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আমি তীর্থ দাশগুপ্ত, একজন বাঙ্গালী ভ্রমণকারী এবং ফটোগ্রাফার।  ।  আমি আমার পরিবার  সহ  দেশের এবং বিদেশের প্রতিটি কোণে ভ্রমণ করতে পছন্দ করি এবং আমার বাবা , মা এবং শ্বাশুড়ী ও  বিভিন্ন গতিতে দেশের পাশাপাশি বিদেশেও ভ্রমণ করতে পছন্দ করেন। আমাদের ভ্রমণ শৈলীর গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বৈশিষ্ট্য হ’ল আমরা চির পরিচিত ভ্রমণপথগুলিতে কিছু কম পরিচিত বা অজানা গন্তব্য যুক্ত করতে পছন্দ করি।

     এই ব্লগ সাইটটি আমি আমাদের ভ্রমণ স্মৃতিগুলি সমস্ত সমভাবাপন্ন পর্যটকদের সাথে ভাগ করে নেওয়ার ও তাদের সাথে সংযোগ স্থাপনের জন্য তৈরি করেছি।

      আমি বিশ্বাস করি আমরা সবাই ভ্রমণকারী। আমরা আমাদের নিজস্ব উপায়ে প্রতিনিয়ত ভ্রমণ করছি এবং আমাদের জীবন সমৃদ্ধ করছি।ভ্রমণ মানেই সবসময়ে দূরের কোনো গন্তব্যে বাক্স প্যাঁটরা গুছিয়ে বেড়াতে যেতে হবে তার কি মানে , বাড়ীর পাশে কোনো নাম না জানা জায়েগা নতুন করে চোখে ধরা পরাটাও তো এক প্রকারের ভ্রমণ তাই না ? আমি বিশ্বাস করি ভ্রমণ একটি দুর্দান্ত স্ট্রেস বাস্টার।

যখন ই কোনও  এক মুহূর্তে কোনও নির্দিষ্ট স্পটে ঘুরে দেখার বিষয়ে  মনে একটি ভাবনা জাগ্রত হয়,  তৎক্ষণাৎ আমার পরিকল্পনা শুরু হয়ে যায়ে এবং আমি প্রতি পদে  আসল ভ্রমণের মতোই পরিকল্পনা পর্যায়টিও সমানভাবে উপভোগ করি। এটি একটি দুর্দান্ত অনুভূতি এবং আমি নিশ্চিত যে আপনারা অনেকেই আমার এই ভাবনায়ে অনুরণিত হবেন।

যখন আমরা কোনও স্থান ঘুরে দেখি বা কোনও ট্যুর পরিকল্পনা করি তখন আমরা এটিকে এমনভাবে পরিকল্পনা করতে চাই যাতে আমরা স্থানীয় রীতিনীতি, সংস্কৃতি, রান্না এবং সর্বোপরি প্রকৃতির সর্বোচ্চ স্তরের অনুভূতি পাই।

আশাকরি আমাদের ভ্রমণকাহিনীগুলি আপনাদের ভাল লাগবে । লেখার মাঝে মাঝে প্রচুর ভ্রমণ স্মৃতি ছবি ও ভিডিও র মাধ্যমে তুলে ধরা থাকবে ।

কেমন লাগল প্রত্যেকটি লেখার নীচে যে কমেন্টস সেকশান আছে তাতে  জানাবেন । ভালো লাগলে সাইট টি সাবস্ক্রাইব করুন  নিজের ইমেল আইডি দিয়ে । প্রতিমাসে নতুন নতুন ভ্রমণকাহিনী প্রকাশ করব আমরা এবং আপনার ইমেইল এ সাথে সাথে নতুন লেখা পৌঁছে যাবে । আপনাদের মুল্যবান মতামত ইমেলে জানান । অপেক্ষায় থাকব ।

তীর্থ দাশগুপ্ত

[email protected]  

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7 Days in Bangladesh: An Awesome 1-Week Adventure Itinerary

Bangladesh: an underrated, overly beautiful, raw country.

I’m ecstatic I got to spend a week exploring this most densely populated country in the world , tailoring a one-week itinerary that really highlights what makes Bangladesh unique. These 7 days I spent here were full of adventure, fun, and history.

You’re about to see just why the hidden gem of Bangladesh is one of the most underrated countries you could ever visit.

The Ultimate 7-Day Bangladesh Itinerary

From tea plantations with incredibly delicious tea for $0.10 to floating watermelon markets on the largest river delta in the world , there is more than enough to do in a week visiting Bangladesh.

Day 1 : Arrival in Dhaka Day 2 : Dhaka Tour by TukTuk, Overnight VIP Launch to Swarukpathi, stay at the most epic AirBnB in Bangladesh Day 3 : Explore the river delta by canoe, visit markets, and learn about Spirulina farming Day 4 : Fly to Sylhet, enjoy the world’s best $0.10 tea on a plantation for sunset Day 5 : Enjoy the best waterfalls in Bangladesh Day 6 : Fly to Cox’s Bazaar and stay on the longest beach in Bangladesh. Enjoy shipwrecks, beach, markets, sun, sand, and fun Day 7 : Explore Chittagong, the second largest city in Bangladesh, then fly home from here

This itinerary involves this transportation in Bangladesh to be booked ahead of time:

• An overnight launch (Dhaka – Swarupkathi) on Day 2-3
• A domestic flight (Barisal [BZL] to Sylhet [ZYL]) on Day 4
• Another domestic flight (Sylhet [ZYL] to Cox’s Bazar [CXB]) on Day 6

You can book your hotels in these places in this order (only 5 nights in hotels):

Night 1 : Dhaka Nights 3 & 4 : Swarupkathi Nights 5 & 6: Cox’s Bazar

Night 2 is spent on the overnight launch .

Flying into Bangladesh from abroad

Bangladesh has an incredible amount of international flight options – and to multiple cities within Bangladesh too!

You can fly into Dhaka (DAC), the capital, from basically all over the world: London , Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul, Bangkok, Doha, Bahrain, Hanoi, Singapore, Delhi, Jeddah, and more .

This means you have tons of one-stop options from the US to Bangladesh and several nonstops from Europe. Pretty incredible. Get the best flight deals to Bangladesh here .

But you can also fly to Chittagong (CGP) and Sylhet (ZYL) from many cities – mostly in the UK and the Middle East. So that means you could start your trip in Dhaka and finish out of Chittagong or Sylhet for a more efficient, streamlined itinerary.

Are you wondering if Bangladeshi airlines are safe and good? Last month, I flew on Biman Bangladesh Airlines and really enjoyed the experience .

Day 1: Arrival into Bangladesh (Visa, SIM card, Formalities)

What you need to know for your first day in Bangladesh:

• Arrival Procedure in Dhaka
• How to Obtain a Visa on Arrival
• Finding the Best Hotels in Dhaka

How to get a Visa on Arrival in Bangladesh

Travelers from many countries have the ability to obtain a visa on arrival in Bangladesh, which is fantastic.

It’s one of the easiest and cheapest VOAs I’ve gotten, especially in comparison to the experiences I had in countries like Senegal and Bolivia . Here’s how to obtain it:

• Follow signs for Arrivals
• Look for the Visa on Arrival area, to the right of the bottom of the escalator
• Pay $51 or 50€ at the Sonali Bank counter for a receipt
• Stand in the VOA line, which is right next to the bank
• After obtaining a VOA, pass through immigrations
• Claim your baggage then head through customs

Once you arrive at Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, you will follow signs for Arrivals. This leads you down an escalator. The Visa on Arrival area is immediately to the right after going down the escalator, and there is a sign indicating so.

Why you should bring cash

Once in the VOA area, the first step is to head to the Sonali Bank Limited, where you can pay $51 USD or 50 Euro per person for a 15-day visa. There was a card reader, but I believe only cash is accepted.

You can exchange cash here at the same rate as outside of immigrations, so we highly highly recommend you do so. The one ATM at the airport does not accept foreign cards.

You’ll receive a receipt for your payment, then stand in a separate line right next to the bank to receive the actual Visa in your passport in exchange for it.

They will ask questions like your purpose of travel, where you are staying, how long you are staying, etc.

Only once this is all done can you head to immigrations. There’s a “foreigners” line, and it’s typically very easy and quick. After this you’ll pass baggage reclaim, and then customs which is usually slow because you have to put your baggage through a scanner.

Buying a SIM card at Dhaka Airport (Cheap)

Upon exiting customs, there are several local SIM card providers and taxi stands. We were recommended Grameenphone (GP) by several locals, and it ended up working great. The Grameenphone SIM card with 30GB of data costs 750 Taka, approximately $7.

If you have T-Mobile or any other of the carriers that I recommend for traveling internationally , you have complimentary or very cheap high speed data in Bangladesh as well. T-Mobile gives you 5GB of unrestricted data, which is fantastic.

Getting to downtown Dhaka from the airport

We highly recommend booking a taxi here, even though it’s more expensive. We tried to take an Uber and failed , and the arrivals area is quite the cluster. Taxis will cost 1700 Taka ($15-20 USD) to downtown Dhaka from the airport, which can be paid by card. The great part is that they’ll guide you all the way to the taxi, so there’s no hassle.

If you’re more adventurous, you can negotiate with an unofficial taxi outside (somewhat risky) or even walk towards the highway and find a TukTuk that will take you downtown. These are much, much cheaper (about 500 Taka / $5 or less) to get downtown.

Best hotels in Dhaka

We found our stay at Hotel the Capital wonderful. For a very affordable rate, you get 4-star amenities, excellent service, breakfast, and a very central location for sightseeing. As we were on a budget, we found it perfectly reasonable.

Other notable hotels include:

• The InterContinental Dhaka
• RadissonBlu Dhaka Water Garden

Getting around Dhaka

Though there are taxis, we found the best way to get around Dhaka was to hail a TukTuk. The motorized versions are known as CNGs and these are typically the quickest way around town.

You can also ride in a rickshaw for a fully man-operated, thrilling experience. This is the cheapest option, and not as slow as you’d think. It’s probably the least safe, however.

Both options are very cheap – usually 200 Taka for 20 minutes of driving in a CNG and half for the rickshaw. You can negotiate, but we didn’t feel it was necessary.

The CNGs typically do have room for your carry-on luggage. My roomy pilot carry-on suitcase fit perfectly.

Day 2: Exploring Dhaka’s famous sights before a scenic night ferry (launch)

What you’ll need to know for day 2 of exploring Bangladesh:

• The Top 10 Places to Visit in Dhaka
• How to book a ferry boat (launch) to Swarupkathi or Barisal
• Where the ferry terminal is and how to find your launch

There’s a wonderful loop around Dhaka you can take to best visit it’s top sights and learn about the history of Bangladesh.

It takes up most of the day, so make sure to start early – because the day will finish with an incredible ferry (launch) on the world’s largest river delta.

10 Places You Need to See in Dhaka

In consecutive order geographically, here are the top 10 sights you need to visit in Dhaka:

• Baitul Mukarram National Mosque
• ISKCON Swamibag Temple (Central)
• Ahsan Manzil Museum
• Tara Masjid
• লালবাগ কেল্লা (Lalbagh Fort)
• Dhakeshwari National Temple
• Suhrawardy Udyan
• The Museum of Independence
• Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy
• The Kawran Bazaar

Visiting these top Dhaka sights in this order creates a very efficient loop, enabling you to visit all of them in a single day and still make it to the ferry in the evening.

If you have more time (perhaps arriving early on day one), you should definitely also check out:

• The Liberation War Museum
• Bangladesh Air Force Museum
• The National Parliament

How to book a cabin on the night launch (ferry/cruise boat) from Dhaka to Barisal or Swarupkathi

Launches (ferries) are naturally the most popular way of traveling across Bangladesh. After all, it is the world’s largest river delta, with inlets and outlets enabling access almost anywhere in the country.

As such, spots on these ferries tend to fill up early, and it’s advisable to book ahead.

The best way to book a ferry ahead of time is through your hotel or by finding a local tour guide. Otherwise, it’s almost impossible to book from abroad, and booking once you arrive might be too late.

Almost all of the launches/ferries are night ferries and depart around 530-6PM daily. They feature cabins with beds, bathrooms, restaurants/snack bars, and more.

If you need contact details of a good tour guide, we recommend Ontu (WhatsApp: +880 1784-399339).

How to successfully ride a ferry/launch in Bangladesh

Because we managed to book this incredible AirBnB in Swarupkathi , we decided to take the direct night ferry to Swarupkathi instead of to the larger city of Barisal. That ferry was called Farahan 10 .

It’s a bit complicated to get on the ferry, which is why I’m mentioning it now.

Our ferry left from the Sadarghat Launch Terminal. Note that ‘ghat’ means “ stairs or a passage leading down to a river “, and there are many ‘ghat’s in Dhaka.

We rode in a CNG from The Capital Hotel to Sadarghat, which took 45 minutes in traffic and set us back 600 Taka ($6).

Once we arrived at the ferry terminal, we paid 10 Taka per person for entry at the entrance. You’ll go down a ramp, and this is where it gets confusing.

There are something like 50 ferry/launch boats here, making it difficult to find which one is yours. Luckily, there are plenty of English-speaking people to help you, assuming you know the name of your ferry boat/launch .

Once you’re onboard the launch, you’ll find employees that will lead you to your cabin. If you didn’t book a cabin, there are two levels you can sleep on – assuming you brought your own carpet/sleeping pad. If not, it’s gonna be a long night on the floor!

Make sure to let the workers know where you’re getting off so they come and wake you up about 20 minutes before arrival. Keep in mind the boat stops many times before you get there.

What our VIP Cabin Launch Experience was like in Bangladesh

Every launch to Barisal offers VIP cabins. These have excellent amenities – a private bathroom with shower, a working desk, security, and room service.

On my trip, I especially enjoyed the extra privacy, quiet, and serenity the VIP cabin offers. The bed is comfortable, the shower (though cool) has excellent pressure, and having your own bathroom is such an improvement in quality of life.

VIP Cabins on launches are typically much more expensive than normal cabins or no cabin (just floor room). Ours was 4000 Taka, about $40USD, for the VIP cabin. Worth it? 100% – if just for the ability to sleep a nearly full night.

For dinner, our server brought us a table for the room. We had delicious fish with vegetables and rice. The ride was peaceful, smooth, and the dull engine sound lulled us right to sleep. No waves on the river delta, and the piloting is even smoother than mine !

