Marayong Taung Bandarban

Marayan Dong is a hill located in Mirinja range of Alikadam police station of Bandarban district. This hill is known by several other names such as; Marayan Thong, Marayang Thong, Merai Thong Jadi, Maraing Dong etc. There is a Buddhist temple on the top of this hill with a height of about 1640 feet. A huge Buddha statue amidst the open nature makes this place more majestic. The mountains on the horizon and the Matamuhuri river running like a snake below, the crop fields, everything is like a fantasy kingdom.

Many tribals including Tripura, Marma, Murang live in Marayan Tang Hills. The tribal neighborhoods in the folds of the hills add a special variety to this hilly beauty of Alikadam. The lifestyle of the people dependent on the mountains and the pure nature fills the eyes of the tourists coming here.

There is a direct bus service to Alikadam from the capital Dhaka. Before reaching Alikadam bus stand you have to get down at a place called Abashik. If you ask someone from there, they will show you the way to Marayang Tong. From there, it will take about 2 hours to reach the top of Marayang Tong mountain. But some may take longer.

Apart from the direct bus to Alikadam, you can take any bus bound for Cox's Bazar and get down at Chakoria in Cox's Bazar. From there, you can go to Alikadam by local bus or jeep, the local fare is 70-80 taka. If you want, you can go to Alikadam with jeep reserve. To reserve a jeep, the rent will be around 1000-1200 taka. 10-12 people can go in one jeep.

Basically those who travel to Marayang Tong go camping to stay there. However, if you need to stay in Alikadam, you can stay at The Damatua Inn hotel on Upazila Road or at Dak Bungalow of Zilla Parishad. Apart from this, Pan Bazar has a boarding of normal quality.

Feature Image: Da Food Addicted