Kaptai Lake

Kaptai Upazila of Rangamati district stands tall with the beautiful scenery of Chittagong Hill Tracts . And Kaptai Upazila is surrounded by unique hills, azure waters of the lake and eye-catching greenery. Spread over 11,000 square kilometers, this artificial lake is the largest in South Asia. Here you can see small hills, winding mountain roads, fountains and greenery with water. On the one hand, as there are various flora and fauna in the mountains, there are many species of fish and endless biodiversity in the clear waters of the lake. The surroundings of the lake, small islands, various birds and the life of people centered around water will keep you enthralled every moment. Although artificial, nature has beautified the Kaptai lake in all its forms. Kaptai Lake can be visited throughout the year , but during the monsoons, the full form of the springs near the lake can be seen.

In 1956, the then government of Pakistan built the Kaptai dam on the Karnaphuli river for a hydroelectric power plant funded by the United States, as a result of which 54,000 acres of agricultural land in Rangamati district was flooded and this Kaptai lake was created.

Nature lovers can rent a boat or a boat to float in the water of the lake and see the surroundings. You can visit the Kaptai Lake Paradise picnic spot to see the beauty of the lake from the hills. There is also an opportunity to take a group boat trip or a paddle boat trip to the lake. Apart from visiting Kaptai Lake by speedboat/boat reserve, you can visit many other spots including Rangamati hanging bridge , Shublong Jharna , Rangamati city. Kayaking is available in the Karnaphuli River near Kaptai. You can take that experience if you want. If you want to enjoy cable car ride, go to Sheikh Russell Ecopark.

Kaptai can be reached directly from Syedabad or Kamalapur in Dhaka by various quality buses, in which case it takes about 7 to 8 hours. To go on these buses, the fare will be Tk 780-800 per person. Besides, you can also go to Kaptai from Chittagong if you want. Buses leave every 30 minutes from Bahaddarhat bus stand for Kaptai, fare 80-120 Tk. It will take about 2 hours. You can also reach Kaptai from Bahaddarhat bus terminal by train from Dhaka to Chittagong.

If you want to go to Kaptai from Bandarban, you can take a bus bound for Rangamati from Rowanchari bus stand and get off at Baraichari and go to Kaptai by CNG. Kaptai Bazar can be reached by road from Rangamati by bus or by CNG or trawler boat via Kaptai Lake.

There are some restaurants built on small islands in the middle of Kaptai Lake. Kaptai has Beranye Lake Shore Cafe, Zoom Restaurant, Paradise Cafe etc. Or you can visit the floating restaurant adjacent to the naval base to eat your favorite food. This restaurant is open daily from 10 am to evening.

Kaptai has not yet developed good quality commercial hotels and motels for overnight stays. So if you want to spend the night, it is better to contact the government rest house authorities of Kaptai in advance. Also, overnight stay at Army, PDB, Water Development Board and Forest Department rest houses at low cost subject to permission from concerned government office. Overnight stay at Lake Paradise picnic spot is also available but may be charged extra. Rangamati is near Kaptai or if your tour plan is like that you can stay at Rangamati.

For your convenience some information about budget friendly hotels, motels and resthouses to stay in Rangamati is provided below:

Parjatan Holiday Complex The room rent per night at Parjatan Holiday Complex ranges from Tk 1,600 to Tk 6,000. Hanging Bridge Rd, Rangamati Phone: +880-233-3371851

Hotel Jum Palace room rent per night from Tk 1500 to Tk 3200. T&T Area, Rangamati Phone: 0351-61878, 01625100000

Lakeshore Resort The room rent per night at Lakeshore Resort ranges from Tk 4500 to Tk 6500. Kaptai, Rangamati Phone: 01859-778065

Hotel Green Castle room rent from 600 taka to 2500 taka per night. Reserve Bazar, Rangamati Phone: 0351-71214, 0351-61200, 01726-511532, 01815-459146

Motel George room rent from 500 taka to 1800 taka per night. Near college gate, Rangamati Phone: 0351-63348, 01558-480701

Read the Rangamati Hotels & Resorts Guide for information on all the popular hotels, resorts and rest houses in Rangamati district .

Feature Image: Mahmood Farooq