Debotakhum

Debotakhum is a khum, the local word for a deep pool in a rock-walled section of stream, in the hills near Roangchhari in Bandarban district: the water fills a narrow gorge between vertical rock walls and is deep and still, so the way through is on a bamboo raft poled along or by swimming with a float, with the walls closing overhead and almost no light reaching the surface in places. Getting there is a jeep ride, a walk of an hour or two through hills and villages, and then the raft. It has become widely known through Bangladeshi social media and now sees a steady flow of visitors, with rafts and guides organised at the trailhead village. Water is high after the monsoon and the gorge is at its best then.

The landscape

• A rock-walled water gorge - vertical walls with deep still water between.
• Bamboo raft passage - poled or swum through the narrows.
• Little light reaching the water - the walls closing overhead.
• The walk in through villages - an hour or two from the road head.

When to go

October to March; water is high after the monsoon and the gorge works best then, with the dry season reducing it. A day or overnight. Guides and rafts are arranged at the village; permits apply.

Good to know

You will be in the water and everything gets wet. Swimming ability matters even with a float. The walk in is hot and steep. Permits for foreigners in the hill tracts are restrictive. It has become crowded at weekends.

Nearby

Roangchhari is the trailhead; Bandarban lies west.