Sajek Valley

Sajek is a ridge at around eighteen hundred feet in the Chittagong Hill Tracts near the Indian border, and it has become one of the most visited places in Bangladesh for a simple reason: the valleys below it fill with cloud on many mornings, so the resorts along the ridge look out over an unbroken white surface with hilltops standing out of it. Lusai, Pankhua and Tripura villages are on and around the ridge. Access is by jeep from Khagrachhari on a road that runs through a sensitive area, with vehicles moving in escorted convoys at set times, which structures the whole trip. Development along the ridge has been rapid, with a dense row of resorts, and water has to be carried up.

History

The valley takes its name from the Sajek river, and though long one of the most remote parts of the country for its steep terrain, it has settlements dating back to 1885. Tourism began in the early 2010s after a road, which took about ten years to build, linked it to the rest of the country, and the number of registered resorts rose from six in 2016 to 83 by 2020 (Wikipedia, Sajek Valley).

What you'll find

• Cloud filling the valleys - the white surface below the ridge on many mornings.
• Hilltops above the cloud - the peaks standing out of the layer.
• Lusai and Pankhua villages - the communities on and around the ridge.
• The escorted convoy road - the journey up from Khagrachhari.

When to go

November to March, with the cloud most reliable in the cooler months. Two days, since the convoy timing makes a day trip impractical. Book accommodation ahead; the ridge fills at weekends and holidays.

Before you go

Access is by escorted convoy at fixed times and the rules change; foreigners face additional restrictions and are sometimes refused. Development on the ridge has been fast and water and waste are real problems. The cloud is weather-dependent and often absent.

Nearby

Khagrachhari is south-west; the Indian border lies close.

Key facts