We arrived right at sunrise, for an absolutely epic view on our home for the following day.

Day 3: Exploring off the beaten path in Bangladesh

Sure, you can say that being a tourist in Bangladesh already is being off the beaten path .

But what if I told you that you could be even more off the beaten path from that off-the-beaten path?

Welcome to Swarupkathi . Here’s what you’ll need to know for day 3 of this epic Bangaldeshi itinerary:

• How to book the most epic accommodation in all of Bangladesh
• The awesome, authentic local tours you’ll want to do in Swarupkathi
• How to visit the Sundarbans: home of the Bengal Tiger

The Most Epic AirBnB in Bangladesh – surprisingly off the beaten path

When my partner announced to me that she discovered an incredible AirBnB deep in the Bangladeshi jungle, I was a bit surprised. Hear me out – it’s tough enough finding hotels in medium-sized cities in Bangladesh, let alone an AirBnB. So naturally, I had reservations (pun intended).

As soon as we booked it, we were in direct, constant communication with our lovely host, Ish. Ish is originally from Swarupkathi but now lives in Britain. As such, he has the best local knowledge and perfect English. And when I say he helped us arrange everything , I mean it.

From booking the night ferry for us to setting up transportation to and from the AirBnB, Ish made our stay in Swarupkathi flawless from beginning to end. We even got to go on a canoe ride, visit a Spirulina farm, and meet local woodcrafters. It was the most authentic Bangladeshi experience we had the whole trip.

And if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to check in immediately and take a nap if you need after the launch!

Incredible local tours from Swarupkathi

Ish can arrange several awesome local tours that will have you mesmerized by the Bangladeshi country side. These awesome tours include:

• A canoe/motorboat tour through the endless canals of Swarupkathi, including a visit to a local park and market
• An in-depth tour of a spirulina farm : learn how it’s grown and processed super carefully, and how this business has truly emerged in the last few years
• Local mosque visits, where you can learn more about the local culture and traditions
• Visit to a woodcrafts shop , where you can see how incredible furniture is made from beginning to end – and buy some for a bargain compared to what you would pay at home

If you’re here during watermelon season (summer), you may get lucky and see a floating watermelon market . These are one of the coolest things in Bangladesh! (Both the market and the watermelons 😉 )

Bonus: stay an extra day or two and explore the Sundarbans (Bengal Tigers live here!)

It is also possible to visit the Sundarbans , possibly the highlight of National Parks in Bangladesh. Here is the place to see the elusive Bengal Tiger – if you’re lucky! They are terribly hard to spot.

That being said, there are so many amazing experiences you can have here, whether it’s exploring by little canoe boat or going for a hike in the jungle.

Ish can help arrange transport to the town of Mongla or Khulna, about 3.5 hours away. Most hotels are located in Khulna and you can find tours departing from there as well.

From Khulna, you can rejoin the original itinerary by flying from Jashore airport or taking another overnight launch back to Dhaka then a morning train, bus, or flight to Sylhet.

Alternately, it is possible to make it to the Sundarbans by bus or launch directly from Dhaka, or by flight from Dhaka to Jashore then a bus or private transfer. In this case, you could visit the Sundarbans instead of Swarupkathi – but then you’ll miss out on the awesome local experience there!

Day 4: Spilling the tea about Sylhet

After freshly prepared breakfast in Swarupkathi, it’s time to make your way to Barisal Airport for a new adventure.

On the way, make sure to visit the fabulous Baitul Aman Jame Masjid , an incredibly decorated mosque alongside wonderful lush gardens and a small lake.

Further down the road is the Durga Sargar , a protected wildlife area with a beautiful lake. You can walk, kayak, and explore. I recommend at least an hour here.

Flight Options to Sylhet

Though you could take another overnight ferry to Dhaka, a bus, a train, or a combination, flying is definitely most convenient for this journey.

Flight costs in Bangladesh vary from $25 to as much $60 each leg, like my business class flight I booked on Biman Airines .

To get to Sylhet, you’ll need to take a connecting flight via Dhaka. Though I do recommend Biman Airlines, US-Bangla is a good alternative. If you’re savvy and don’t have any checked in luggage, you could craft a custom itinerary using a mix of both, as well as NovoAir (which offers even cheaper flights in Bangladesh).

The Best Hotel in Sylhet

Once in Sylhet, you can easily find a CNG or taxi to take you to the hotel. Sylhet actually offers a decent selection of hotels, but we particularly enjoyed the Hotel Noorjahan Grand, Sylhet .

As the hotel in Sylhet with not just the largest rooftop pool – an infinity one at that – and an incredible rooftop restaurant, the Noorjahan Grand was an easy choice for a hotel.

Rooms were very affordable (under $50/night), service was generally excellent, and the breakfast buffet was stupendous.

How to visit the best tea plantation in Sylhet

If you open up Google Maps, you’ll immediately notice a seemingly infinite number of tea plantations in the area. If you’re a tea lover, this is heaven.

I can’t really say if there is a ‘best’ Tea plantation here. We accidentally went to মালনীছড়া চা বাগান (look up Tourist Tea Stall) instead of the Lakkatura Tea Plantation , as we couldn’t communicate with our TukTuk driver. Quite hilarious.

Entrance was something like 150 Taka per person including a guide to explain things, and as you can see, it was perfect for sunset. The Tourist tea stall ended up offering some of the best tea I’ve ever had, and for only 10 Taka ($0.10!!!)

We enjoyed this experience far better than we would have at a more tourist-laden tea garden.

Day 5: How to visit the best waterfalls in Bangladesh in one day

You won’t believe your eyes when you see this waterfall in Bangladesh.

As you begin your drive towards the north, you’ll pass endless tea plantations, see the hazy skies start to give way to clear blue, and the hilly lands become green. It’s a wonderful feeling.

When you arrive, you’ll be flabbergasted by the beauty that exists right on the border with India. Some of the most epic sights and waterfalls in Bangladesh include:

• Bisanakandi
• Panthumai Waterfall
• Mayabi Waterfall

To visit either Mayabi or Panthumai waterfalls, you can start by hiring a driver or finding a microbus to Gowainghat . Both waterfalls are close to each other, but the routes from here split in different ways.

Note that summertime/monsoon season is by far the best time to visit these waterfalls.

Everything you need to know about visiting the Mayabi Waterfall

The Mayabi, or locally known as the Songrampunji Waterfall, is an incredible local attraction only 20 minutes from Jaflong. It’s more of a cascade than a waterfall, but giant boulders and multiple streams and natural baths make it the perfect place to visit during the rainy season.

It is possible to take a local micro-bus to Gowainghat/Halderpar, a CNG or boat to Jaflong , and then hire a dinghy from there to Mayabi waterfall.

But to make it possible to visit multiple of the best waterfalls and attractions of the north of Bangladesh in one day with ample time, we recommend hiring a driver from Sylhet and leaving very early. You may also be able to rent a car yourself.

If you do choose to use public transportation, these are the approximate costs from Sylhet to the Mayabi / Songrampunji Waterfall:

• Bus from Sylhet to Gowainghat: 80-100 Taka
• CNG from Gowainghat to Jaflong: 1500-2000 Taka
• Dinghy from Jaflong to Mayabi Waterfall: 100-200 Taka (or there’s a ferry for 20 Taka)

In any case, you’ll still need to take a dinghy/boat from Jaflong to see and swim in the Mayabi waterfall.

Everything you need to know about visiting the Panthumai Waterfall

Known locally as Fatachhari Jharna , the Panthumai waterfall thunders in a gorgeous, green, serene corner of this amazing country. Though the waterfall technically is in India, it’s best viewed from the Bangladeshi side.

The village itself, pronounced ‘Pangthumai’, is one of the most beautiful villages in all of Bangladesh. Even without the waterfall, it would be worth visiting – but the waterfall is icing on the cake.

From Jaflong to Panthumai takes about an hour by CNG, and only about 30 minutes from Gowainghat, so it is possible to see both Panthumai and Mayabi waterfalls in one day.

Once in the village of Pangthumai, you can hire a dinghy for about a hundred taka and get up close and personal with this multi-hundred foot beast, or just enjoy it from the river banks. Or for an even more unique experience, keep reading.

A unique, amazing, and authentic river experience: riding a dinghy along the river Piyain down to Bisanakandi

For the ultimate fun experience from here, hire a boat/dinghy near Panthumai waterfall (maybe the same one you took here!) and ride along the branch of the Piyain river towards Bisankandi. The boat ride floats along this magnificent river downstream of the majestic and huge waterfall.

Bisanakandi is a serene, peaceful town on the border with India. It’s a gorgeous land of mountains, gardens, and tea. It’s recommended to visit Bisanakandi in the summer when the fields are flooded to see it in its true beauty.

One thing to note is there isn’t much food here, so pack correspondingly (or eat lunch while in Pangthumai). Have your driver meet you there to continue the rest of the voyage, or hire a CNG and head back to Gowainghat.

Lala Khal: a hidden gem in Bangladesh

Visiting both the Panthumai and Mayabi waterfalls will consume most of your day, but if you have extra time and energy, it’s worth heading to Lala Khal for the true Bangladeshi experience. There are wonderful hotels and homestays in the area that local tourists love to frequent here.

Surrounded by hills, tea gardens, natural forests, and rivers, Lala Khal is truly a hidden gem. This channel itself magically consists of aquamarine water, and the nearby Lalakhal Tea Garden is actually the oldest and one of the most beautiful tea gardens in Bangladesh.

As opposed to the Panthyumai and Mayabi waterfalls that are best seen in the summer, Lala Khal is actually best to visit in the winter. So if you’re here outside of monsoon season, you could consider skipping those and heading straight to Lala Khal.

It is possible to spend the night in Lala Khal to continue this off-the-beaten path, incredible Bangladeshi experience. There are awesome homestays all around.

Day 6: Witnessing the diversity of natural beauty in Bangladesh by visiting insanely beautiful beaches

Perhaps (and for good reason) the most touristic place in Bangladesh, Cox’s Bazar offers ridiculously long, beautiful beaches, a fascinating historical monastery, waterfalls, sea turtles, rainforests, and so much more.

This is a fantastic way to see just how much diversity Bangladesh has to offer.

Flying from Sylhet to Cox’s Bazar

Biman Bangladesh Airlines offers direct flights from Sylhet to Cox’s Bazar 3 times a week – usually Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. On other days, you can easily find connecting flights.

If you decided to stay the night near Lala Khal, it’s still possible to leave very early today, hire a driver, and make it in time for the direct fly from Sylhet to Cox’s Bazar. The flight leaves at 950AM, and security/checkin hardly takes long at Osmani International Airport.

What to see in Cox’s Bazar

First and foremost, the main attraction in Cox’s Bazar is often termed the “ longest natural unbroken sea beach ” in the world – with a length of 155 km (96 mi).

That’s a pretty cool way to start.

After that, there’s the 100 Feet Lying Statue of Gautama Buddha. Pretty cool for instagram.

Then there are two islands: Sonadia and St Martin , both places you can frequent green sea turtles (and 4 other species!) nesting, hatching, and swimming during different parts of the year. You can find tours here .

At St Martin Island, the green sea turtles are usually spotted during winter. Whereas at Sonadia Island, you can usually spot them during September-October. 

Lastly, the Himchari National Park offers “55 species of mammals, 13 species of amphibians, 56 species of reptiles, 117 species of plants, and 286 species of different kinds of birds”, and a waterfall (according to the Bangladeshi government ).

Optional Extra 2-3 Day Ultimate Deep Bangladesh Exploration Trip: Rainforest & Huge Waterfall + Tribal Experience

There’s an epic, truly off-the-beaten-path experience you can do from either Cox’s Bazar. It involves trekking, boating across rough waters, staying in a tribal home, and a deep-jungle massive waterfall. Basically, it goes:

• Take a bus from Cox’s Bazar to Bandarban
• Ride a jeep (public or private) from Bandarban to Thanchi Upazilla
• Hire a tour guide (mandatory – national park) and take a 4 hour rough boat ride to Remakri
• Stay in a tribal house at Remakri
• Wake up at 5AM for a 2.5 hour hike to Nafakhum
• Enjoy the absolutely magnificent Amiakhum Waterfall
• Head all the way back in one day.

You can find all the pertinent information here .

If you complete this expedition, do it after visiting Cox’s Bazar so you can head directly to Chattogram to finish the trip.

Best Hotels in Cox’s Bazar

Taking the top spot for best hotel in Cox’s Bazar is by far the Sayeman Beach Resort .

This 4-star hotel has an incredible location on the longest natural beach in the world, awesome service and amenities, and a great restaurant.

If you’re looking for a comparable but more affordable hotel in Cox’s Bazar, check out the Long Beach Hotel .

Day 7: Chattogram, Textiles, Shipwrecks, and Flying Home

Chattogram (also known as Chittagong) is a wonderful place to end an amazing adventure exploring the true hidden gem of Bangladesh. Just like in Dhaka, there’s a ton of history and heritage dating back to the Mughal era.

If your flight leaves early on Day 7, I’d consider making your way to Chattogram by private transfer from Cox’s Bazar either late the previous night or early in the morning. Cox’s Bazar offers much more to see for tourists than Chattogram/Chittagong.

Alternately, if your flight home leaves from Dhaka, you can elect to take a direct flight back to Dhaka from Cox’s Bazar. These are plentiful. There are also buses, but these take about 12 hours.

Getting from Cox’s Bazar to Chattogram/Chittagong

There are tons of buses available from Cox’s Bazar to Chittagong, most of which take about 5 hours . Prices vary from 300 to 2200 Taka depending on quality of the bus and seats, air conditioning, and class.

You can also arrange private transfer, but this will likely cost upwards of 10000 Taka.

What to see in Chittagong

Nestled along the beautiful Karnaphuli river, Chittagong is a massive historical shipping port dating back even to the Greek era. There’s a ton of history and nature to visit here before catching your flight, if you have time. These include:

• The Chittagong War Cemetery
• An Ethnological Museum, the only in Bangladesh
• The Zia Memorial Museum, highlighting the history of assassinated President Ziaur Rahman
• An incredibly beautiful, colorful mosque – Chandanpura Masjid
• Andarkilla Shahi Jame Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque with a library
• Foy’s Lake, which is gorgeous
• A massive shipwreck beach outside the city

If you plan to stay in Chittagong a couple days, you could also visit:

• The beautiful Khoiyachara Waterfall
• Chimbuk Hill and its incredible hiking paths
• The town of Rangamati, nestled on Lake Kaptai, a swimmable, massive, gorgeous lake with tons of attractions
• Shuvolong Waterfalls, only a boat ride away from Rangmati
• The Sangu River, where you can have an amazing time rafting

Conclusion: Bangladesh is the ultimate surprise of a hidden gem

It’s a true pity that Bangladesh is one of the least-visited countries for tourists in the world. It deserves far more.

