Photo of Boga Lake — Sabilaenun · CC BY-SA 3.0
Destination guide
Boga Lake
বগা লেক
A natural lake walled in by hills — blue-green water, red water-lilies in winter, and a climbable hillside beside the village that lays the whole lake in front of you. In the Bom language 'boga' means dragon; legend says a village sank here, while geologists lean toward a dead volcanic crater. The classic plan: bathe in the lake by day, BBQ at night, sunrise at Keokradong the next morning.
History & significance
The adjacent Boga Lake Para and Darjeelingpara are home to Bom Christian families — there is a small church by the lake too. On the way you pass Munlai Para, which many call the cleanest village in the country.
How to get there
From Bandarban take the Ruma local bus (৳140–150) or reserve a chander gari at Dhanesh Chattar (one group quoted ৳17,000 for 13 people on a 2-night plan). At the Tourist Assistance Center in Ruma you fill a form with NID copies for permission and pick up the mandatory guide — max 14 people per vehicle, one guide per vehicle. Ruma to the lake takes about 3 hours by chander gari.
Entry fee
No verified entry fee yet
Nobody mentions a separate entry ticket for the lake itself — the spending goes to permission, guide, stay and food.
Opening hours & best time
There is no gate schedule — but everyone advises sleeping early the night before a sunrise summit trip.
Best time
Winter is the main season — but the summits get brutally cold, so pack warm layers. Word is the area opens to tourists on 1 October each year.
Traveller tips
No electricity or mobile network at the lake — charging runs on a generator, and only weak Teletalk/Robi signal.
Rooms are scarce — the Sena Cottage VIP room runs ৳4,000, regular rooms ৳2,500, and Lake View cottages up to ৳300 per head. Book ahead.
Meals need ordering at least an hour ahead via the guide; packages run ৳150–350.
Vehicles now climb the new road to Keokradong — it is steep and frightening, and many say nobody wants to come back and do it twice.
Overnight stays in Darjeelingpara are still not permitted — treat it as a breakfast stop (~৳100).
Location
The exact coordinates of this destination have not been verified yet, so no map location is shown.