Lawachara National Park is a prominent national park in Bangladesh. The park is known for its extensive forest reserves with diverse flora and fauna in and around it. Being a national park, Lawachara is a must-visit place for anyone traveling around Sreemangal and Moulvibazar. Here’s everything you need to know about touring the famous natural reserve of Bangladesh. 

Where is Lawachara National Park? 

Lawachara National Park is situated in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar district. The park used to be part of the greater West Bhanugach Reserved Forest area until its establishment as a national park. The reserved forest covers approximately 27.4 sqkm of land of which Lawachara covers around 12.5 sq km. 

The northeastern region of Bangladesh is known for the large deciduous trees indigenous to the region (as a secondary forest). Likewise, Lawachara thrived as a semi-evergreen forest biome with a deciduous forest biome. 

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History of Lawachara National Park 

The 1956 Michael Anderson film “Around the World in 80 Days” featured part of this forest as Phileas Fogg traveled across the Indian subcontinent in his seemingly impossible challenge. The 2008 Humayun Ahmed film “Amar Ache Jol” also featured the park. 

The history of Lawachara National Park is relatively unknown. Historically, the area around Moulvibazar has been shrouded with hillocks here and there. 

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In 1925, the British government introduced a tree plantation program in the Bhanugach area. Over the next three decades, the massive plantation took the shape of the West Bhanugach Reserve forest which was formally recognized in the 1950s. 

Bangladesh Government recognized Lawachara as a protected national park on July 7, 1996 under the Wildlife Act of 1974.

How to Get to Lawachara National Park? 

There are several ways to get to Lawachara National Park. Visitors wanting to visit the park will need to get to Sreemangal first. There's an option for both trains and buses to get to Sreemangal from Dhaka. 

The Upaban/Jayantika, Parabat, Kalni, and Surma Mail Express trains go to Sylhet via Sreemangal. The typical cost of a ticket is around 240 BDT excluding VAT for a chair coach seat. 

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There are several points in Dhaka like TT Para, Chittagong Road, Kalyanpur, and Maniknagar from where buses leave for Sreemangal. Options for buses include Shymoli, Hanif, Ena, etc. The price of a ticket is around 570 BDT (Non-AC) and 700 BDT (AC). 

From Sreemangal, visitors will either need to hire a CNG-run autorickshaw or a Chander Gari to get to the national park. The cost of a whole-day reservation for a CNG-run autorickshaw is around 1200 to 1500 BDT, and for Chander Gari it is around 1800 to 2000 BDT. 

What to Do in Lawachara National Park? 

Lawachara National Park is a reserve forest. So it is not possible to stay inside the park overnight. Visitors will have to get an entry ticket for 50 BDT. For students and children, the ticket is 20 BDT and for foreign nationals, it is 500 BDT. There’s an additional 25 BDT fee for parking reserved vehicles. Tour guides inside the forest will cost around 300 BDT for 1 hour. 

Learn About the Diverse Flora and Fauna 

Lawachara National Park is home to 460 different species including plants, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The park is famous for being the sanctuary for endangered western hoolock gibbons (Ulluk). Other rare animals including Bengal slow loris, leopard cat, barking deer, capped langur, and Burmese pythons are mentionable. 

There are also about 159 plant species in the park. Notable among them are the Ficus (fig) and Syzygium (brush cherries). These two have the most diverse genera in the park. The original indigenous forest was completely wiped off during the 1920s. What remains today are mostly secondary forests. 

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Hiking through the Trail 

The Lawachara National Park is relatively small with its 12 sq km of area. As a result, it is possible to easily trek the park. The park also has small streams and hills which will make the hike an enjoyable as well as an adventurous one. 

The entire park is crisscrossed with trek roads. Since the network isn’t that good in the area, it is best to get a tour guide to not get lost in the park.

Visiting the Khasia Village 

There are several human settlements near the Lawachara National Park. Among them, the Magurchara Punji and the Lawachara Punji are situated inside the park. Several ethnic minority groups including Khasia, Tripura, Tipra, and Monipuri people live in these villages. 

The Christian Khasia make up the majority of the inhabitants of the park. There is a Khasia village of about 30 families located on the slope of a hillock. There are several detours to this village as well so it is better to hire a tour guide to navigate and to learn about their culture as well as all the natural biodiversity of the park. 

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Where to Stay in Lawachara National Park? 

There are no staying options in the park itself. All the hotels in the area are in Sreemangal. Therefore, it would be wise to book hotels in Sreemangal. The rent of hotels usually starts from around 200 BDT and goes all the way up to 3000 BDT (for group stays). A single-bed non-AC room will cost around 200 BDT. A couple’s AC room will cost around 1200 BDT. 

Since Lawachara National Park can be covered in about half a day, it is better to couple the trip with other attractions like Finlay Tea Estate or Sreemangal itself. 

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The Best Time to Visit Lawachara National Park 

The best time to visit Lawachara National Park is from October to February as winter prevails during this time. The cool breeze and the winter fogs create a charming and mesmerizing experience in the park. 

The humid summer and the heavy rains of the monsoon aren’t conducive to trekking in the park.  

Precautions While Visiting Lawachara National Park 

The Lawachara National Park is a sanctuary for endangered wild animals and plant species. As a result, it is important to maintain certain precautionary measures. 

- Visitors are strictly prohibited from feeding or harassing wild animals in any way. Tearing leaves or flowers is also prohibited in the park. 
- Playing loud music or creating a bonfire is also strictly prohibited. 
- There are settlements in the park. Visitors are also prohibited from disturbing or misbehaving with them in any way. 

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Additionally, if you are taking the Upaban train, make sure you have pre-arrangements as the train reaches Sreemangal at midnight. To reach Sreemangal at dawn or early morning taking a bus ride is a good option. 

Since hiking in the park involves traversing various small hills and streams, it is better to take hiking boots for the journey. Besides these, for safety the tourists can carry essential medicines along with a fast aid box. 

Final Words 

Being blessed with exquisite natural landscapes and diverse flora and fauna, Lawachara National Park is indeed a great travel destination for nature enthusiasts. As the winter season draws nearer, now is the best time to travel to Lawachara National Park.

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