Sajek Valley Tour
Sajek Valley is called the Kingdom of Clouds. Sajek is the beautiful creation of the creator. It belongs to the Sajek Union of Baghaichhari Upazila of Rangamati District, Bangladesh. Sajek Valley is 1800 feet above ground level. There are three colonies in Sajek. They are Ruilui, Hamari, and Konglak respectively. Sajek’s most attractive things are its clouds. The road of Sajek is more than a rollercoaster. You will be amazed to see such beautiful resorts or cottages in the mountains above thousands of feet!
Best time to visit Sajek –
You can visit Sajek at any time of the year. Sajek has its own beauty in each season. But if you want to see clouds, you can go between July and November. But I went to Sajek 2 times. November and January. I didn’t get any clouds in the month of January. But I got such a beautiful view of the sky that cannot be expressed in words.
How to Sajek Valley-
Even though Sajek is in the Rangamati district, it has to travel through Khagrachari. This route is more accessible.
Khagrachari bus comes directly from Dhaka. Buses leave for Khagrachari from any bus stop in Dhaka like Kolabagan, Sayedabad, Gabtoli, or Kolyanpur. Non AC fare- 900 to 1000 taka and AC bus fare- 1000 to 1600 taka. It will take 7-8 hours to reach Khagrachari. (Buy Dhaka to Khagrachari bus ticket online) You can get down at Shapla Chottor of Khagrachari. Take your breakfast and then reserve a CNG, Tourist car, jeep, or motorbike from Shapla chottor. You should reserve a tourist car for 12 people, a Jeep for 14-16 people, and CNG for 3 people. However, the driver will have to pay extra if there are more than 12 people in the jeep.
Khagrachari to Sajek up-down trip fare-
Tourist car – 5100 Tk
Mahendra/Jeep- 5400 Tk
CNG- 3000 Tk
Cost from Khagrachari to Sajek (1 night)-
Tourist car-6600 Tk
Jeep – 7700 Tk
CNG- 3900 Tk
(1-night stay in Sajek) +cost of Khagrachari to Sajek + visit to other places of Khagrachari
Tourist Car- 8100 tk
Jeep-9700 tk
Stay 2 nights +fare from Khagrachari to Sajek cost-
Tourist car-8600 tk
Jeep-10500 tk
CNG-4900 Tk
Cost from Khagrachari to Sajek (2 nights)+ visit to other places of Khagrachari
Tourist car – 11500 tk
Jeep-12500 tk
CNG- 5900 Tk
If you come from Khagrachari via Dighinala and go to Sajek, the fare will be less than 1000 Tk. This fare for traveling to Sajek is fairly fixed. But in-season and off-season may vary the fare. However, off-day fares are higher than on other days. From Dighinala or Shapla Chottor, you have to go directly to Baghaihat Army Camp. After entering your name there, you have to leave for Sajek. So to go to Sajek you must be at the army camp between 10 am and 2:30 pm. It takes quite a bit of time to enter the name here. At this time you will see some fruit shops around. Different types of fruits are available like hills banana, papaya, plum, coconut, sugarcane, pineapple, grapefruit, etc.
Sajek Valley Resort –
There is no shortage of resorts in Sajek. According to the quality, the rent of each resort is different. But definitely stay overnight at a resort with a good view. We stayed in a room with a balcony at Hotel Paradise. However, if you have a resort of your own choice, book it in advance. Check the resort environment and facilities before booking the room.
Sajek Valley Food Hotels-
Sajek has many hotels and restaurants. You can choose your preferred package. But you have to order at least 1 hour before eating. You can’t get food in Sajek Valley without an order. Must try indigenous items of Sajek. We really liked the traditional Spicy meat paste, hill chicken curry, and bamboo chicken. But don’t forget to check the food quality of the hotel before ordering food. You have to buy water here. And the price is a bit high, but it’s normal in hilly areas.
What to see in Sajek Valley-
1) Ruilui village – Mainly tourists come to visit this neighborhood. Sajek’s hotels, resorts, and parks are all included in this area.
2) Konglak Hill – The highest point of Sajek is Kanglak Hill. To go there, you have to trek for about 1 hour. The path is not so difficult, if you want, you can buy a bamboo stick for support. On the way up the hill, you will find two small shops. Where you can buy bananas, water, and cold drinks. Both sunset and sunrise are beautiful at Kanglak Hill. But if you want to see the sunrise, you must leave early in the morning, and it’s also very difficult to trek in the sun.
3) Kamalak waterfall – Kamalak waterfall is also known as Pidam Taisa or Sikkam Taisa. It takes 2-2.30 hours to reach this waterfall by trekking from Sajek Valley. It’s not easy to cross this trekking road to reach the waterfall. Must take a guide with you.
4) Sajek Helipad – Sajek Helipad is a famous place to watch the sunset. But if you want, you can also watch the sunrise. This place is best for chatting at sunset time with a cup of tea. The tribals have their own traditional food stalls here. You can try their bamboo tea.
5) Stone Garden – The entry fee is Tk 20. A small park. The park is beautifully designed with stones.
6) Jharbhoj Picnic Spot – This place is very beautiful. A beautiful view is available from here. There are various arrangements for entertainment inside. Entry fee- 20 rupees.
7) Lusai Village – One of my favorite places in Sajek is Lusai Village. The entrance fee for this village is 30 taka. A neat and clean little village. Their main objective is to show the history, tradition, culture, and lifestyle of the Lusai Tribals to the tourists. Here you can also take photos wearing Lusai traditional clothes. The Lusai house is made of straw and bamboo. If you want to have a closer look at the lifestyle of the Lusai, you can also stay overnight here. They have a small Tree resort. The rent of which will be 2000 taka per night. The most interesting thing I found was a shop without a shopkeeper. They display their products in the shop with price tags. If you want to buy anything, just take it and pay honestly. I like their idea.
*** Sajak’s Bamboo Chicken and Bamboo Tea are a must-try.
Also, on the way to or from Khagrachari, you can visit Dighinala Hanging Bridge, Hajachara Jharna, and Dighinala Forest Bihar. Also, after spending one night in Sajek, you can also visit Alu Tila Cave, Tareng, Hanging Bridge of Khagrachari the next day.
Budget-Friendly Tour Tips-
1) Try to avoid closing days. Off days are quite crowded so everything costs more.
2) Try to go in groups. This will reduce the cost of the tourist car or Jeep per person.
3) Where to go, what to see, and how many nights to stay, settle everything and the rent before hiring the tourist car/CNG/Bike/Jeep.
4) Check the item before eating and fix the price.
5) Check the quality of the resort and price before staying at the resort.
6) Come to Khagrachari by non-AC bus.
Warning for Sajek Valley Tour-
1) Carry the photocopy of the national identity card.
2) You have to be at the army camp between 10 am and 2:30 pm. Otherwise, You will not be able to enter Sajek.
3) Do not trek to Kamalak Springs without a guide. Weak, respiratory, and heart patients should not come for this trek. The trekking road is very slippery so wear a trekking shoe.
4) You will not get any other network except Robi and Teletalk SIM.
5) If you want to travel in Off day, must book a resort before coming.
