Sylhet is a unique source of natural beauty in Bangladesh. You’ll find green forests, mountains, waterfalls, streams, mountain rivers, crystal-clear lakes, white stone, horizons, sanctuaries, miles of plantations, monuments of ancient civilisations and historical architecture. Each of these creates different facets of Sylhet and all of them reflect the city’s beauty.
You’ll need to set aside plenty of time to explore the whole of Sylhet division and one of the best places to start is the Habiganj, gateway to Sylhet, where you’ll find Shatchari National Park and Rema Kalenga Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located at Chunarughat in Habiganj, with three trails available – lasting 30 minutes, one hour and three hours. It’s a great option for those in search of adventure, with the chance to catch sight of various rare species of animals, notably monkeys such as Mukhpora Hanuman, Spectacular Hanuman and Gandagokul, MechhoBagha and Mathura, Bhimraj, and the Red-headed Kuchkuchi, an almost extinct bird.
There is also a tall observation tower surrounded by a beautiful lake and you can visit the neighbouring communities of Tripura, Santal, Telugu and Urang. Rema Kalenga can be reached by train from Srimangal, with onward travel by jeep, and the route is very picturesque.
Satchari National Park
Shatchari means ‘seven streams’ in Bengali and you’ll get the chance to spot many rare species here too, such as shy monkeys and birds like the red-headed trogon and gannet. There are three types of trails tourists can take. In half an hour, you will find the tribal village of Tipra Para, while the one-hour trail features diverse fauna and flora, and a six-kilometre, three-hour trail is ideal for birdwatching.
You can reach Shatcharivia Shaistaganj or Noapara. Also, Baniyachar in Habiganj holds an ancient traditional festival of fishing every year in the Bengali months of Ashwin and Agrahayan, called ‘Polo Baich’.
Srimangal in Moulvibazar district
There’s plenty to keep you occupied here, including Lauachhra National Park, no less than 92 tea gardens, the Tea Research Institute and Tea Museum, Prithimpasa Nawab Bari Estate, Manu Barrage, Madhavpur Lake, the Manipuri Para community, Manipuri Cultural Centre, gardens filled with the scents of oranges, lemons and pineapples, the Hawar and Beel wetlands and the Hum Hum waterfall (or what the locals refer to as the Cheetah Falls).
Located between Kamalganj and Sylhet, Lauachara National Park is a reservoir rich in biodiversity and known as a tropical rainforest. There are 460 species of plants and animals here, including deer, shy monkeys, leopards and endangered owls. There are also three types of trails and nearby you’ll find Madhavpur Lake, Neelkantha Tea Cabin, Baikkabil, Chabagan and Sitesh Babu Zoo.
Check out the Madhabkunda waterfall in the Baralekhaupazila (or district) of Moulvibazar. Next to it is a spring named Parikund, located inside the Madhavakunda Eco Park. This waterfall can be seen only after walking for 10-15 minutes along the jhiri path from Madhavakunda, with the stream of water coming down from a 150-foot steep hill in Parikunda.
Get off at Moulvibazar or Srimangal station and then head to Kamalganj. The Hum Hum Falls trail, which takes around five hours, starts from Kalabanpara in the tea plantations of Champara. You will reach Kalabanpara after an hour’s walk along the curved mountain path. At the end of the hilly path, after around 8 kilometres, you will see Hum Hum Jhorna (waterfall).
Discover Patharia’s hilly beauty
Baralekha’s Pathria Hill is called ‘Adam Isle’ by the locals. This waterfall coming down the hill between high hills and green trees has added a different dimension to the hilly beauty of Pathriya. Madhavakunda Waterfall, one of the highest in Bangladesh, cascades down from Patharia Hill. There are several beautiful eco-resorts nearby, such as Teahouse, Novem, Nisarg, Amazon and Shantibari.
The Hakaluki Haor marsh wetland is also located in Baralekha, in the eastern part of Bangladesh bordering Assam, India. It is the largest wetland in Bangladesh and one of the largest in Asia and in winter, the whole area is teeming with the migration of birds.
Hail Hour wildlife sanctuary, located across Moulvibazar, is called ‘LatapataarHaor’ by the locals because of its many creeping plants. The best time to visit is during the monsoon period, while bird lovers can visit between November and February.
Located on the eastern side of Baikka Bill (lake), it has become an attractive tourist spot since it was preserved as a fish sanctuary in 2003. Local and foreign tourists come here to see the beauty of the bill (lake) in winter.
You’ll also find the Manipuri Para community in Srimangal, where you can get a good insight into Manipuri food and culture. Manipuri handloom cloth is woven here and it’s possible to buy some too.
A taste of ancient history
Sunamganj district is rich in ancient history and was once a part of the Kamrup state of Assam. This district of Sylhet is a vision of natural beauty, with Khasia and Jaintia hills in the north along with the vast Haor region. Among the places to visit in Sunamganj district are: TanguarHaor, Tekerghat Limestone Mine, Niladri Lake or Shaheed Siraj Lake, Dolura Martyrs’ Tomb, Shimul Bagan, Barik Tila, Jadukata River, LaurerGarh and Hasan Raja’s house.
