Unseen Bangladesh
Moulvibazar District · Sylhet Division · হাকালুকি হাওর
Hakaluki Haor travel guide
One of the country's biggest haors; hundreds of thousands of birds in winter.
🗓️ Best time to visitDecember–February (birds); August–October (monsoon)
⏱ How long it takesFull day
💰 Estimated costBoat ৳2,000–4,000 a day
History and background
One of Asia's biggest haors, about 181 sq km across five upazilas of Moulvibazar and Sylhet districts, made up of about 238 beels. Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds arrive in winter; in the monsoon it's a sea of water.
How to get to Hakaluki Haor
In the Barlekha-Kulaura area; tour by boat.
Moulvibazar is about 200 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 4–5 hours.
- 🚌 By bus: Sreemangal/Moulvibazar buses from Sayedabad (Hanif, Shyamoli, Ena), non-AC ৳500–650.
- 🚆 By train: Parabat/Joyontika/Upaban from Kamalapur to Sreemangal, fare ৳300–900 (the most comfortable).
Where to stay
- Grand Sultan Tea Resort & Golf (luxury)
- Dusai Resort & Spa
- BTRI/Parjatan tea resort
- Many cottages and guesthouses in Sreemangal (৳1,500–4,000)
What to eat
Nilkantha's seven-layer tea, Khasia paan, hill pineapples
Good to know
- Go to the bird areas with a local boatman's help, and don't disturb the birds
- Many beels dry up in winter — check the route in advance
More places to visit in Moulvibazar district
- Lawachara National Park — Evergreen rainforest; hoolock gibbons, monkeys and a railway through the forest.
- Sreemangal's tea gardens — Green tea gardens to the horizon, the Tea Museum and tea workers' life.
- Madhabkunda Waterfall — The country's best-known waterfall, falling from about 200 feet.
- Madhabpur Lake — A lake among tea-garden hillocks, where blue lotuses bloom in summer.
- Hamham Waterfall — A waterfall deep in the Rajkandi forest; for adventure lovers.
- Baikka Beel — A sanctuary in Hail Haor; a watchtower for winter migratory birds.