for 10 minutes, I saw Harinmara waterfall. Once there was a lot of deer habitat there. Hunters used to come from far and wide to hunt deer. That’s why this trail is called Harinmara Trail. There is a huge cave-like area around this fountain. It is known that the deer used to congregate here. Due to the evolution of time and human oppression, deer are not seen here at all. A huge khum in front of the fountain. I saw a lot of wild fliers here. These flies may sting you. So be careful but there is nothing to fear even if you get bitten. There was not much time left in the evening so we decided to go back. We were back with a tired body and an empty stomach. we went to Ayesha Appa’s house and freshened up. Meanwhile, the cooking was almost over. As our bus was at 10 pm, we had plenty of time. We finished our meal and then chatted with each other. We didn’t realize when it was time to leave. Around 9 o’clock in the night, we said goodbye and went to the Chittagong bus stand. If you want, you can also board the bus back to Dhaka from Sitakunda Bazaar/Bus Stand.

Some tips and cautions for this one-day Sitakunda trip-

• Must carry trekking shoes. Normal shoes will cause a lot of suffering on the trekking tour.
• If you don’t know how to swim, there is no need to get in the water.
• Do not attempt to climb over the fountain. Slippery places can cause accidents.
• Do not go water to bathe at Bashbaria Beach.
• Do not litter in fountains or on trails.

 Thank you