Boga Lake and Keokradong trek: what to know before you go

Boga Lake and Keokradong are the trek many Bangladeshi travellers dream about. A still, deep lake high in the hills, nights in a village where the stars feel close, and a long walk along forested ridges to one of the country's best-known peaks. It is very rewarding, but it is a real trek in remote country, and it goes much better when you prepare properly.

How fit do you need to be?

You do not need to be an athlete, but you do need to be comfortable walking for several hours on steep, uneven paths, sometimes in heat and sometimes in rain. Some climbs are short and sharp, and the descents can be hard on the knees.

If you do not exercise much, start walking regularly and taking the stairs a few weeks before. Anyone with heart, knee or breathing problems should ask a doctor first. Children and older relatives may be happier with the classic viewpoints near Bandarban town instead, which we cover in our Bandarban guide for first-timers.

Registration, guides and the route via Ruma

This trek is not a walk you can simply start on your own. Here is how it usually works:

1. Travel from Bandarban town to Ruma by road. The hill road is winding, so allow plenty of time.
2. In Ruma, hire a registered local guide. Visitors are generally not allowed to continue without one.
3. With your guide, register at the army camp, and sometimes the police, giving your names and identity documents. Carry your NID or passport and several photocopies.
4. Continue towards Boga Lake, by jeep where the road allows and on foot for the final climb. You may need to report again at checkpoints along the way.
5. Spend the night at Boga Lake, then trek on to Keokradong, passing the Chingri Jhiri waterfall and the village of Darjeeling Para on the way.

Your guide knows the current procedures and timings, and will tell you where you need to be by when. Follow their advice, particularly about not walking after dark.

Staying in a Bawm village

Around Boga Lake and along the route, accommodation is simple: wooden or bamboo cottages run by families from the Bawm community, with shared bathrooms and home-cooked meals. Electricity may be limited, and mobile signal comes and goes. That is part of the charm.

Remember that you are staying in someone's village, not a resort:

• Ask before photographing people, especially children and older people.
• Keep noise down at night, and do not play loud music.
• Respect local rules about swimming in the lake, and follow your guide's advice.
• Carry all your plastic and rubbish back down with you.

The best trekkers leave nothing behind in the hills except footprints and good manners.

Shoes, rain and leeches

Your footwear matters more than anything else you pack. Wear trekking shoes or trainers with a good grip. Rubber sandals and smooth soles are a common cause of falls on muddy slopes. Then add:

• A light rain jacket or poncho, and a rain cover or plastic liner for your bag
• Quick-drying clothes, a warm layer for the night, and a spare set kept dry
• A torch or headlamp, a power bank, basic medicines and oral saline
• Long socks you can tuck your trousers into, plus salt or insect repellent for leeches

Leeches are common in the wet months. They are unpleasant but generally harmless. Check your legs and shoes at every break, and if one attaches, a pinch of salt usually makes it drop off. Do not pull it off hard.

When to go, and when access may close

The most comfortable time is usually the dry, cool season from about October to February, when paths are firmer and there are fewer leeches. The monsoon makes the hills spectacular, but trails turn slippery, streams rise and landslides can block the road.

Most importantly, access to Ruma, Boga Lake and Keokradong has been restricted or closed for visitors at times for security reasons, sometimes for long periods and sometimes at short notice. Rules on registration and guides also change. Never set off on assumptions. Softway Travels checks the current access rules when you book, and will tell you plainly if the route is closed.

When the route is open, our Boga Lake and Keokradong package arranges transport, a registered guide and village stays, and our Bandarban package makes a good alternative or add-on. Softway Travels can plan the trek around your fitness and dates, and book it for you.