Photo of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary — Owais Al Qarni · CC BY-SA 4.0
Destination guide
Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary
চুনতি বন
A ~7,764-hectare sanctuary on the Lohagara-Banshkhali border — one of the principal corridors for Asian elephants moving between Bangladesh and Myanmar. It sits beside the highway, so getting there is easy. But it isn't a groomed tourist park — go with the Forest Department, and stay alert: this is elephant country.
History & significance
Declared a sanctuary in 1986. It once held 500+ tree and 234 animal species; the Cox's Bazar railway cutting through it dropped the tree count to 107, with heavy felling.
How to get there
It sits right on the Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway — any Lohagara-bound bus from Chattogram stops at the Chunati gate. Enter only with Forest Department permission and a guide.
Entry fee
No verified entry fee yet
Travellers report guide fees of ৳300-500; no verified ticket figure.
Opening hours & best time
No fixed hours — keep to daylight.
Best time
Winter is pleasant; monsoon turns trails slick and insect-heavy.
Traveller tips
A railway crosses the forest — never linger on the tracks.
People live inside the sanctuary — don't wander alone on unfamiliar paths.