You can get around the country quite easily and efficiently.

There are so many wonders and beautiful sights. Waterfalls, rivers, mosques, jungles, tea plantations, markets, beaches, friendly locals. It checks all the boxes.

And last but not least, it’s an inexpensive place to visit, which means you can have an epic vacation without breaking the bank.

Bangladesh truly is an extraordinary place to spend at least one week exploring.

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Travel In Bangladesh: A Complete Travel Guide For Bangladesh.

• By Sarah Steiner
• Updated On April 6, 2024

Bangladeshi care and hospitality is outstanding. At the time of writing this we haven’t even left Bangladesh and already I am feeling a pang of sadness knowing we will move on soon. If you are thinking about travel in Bangladesh and wondering whether to take the leap and book that trip or not…

Book it now.

Travel in Bangladesh is unique.  It’s not easy nor a mainstream destination to travel.  But if getting off the beaten track is the kind of travel you like, that is exactly what makes Bangladesh so special. 

Here is our complete travel guide for Bangladesh including all of the details of where we stayed in each city, how to get around Bangladesh, how to (and whether to) travel in Bangladesh with kids and a whole bunch of other tips to make your Bangladesh adventure as smooth as possible… 

• About Bangladesh
• Need-to-know history
• Best time to visit
• Visas  
• Money and ATM’s

Our itinerary in Bangladesh

• Places to see – Dhaka – Barisal – Bagerhat – Mongla – Sreemangal – Sylhet – Cox’s Bazar – Chittagong – Ekduaria Village
• Travel in Bangladesh with kids
• Health and safety
• What to wear  
• Transportation

Connectivity and WIFI

• SIM cards  
• Accommodation options
• Where we stayed
• Tour or independent travel?

About Bangladesh; first just quickly

• Full name:  People’s Republic of Bangladesh
• Capital:  Dhaka
• Language:  Bengali (Bangla) 
• Main Religion:  Islam
• Currency:  Bangladeshi Taka (code: BDT; symbol: Tk)
• Population:  167,000,000
• Time Zone:  National Standard Time (UTC+6)
• Calling Code:  +880
• Drives On:  Left
• Credit Cards:  Visa/MC/AmEx accepted
• Emergency Number:  Ambulance/Police 999
• Outlets:   Plug Type C, D, G and K (220 V / 50 Hz)

And a little bit of history about Bangladesh 

On our first day out in Dhaka we learnt some very interesting history about Bangladesh.  

Our guide told us that his grandfather was born in India; his father was born in Pakistan; and he was born in Bangladesh.  But they were all born  in the same village …

Until 1947, Bangladesh was part of India.  The region that is now marked out as the country of Bangladesh was known as ‘East Bengal’. 

In 1947 India gained independence from British colonial rule and the sub-continent was partitioned into India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  The partition led to the largest migration crisis in history with over 14 million people becoming refugees.  Many Hindu families moved from Pakistan to India and Muslims from India to Pakistan. 

Bangladesh was known at this time as ‘East Pakistan’ and was governed from Islamabad (in ‘West Pakistan’) – something that was unpopular with many Bangladeshis and ultimately spurred the struggle for Bengali rights. 

In 1971 Bangladesh (with the support of India) fought Pakistan for independence in what was known as the Bangladesh Liberation War and became the independent country that is Bangladesh today. 

Best time to visit Bangladesh

The best time visit Bangladesh is during the ‘cool season’ (effectively considered winter in Bangladesh) from November to February.  Days are warm averaging a comfortable 25°C and nights are cooler. 

From March onwards the days get rapidly hotter and monsoon generally arrives sometime in June.  

But hey; we ignored the suggested best time to visit Bangladesh and travelled for a month during May with a few (welcomed) afternoon rain showers and otherwise great (hot) weather. 

Bangladesh requires all foreigners to obtain permission, specifically a visa, to enter its territory unless exempted.  Visas for Bangladesh are issued by Bangladesh diplomatic missions located throughout the world.  Or, if application, on arrival in Bangladesh.

The following countries are specifically listed as countries whose citizens may obtain Bangladesh visa on arrival for the purpose of tourism:

• All European Union member states, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, China, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Oman Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States. 

In addition, citizens of the following countries are known to require a visa:

• Algeria, Belize, Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Macao, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen.  

The Visa On Arrival fee must be paid only in cash in US dollars or Euros when entering Bangladesh.   And the cost per person is $51 USD or €51 EUR, with all taxes included. 

Standard tourism visas (and VOAs) are single-entry for 30 days.   

However it can be extended for an additional 30 days. Applicants can apply for the extension of the Visa On Arrival up to a week before visa expiry but not sooner. Visa extensions are available at the Department of Immigration and Passports located in Shere-E-Bangla Nagar, West Agargaon, Dhaka City.

• Check: Definitely do your research and make sure you confirm your visa eligibility for travel to Bangladesh with plenty of time before you fly.  

Currency and cash in Bangladesh

Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) is the currency of Bangladesh.  

There are banknotes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 BDT (although 2 and 5 taka notes are rare).   

At the time we travelled (May 2022) these are the exchange rates for Bangladesh:

• 100 BDT = 1.16 USD
• 1000 BDT = 11.59 USD
• 10000 BDT = 115.88 USD

ATM’s and money

All ATMs we tried offer an English menu.  And more than that, in the big cities they also offer a few minutes of peace (and air conditioning) inside away from the bustle and chaos… 

These bank ATM’s accept international cards: 

• AB Bank Limited
• Dutch-Bangla Bank
• Premiere Bank 
• One Bank 

And note the ATM’s were not working at the arrivals hall of the airport when we landed in Dhaka.  (None of them!).  We exchanged some USD to purchase a SIM card and found an ATM close to our hotel the next day. 

Language for travel in Bangladesh

Bengali (or Bangla )  is the official language in Bangladesh and is the 8 th  most-spoken language in the world.

Globally there are over 230,000,000 speakers of Bengali.  

English is not widely spoken in Bangladesh.  And even train and ticket numbers are commonly written in Bangla.  Outside of the cities it can be tricky to find someone to translate.  But those who can speak English (even if it’s patchy) always come forward to help. 

Bangladeshis are hospitable and will try their best to help regardless of barriers to verbally communicate.  

The most common greeting you will hear is the traditional Islamic greeting ‘ Asalaam Aleikum’ .  Hindus use the Bengali greeting ‘Nomoshkar’.  And admittedly it can be tricky to distinguish religion at first glance (not all Muslim women cover their hair, and some Hindu women do). But play it safe with a smile and you will be happily received.  

Useful Bangla words to learn

• Hello:  Assalamu alaikum/Nomoshkar
• How are you?  Kemon achen? Kemon acho? 
• I am well:  Ami bhalo achi 
• What is your name?  Apnar naam kee? 
• Which country?  Kona desa ( desh )
• Thank you:  Dhonnobad
• Thanks a lot:  Onek dhonnobad
• Yes:  Hae
• No:  Na
• Water:  Pani
• Good morning:  Shubho shokal
• Goodbye:  Khuda hafez / Allah hafez 

The phrase you will get most used to hearing is ‘ Kona desh?’.    Which country?   ‘Desh’ means land/country (as in, Bangla desh ).  And trust me; you will quickly begin to pick up on people asking you that…

Once you tune in you will hear that phrase  more than any other Bangla words around you.   (Tourists are not common – not in the city; not anywhere really – and everyone wants to know where you are from).

Men commonly shake hands and further respect is expressed with a hand over heart.  [Note though that women and men rarely shake hands with one another so don’t extend a handshake first as a traveling female]. 

And a further note without regard to the upcoming challenge of language barriers…  More so be prepared and ready for the stares/ staring /stares and selfie requests… 

Contemplating an itinerary for travel in Bangladesh is like opening a can of worms.  The direction you can take in this country are endless.  But the tricky thing is that many routes around Bangladesh end up stopping back in at Dhaka.  (I told you Dhaka is ceremoniously like the beating heart of this incredible country). 

Here’s our slightly jumbled but brilliant itinerary for Bangladesh. 

• Dhaka  > launch >  Barisal 
• Barisal  > minivan  >  Mongla
• Mongla  > minivan  >  Morrelgonj
• Morrelgonj  > launch >  Dhaka
• Dhaka  > train >  Sreemangal
• Sreemangal  > train >  Sylhet
• Sylhet  > flight >  Cox Bazaar
• Cox Bazaar  > bus >  Chittagong
• Chittagong  > train >  Dhaka 
• Dhaka  > minivan >  Ekduaria
• Ekduaria  > minivan >  Dhaka 

Where to go in Bangladesh (the places we reckon you  need  to see) 

Now for the most important part of this travel guide for Bangladesh.  

This is the best part. 

Geographically Bangladesh is a large country and distances between cities are great.  We spent one month travelling in Bangladesh and the following are the highlights that we found (and would recommend you see too). 

Dhaka (the capital city)

Dhaka is the beating heart of Bangladesh.  It is as if the waterways of Bangladesh stem out from Dhaka like the veins taking life to the far reaches of the country…

And I’m not going to lie. 

Dhaka is not for the faint hearted. 

But it is incredible. 

Our itinerary around Bangladesh with kids saw us stop and stay  four times in Dhaka .  (I told you it was jumbled!).  But we used the bustling capital city as our base to explore different directions of the country…

Things to do in Dhaka

• Visit Old Dhaka:  The heart of the city and what was once was the 17 th  century Mughal capital of Bengal.
• Go shopping at New Market:  The place I recommend to purchase a salwar kameez/panjabi to wear.
• Lalbagh Fort:  A beautiful and historic (unfinished) fort from the Mughal era. 
• Ashan Manzil:  Designated as a national museum and known as the Pink Palace this was once the residence of the Nawabs of Dhaka. 
• Shadeed Minar:  Martyr’s Monument built to honour those who lost their lives in 1952 during the Bengali Language Movement. 
• Tara Masjid Mosque:  Small but beautiful mosque renowned for the striking blue stars made of mosaic. 
• See the Armenian Church:  Built by the Armenian community that was present in Bangladesh in the 1700s and 1800s(!).  

Transportation from Dhaka

• Train to Sreemangal: 6 hours
• Train to Khulna: 9 hours
• Train to Chittagong: 8 hours
• Bus to Sreemangal: 6 hours
• Bus to Chittagong: 10 hours
• Launch ferry to Barisal: Overnight 

A small(er) town north of Dhaka that is easy to reach by train from the city.  The highlight of Sreemangal is definitely the renowned 7 and 8-layered tea…

Things to do in Sreemangal

• Drink layered tea:  A must-do in Sreemangal.  Get a rickshaw to the nearby Adi Nilkantha Tea Cabin and meet Mr. Gour who invented this colorful layered style of tea. 
• Visit a school:  It’s easier to meet people in a smaller town and Sreemangal has plenty of schools (that will likely invite you in as you walk past).  
• Dine at the London Restaurant:  We determined this another icon of Sreemangal and enjoyed tandoori chicken, naan and salad at this busy restaurant. 

Sylhet 

This city and the surrounding division is famous for TEA.  Over 90% of Bangladesh’s tea is produced in Sylhet.  

Sylhet city is 250km northeast of Dhaka and is the north-eastern division in Bangladesh.  (And interestingly when looking at it on a map it is almost entirely surrounded by India with border on the north, south and east of Sylhet division).  

Things to do in Sylhet

• Tea plantations:  This is what Sylhet is famous for. Hire a driver and head just out of the city to Malnicherra Tea Estate.
• Ali Amjad’s Clock Tower:  If you arrive by train you might catch a glimpse of this iconic clock as you cross the river from the station.  
• Hazarat Shahjalal Mazar Sharif:  Beautiful shrine attracting thousands of people from different parts of the country, irrespective of religion and caste, every day.
• Keane Bridge:  Built in 1936 this bridge is called the gateway to Sylhet city.  

Transportation from Sylhet

• Train to Dhaka: 7 hours
• Train to Sreemangal: 2.5 hours
• Flight to Dhaka: 35 mins 
• Bus to Dhaka: 8+ hours

Barisal is one of the major rice production centres of Bangladesh known for the production of Balam rice (and for its fish export – one of the main sights to see is the fish market).  But Barisal is also well known now for it’s unique floating vegetable and timber markets…

Things to do in Barisal

• Fish market:  This is a bustling highlight of Barisal and not to be missed (if you don’t mind the bustle and/or the fish market smell!). 
• Floating vegetable market:  As far as tourism-draws in Bangladesh this is a big one and a beautiful morning out seeing an entirely different way of living. 
• Floating timber market:  Not far from Baitha Katha vegetable markets and stretches for kilometres. 
• Korapur Miah Bari Mosque:  Three-domed mosque thought to have been built in the late 18 th  century. 

Transportation from Barisal

• Launch ferry to Dhaka: Overnight
• Taxi to Bagerhat: 3 hours
• Taxi to Mongla: 4 hours
• Bus to Khulna: 5-6 hours 

Khulna and Bargerhat

The city of Khulna on the west of Bangladesh is essentially a gateway city to the Sundarbans and the small mosque-filled city of Bagerhat.  

Things to do in Khulna

• Take a ferry over the river:  Like most of Bangladesh seeing the cities by river adds a different perspective (and is a cheap alternative).
• Visit the UNESCO 60-Domed Mosque:  The largest mosque in Bangladesh remaining from the sultanate period. 
• See the mausoleum of Khan Jahan Ali:  An interesting smaller site with a significant religious influence in Bangladeshi history.   

Transportation from Bagerhat

• Taxi to Barisal: 3 hours
• Bus to Khulna: 1 hour
• Taxi to Mongla: 1.5 hours

Transportation from Khulna

• Bus to Bagerhat: 1 hour
• Train to Dhaka: 9 hours 
• Bus to Dhaka: 7 hours
• Bus to Mongla: 2 hours

Mongla and Sundarbans

Sundarbans is the world’s largest mangrove forest that spans Bangladesh and the south of West Bengal in India. 

