Baklai Jhorna(বাকলাই ঝরনা) is the possible tallest waterfall from our motherland Bangladesh. It is having a height of around 380 feet. It is located near at the village Baklai(বাকলাই), a village which is deep inside the Bandarban(বান্দরবান) hills. To visit this waterfall, you need to have 5-7 days on hand based on your performance on the trek. It is accessible both from Thanchi(থানচি) and Ruma(রুমা).
10/12 years back a group of ebullient travelers have traveled inside Bandarban(বান্দরবান). They have delved the hills of Bandarban(বান্দরবান) for more than a month. During that visit they have discovered this Baklai(বাকলাই) waterfall from the top. They didn’t watch it from the front/base. So they were not aware about the height of the waterfall.
Later(its 3/4 years back from now), DWay Expeditors have traveled a place near to the waterfall and only hearing the sound. Hearing the immense roaring sound of the waterfall from far couldn’t refrain them to discover what it is actually. Later they have came up with this massive Baklai waterfall(বাকলাই ঝরনা). And thus how the waterfall is confronted to the public. Even today, very few travelers use to visit this waterfall.
Our only task was visiting the waterfall today, so we have had a relax morning. Everyone of us were lazy. Last night 3/4 groups were at Baklai Para(বাকলাই পারা). When we have waked up, all of those groups already have left the village. After the breakfast possibly at 10:00 at morning we have started for the waterfall. We have taken a local tribal(our host, house owner) with us to show us the way. He cost almost a thousand(taka) for his help.
The initial one hour was through the path of Zum(জুম). For your information, the path of Zum(জুম) are always harder. Cause those are designed to cover the most crop fields and unnecessarily twisted and turned from the trekking point of view. Anyway, the view around the trail was amazing and most of the paths were risk free.
After the Zum(জুম), the next one hour was through the Jhiri(ঝিরি) of the Baklai(বাকলাই) Waterfall. Baklai(বাকলাই) falls doesn’t produce to much water, so presumably the Jhiri(ঝিরি) is having mild amount of water flow. But the serene path is packed with large boulders of stones. Few of those stones are slippy, and few of those are extremely difficult for climbing. So we have bypassed such things. While walking through the Jhiri(ঝিরি), for a long period of time we didn’t see the sun for the lash green trees which made the trek mysterious.
At one point of the Jhiri(ঝিরি)(which is also almost near to the waterfall), the steeps were sharp and the flow of the water was respectable. Our guide bypassed that by climbing the steep hill which has no path. You have to chop and move forward by making a path yourself on such occasion.
The Soil of that portion was very loose, so did the stones. Any careless move might cause those stones sliding down and damage to your co-trekkers who were down behind you. That portion of the trek was full of ants, bees, and leeches. Lot of fallen leafs were down there which made the place is a heaven for those creatures. Some of us have attacked by the bees and got welcome kiss.
That climbing lasted for an hour. After the climbing, we have reached a place from where we saw the first full view of the waterfall. From that place, it was another 15/20 minutes of careful climbing over massive rocks to reach at the base of the waterfall. Later we have had an invigorating shower at the basin beneath the waterfall.
After exploring and enjoying the waterfall we were returning all together. But when we have reached near to the Zum(জুম) trail, three lazies Shuvo(শুভ), Rajib(রাজীব) and me decided to stay back. We had a nap and rested at a Zum Hut(জুম ঘর) near on the trail for around two hours.
We three have started walking at afternoon 5:30 and confused with the correct path. It caused us 45 minutes of walking for nothing. Slowly darkness covered the mountains. We had to walked using our torch lights. Several leeches sucked our blood once again. But somehow finally we have returned back to the shelter like any other times. Everyone from our team were exulted by seeing us as we lazies didn’t lost behind.
Our Day-4 Experience is available at this link.
It is very adventurous to go to bakolai but it is more dangerous to reach the foot print of the stream.