Damtua Waterfall (দামতুয়া ঝর্ণা)

The fall lies deep in the hills of Alikadam upazila, south-west of the main Bandarban ranges, in an area where most villages are Mro. The trail head is at Adupara on the Alikadam to Thanchi road, and from there the only way in is on foot through jhum fields, bamboo forest and stream beds.

The Mro name for the stream is Tuk O: tuk means frog and o means stream. Damtua describes a rock wall so steep that neither frogs nor fish can climb it, and the full Mro name is given as Tuk O Damtua Waznaparag. Local people also call the fall Lamonei; lamo means moon and no means light, so the name reads as moonlight.

What sets Damtua apart is its shape. Water comes over the cliff from two directions at once and lands in the same round basin, so from the pool you face a horseshoe of falling water. The basin is shallow at the edges and deeper under the main streams, and the rock around it is dark and smooth.

The walk in passes several smaller cascades, including one known as Wangpa, and crosses the stream many times. Leeches are common from June to October, and the forest stays wet for weeks after the rains end. Mro villages along the route keep their own customs, and asking before photographing anyone is expected.

No entry fee has been recorded. The real costs are transport from Alikadam, a local guide and food, and all visitors must register at the army post on the road and return there the same afternoon, so the day starts early. Access rules in Bandarban have changed several times since 2022; check the current position with the upazila office first. The weeks just after the monsoon give strong water and a firmer path.