Things to do in Mongla

• Sundarbans river cruise:  Take a boat up the rivers and canals of the largest mangrove forest in the world.   
• Harbaria Eco Park:  Walk the boardwalk through the mangroves and feed deer at the animal conservation and breeding centre on the main island.  
• Mongla village day tour:  Another highlight of Mongla was the chance to see smaller villages within the district (and especially by 3-wheel electric rickshaw). 

Cox’s Bazar

Cox’s Bazar is the home of the longest natural sea beach in the world.  And it’s a beautiful spot to see in the late afternoon golden hour as the sun sets over the Bay of Bengal. 

Things to do in Cox’s Bazar

• Cox’s Bazar Beach:  Join the crowds and marvel at the beautiful sunset (and eat some candy floss) on the longest beach in the world. 
• Himchori Waterfall:  A shallow but beautiful waterfall located in the National Park not far from main beach in Cox’s Bazar. 
• Inani Beach:  Part of Cox’s Bazar beach, Inani has unique black and coral stones cover the shore line during the rainy and summer seasons. 
• Star Kabab:  We’ve added this as a must-eat in Cox’s Bazar… Highly recommend for a tasty (and friendly) dinner. 

Transportation from Cox’s Bazar

• Bus to Chittagong: 5 hours
• Flight to Dhaka: 50 mins

Chittagong is a large port city on the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh and is second-largest city in the country.  It is another very busy city and like Dhaka, the streets are filled with masses of cycle and auto-rickshaws.  There isn’t much in the way of tourists sights to see but Chittagong is a useful gateway to the Hill Tracts area or south to Cox’s Bazar. 

And for us, Chittagong was a bit more special as we celebrated my birthday.  (I had never previously imagined my birthday at an amusement park in Chittagong but there we were!). 

Things to do in Chittagong

• Shishu Amusement Park:  Located in the heart of the city this is a small (and old) amusement park for children with around 15 simple rides. 
• Take a boat ride from Saderghat:  Similarly to Dhaka it’s easy to get a cheap wooden boat across the river and beautiful to see at sunset. 
• Visit the ship breaking yards:  Not easy to do – after child labour was exposed at the yards – rather it’s easier to see the ship yards from a distance by boat. 
• Get ice cream sundaes : Not technically a sight of Chittagong but one we have to share. Sub Zero is near opposite Shishu Park and does a great oreo sundae… 

Ekduaria Village

It’s hard to decide, but for us the opportunity to stay in and be part of a small village in rural Bangladesh is perhaps the most memorable week of our trip.  

The cities are bustling and the towns have a lot going on.  But seeing day to day life in a rural village is the kind of travel you can’t imagine until you get there. 

I am going to dedicate an entire blog (or two, or more) to sharing our experience in Ekduaria Village, but for now here are some of the highlights… 

Things to do in Ekduaria Village

• Milk a cow:  Meet the local farmers and collect milk for breakfast (walk back through the village with your tin of fresh, warm milk). 
• Harvest vegetables:  From the backyard garden and collect pumpkins, squash and okra from the farm 
• Drink tea with locals:  At the market chai stand or in people’s homes (this is Bangladeshi hospitality).
• Wander the small streets:  And talk to people along the way (don’t worry about the language barrier; there’s much to talk about even without words). 
• Go and watch a soccer game:  The local high school field is the place to be for an energetic inter-village match
• Cook in a mud-kitchen:  Learn how to make paratha, curry, rice-pancakes and much more. 
• Offer to help:  Go and help the farmers with some of their daily chores (they will laugh but you will love it!).  

As we awaited the return of confirmed travel visas for Bangladesh we let slip to a few of our close friends that we were planning a trip to Bangladesh – with kids.  

After the initial eye-bulging return stare of said friends and family, the first question was always of safety.  Is Bangladesh safe?!  

Now, having been and travelled Bangladesh – and  survived  thrived – our summary is not of safety concerns… But those of health. 

There’s no two ways about it.  Health and hygiene are legitimate concerns for travel in Bangladesh.  

Dhaka is one of the most polluted (and obviously the most populous) cities in the world.  And hygiene standards are low. 

Like low, low.  Really low. 

There is only so much you can do as prevention in these circumstances.  

• Carry a basic-but-sensibly-stocked  medical kit . You can read details of everything we carry in our medical kit here.  Rehydration sachets are (reflectively)  recommended  essential in Bangladesh… 
• Always  wash your hands before and after eating  (and/or carry hand sanitiser).  Bangladeshi custom is to eat with your hands so this is even more important. 
• Drink bottled water .  As above, it’s contradictory to all that we try to uphold in sustainable travel but worth it to be safe and  prevent all  prevent diahhroea where possible.  
• Avoid  ice, salads and fruit washed in water .  You don’t know where the water came from (and it’s likely not filtered). 
• Avoid  mosquito bites .  Especially in the golden hour of sunset, wear long trousers and use mosquito repellent. And if available/offered, sleep under a mosquito net.  

Food in Bangladesh 

Bangladesh is a land of rice.  

And I would say also a land of BBQ meat, bhaji, jackfruit and flatbreads.  

But the most exciting part about food in Bangladesh? Bangladeshis use their hands to eat.  

It is definitely something of a practised art form to eat entirely sans cutlery.  But a few days into it you will find yourself ignoring the especially sought out fork and joining the local way. 

The right hand is used to scoop food into your mouth and it is considered bad etiquette to eat with your left hand.  Rather, the left hand should be used to hold the plate or assist with serving.  

Every eatery no matter how big or small will have a ‘wash room’ or handwashing station.  (Albeit you may need to scoop the water from a bucket).  But get into it and give it a go.  There is a whole list of delicious tastes and dishes that await you! 

• Biryani:  Rice and marinated meat cooked in lots of spices
• Kabab:  BBQ chicken roasted to perfection 
• Bhaji:  Roasted vegetables in a light curry flavour (served at any time of day)
• Kichuri:  Rice and lentils seasoned with turmeric and ghee
• Morog Polao  (chicken Pilaf): Rice cooked with stock (= amazing!)
• Haleem:  Spicy lentil soup
• Shingara : AKA  samosa  (pastry filled with spiced potatoes, onions, peas)
• Parata:  Bengali wheat-flour flatbread often served at breakfast
• Luchi:  Deep-fried flatbread with the perfect puff! 
• Mishti  (sweet): Dahl dessert made with milk and sugar
• Borhani:  Thick, frothy yoghurt-like drink
• Jilapi/Jalebi:  Deep-fried, sweet snack (crystalised sugar) 

Food in Bangladesh with kids

• Chai:  Always sweet and pretty standard in taste 
• BBQ Chicken:  Our kids loved the chicken kabab and BBQ chicken in Bangladesh! 
• Dal:  Lentil, peas and beans made into a thick stew. (Sounds unappetising but an easy meal to eat with rice).  And it’s gentle on small tummies. 
• Biryani:  This well-known rice dish is always fairly standard
• Paratha:  Flat bread that has been deep fried (say no more)
• Naan:  Always reliable as a simple meal base
• Sweet lassi:  Traditional yoghurt-based drink (like a milkshake)
• Falooda:  Ice cream dessert made with rose syrup, custard and pieces of jelly

And fruit and drinking coconuts!  We arrived just at the beginning of mango season which was delicious.  And we ate far more than our fair share of jackfruit in the village.

Drinking water

Tap water is not safe to drink in Bangladesh.  And unfortunately, finding filtered water to refill your drink bottle is not easy. 

If you have a steripen or UV water filter definitely bring this for your trip as it’s not a nice feeling to buy plastic bottles of drinking water in a country that is seriously struggling with plastic/pollution… 

Best to play it safe.  And watch out for cups/cutlery that is dripping from being washed in unsanitary water. 

Are there supermarkets and/or recognisable shops in Bangladesh? 

This is probably about the time I have to confess we even ordered takeaway chicken and chips one evening from Food Panda.  In other words; in the city, Bangladesh isn’t far behind with takeaways and food delivery services.  

However, many of the big brands (McDonalds, Starbucks etc) are not in Bangladesh.  

Agora  is a popular supermarket chain and stores can be found in the main cities. 

What to wear in Bangladesh

I love this part of travel Bangladesh. The country is obviously populous (200,000,000 obvious) but oh Bangladesh, you are oh-so-colourful…

Bangladesh is a majority Islamic country and there are expectations for what to wear for travel in the cities and especially in the rural areas.  

For women long pants are always expected.  In the cities is ok(ish) to wear a smart, short-sleeved top. But I would recommend out of the city at least ¾ sleeves.  

I found the best clothing for Bangladesh was the local style of (brightly coloured) salwar kameez.  This is the typical Bangladeshi 3-piece costume of loose trousers, long (below your bottom) tunic-style top and scarf draped across your chest or over your head.  

The salwar kameez is made from fabric that is cool to wear and is addictively colourful.   

For men, advice is similarly conservative but with slightly more flexibility.  Men in shorts  can  be spotted on occasion. But being realistic, it’s not a common sight.  Long pants/trousers and a shirt for men is recommended (and expected, really). 

And for kids – especially young kids – it’s more relaxed.  Our boys enjoyed trying the local style of  Panjabi  (particularly as locals had never seen boys with long hair before!). 

Bangladeshi costumes you will see day-to-day:

• Salwar kameez  (f): long tunic top and loose trousers
• Orna  (f): scarf to drape over shoulders or neck (part of the salwar kameez costume)
• Saree  (f): the main traditional women’s costume of Bangladesh most commonly seen on women in the villages
• Lungyi  (m): males sarong-like skirt made from tubular length of fabric
• Panjabi  (m): long, loose shirt.  
• Fatua  (m): short version of the Panjabi (short, loose shirt) 
• Gamcha  (m): a colourful, cotton towel (spun by local handloom) often worn around the neck by workers to be used as a body towel 

Transportation in Bangladesh

Transport and travel in Bangladesh can be as tricky as you make it.

There is road travel (taxis, buses, vans), train travel (express trains and a new metro to come), river travel (the most traditional means of travel in Bangladesh) and rickshaws (pedal and auto).

Don’t try and over complicate things haggling for a best price (especially over a few cents). You will draw a crowd regardless but even more so if you’re trying to negotiate with a driver. And don’t be afraid to walk away. They know how much it should cost and you don’t need to be ripped off just because you’re a foreigner.

Getting around by auto rickshaw (CNG)

Bangladesh has electric and CNG auto rickshaws that are easy to flag down and take for short to medium distances in the cities and towns.  

For a 2km distance it costs around 100Tk (USD $1.15).  Just be sure to negotiate and confirm the price before you climb in.  

Getting around by cycle rickshaw

This is by far the most authentic mode of transport in Bangladesh.  It only costs a few taka for a short distance by cycle rickshaw (just not so easy for us as a family of four – we need to get two!).  

Getting around Bangladesh by train

Bangladesh is well known for train travel.  It’s likely you will have seen images of hundreds of people riding on the roof of trains… 

Well, we did see people on the rooftops (and heard big thumps as they leapt on the roof above us from one carriage to the next!).   But the police are trying reduce the number of people riding on the top and fortunately we didn’t see quite as many as anticipated.  

It’s relatively easy to book a train ticket at the main railway station in Dhaka.  The most challenging part of booking is battling the traffic in a taxi to get there.  If you don’t have hours to spare you can contact a guide (like  trip2bangladesh.com ) ahead of time to book the ticket for you (we did this for our first train from Dhaka to Sylhet) and have it dropped to your hotel. 

Getting around Bangladesh by boat 

Long-distance water travel in Bangladesh is by  launch.   These are huge river ferries (what we would call a ferry back home).  But in Bangladesh, ferries are the term for short-distance river travel from one side of the river to the other.  Like the one we took across the Padma river (this is the main channel of the greater Ganges River in Bangladesh).  

Launch travel is a bucketlist experience in Bangladesh and absolutely the most traditional means of transport in the country.  

Overnight launches depart from Dhaka in the evening and arrive in Barisal before sunrise. 

Here are some of the class options and pricing for a one-way overnight launch in Bangladesh: 

• VIP Cabin : 10,000 Tk
• 1st Class Cabin: (A/C, shared toilet): 2500 Tk
• Economy (seats, shared toilet): 800 Tk
• 3rd Class (floor space only): 280 Tk 

Getting around Bangladesh by bus

Bus travel is a cheap way to move between cities.  There’s no need to pre-book far in advance as there are  squillions hundreds of buses departing frequently in any given direction. 

It was easy to purchase tickets the day before from a small travel agent in Cox’s Bazar for the 5 hour journey to Chittagong.  (Transport and tour agent stalls line the streets in the tourist area here).  Tickets for the AC bus cost 500 Tk each ($6 USD). 

Budget 

As a traveller, first thoughts are that Bangladesh will be a cheap country to travel in.  And daily – for food, necessities and transport – it is. 

• Cup of cha (tea): 10 Tk / USD 0.15c
• Water (1L): 40 Tk / 0.45c 
• Canned drink: 40 Tk
• Drinking coconut: 100 Tk
• Daal: 50 Tk
• Tandoori chicken: 200 Tk
• Restaurant lunch (for 4: 600 Tk
• Auto-rickshaw (2km): 100 Tk
• Uber/taxi (5km): 450 Tk
• Passenger boat (across river): 10 Tk
• AC bus (5 hours): 500 Tk
• Barber shop shave: 100 Tk
• 15GB data (for 7 days): 160 Tk

I must admit we were (pleasantly) surprised by connectivity and wifi options in Bangladesh.  Albeit hotel accommodation is not really cheap (for a family) but every place we stayed had free and unlimited wifi.  

We were disconnected from 3G and 4G data on some of the bus and train rides but not in a way that caused any disruption worth writing further about. 

Getting a SIM card for travel in Bangladesh 

The three biggest communications operators in Bangladesh are: 

• Grameenphone

Grameenphone has a counter selling SIM cards as you exit customs at the airport in Dhaka (even for a night time flight).  

When we landed in Dhaka there were not ATM’s working but I exchanged $20 USD and was able to buy two SIM cards with Grameenphone for 600 Tk each including 12GB of data. 

It’s easy to top up (they call it ‘recharge’) your card at many small street shops.  Just get familiar with the Grameenphone logo and keep an eye out for it.  

If you handover your phone the shopkeeper will top it up the old-fashioned way by calling in to Grameenphone and recharging your desired amount to your account.  You can then choose from a list of data or calling packages. 

