Kaptai Lake
The largest man-made lake of the country, dotted with islands, hanging bridges and hill villages.
📍 Location & access
🧭 Planning your trip
The best window for Kaptai Lake is Oct – Mar. November to February is the easiest season for travel across Bangladesh generally - cool and dry - while the monsoon between June and September is when the haors, waterfalls and hills are at their most dramatic.
How to reach: Bus from Dhaka to Rangamati (about 7–8 hours), then hire a boat directly from Rangamati town’s boat terminal.
Rangamati is known for kaptai Lake, Hanging Bridge, Sajek gateway.
History
The lake was created between 1958 and 1962 when the Karnaphuli Hydroelectric Project dammed the Karnaphuli river, flooding a huge area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and displacing tens of thousands of Chakma and other Indigenous people - an event still remembered in Hill Tracts history as "the Great Flood". It remains the country’s main source of hydroelectric power.
✅ Tips for visiting
- Negotiate a boat route in advance covering the hanging bridge, a floating restaurant and a village stop.
- Water levels and views are best just after the monsoon, from October.
- Life jackets are often not provided by default - ask for one.
🧭 Nearby
- Rangamati hanging bridge
- Rajban Vihar
- Peda Ting Ting floating restaurant
- Shuvolong Waterfall
Sunrise and sunset at Kaptai Lake today
Useful for planning the golden hour - 11:38 of daylight.
More places like this
Sajek Valley
The "queen of hills" - clouds roll through the resort huts at dawn, 1,800 ft above sea level.
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Lake BandarbanRamsagar National Park
A vast 15th-century reservoir turned national park, ringed by forest and visited by migratory birds each winter.
Lake DinajpurFrequently asked questions about Kaptai Lake
Where is Kaptai Lake?
Kaptai Lake is in Rangamati district, Bangladesh, at 22.4956°N, 92.2200°E.
When is the best time to visit Kaptai Lake?
The best season to visit Kaptai Lake is Oct – Mar.
What is Kaptai Lake known for?
The largest man-made lake of the country, dotted with islands, hanging bridges and hill villages.
How do I get to Kaptai Lake?
Bus from Dhaka to Rangamati (about 7–8 hours), then hire a boat directly from Rangamati town’s boat terminal.
How much does it cost to visit Kaptai Lake?
Boat hire ৳1,000–3,000 for a few hours depending on the route; the hanging bridge entry fee is around ৳40.