Nafakhum Waterfall

Local food to try

Village rice meals
Nafakhum Waterfall
Rice, dal, egg or chicken and vegetables, cooked in Remakri for visitors.
Sangu river fish
Nafakhum Waterfall
When there is a catch, small river fish fried or in curry.
Bamboo chicken
Nafakhum Waterfall
Ask your guide to arrange it for the evening at Remakri.

Where to eat

Remakri village
Remakri, Thanchi
Meals are cooked by the village guesthouses; order ahead through your guide.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Thanchi Bazar
Thanchi
Simple restaurants by the boat ghat for a meal before and after the river trip.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Where to stay

Village guesthouses in Remakri
Remakri, Thanchi
Basic shared rooms in Marma houses and cottages, arranged by your guide.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Thanchi
Thanchi Bazar
A few simple rooms in the bazar if you arrive too late for the boat.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

History

Nafakhum is a waterfall on the Remakri stream, a tributary of the Sangu, in Remakri union of Thanchi upazila. The whole stream drops over a wide rock ledge in a thundering curtain, which has earned it the nickname “the Niagara of Bangladesh” — an exaggeration, but an affectionate one. The name comes from Marma: khum means a deep pool or falls.

Getting there is half the adventure. The boat trip up the Sangu from Thanchi passes through narrow gorges and rapids, past the great boulders known as Raja Pathor, with forest rising on both banks. Then comes the walk along the stream from Remakri, wading through water in places.

Remakri is a Marma village at the meeting of the Remakri stream and the Sangu, where most visitors stay the night. Further on lie Amiakhum and other falls, but those routes are tougher and depend on current permissions.

Tour plans

Nafakhum by boat and on foot

2–3 days

Step 1: Bandarban to Thanchi
Leave Bandarban town early by jeep or bus on the Nilgiri road, after confirming that Thanchi is open to visitors.
Step 2: Guide, registration and boat
Meet your guide, register with your ID, and take the boat up the Sangu to Remakri.
Step 3: Night at Remakri
Settle into a village guesthouse and spend the evening by the small falls where the stream meets the Sangu.
Step 4: Walk to Nafakhum
Set off after breakfast along the Remakri stream, spend time at the falls, and walk back to Remakri.
Step 5: Down the Sangu
Take the boat back to Thanchi in daylight and the road back to Bandarban.

Plan your visit

Best time to visit

September to November, when the falls are still full but the river is calmer. In the peak monsoon boats may not run.

How to get there

From Bandarban town by jeep or bus to Thanchi, about 3–4 hours on the Nilgiri road. Register at Thanchi with a local guide, then take a boat up the Sangu to Remakri, roughly 2–3 hours depending on the water. From Remakri, walk along the Remakri stream for about 2–3 hours to the falls. Access to Thanchi has at times been closed to tourists — check the current rules.

Getting around

Long, narrow engine boats carry visitors between Thanchi and Remakri; in shallow stretches the boatmen pole or push the boat. From Remakri to the falls is on foot only.

Travel tips

Check the current rules before planning: Thanchi and Remakri have at times been closed to tourists, and foreigners may need separate permission.
A registered local guide is required; register at Thanchi police station and the army camp with your national ID card or passport, as your guide directs.
Wear life jackets on the boat and shoes with good grip for wading; the rocks are very slippery.
Do not swim in the pool below the falls — the current is strong and people have drowned at Nafakhum.
Carry cash, a torch and a power bank; there are no ATMs and little or no mobile signal beyond Thanchi.
Plan two days at least; boats do not run after dark.