Data prices are cheap (like cheap, cheap) and come up under ‘My Offers’ on the service provider app: 

• 100 minutes, 30 days: 65 Tk
• 20 GB, 7 days: 179 Tk
• 13 GB, 30 days: 220 Tk
• 6 GB, 3 days: 76 Tk

Whether to travel in Bangladesh independently or pre-book tours and transport? 

No doubt you’ve started googling and are wondering how to put together the pieces of the puzzle that is an itinerary for Bangladesh.  But quite frankly there isn’t a lot of information out there.

Looking at the map before we left, we split our travel in Bangladesh into different legs (in different directions). We made contact with owner, Ontu of tour company  TripToBangladesh  to gauge prices for transport and to pre-book the first overnight launch and day tour for the Sundarbans. 

For the remainder we travelled independently (by bus, plane and train) and booked two of our three train journeys after we arrived. 

I can highly recommend Ontu for his caring and very professional manner to help with making any tour and/or transport bookings for Bangladesh.  

To stay in Ekduaria Village contact host Jafar Tuhin of Taabu Ekduaria directly on  +880 1969-404414 .  Jafar is an incredible host, with fluent English and very easy to be around.  We arrived as guests and left as friends. 

Useful contacts for travel in Bangladesh

• Trip2Bangladesh Contact person: Ontu WhatsApp:  +8801784399339 Email: [email protected]
• Taabu Ekduaria Host and guide: Jafar Tuhin  WhatsApp: +880 1969-404414

Jafar is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide for city tours of Dhaka and the neighbouring ancient city of Sonargaon too. I highly recommend a day tour of Old Dhaka including the sights, bazars and fascinating huge ship breaking yards. Contact him directly – you will not be disappointed!

Accommodation options for travel in Bangladesh

In a country that is shamelessly renowned for being a budget destination, I would say that for us the cost of accommodation in Bangladesh came as a surprise. 

I’m not going to pretend we found budget accommodation and roughed our way around the country.  Because we didn’t.  But cost-wise it wasn’t what we expected. 

We booked a hotel to arrive to for the first few nights (Hotel 71) and the family room allocated to four pax was well above our budget for fulltime travel. 

As we found our feet and figured out how it all worked here we realised that as a family, accommodation options offered the greatest disparity in our budget.  

In Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong there seemed to be 4 or 5 star hotel options at $130+ USD per night.   Or  you had to be roughing it in a guesthouse/apartment that we could barely even find online… 

In the smaller cities like Sreemangal and Cox’s Bazar it is easier to find lower-cost accommodation.  

But even as normally strict-budget travellers I can tell you we were unashamedly thankful for an albeit expensive-but-clean room, air-conditioning and a hot shower in the cities.   Pick your battles?

Everything we booked in Bangladesh we managed to book ahead of time online through booking.com.  We booked the first few nights prior to arriving.

Where we stayed in Bangladesh

• Dhaka:   Hotel 71  
• Barisal:   Hotel Grand Park
• Mongla:   Hotel Pashur
• Dhaka:   Hotel Tropical Daisy  
• Sreemangal:   Green Leaf Guest House
• Sylhet:   Hotel Mira Garden
• Cox’s Bazar:   Laguna Beach Hotel  
• Chittagong:   Well Park Residence Boutique Hotel
• Dhaka:   Hotel 71
• Ekduaria Village: Taabu Ekduaria Village Homestay

Read the reviews on booking sites and use Google Maps to check out accommodation and locations before you book.  

Thank you, Bangladesh.

Well that ends our huge guide for travel in Bangladesh.  

If you are looking for a destination that will give you culture, colour, adventure, taste and wonder then I recommend travel in Bangladesh. 

Please leave us a comment with any further questions and we’ll get back to you. 

We had a truly, genuinely fantastic time traveling in Bangladesh. And now that I’ve dried my tears on leaving Ekduaria Village after an incredible week of Bangladeshi hospitality, I know for sure it is going to be one of those countries that sticks with us, and close to our heart for a long time to come…

More about travel planning for Bangladesh and beyond…

These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel. 

• Booking.com  – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally. (We love the flexible cancellation policy!). 
• Hostelworld – The largest inventory of hostel accommodation in the world. 
• Skyscanner   – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.  
• GetYourGuide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
• SafetyWing  – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country. 
• World Nomads   – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). 

Read more about travel in Bangladesh and South Asia

• Train Travel in India: A Complete Guide.
• The Sacred River Ganges: Two days in Varanasi.
• Crossing the Wagah Border from India to Pakistan. 
• Pakistan: A complete guide to travel in Pakistan. 
• Money in India: Using ATM’s, withdrawing and carrying your money safely.
• How to use a squat toilet: Everything you didn’t want to ask…
• Our complete packing list for travel in India. 

Wondering about itineraries?  Questions about schooling?  See our Family Travel Guides and FAQ here . 

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12 thoughts on “Travel In Bangladesh: A Complete Travel Guide For Bangladesh.”

Thank you for the wealth of valuable information. There is one point that flies in contrast with the Consulate general of Bangladesh’s website, the US travel.gov website, and every other website I have searched for, that is Visa on Arrivals are currently (as of Jan 2024) in effect, at least for the US.

Perhaps your contention that VoA are not available is dependent upon your nationality as a Kiwi?

I wanted to get your thoughts on this matter before I head out on Jan. 23rd from Miami.

One other question comes to mind, I have found various local standards regarding the condition of currency in different countries. I remember back 30 years ago when I was in India bills could have large holes in them due to the custom of stapling stacks together and ripping bills off one by one, but tears along the edges were not accepted. As such, torn bills were commonly given to unsuspecting foreigners. Is there anything to be aware of regarding acceptance of Bangladeshi currency?

Hi, I am a solo (middle aged) female traveller heading to Dhaka for a wedding in Feb 2023. I would like to travel alone through Bangladesh for a few weeks after – do you think this is doable or is it going to be so hard that it’s not worth the effort. I have tried to find a tour to join but can’t find anything running which I can join. Are there local tours I can join or do you think I can manage to get around as a solo blonde, white, western woman!? I have travelled solo previously and enjoy it, but I’m a little older now and have heard that it is very difficult in Bangladesh.

Love the blog – it’s the first I’ve seen of Bangladesh which has been really helpful, Helen

Hi Helen great to hear from you! If you would like to find us on Facebook or email I can give you more details – but I highly recommend contact Jafar, a fantastic Guide based near Dhaka (it was Jafar’s village we stayed a week in!). And on your first day do a day tour of Dhaka to find your feet and get your bearings in Bangladesh – we had a truly, truly amazing time and would love to return! The other Guide we have listed; Ontu is from Barisal and can help with booking tours or trains or transport as well. It makes a huge difference to have great contacts as it is a huge country! We can highly recommend both of those great guides. Wishing you a fantastic time! And if you have any further questions please message us, Sarah.

I am really happy to have found your blog. I am planning a trip to Bangladesh in early 2024, from late January to mid-February. I was originally going to India, but diplomatic relations between India and Canada are strained. India has stopped issuing visas to Canadian citizens… So, here I am planning a trip to Bangladesh. My primary goal when I travel is photography. I am working on a book project that includes 15 years of traveling through different countries. I wish to visit the city of Chittagong to explore the ship graveyard and everything around it. I read on your blog that access can be challenging. Is it possible to get close to it? Thank you for your blog; it is very well-documented. Best regards, Louis P. Instagram @parlimages

Hi Louis we had an incredible time in Bangladesh! I highly recommend sending Jafar a message (on his WhatsApp number above) and getting in touch. He would be the best person to ask. From what I understand the yards in Chittagong are closed to tourists and especially photographers. But I really recommend a tour with Jafar when you arrive as a great way to find your feet and get a good understanding to start with in Bangladesh. An amazing country!

I’m traveling to Bangaldesh as a female solo traveler (for work, but will still be solo for most of the trip) so thank you very, very much for this honest and comprehensive travel guide and description. I’ve lived in Singapore for many years and travelled throughout most of SEA, yet Bangladesh seems next level. I was happy to read your blog to get an insight on what to expect. Unfortunately, I won’t make it to most of the places you’ve been and I also probably won’t make it on a boat or train ride (due to work and corporate compliance…), but all your information on food, hygiene, what to wear etc. helped me a lot. Thanks!!

Thanks very much Shumona! Wishing you a fantastic trip 🙂

Great blog post. Heading there this December with a friend and always nice to read a REAL review to get the low down from a foreigners POV. Fine work

Hi Iain and thanks very much! Have a brilliant time in Bangladesh. We really enjoyed the adventure and am sure you will too! 🙂

I’m traveling to Bangaldesh as a female solo traveler (for work, but will still be solo for most of the trip) so thank you very, very much for this honest and comprehensive travel guide and description. I’ve lived in Singapore for many years and travelled throughout most of SEA, yet Bangladesh seems next level. I was happy to read your blog to get an insight on what to expect. Unfortunately, I won’t make it to most of the places you’ve been and I also probably won’t make it on a boat or train ride (due to work and corporate compliance…), but all your information on food, hygiene, what to wear etc. helped me a lot. Thanks!!

Hi Sarah! This is amazing to read and thank you very much for taking the time to write that. Wishing you a fantastic time in Bangladesh! It is somewhere very special. And even with limited time I am confident you will have maximum experiences! Have a brilliant time! Sarah.

Wow! This travel guide for Bangladesh is incredibly comprehensive and informative. It’s evident that you had an amazing experience exploring the country. The unique culture, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality of the Bangladeshi people shine through your words. I’m inspired to visit Bangladesh myself after reading about your adventures. Thank you for sharing this detailed guide and providing valuable insights into the history, attractions, transportation, and even local customs. Your enthusiasm and love for the country are contagious. Safe travels to all those planning to visit Bangladesh – book your trip now and embark on a one-of-a-kind adventure! You may love to know about Everest Base Camp Trek Guide which is an exhilarating and challenging trekking adventure that takes you through the majestic Khumbu region of Nepal.

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Bangladesh Travel Blog

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Bangladeshi Top Travel Vloggers and Influencers Meet the top Bangladeshi travel vloggers who are showcasing the world through their lens

Mazharul Alam Munna ,

February 27th, 2023 ,

Bangladesh is a country full of vibrant culture, natural beauty, and unique experiences. Travel vloggers from Bangladesh are becoming increasingly popular as they offer a glimpse into the country's diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Bangladesh is a country that has a lot to offer to travelers who are looking to explore new cultures and experiences. From the bustling streets of Dhaka to the serene beaches of Cox's Bazar, there is something for everyone. To help you get inspired for your next adventure, here are some of the top travel vloggers in Bangladesh.

Nadir on the Go

Nadir Nibras is a multi-award-winning travel filmmaker and content creator. Since 2016, he has been using his camera to capture his expeditions around the globe. He has amassed an impressive following of over 3 million individuals on social media, keeping up with his brand, Nadir On The Go. Nadir mostly grew up in Bangladesh, spent ten years in the US, and has traveled worldwide for several years as a digital nomad who doesn't reside anywhere specific and has been living out of his backpack since 2020.

Nadir on the Go has traveled to over 60 countries and documented his experiences through his videos. His content ranges from travel guides and reviews to cultural experiences and food adventures. He has also collaborated with various brands and tourism boards for sponsored content. He manages one channel in Bangla and 1 in English to offer options to his followers, which is impressive and takes a lot of effort.

Nadir Nibras create productions that give viewers a taste of travel to famous and lesser-known destinations. He encourages people to follow their passions and work hard to achieve their goals. Nadir has over 823K subscribers on his Bangla and 267K on his English YouTube channel.

Travel with Shishir Deb

Travel with Shishir Deb is a travel vlogger who has amassed a large following on YouTube. He started regularly exploring various destinations across Bangladesh in 2015 but started making videos in 2018. Currently, he travels in Bangladesh and foreign countries and makes travel vlogs, sharing his experiences and insights. His videos are highly engaging and informative as he shares booking, a good time to visit, transportation details, cost, etc.

Currently, Shishir Deb has 634K subscribers on his YouTube channel. He uploads weekly videos and has a Facebook group for his followers.

Araf Intisar Dipto

Araf Intisar Dipto is a popular travel vlogger and photographer who captures the beauty of various destinations in Bangladesh and beyond. His videos and photos are visually stunning and offer a unique perspective on each location he visits. Dipto believes in making memories, so he tries to capture the beauty of traveling every time he steps out to travel.

Dipto has over 264K subscribers on his YouTube channel, 196K followers on Facebook, and 39.6K followers on Instagram. He is also the CEO of TourHobe, a digital travel agency with all kinds of tour solutions.

Mr. Mixer’s World

Haider Rashik, aka Mr. Mixer's World, is a travel and lifestyle vlogger who showcases his travels and experiences on his YouTube channel. He explores various destinations across Bangladesh and other countries, sharing his experiences and insights. His videos are informative and entertaining, and he offers a unique perspective on each destination he visits. He currently has over 412K subscribers on his YouTube channel and 204K followers on Facebook.

bd travelers

Ziaul Hoque, a professional journalist alongside his wife Mithila Hoque, has been creating travel vlogs for his YouTube channel since April 2017. They have been showcasing their travels and experiences on their YouTube channel. They explore various destinations across Bangladesh and foreign countries and provide helpful information for travelers. Their videos offer a unique perspective on each destination they visit, showcasing the beauty and culture of Bangladesh. Ziaul Hoque is an editor at a blog website with the same name where traveling news is shared. BDtravellers has 609K subscribers on the channel.

Jannat The Lunatic Traveller

Jannat the Lunatic Traveller is a popular travel vlogger, travel enthusiast, and travel filmmaker who documents her travels across Bangladesh and foreign countries. She presents her adventures and travels stories that will make the audience travel vicariously and leave them wanting more from life. Her vlogs blend valuable information and comedy as her friends are her constant travel companion during her tours. She currently has 100K subscribers on her YouTube channel.

Whether you are a seasoned traveler or a novice, exploring new cultures and destinations is always an enriching experience. These Bangladeshi travel vloggers offer a glimpse into the beauty and culture of Bangladesh and inspire travelers to embark on their adventures. So, go ahead and explore the world with an open mind and heart.

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Solo female travel anywhere and everywhere.

The ultimate guide to backpacking in Bangladesh

Planning to travel to Bangladesh? This is the most comprehensive guide to backpacking in Bangladesh on the interwebs, so you’ve come to the right place. If you’re not a backpacker, no worries—this Bangladesh travel guide is useful for everyone!