About 30 small and big springs start from Meghalaya in India and merge in Haor. The second largest harbour in the country is recognised for its variety of freshwater fish and aquatic diversity. At the same time, the clouds and clear water of the mountains attract numerous travellers. In the past few years, there have been many beautiful houseboats, such as Tari Mayurakshi, Jagatjyoti, Abhiyatri from which one can enjoy the beauty of clear water. At around one hour from Sahebbari Ghat in Sunamganj, you’ll find BarikerTila, Jadukata River, Shimul Bagan and Niladri Lake. Niladri is a limestone lake originally from an abandoned limestone quarry. Many call it the Kashmir of Bengal. The original name of the Jadukata river is Renuka, which after about 20 miles joins the Surma river. On one bank of Jadukata River are Barik’s Tila and Khasiapalli. Legend has it that a tribal woman accidentally cut her young baby Jadu while she was supposed cut fish. Since then this river has been called Jadukata.
Spring is the best time to visit here, while monsoon season is the best time to visit Haor. LalghatJharna is located at the zero point of the India-Bangladesh border. Next to it is the Hajong neighbourhood. In Sunamganj, you’ll find many historical monuments, such as Pailgao Zamindar Bari and Gourarang Zamindar Bari. There are also Radharman’s tomb, Baul Emperor Shah Abdul Karim’s house, Sunamganj Heritage Museum, Hasan Raja’s Zamindar’s house and Pagla Mosque.
In and around Sylhet
The heart of Sylhet has many great places to visit and it would take at least a week to explore all of them.
Jaflong is located at Goain Ghat, around 62 km from Sylhet city and is at its most beautiful during the monsoon season.Jainta’s palace, Jainta Rajbari, located near Jainta Bazar, was the residence of the Jainta kings. Surrounded by tea gardens, Jaintapur is just 5km away from Jaflong, and is filled with natural beauty.
Like other historical places around Sylhet, Jaintapur Upazila has its fair share of tradition and natural beauty. It was the only independent state when most of Bangladesh was under British rule. From 1500-1600, only Khasia kings ruled the kingdom of Jaintapur.
The old monuments of the Jainta kingdom still exist, including the memorial of Vijay Singha Maharaja. The architecture of the historic Panthshala located in the middle of the road at Sarighat on the Tamabil road in Sylhet is a sight to behold.
Rangpani is at Mokampunji in Jaintapur, 58 km from Sylhet city. It is also called SreepurPathar Quarry and nearby lies Khasia village Mokampunji. The JugirkandiMayavan reservoir covers an area of 1000 acres, by the confluence of Sari and Piane rivers. A lot of monkeys can be spotted here.
DB’s howl
At Jaintapur in Sylhet there are four bills including haor, yam, harfkata and kendribila, which are interwoven with the memory of Raja Ram Singh of the Jainta kingdom; These are collectively called DB hours. September-October is the season of Shapala here. Right in the middle of this haor(wetland) is an old ruined temple, where a king of the Jainta kingdom was once drowned. The two-hundred year old temple was built in his memory. Winter is the best time to visit this region.
At the foothills of the Khasia-Jainta hills in Kanighat, there is a sandy clear water river; many tea plantations were started when the British were in Bangladesh and you can also see an old hanging wooden bridge, known as ‘Latkonir Pool’. In 1925, the British built this bridge to travel to Lovachara. This place is a wildlife sanctuary, with rabbits, wild roosters and pet elephants. Much of the Mughal Empire bordered Lovachara.
Lalakhal, near JaintapurUpazila around 35 km from Sylhet, is full of immense, natural beauty and it has the highest rainfall in all of Bangladesh and is particularly beautiful at night. Lalakhal is located just below Cherrapunji in India. This river originates from the Cherrapunji hills and flows through Bangladesh.
Ratargul Swamp Forest, a freshwater swamp forest is worth a visit too. Rows of hijl trees are submerged in water, and you can visit using Baitha Bawa boats without engines. You will see different kinds of birds there and you can climb a watchtower in the forest to see it from above. There are two layers of vegetation in this freshwater wetland. The upper layer consists mainly of woody plants while the lower layer is dominated by dense foliage.
Tea gardens and more
Malnichara tea garden is one of the main tourist attractions in the Sylhet district and combines the best of nature – lots of greenery, hills, mountains and rivers nearby.
Bholaganj is also a place of extraordinary natural beauty, with the mesmerising Dhalai river an added bonus. It originates from the mountains of Tripura state of India and reaches Bholaganj in Sylhet and again flows along the lap of Meghalaya mountains in India. The best time to visit Bholaganj is from the beginning of the monsoon season to the month of October. You can easily spend a day bathing in its crystal clear waters.
Khadimnagar National Park
Khadimnagar National Park is on the left side of Jaflong-Tamabil road from Sylhet city. The area of this forest is about 678 hectares and it was declared a reserve forest in 1957. There are six tea gardens in the park including: Haramgang, Habibnagar, Barjan, Kalagul, Gulni and Khadimnagar.
Manipuri Rajbari located in the Mirzajangal area of Sylhet city is one example of a historical structure. The architectural style of the Rajbari is an integral part of the art and culture of the region. A memorial to Raja Gambhir Singh, this house has lost its charm due to various natural disasters and a lack of maintenance. The main gate of the house, the boundary walls, the staircase of beautiful craftsmanship and the remains of the barn are present day Manipuri.
