Chingri Waterfall (চিংড়ি ঝর্ণা)

The fall lies in the hills of Ruma upazila in Bandarban, in Bawm country above the natural lake of Bogalake. It sits on the footpath that trekkers have long used to climb from the lake toward Keokradong, so most people pass it on foot rather than making a special trip.

Chingri is the Bengali word for shrimp. According to local accounts the name comes from the stones gathered under the falling water, which are said to look like shrimp. Some local people also know the fall as Duppani Jhorna. Visiting the area has always meant registering with the army camp at Ruma first.

Chingri is not one tall drop. The stream runs down a series of dark rock ledges in a narrow forest gully, with small pools between the steps. Bamboo and broadleaf trees close over the top, so the light is green and dim even at midday, and moss covers most of the stone near the water.

In the monsoon the separate steps merge into a single white chute and the noise carries up the path. By late winter the flow is a thin run over the rocks, though the gully stays shaded and damp. Small crabs and insects live under the stones, and the slabs nearest the water are the most slippery on the whole Bogalake route.

No entry fee has been recorded for the fall. Costs come from the jeep, the registered guide, lodging and meals at Bogalake, and Ruma has been under shifting travel restrictions since 2022, so the first step is checking which zones are open. Morning is the best time to walk down from the lake; allow two hours there and back, including a rest at the pools.

Bogalake, the dragon legend and the lake base

Bogalake is a natural lake of about 15 acres sitting more than 1,246 feet above sea level, about 18 kilometres from Ruma, the upazila headquarters. Its origin has never been settled. Bawm, Marma, Mro, Khumi and Tripura legends tell of a dragon called Boga that lived in a mountain cave and was fed cattle by the villagers; when some people killed it, the peak sank and became the lake, drowning the villages around it. There is no scientific evidence for the story, but it explains the name.

On the way up from Ruma, the jeep passes Munlai Para, a Bawm village known for being exceptionally clean, with a small market selling handmade Bawm crafts. It is a good place to stop for lunch on the way in, before the walk to the lake and down to the fall.

The lakeside Bawm village has simple cottages and kitchens that cook for visitors, and walkers going on to Keokradong usually spend one night at the lake before setting out. Starting the descent to Chingri early gives the best chance of finding the pools empty.