Backpacking in Bangladesh was one of my favorite travel experiences to date… and, well, I’ve seen a lot.

Was it because I’d just hit the road as a solo female traveler ? Perhaps because I derive masochistic joy from endlessly looping conversations about boats? Maybe I just really, really like eating fish?

A bit of all, a bit of none. Truthfully speaking, backpacking in Bangladesh was an incredible experience because Bangladeshis are absolutely fantastic people as a whole, and the country is never, ever boring. Want to see for yourself? Read on for my guide to backpacking in Bangladesh.

Backpacking in Bangladesh: Table of Contents

• Backpacking in Bangladesh: the basics
• Best time to visit Bangladesh
• Travel in Bangladesh: How much it costs

Visas for Bangladesh

• What to pack
• Entering/exiting Bangladesh
• Cox’s Bazar

Chittagong Hill Tracts

Nijhum dwip.

• Things to know
• Mobile SIM cards
• Female travel
• Other resources

Why travel to Bangladesh?

Few people consider travel to Bangladesh for their next vacation, but the small country is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on even the most experienced travelers.

I could ramble on about the country’s infinite serene waterways, rich Bengali cuisine, or vibrant tropical landscapes, but they’re trivial in the grand scheme of things—people are Bangladesh’s best asset.

Bangladeshis are some of the most hospitable people on earth. Their endless curiosity and willingness to help a foreign guest never ceases to amaze. Your time traveling in Bangladesh will be full of invitations for tea, requests to dine at people’s homes, and conversations both simple and deep about your respective countries. In my opinion, the people are the only reason you need to visit Bangladesh.

Now for the dark side: because Bangladesh is one of the least visited countries on earth , there’s misinformation abounds when it comes to travel in Bangladesh. From poorly translated—and outdated—price lists, to schedules only revealed by asking others , to claims by locals that pirates will kidnap you if you visit certain cities (no, really) ,  traveling in Bangladesh can be a massive headache.

During the six weeks I backpacked in Bangladesh, a lot of time was wasted simply figuring out what or how to do what I wanted to do. There’s no reason you should do the same!

To ensure your adventures in Bangladesh are slightly smoother than mine were, here’s a guide to traveling in Bangladesh, with everything you need to plan your travels to Bangladesh.

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Lost With Purpose’s Bangladesh travel guide

Bangladesh basics.

• National language: Bangla
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka
• Population: 163,000,000+
• Capital city: Dhaka

When is the best time to visit Bangladesh?

Sitting on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, close to the Indian Ocean, Bangladesh is a tropical country, to say the least. Though you’ll find  some hills, most of the country is pancake-flat, excellent for frying on the griddle roasting in the sun.

If you want to avoid roasting, the winter season of October to March is the best time to travel to Bangladesh. Monsoon rains and changing seasons cool the air by October, and the floodwaters will recede.

“Winter” in Bangladesh brings clear skies and lower temperatures—think an average of 20-25°C (68-77°F) around the country—though the temperature has dropped to as low as 2°C in the capital . Yay climate change!

Summer arrives by late March/early April . Expect unpleasantly humid heat and temperatures in the 30-40°C (86-104°F) range… or higher, given our planet’s current condition.

If traveling Bangladesh in summer, drink plenty of water, and prepare to sweat.

Read: 50 ways to stop excessive traveling while sweating

Monsoon arrives around May or June and runs until September, during which much of the country is submerged. Though some Bangladeshis enjoy the monsoon season, it is not the best time for a traveler to explore the country. Roads flood, launch journeys take longer due to strong currents, and mosquitoes run rampant. Yum.

Unless you have a strong fondness for aquatic struggles (or malaria), I recommend waiting until monsoon is over to embark on your Bangladesh adventure. If you travel during monsoon make sure to come prepared.

Read:  Be smart, stay dry: a monsoon travel packing list

Breakfast for less than $0.50 anyone?

How much it costs to go backpacking in Bangladesh

I’ll be straight-up: coming from a Western country, Bangladesh is cheap. Like, cheaper than traveling in India cheap.

If you’re unconcerned about A) comfort and B) hygiene standards, you can easily travel in Bangladesh for less than $10/day, accommodation included. Don’t be shy about talking to local people, and that number will sink further, as Bangladeshis are some of the most hospitable people on this planet, and some will insist on hosting you… or at least paying for your lunch.

How much it costs to travel in Bangladesh depends on how you travel, but to give you an estimate of cost, here are some average prices you can expect:

Exchange rate at the time of writing: USD$1 = 85 Tk

• Cup of tea: 5 Tk
• 1 L bottle of water: 20 Tk
• Vegetarian meal (dal, rice, sabji ) in a cheap restaurant: 30-50 Tk
• Meat (chicken, fish) dish in a cheap restaurant: 50-100 Tk
• Shared CNG or eBike ride: 5-15 Tk
• Several hour bus ride: 20-50 Tk
• Single room: 300-500 Tk
• Floor ticket for overnight launch: 200 Tk
• Cabin in an overnight launch: 500-1000 Tk

Check out this  budget report for 4 weeks of travel in Bangladesh for more detailed price breakdowns.

During election time it might be more difficult to obtain a visa. I heard several stories of people being turned away at the border around these times. Elections in Bangladesh are often accompanied by strikes and protest marches, and sometimes turn violent, especially during general elections. Make sure to keep up-to-date if you want to travel to Bangladesh during election time.

Visas on arrival

The easiest solution for Bangladesh visas is the visa on arrival (VOA) program available at Bangladesh’s international airports and the Benapole land border crossing with India . Recently, it has also come possible to get a VOA at the land border of Banglabandha , close to Siliguri.

Visas on arrival are USD$55 regardless of citizenship—though sometimes the officers demand an extra little charge, bringing it to $51—and fees must be paid in American dollars.

Standard VOAs are for 30 days , and officially cannot be extended .

For more information, Nijhoom Tours has a good write up on visas on arrival .

Standard visas

There are a few reasons you might want to apply for a standard visa: to enter by a more obscure land border, try for a longer tourist visa, or visit family on a visit visa.

You can apply for a normal visa in your home country, or in India if you intend on crossing into Bangladesh by land. Travelers report getting a visa at the Kolkata embassy is difficult as no one wants to help you , so I’d recommend avoiding this option unless you absolutely have to stay for longer than 30 days, or cannot get a VOA.

The cost of a standard Bangladesh visa varies by nationality; do your research to figure out how much yours will be. In my experience, a 30-day Bangladesh visa for US citizens is $164. (Ouch! VOA is much more cost-effective.)  Citizens from other countries, never fear—visas for US citizens are usually more expensive than others.

Overstaying a Bangladesh visa

Ah, a sore point for me. There are conflicting reports on the penalty for overstaying a Bangladesh visa online, and I ended up paying much, much more than I thought I would after overstaying for 11 days.

Officially, the penalty for overstaying a Bangladesh visa is a fine of 200 Tk per day, plus the cost of a new standard visa (even if your original visa was a VOA).

You need to pay this fine at a Sonari bank and get a receipt before exiting the country, however, with a bit of wheedling, I managed to pay it on the spot when taking the train from Dhaka to Kolkata .

Travelers report that they were not charged the fine if they only overstayed by a day or two, though most people recommend not overstaying by more than 15 days. Others also report that obscure land borders such as the Tawki/Zanbil border with Meghalaya, India are less likely to charge the fine.

Regardless of what you decide, remember overstaying your visa is illegal, and you should not do so lightly.

Protip: pack a book. Not to read, but to use as a wall between you and other people when the staring gets tiresome!

What to pack when traveling to Bangladesh  

Every traveler packs differently, but there are a few things you’ll definitely want to have in your bag for Bangladesh.

• Steripen: A portable UV water purifier, and one of the greatest travel investments I ever made. “Drinking water” in Bangladesh is very often unclean, and finding bottled water can be tricky in remote areas. Save on plastic and keep yourself off the toilet simultaneously. Buy a Steripen.
• Bradt Travel Guide to Bangladesh: This guide is more recent and better researched than Lonely Planet’s Bangladesh guide. It’s helpful to have a guide with locations and times in a country as challenging as Bangladesh, trust me. Buy the Bradt Travel Guide to Bangladesh.
• Sunscreen: Normally I advocate for buying sunscreen in the country you’re traveling to, but Bangladesh is lacking in high quality (… or legitimate) products. BYOS – bring your own sunscreen. Buy my favorite sunscreen.
• Bangla phrasebook: There’s a big language barrier in Bangladesh, and knowing a few phrases of Bangla will get you a long, long way. Buy a pocket Bangla-English phrasebook.
• Something small from your country:  It’s nice to have little gifts from your home country to give to people who host or really help you. For example, I carry postcards with photos of where I live(d).

Things that are not safe: every road in Dhaka

Travel insurance for Bangladesh

Okay, you can’t really pack travel insurance, but it’s something every traveler should have… especially when visiting disaster-prone places like Bangladesh.

(And no, I’m not talking typhoons; I’m talking crashed buses, rickshaw accidents, mosquito-borne illnesses, and food poisoning. Sold yet?)

World Nomads is a user-friendly and reliable travel insurance company that covers Bangladesh/all the hijinks you might get up to in the country. Get your travel insurance quote now.

Exiting Bangladesh on the Maitree Express train from Dhaka to Kolkata

Entering and exiting Bangladesh

Dhaka International Airport is the most convenient place to enter the country by air, and the starting point for many tourists in Bangladesh. You can avail a visa on arrival at Dhaka airport.

• Petrapole-Benapole: For those heading to/from Kolkata, India or anywhere beyond in the Indian mainland. The only land border where visa on arrival is possible. Guide to the Petrapole-Benapole border crossing.
• Agartala-Akhaura: For those heading to/from Agartala, India. Good if you’re planning on exploring Tripura or Mizoram in  Northeast India (one of my favorite parts of India!) or heading east to Myanmar.
• Changrabanda – Burimari: For those heading to/from Darjeeling, India, or up to Sikkim.
• Tanabil – Dawki: For those heading to/from Meghalaya or Assam in Northeast India, or wanting to leave from Sylhet in Bangladesh.

The Maitree Express train runs between Kolkata, India, and Dhaka, Bangladesh. I took the Dhaka – Kolkata train to exit Bangladesh, but you can easily enter the country in the other direction, starting from Kolkata station, so long as you have a visa for Bangladesh already .

The whole process (train ride and immigration) takes about 12 hours, and it’s the most scenic and comfortable way to enter/exit Bangladesh in my humble opinion.

Read:   How to travel from Dhaka to Kolkata by train

Bangladesh exit travel tax

Note that anyone exiting Bangladesh must pay a 500 Tk “travel tax”, local or foreign.

If you’re departing by air or train, this tax will be included in your ticket. However, if you’re exiting the country by land, check to see if this fee is included in your transportation ticket.

More likely than not, you’ll need to pay this fee at a Sonari bank and get a receipt. You can pay at any branch at any point in your journey, so long as you keep the receipt. Note that banks are closed on Fridays and Saturdays and that not every border crossing has a Sonari bank nearby. Better to pay up in the last major city before your departure.

Delicious greens on the way to the tea region of Bangladesh

Places to visit in Bangladesh

Now to the meat of the guide!

This is by no means an end-all list of the best places to visit in Bangladesh—just a list compiled based on my experience and that of friends. Use it to jump-start your planning process, not limit your itinerary.

An excess of everything at Sadarghat in Dhaka

Bangladesh’s insane capital is a world of its own.

The most shocking yet captivating South Asian megacity I’ve seen to date, Dhaka has endless surprises lurking around every corner… if you can survive the pollution and congestion long enough to see them.

The city is somewhat segregated. Elites live in shiny new North Dhaka, including the neighborhoods of Gulshan and Banani. Old Dhaka is “far away” on the southern side of the city, below Gulistan point.

For first time visitors, I recommend staying in or near Old Dhaka—it’s more congested but more interesting for foreign travelers.

An explosion of color in one of the million stalls in New Market

Things to do in Dhaka

• Eat your weight in biriyani. Before you claim you’ve tasted biriyani before, know that the biriyani in Dhaka is not the same as what you’ll find in, say, Hyderabad or Lahore . I won’t start any wars by declaring favorites—head to Haji Biryani in Najira Bazar of Old Dhaka and decide for yourself!
• Explore Old Dhaka. There’s no way I could possibly list all of the crazy things I’ve seen in Old Dhaka—just head into any narrow lane with people moving in and out of it, follow it, and see what happens.
• Roam the Buriganga riverside. Single-handedly one of the most shocking yet enthralling places on earth, there are a million and one stories to be found along the Buriganga. Put on solid shoes, prepare your nostrils, head to Sadarghat, and start wandering in either direction. It’s different at every time of day, and never, ever boring.
• Visit Lalbagh Fort. Dhaka’s main historical attraction, the sprawling fort is in the heart of Old Dhaka. I didn’t find it to be the most gripping place, but I did enjoy the view from the AC rooftop cafes overlooking the complex.
• Check out the National Parliament House. It’s a massive Brutalist concrete structure, not at all what you’d expect from a land of domed mosques and terracotta temples. It’s funky and worth a visit.
• Have a beer at Sakura bar. One of the few cheap places where you can legally sit and have a beer in Dhaka, it’s dark, seedy, and a nice indicator of how drinking feels in Bangladesh.
• Go wild shopping at New Market.  You can find virtually anything and everything in New Market, from homewares to actual brand name clothes fresh from the factories. Even if you don’t like shopping (like me), New Market is a phantasmagoria of colors, sights, and sounds.

The view from my window in Al Razzak Hotel

Where to stay in Dhaka

Central/south dhaka (including old dhaka).

• Budget: I stayed in Hotel Al Razzaque (also spelled Al Razzak depending on the moon’s alignment) on North South Road. The hotel is barebones, but the restaurant below is delicious and always full. Non-AC singles are 600 Tk , doubles 1000. AC rooms are available for 1200 Tk.
• Mid-range: Hotel 71 is a neat hotel conveniently located in the center of South Dhaka (called Gulistan), just a 10 minutes’ walk from Old Dhaka… and yes, it does have a bar in case you’re thirsty 😉 Book a room at Hotel 71 now.

