Jaflong
A pristine beauty of nature
BY Abu Md Masani
It happened suddenly. I was not prepared, nor was it in my holiday plans. Basically, I love to visit hills and the sea when I am in a holiday mood. I have visited so many tourist spots in Bangladesh and abroad. I have been to Cox,s Bazaar, Bandarban, Teknaf, Saint Martin,s and Gozni. But I have never been to the hills of Sylhet.
Well, I visited Sylhet district several times. But it was centred around Sylhet city, and included Shahjalal Mazar, Shahparan Mazar, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, tea gardens and some tourists spot in the city, including Keane Bridge and Ali Amjad Clock.
But, I never went to famous tourist spots in Jaflong and Tamabil. So, I took the decision suddenly to visit those places in Sylhet.
And finally, I bought my ticket for Sylhet and on the night of December 22, I boarded the bus from Dhaka and reached Sylhet at 5:30 am the next morning. From then on, my adventure started.
After taking some rest overnight, I started my journey to Jaflong. Everything was ready and it was all possible because of one of my friends who lives there. I reached Jaflong at 12:30 pm on Dec 23. I dont know how, but my tiredness disappeared with the wind after seeing the beauty of Jaflong. It is amazing.
Everyone knows about Jaflong,s beauty, its crystal clear waters and stones carried by the river. From my childhood, I learned everything about the area, especially while watching Bangla movies. It was always among my favourite spots to visit.
Once actually there, I was spellbound. Where had I come? Oh, Almighty Allah. How fantastic! I thought: Why does not the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation promote the area more and provide facilities, like hotels, restaurants and rest rooms to attract tourists, from both home and abroad?
Now, I have to give some details about Jaflong.
Jaflong is one of the most attractive tourist spots in Sylhet. It is about 60 kilometres away from Sylhet city and it takes about two hours to drive there. You have to start early in the morning, so that you can come back by evening after covering all the tourist spots in the area.
Jaflong is situated beside River Mari in the lap of the Khasia hills. There are several scenic spots around, amidst tea gardens and rolling stones from the hills.
You can enjoy collecting stones and pebbles, as well as boating in the river, which flows in from India across the border. You can visit nearby villages and see the lifestyle of the Khasia tribal people. Other tourist spots you can visit are Tamabil, Sreepur, Jainthapur, Haripur and Lalakhal.
It is more amazing than what I have seen before, said Rezaul Haq, my friend and guide.
Shampa Haidar, another visitor from Dhaka, said: We are visiting here with our whole family for the second time. I want to come here more and more, because its beauty refreshes me.
If the authorities build some rest houses and restaurants here, then more visitors will come every day, she added.
Wow! What a nice and wonderful place, exclaimed Tareq Aziz, a teenage boy who had come from Mymensingh with his friends. Why didnt we come here before? he questioned himself.
A tourist police told this writer: More nature lovers come here during the holidays, winter is the best time for tourists here. We give them full security, so no visitor feels hesitant to come here. The police official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the press.
As I returned from the spot, I thought: I have to come back here again as I have more tourist destinations to explore in Sylhet. I have heard of so many scenic areas where I did not go, like Ratargul swamp forest, Bichanakandi, Madhabkunda waterfall, Madhabpur Lake, Lawacherra rainforest, Hummum Falls, and many more.
Note: There are so many hotels in Sylhet city, so no worries if you want to stay the night. And by the way, dont forget to have a meal at Panch Bhai Hotel at Zindabazar area of the city. It is really delicious!
The writer is a senior sub-editor of The Independent newspaper.
Photos: Courtesy
