Amiakhum Waterfall is a remote waterfall in Thanchi Upazila, Bandarban District, in southeastern Bangladesh. It sits near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in a rugged area known as Nakshiyong. Hill streams feed it, and the water crashes over wide rock shelves, throwing up constant white spray. Locals call it the queen of the khums.

A khum is a narrow gorge where a river squeezes between tall rock walls. Amiakhum is the most famous of them, and reaching it is half the reward. Below, I’ve laid out everything you need: the routes, permits, costs, where to sleep, what to eat, and how to stay safe.

How hard is the Amiakhum Waterfall trek?

Reaching Amiakhum takes two to three days of boat travel and hard hill trekking from Thanchi, so it suits people with a decent fitness level. You’ll need a registered local guide plus permits from the police station and the border guard camp. The best window runs from September through November, right after the monsoon.

Also know more attractions in Bandarban: Kumari Waterfall, Bandarban, Langlok Waterfall Bandarban, Boga Lake Travel Guide, Velakhum Trek, Debotakhum Bandarban.

Where is Amiakhum Waterfall located?

Amiakhum Waterfall in Thanchi Upazila of Bandarban District, close to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in the remote Nakshiyong area. It’s deep in the southeastern hill tracts, far from any road. Because of that, no vehicle reaches the falls. You travel the last stretch only by boat and on foot, which is exactly why the place still feels wild.

When is the best time to visit Amiakhum Waterfall?

The best time to visit Amiakhum is from September to November, just after the monsoon and a little before winter. The waterfall flows all year, but its mood shifts with the seasons. During the monsoon the flow is heavy and dramatic, while in winter it thins out without ever drying up completely. So those shoulder months give you strong water and safer trails at the same time.

Heavy monsoon brings real problems, too. When the Sangu River runs near its danger mark, the administration often stops giving permission. Leeches come out in force. Then the rock paths turn slick, and sudden rain can trap you. For all those reasons, I avoid peak monsoon and aim for that post-rain window.

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How to get to Amiakhum Waterfall

Every trip starts in Bandarban town, then moves to Thanchi, and finally heads into the hills by one of two routes. First you reach Bandarban, then Thanchi Upazila, and from Thanchi bazaar the trail splits.

The two trekking routes

• Route 1: Thanchi → Padma Jhiri → Thuisapara → Debota Pahar → Amiakhum
• Route 2: Thanchi → Remakri → Nafakhum → Jinapara → Thuisapara → Debota Pahar → Amiakhum

Route 1 is tough from the start. Just reaching Padma Jhiri takes six to seven hours of trekking, and sometimes you walk into the night. Route 2, by comparison, is easier and gentler, since it follows the river first. Many trekkers go in by Route 1 and come back by Route 2, or do the reverse. I usually point first-timers toward the river route because it eases you into the journey.

Getting to Bandarban

From Dhaka, several companies run daily buses to Bandarban from the Kalabagan and Arambagh areas. Operators like Shyamoli, Hanif, Saint Martin, and Desh send AC, non-AC, and Hyundai coaches each day. Non-AC fares run about 550 to 750 BDT per person, while AC seats cost roughly 1,200 to 1,500 BDT. Take a night bus and you’ll roll into Bandarban around 7 a.m.

You can also fly or take a train to Chittagong first, then continue by bus or private car. Buses to Bandarban leave from the Baddarhat and Dampara stands for around 220 BDT. A reserved microbus, on the other hand, costs about 3,000 to 3,500 BDT. Keep in mind that fares change with season and fuel prices, so treat every figure here as a rough guide.

Bandarban to Thanchi

From Bandarban, you reach Thanchi by local bus or by a reserved Jeep, locally called a Chander Gari. Buses leave the Thanchi bus stand in Bandarban roughly every hour, cost about 200 BDT per person, and take four to five hours. The administration has fixed the Chander Gari fare at around 6,000 BDT, though hiring one just before the official stand can save you 500 to 1,000 BDT.

For a bigger group, the Chander Gari makes more sense. It seats ten to twelve people and trims the trip to about three to three and a half hours. Along the way you pass Milanchhari, Chimbuk Hill, and Nilgiri, plus a steady run of gorgeous landscapes where you can stop for photos.

Thanchi to Remakri: permits, guide, and boat

At the border guard (BGB) camp in Thanchi bazaar, officials keep a register of approved guides, and hiring one from that list is mandatory. The guide fee for a same-day departure and next-day return is about 1,500 BDT. After that, you submit everyone’s name, address, phone numbers, national ID copies, your route, and your length of stay so the police station and BGB camp can issue permission. The police also take a group photo. Throughout all of this, your guide handles the paperwork with you.

Keep one rule in mind: the camp grants no permission after 3 p.m. So you must reach Thanchi before then, or you’ll lose a day and start the next morning. Life jackets rent for about 50 BDT each. During the monsoon, grab one for everybody; otherwise take at least one for each person who can’t swim.