Glitzy North Dhaka from above

North Dhaka

• Budget:  It’s hard to find ultra-budget rooms in North Dhaka, but Golpata Bed & Breakfast is a moderately priced homely B&B run by a sweet couple offering clean rooms, nommy breakfasts, and the opportunity to meet other travelers (gasp!). Book a room at Golpata Bed & Breakfast.
• Mid-range:  In the posh Gulshan-2 neighborhood, Green House Guesthouse offers airy rooms. Some have balconies overlooking Lake Park, a green breath of “fresh” air and my favorite place in Gulshan. Book a room at Green House Guesthouse.

Water, water everywhere in the region around Barisal!

Despite locals’ claims that Barisal is “filled with pirates who will kidnap you,” Barisal is a pleasant city south of Dhaka. Surrounded by a myriad of waterways and lush greenery, taking a launch here to/from Dhaka—or anywhere else, for that matter—is sure to be a highlight of your trip to Bangladesh.

The city is home to a friendly mix of Muslims and Hindus. Explorers will find crumbling Raj buildings, attractive mosques, and active Hindu temples around the city.

Unlike many other cities in Bangladesh, Barisal is surprisingly walkable, with several parks and ponds around the city. Visiting the busy harbor area in the early morning, when goods and passengers arrive from Dhaka and elsewhere, is a rewarding experience.

Things to do in Barisal

• Floating rice market at Banaripara. The scenic market is only one hour by bus from Barisal.
• Explore the crumbling Raj-era buildings in the side streets of the city center. Just watch out for falling debris!
• Go for a boat ride to/from Barisal, whether on the historic Rocket Steamer or on a more economical launch boat, my favorite mode of travel in Bangladesh .

Where to stay in Barisal

• Budget: Hotel Athena is a decent budget hotel close to Barisal’s main boat terminal. They have a variety of rooms, starting at 500 Tk for a single.
• Mid-range: Close to Hotel Athena, Hotel Sedona International is a relatively new mid-range hotel, and one of the better choices in Barisal. Don’t expect the wifi to work, though.

Friendly locals in one of the villages outside Khulna

Leisurely paced Khulna is mostly used as a gateway to the Sundarbans and the UNESCO mosques in Bagerhat, but I found it a pleasant and friendly city to wander around in for almost one week! (Well, and it was difficult figuring out how to leave .)

Though the city itself is unremarkable, people are friendly, there are myriad villages across the river that are quiet and green, and it’s a good base to use for exploring surrounding sights.

Interior of the 60 Dome Mosque in Bagerhat

Things to do in Khulna

• Visit the UNESCO-listed 60-dome mosque (amongst other monuments) in Bagerhat, only a short journey from Khulna . Even though the mosque actually has 81 domes. Just sayin’.
• Take a ferry across the river. It’s more peaceful and green on the other side, and if you head north there are plenty of villages to wander through.
• Stroll through markets along the river.  Head towards Kalibari ghat and you’ll eventually enter the crunch of market stalls and porters unloading wares.

Nighttime market adventures in the riverside Boro Bazar

Where to stay in Khulna

• Budget: I stayed at Saint Bangladesh NGO Guesthouse in South Khulna. A non-AC room with two beds was 500 Tk . AC rooms are available upstairs. The entrance is unremarkable, but you can find it on Google Maps .
• Mid-range: Tiger Garden International Hotel  is a passable mid-range hotel located in central Khulna with a good complimentary breakfast and a bus stop right in front of the hotel. Book a room at Tiger Garden International.

Sundarbans mangroves. Photo is Creative Commons.

The world’s largest mangrove forest (spanning both India and Bangladesh) is the country’s most famous attraction. Tigers, deer, and endless species of birds can all be found within the tangled depths of the forest.

Guided boat trips are the only way for visitors to explore the winding ways of the Sundarbans. Most foreign tourists prefer to organize multi-day trips online in advance, or in person through travel agencies in Khulna. Book a Sunderbans tour online now.

Compared to the rest of Bangladesh, boat trips to the Sundarbans can be a bit pricey—hence why I skipped out this time ’round. If on a budget, single-day boat tours leave from Mongla. Beware, I’ve heard you don’t see much wildlife and it gets crowded with domestic tourists.

For more on visiting the Sundarbans, my friend Ellie of Soul Travel Blog has a post on responsible travel to the Sunderbans.

Rainbows galore in central Jessore

Jessore was the first town I stayed in after crossing the Petrapole/Benapole border , only two hours from the crossing. It was a peaceful introduction to Bangladesh, though nothing to write home about. If you want to rest your head after a long day of border bureaucracy, this is the place.

Where to stay in Jessore

• Budget/mid-range: Banchte Shekha NGO Guesthouse is run by a female-led NGO working for women’s rights and empowerment in the region. Rooms are good and in high demand. Singles can go for 500 Tk , but all the singles were full when I arrived, so I ended up in a deluxe AC double for 1,200 Tk . The canteen attached to the guesthouse serves up all you can eat meals cooked by women working for the NGO. Mmmm!

Downtown Chittagong by Moheen Reeyad

Chittagong, Bangladesh’s second-largest city, is a gritty place with limited appeal to tourists. But as the gateway to the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox’s Bazar, it’s an inevitable stop.

Although the city lacks major sights, there are a few things to keep you occupied, such as a boat trip on the river from Sadarghat, the oldest area of the city. Chittagong is also the place to arrange permits for the Chittagong Hill Tracts (through a tour agency), and its markets are interesting to walk around.

Things to do in Chittagong

• Visit the shipbreaking yards. Visiting the yards is hard on your own—especially if you’re carrying a fat camera—as there were issues after multiple photographers exposed the child labor used in the yards. If you want to get close, a boat ride is your best bet. Otherwise, try to befriend locals who can get you in.
• Check out rickshaw workshops. The street leading to Sadarghat is lined with them.
• Go for a boat ride at Sadarghat. A sunset boat ride is easily arranged once you’re on the ghats… or you can simply take one of the many local boats traversing the water.  

Where to stay in Chittagong

• Budget: Station Road is lined with all sorts of budget hotels. Pick your poison; they’re all rather… unremarkable.
• Mid-range: If you want to stay in the city center, the White Inn is a decent mid-range hotel with super friendly staff fluent in English. Book a room at White Inn now.

Cox’sbazarlongestseabeachinworld by Tanweer Morshed

Cox’s Bazar

“YOUMUSTVISITCOX’SBAZARLONGESTSEABEACHINWORLD” is one of the most common cries you’ll hear in Bangladesh. Brace yourself.

Cox’s Bazar is home to the world’s longest “sea beach,” as any Bangladeshi talking to you will be sure to point out. People are immensely proud of their “internationally known” attraction, and the beach is a popular spot for local tourists.

Visitors beware: don’t expect tropical paradise in Cox’s Bazar. It’s far from the white sands of Thailand and the Philippines (sorry Bangladesh). The town is dirty and depressing, and the beach is nothing to write home about, though it’s cleaner if you walk away from town.

However, Cox’s Bazar is a great base for visiting the surrounding areas and is home to an interesting Buddhist Monastery. Accommodation is better than in most places, and a day trip to Adinath Temple on Maheskhali Island is worth the journey.

If you visit Cox’s Bazar, remember you’re still in Bangladesh. You’re unlikely to see people sunbathing or swimming beyond getting their feet a bit wet. Girls, if you want to take a dip, make sure to dress appropriately (translation: swim in your clothes). Else you’ll get even more [unwanted] attention than usual.

Things to do in Cox’s Bazar

• Chill or picnic at Himchari Beach. Around 18 kilometers away from the main drag of Cox’s Bazar, this beach is a bit more relaxed and less strangled by crowds.
• Swimming at Inani Beach. If you want to get more than just your toes wet, swimming is possible here as it’s significantly more secluded and away from the busy main beach.
• Roam around Maheskhali Island. Though getting here can be a bit of a process, the island is home to Adinath Temple and traditional boat makers and is a nice day trip from Cox’s Bazar.
• Visit the Rohingya camp. Whether or not it’s okay to check out the massive refugee camp is an ethical question I won’t get into here; just know that it’s possible to visit the camp near Cox’s Bazar, and many tourists both foreign and domestic do so.

Where to stay in Cox’s Bazar

• Budget:  800 Tk will get you a double room at centrally located Hotel MS Guest Care … not that it’s recommended. Shop around in the area, there must be something better.
•  Mid-range: White Inn is a clean mid-range in a quiet location only 300 meters from the beach—not bad given the price! Book a room at White Inn now.

Bandarban in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Photo is Creative Commons .

If you’re looking to do a bit of trekking, the forested Chittagong Hill Tracts is the place to be. Similar in feel to Northeast India or Myanmar, they’re home to dozens of tribes and Bangladesh’s only actually hilly terrain.

Foreigners need permits to go trekking in the hill tracts, as there are occasional tribal disputes and issues with insurgents in the region. A guide is also mandatory.

In March 2018, I heard the permit process was a slow crapshoot, so I skipped the Hill Tracts. However, things can change at the drop of a hat; it’s worth trying to get a permit yourself. Note that a permit can take ~10 days to receive, so be sure to give yourself enough time to get one!

Chris of Unusual Traveler has a helpful post about visiting the Chittagong Hill Tracts .

Serene scenes in Puthia

On the northern bank of the Padma river, close to the Indian border, Rajshahi is an excellent base for visiting Sona Masjid, Puthia, and Natore.

Being a university town, Rajshahi has a friendly atmosphere, and it’s likely students will approach you to practice their English. Even for Bangladesh, meeting young locals here is especially easy.

Admittedly the town itself isn’t something to write home about. Most people use Rajshahi as a base to visit the mosques of Sona Masjid, the Hindu temples of Puthia, or the havelis of Natore. All of these can be independently visited from Rajshahi as day trips.

Things to do in Rajshahi  

• Go for a boat ride on the Padma. It’s only one of the holiest rivers in the world! You may know it as the Ganges river; it’s called the Ganga in India but becomes the Padma once it crosses into Bangladesh.
• Day trip to Gaud , also known as Sona Masjid, an ancient capital of mosques sprawling across both sides of the India-Bangladesh border.
• Head out to Puthia, where you can play Indiana Jones and explore the most densely populated (Hindu) temple complex in Bangladesh.
• Adventure to Natore, where you can bond with epic old rajbaris , palaces.

Where to stay in Rajshahi

• Budget/mid-range: Hotel Nice International is the go-to in Rajshahi. A double room is 2,000 Tk/night ; a bit pricey for those on tighter budgets, but the facilities are good, and it’s not so painful if you can find someone to share it with.
• Budget: The cheapest place I’ve heard of is Green City International. It offers cramped rooms with a squat toilet, and is located above a medical center (which you have to enter to get to the hotel). Not the most idea, but certainly the cheapest option – Book Green City International here !

Tea for days!

Synonymous with tea, Sylhet is one of Bangladesh’s main tourist drags. Tell a Bengali you’re headed to Sylhet, and you’re sure to see a sparkle of pride in their eyes.

Leafy tea fields as far as the eye can see, and home to plenty of tasty restaurants, Sylhet is a great base from which to explore the surrounding tea region. Sylhet town is a friendly place with welcoming people and feels more developed than most other parts of Bangladesh. There’s a reason: many overseas Bangladeshis originally came from Sylhet, and remittance money helped modernize Sylhet compared to other cities in Bangladesh.

Outside the town, there are plenty of tea plantations that can be visited on foot or by jumping in one of the numerous shared Vikrams puttering up and down Sylhet’s roads. If you need a break from city life, this is a place to do so.

Where to stay in Sylhet

• Budget: Budget backpackers rejoice! Golden City Hotel offers singles for 650 Tk … with a hot shower.
• Mid-range: Friendly and eager to please staff will greet you at the Bottomhill Palace Hotel in central Sylhet. Despite its central location, its newly built rooms are nice and quiet. Book at room at Bottomhill Palace Hotel now.

Almost-hills of tea in Srimangal

Srimangal  

Bangladesh’s tea capital is a fresh and green escape from the madness of its big cities. Contrary to stereotypes of rolling hills of tea high in the mountains, much of Srimangal (also spelled Sreemangal) is relatively flat, making it an excellent place to explore by bicycle.

The main town is nondescript, but you can easily get caught up in the slow pace of life in the surrounding tea estates, villages, farms, and Lawachera National Park.

Things to do in Srimangal  

• Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle. There’s a really nice road leading to Madhabpur Lake, which branches off of the main road heading to Lawachera National Park. The lake itself isn’t much, but the road leads through tea estates and is utterly gorgeous. Since a terror attack targeting foreigners in Dhaka got the authorities riled up, it’s currently not allowed for foreigners to cycle in Sreemangal. However, you might be able to get a bike from one of the tour agencies around town.
• Explore the villages. The Manipuri villages outside town (near Adi Nilkantha Tea Cabin) are a good place to start; from there, keep following the dirt roads through villages and you’re sure to find something nice.
• Try the 7-8 layer tea at Nilkantha Tea Cabin. It started with 2, became famous when it was 7, and now it has 8 and maybe more by the time you visit. It’s totally a gimmick, but amusing to play with. If you’re with a group, get one for photos and let everyone else order normal tea. There are many copycats, but only two Nilkantha Tea Cabins: the newer Adi Nilkantha Tea Cabin down the road from the original is in a nicer and quieter location.

Beating the heat in the river running through the Finlay tea estate

Where to stay in Srimangal

• Budget: As far as Bangladesh accommodation goes, Green Leaf Guesthouse  is actually pretty stylin’ and atmospheric for a budget option! Rooms go for around 750 Tk for a single. Book a room at Green Leaf Gueshouse here.
• Mid-range: To get away from the dirt and noise of “downtown” Srimangal, head out to  Grand Selim Resort , situated amongst the quiet and green Manipuri villages on the town’s outskirts. Book a room at the Grand Selim now.

Early morning rays over Nijhum Dwip island

There are hundreds of small islands in the south of Bangladesh where the Meghna river meets the Bay of Bengal. Nijhum Dwip (pronounced “Nij-hum Deep”) is one such island, made famous by its national park filled with spotted deer.

Though I don’t think deer are exciting enough to merit going all the way down to Nijhum Dwip, the friendly people, quiet surroundings, and relatively off the beaten track status of the island certainly are. The island is easily accessible by launch from Dhaka ( my favorite way to travel in Bangladesh ), and just getting there is sure to be an adventure.

Read:  Oh deer! A travel guide to Nijhum Dwip .

The pointed mangrove roots found all over Nijhum Dwip… and coastal Bangladesh!