Once your permit clears, you hire a small engine boat at Thanchi ghat. The fixed fare for the trip out and back the next day is around 4,500 BDT, and each boat seats four to five people. Reaching Remakri takes roughly two and a half hours. When the water sits low, you may need to hop out and wade in a few shallow stretches.

The Sangu River steals the show on this leg. On the way you’ll pass Padma Mukh, Tindu, Raja Pathor, Boro Pathor, and finally Remakri. Security rules keep you from stopping everywhere, but you can land at Boro Pathor for photos. At Remakri Falls, a quick dip is pure bliss, since the cool current washes the heat right out of you.

Remakri to Thuisapara via Nafakhum

If you reach Remakri late, sleep there and head out for Nafakhum the next morning. From Remakri you pick up another local guide for about 500 BDT, which your Thanchi guide arranges, and this person leads you onward. With time to spare, you can push straight through to Nafakhum the same day.

Walking up the Remakri canal, you reach the beautiful Nafakhum waterfall in two to two and a half hours, sometimes faster if everyone moves well. You’ll cross the canal two or three times, wading through knee-deep and sometimes waist-deep water against a strong current. Aside from two or three rough patches, the path stays manageable.

After Nafakhum, you turn toward Thuisapara. From there it’s another three to four hours of trekking to reach the village. Should it run long, you can break the night at Jinapara, the para just before it.

Thuisapara to Amiakhum: over Debota Pahar

From Thuisapara you set out the next morning with one more guide, fee around 500 BDT, crossing Debota Pahar to reach Amiakhum. Two paths lead out of the village: one mixes a stream route with a hill route, and the other is all hill. Many people climb the hill path going in and take the stream path coming back.

On the all-hill route, thirty minutes of climbing brings you to the first summit. After a short rest, you push on. Another thirty minutes lands you on the second peak, Nicolas Hill, where a few families live in Nicolas Para and you even catch a mobile signal. Rest again, then start the final stretch.

Soon you top Debota Pahar itself, and here the trek gets serious. Coming down is steep, slippery, and dangerous, sometimes dropping at near 80 or 90 degrees. The descent alone can eat an hour, so take it slow, and a set of trekking poles saves your knees on a drop this steep. At the bottom, the right path leads to Velakhum and Naikhongmukh, while the left runs toward Amiakhum and Satvaikhum.

From the foot of Debota Pahar, two or three minutes of walking finally brings you to Amiakhum. The full push from Thuisapara takes about three hours, give or take, depending on your team’s stamina. Standing there, drenched in spray, you understand why people put themselves through it.

Velakhum and Satvaikhum sit right beside Amiakhum, so plan your day to take in all three. On the way back, spend a night at Thuisapara and return to Thanchi by the same trail or a different one. From Thanchi, ride back to Bandarban and head home.

Where to stay near Amiakhum

Past Thanchi and Remakri, there are no hotels, so indigenous family homes are your only and best option. These homestays look after travelers well, and your guide arranges everything in advance. Across this long route you’ll pass Remakri, Nafakhum Para, Jinapara, and Thuisapara, and most trekkers spend their nights in these villages. They’re safe, simple, and warm.

Where to eat on the trek

From Thanchi all the way to Amiakhum, you eat in indigenous homes, and the food is honest and filling. Expect rice, vegetables, dal, mashed potato, and chicken on the menu. Tell your guide your preferences ahead of time and he’ll set it up. Still, I always carry light snacks like dates, biscuits, chocolate, chira, muri, and fruit for the trail.

You’ll also find small grocery shops in several villages. They stock soft drinks, biscuits, and bottled water, and you can pick up local hill fruit as well. Since the whole route demands hard trekking, your body needs the extra fuel, so eat more than you think you need.

Travel tips and safety for the Amiakhum trek

A few simple habits make this trip smoother and safer. First, skip public holidays and travel as a group to cut costs. Wear shoes with strong grip, because the rock is slick, and good footwear also helps you prevent blisters on long days on the trail. If you can’t swim or you go during the monsoon, keep a life jacket close.

Beyond Thanchi there’s no electricity and no mobile network, so charge your phone and power bank beforehand. Carry only a shoulder bag and keep it as light as you can, which is far easier once you know how to pack a day pack the right way. Pack basic medicines too, such as paracetamol, an antacid, and oral saline.

Then there’s the golden rule of the hills: never wander off alone. Stay with your group, watch out for the others, and step up the moment someone struggles. Pacing yourself on a long hike like this keeps energy in the tank for the hard sections. Above all, treat the indigenous communities with respect, since you’re a guest in their home.

FAQs on Amiakhum Waterfall

Final thoughts

Amiakhum rewards every hard step. You travel by bus, by boat, and on foot, sleeping in hill villages and climbing over Debota Pahar before the falls finally open up in front of you. Plan for the September to November window, sort your permits and guide in Thanchi, pack light, and respect both the trail and the people who live along it. Do that, and you’ll come home with the kind of trip you talk about for years.