Where to stay in Nijhum Dwip:

• Budget/mid-range: Places to stay on Nijhum Dwip are limited, but the new pink Hotel Sohel  ( Google Maps ) does a decent job. The managers are incredibly friendly and helpful despite speaking no English, and the rooms are comfortable. I paid 500 Tk for a double in the offseason, bargained down from 1,500 Tk.

Friendly faces on Monpura

The little island of Monpura is in the same region as Nijhum Dwip. Though more people live on Monpura, the island is still quiet and natural, home to mangrove forests, sea beaches, and grassy plains. If you can get a bicycle onto the island (or find someone to rent one to you), this would be the perfect place to spend a few days cycling and exploring.

Monpura is famous for two things: one is the plainly titled Monpura , a popular Bangla film made on its shores, the other is a cyclone that devastated the island and the surrounding areas in 1970.

Even by Bangladesh’s standards, the island is very poor as a result, but the people’s hearts are incredibly warm. Good thing, too—there isn’t much in the way of places to stay on Monpura, so being hosted is ideal. Luckily, people are more than happy to do so.

Shobhan, my host on Monpura whom I met on the launch to the island

Where to stay in Monpura

I was hosted in Monpura, and you should aim to do the same (try chatting up people on the launch!). If all else fails, there’s a decrepit government rest house on the island. I paid 200 Tk /night at a similar place on neighboring Hatiya island; I imagine the price is similar on Monpura.

The most important thing to know: you are going to be the center of attention

Things to know before traveling to Bangladesh

Now that you have a rough idea of where to go, let’s talk about what you need to know before visiting Bangladesh.

A family strolling by the Buddhist ruins of Sompur Mahavihara near Bogra

• Bangladeshis stare. A lot. A lot a lot.  This is what you need to brace yourself for the most, as it can get really intense at times. The most important thing to keep in mind is that most people don’t mean anything by it—they’re just reaaaaally curious about foreigners, but the language barrier is usually too big to do anything but stare.
• Many women don’t like to be photographed. Always ask first. If they say no, I’m sure the men will be happy to be snapped.
• It is inappropriate for a man to travel around alone with a girl he’s not related to. Boys, beware of being too forward with Bangladeshi girls (if you can even get to that point).
• Women shouldn’t shake men’s hands unless they’re offered first.

The beginnings of a home-cooked meal in a family’s home on Monpura

• Bangladesh is a land of rice. Bengalis eat large piles of rice with many of their meals, so prepare your stomach and your sugar levels.
• Meat is incredibly common, and people will be confused if you don’t order meat with your meal.
• Vegetarian dishes such as dal and sabji , vegetables, are common. Beware, in some places vegetables may contain small shrimps.
• Eating with hands is the norm in non-fancy restaurants. Remember, only eat with your right hand, and wash your hands before and after!
• Eat the cake hanging from bags at tea stalls in cities. It looks gross and old, but it’s usually fresh and delicious.

My typical outfit while out and about: salwar kameez with an orna across my chest.  

Getting dressed

• Boys should wear long pants and a shirt. Shorts can be seen at times, but are not common. Tank tops are something to be worn by manual laborers, rather than as clothing for going out.
• Girls should always wear long pants, though short sleeves are okay in cities. ¾ length sleeves will do everywhere else.
• For extra deterrent of creepers, girls can drape a scarf across their chest (called orna in Bangla, or dupatta in Hindi).
• Girls don’t need to wear a headscarf unless entering a mosque.

Kids acting out the war of independence with Pakistan (and enjoying it a little bit too much methinks)

• After the British partition of the Indian subcontinent, modern-day Pakistan was known as “West Pakistan,” while Bangladesh was known as “East Pakistan”.
• Bangladesh fought Pakistan in a war for independence, which it won in 1971. March 26 is now celebrated as Independence Day.
• In 1952, when Bangladesh was still East Pakistan, Bengalis fought for the right to use Bangla as the national language, rather than Urdu. A time of unrest was sparked when police killed protestors at a demonstration on February 21. The day has now been designated by UNESCO as International Mother Language Day in honor of those killed, and Bangladeshis are very sensitive about this subject.

Stopping so someone I just met could gift me a watermelon

Hospitality

• Bangladeshis are insanely hospitable, and it’s not weird for someone to invite you to stay in their home or eat with them after a few minutes.
• If visiting someone’s house, you can bring a box of sweets or a bag of fruit as a gift .
• Prepare to be paraded from house to house if a family brings you in. Errbody will want to see the foreigner, and it can get exhausting if you’re not prepared.
• If you have dietary restrictions, be upfront about it when someone invites you in. Otherwise, it will get very awkward when it’s time to eat.

Girl’s got my taka!

• Try to have a stash of small notes at all times. It can be difficult to break big notes in remote places.
• ATMs aren’t a given in remote areas —many people use mobile banking services like Bkash or Rocket. Be sure to bring all the cash you might need if heading out into the villages for a long time.
• If no one will take your ripped/obliterated/destroyed banknotes, you can exchange them for new notes at any bank .

Hanging out with James, who was my occasional “husband” when we traveled together for a couple of weeks

Relationships

• PDAs are not okay between men and women in Bangladesh. If traveling as a couple, don’t even think about holding hands in public, let alone kissing or doing anything more.
• It’s illegal to be gay in Bangladesh, though as a foreigner, you won’t be arrested. Men in Bangladesh are very forward and touchy with each other; their actions could easily be perceived as gay by people from other countries. Gay dudes, just don’t make out in public (or shout about being gay) and you should be fine.
• Unmarried couples can’t officially share a room …. but if you say you’re married and check-in together, no one will ask too much about it. Usually.

Rainbow mosque in Dhaka, hopefully deliberately rather than ironically

• 90% of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim , with a minority mostly composed of Hindus and Christians.
• Being nonreligious is virtually impossible in Bangladesh. It’s best to say you have a religion, else you might offend someone. Being an atheist is basically saying you think their god isn’t real.
• Don’t play music during the azaan , call to prayer. You can turn the tunes back on once it’s done.

Madness on the launch ghats in Dhaka. Despite a rather stressful first encounter , I do love me some launch travel.

Transportation

• Trains are the cheapest and fastest (and smoothest) way to travel between cities on land.
• Launches (ferry style boats) are the cheapest way to travel long distances over water. Read my guide to traveling by launch in Bangladesh.
• “Rickshaws” are colorful seats attached to bicycles.
• “Autos” or “CNGs” are the tuktuk style transport found all over South and Southeast Asia.
• Buses can be hailed down anywhere (and you can get off anywhere), just shout at the bus boy to figure out where it’s going.
• Try to sit next to your own gender when riding anywhere, unless it’s someone you know. Lone women can sit at the front of buses.
• Uber is available in the big cities, don’t be afraid to use it!

Even in the villages, smartphones be everywhere

Staying connected in Bangladesh with a local SIM

If you’re going to be in Bangladesh for some time—or you just love the internet as much as I do—a SIM card is a good investment.

Mobile networks across Bangladesh are mostly limited to 3G, though some network providers are rolling out 4G in the cities. Despite the slower connection, coverage is still pretty good in Bangladesh—I rarely went without signal for long periods of time.

Getting a SIM card

Grameenphone has the best coverage throughout Bangladesh and is one of the few carriers to offer 4G.

To get a Grameenphone SIM card, head to any Grameenphone customer care center in a city or town, and bring along a photocopy of your passport and one passport photo . The company name may be in Bangla, so just look for the Grameenphone logo:

There’s a minimal charge to set up your SIM card—you’ll just need to load on calling credit and/or an internet package. I paid around 1,500 Tk for a 10GB monthly package. Grameenphone’s website has a list of internet package prices so you can get an idea of cost.

Reloading your SIM card  

To add more calling credit or data to your SIM card, just head to any small shop that has the logo of your mobile provider on it somewhere. Posters with the logo listing recharge prices are usually a good sign.

Traffic: the biggest safety concern in Bangladesh

Safety in Bangladesh

Bangladesh got a bit of a bad rep after twenty people were killed in a hostage situation in Dhaka in 2016.

However, it was an isolated incident, and the motives behind it were very murky—it’s thought that it was staged to make Bangladesh look dangerous and dissuade foreigners from coming.

Overall, Bangladesh is not any more or less safe than other countries in the region. Don’t let the unfounded concerns of your family and friends and Islamophobes deter you. Your biggest concern in Bangladesh should be crossing the street without being run over (easier said than done), not being kidnapped or killed!

Some of the most dangerous things in Bangladesh: buses ‘n bikes

Nevertheless, there are still some safety precautions you should take when traveling in Bangladesh:

• Don’t tell people exactly where you’re staying unless they need to know. Aside from the obvious, this will also keep them from appearing at your door at 6 in the morning because they “missed you”. Really.
• Lock your hotel door when inside. Not only will people appear at your door, but they may also just walk in unannounced. Usually with good intentions, but still…
• Stick to crowded areas at night where possible. Kind as most people are, muggings do occur in the big cities; Bangladesh is quite poor after all.
• Beware of crowds for political events, elections, etc.  Know that transportation can also stop for several days around elections.

The very hygienic streets of Dhaka

Health in Bangladesh

Sorry Bangladesh, but there are no two ways about it: you’re a dirty, dirty country.

Forget any safety concerns—health is the most legitimate problem for travelers in Bangladesh.

Hygiene standards are exceptionally low both inside cities and out (Running water? Who needs that?) , Dhaka is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and dengue is a big problem all throughout the country.

Note: If you’re prone to mishaps or illness on the road, I highly recommend taking out travel insurance before heading to Bangladesh. World Nomads is a user-friendly travel insurance I’ve used and recommend. Get a quote from World Nomads now.

There’s only so much you can do when filth is so ubiquitous, but to minimize the chance that you’ll spend half of your trip on the toilet…

• Always wash your hands before and after eating. Even in the smallest of eateries, there will at least be a sink or a bucket of water for “hand wash.” Also, hand sanitizer is your friend.
• Drink only bottled water or filtered/sterilized/boiled water. Beware of what locals offer you, as most people can stomach untreated water. Again, a Steripen is really handy. You can treat anything clear… and the glowing light is a fun party trick for the inevitable crowd of people staring at you.  Buy a Steripen now.
• Avoid salads or anything with chopped raw vegetables. They’re washed in water, and you don’t know where it came from. The same goes for ice.
• Take precautions to prevent mosquito bites. I’m not one for malaria tablets (not that it matters—I’m not your doctor), but I do use bug repellent cream and mosquito coils where possible. You can find the cream in pharmacies, and coils in any small convenience store.

Washed in tap water but… it tastes so good! What do?

Disclaimer: Every body is different. In the name of transparency, I broke all of these rules on a daily basis (bar hand washing), but my stomach has been hardened from more than a year in South Asia … and I did have lots of diarrhea. If you’ve been kicking it in India for a time, you can try gradually working your way up to eating the salads and veggie mixes like jhalmuri because, well, it’s delicious!

Can girls travel in Bangladesh?

Female travel in Bangladesh

I’ll cut to the chase: Bangladesh is a terrible place to be a woman, and traveling as a [solo] woman in Bangladesh can open up a fat can of worms.

That’s not to say it’s impossible—obviously, as I’m not dead!—but it will definitely be a challenge for any female traveler.

There are too many considerations to list here; here are my (very comprehensive) thoughts on female travel in Bangladesh.

Resources for travel in Bangladesh

Though my blog is obviously the greatest thing since sliced bread—erm… roti?—it’s understandable that you’re on a quest for as much planning assistance as possible. I’ll let you slide. For now.

Following are some resources to better help you plan your trip to Bangladesh:

Facebook groups

• Travelers of Bangladesh: A gigantic group of Bangladeshi travelers run by an avid traveler who I ran into in Nijhum Dwip . Mostly for posting trip reports. A good place for you to get some Bangladesh inspiration.
• TOB Helpline: The sister group of TOB, where you can post travel-related questions and get some sweeeet answers. (Note: do not feel the need to accept any of the million friend requests that will come if you post a question.)

Travel blogs

• Uncornered Market traveled in Bangladesh in 2012 and wrote a guide about it that’s still relevant and comprehensive.
• Teacake Travels’  Alice is a formidable female traveler who also visited Bangladesh. Her post about solo female travel in Bangladesh captures all the feels perfectly.
• Intrepidgirl  has a post that lays out a few good reasons you should (or shouldn’t) travel to Bangladesh.
• The Bradt Travel Guide to Bangladesh  is the best and most up-to-date guidebook on the country at the moment.  Buy the Bradt Travel Guide to Bangladesh.

A summary of Bangladesh in one photo: crazy amounts of friendly people (occasionally way too close)

Good luck, inshallah you won’t need it

And so ends my monster guide to backpacking in Bangladesh.

Your eyes are probably falling out of their sockets by now; I know my fingers are falling out of theirs.

But, on the off chance you’re…

A) not yet sick of me and

B) still have questions

… you can always get in touch . Please, for the love of biriyani, don’t ask me to plan your itinerary for you.

Otherwise, good luck, stay cool, and maybe catch you on the road in Bangladesh!

Helpful? Pin it!

Yay transparency!  There are affiliate links in this guide. If you buy something using my links, I’ll make a bit of money  at no extra cost to you.  A girl’s gotta fund her biriyani addiction somehow, ya know.

Alex Reynolds

28 thoughts on “ the ultimate guide to backpacking in bangladesh ”.

Excellent guide. I am surprised thinking how much time and effort you have put together in writing this comprehensive guide.

Just a note to you, I have seen some spelling mistakes like Sonali Bank, Dawki/Tamabil border, etc.

Thank you so much for writing about Bangladesh 🇧🇩.

Hi there! This is a wonderful guide. I loved the details about Old Dhaka. I’ve made four trips to Dhaka now (I’m American) since 2022. I’ve yet to ever see a backpacking guide like this! How wonderful.

I noticed that the prices listed on here are a lot less expensive than what I’ve been accustomed to pay. I”m curious, when did you travel to Dhaka? I think, since Covid19, inflation has doubled and tripled prices. I”m hard-pressed to find anything in North Dhaka for less than $10,000 tk a day.

However, might I suggest for backpackers interested in North Dhaka to stay at Maati Properties. It’s like North Dhaka’s most professional Airbnb. It’s about $10,000 TK a day. However, long term travelers can get deals by the month.

Anyways, let me know if you’d be interested in a collaboration to update some of the info on here. I’ve had a lot of interesting travels in Bangladesh. I’m also female, so that makes my perspective particularly interesting.

Thanks for this!

Hey Fiya! Thanks for the kind words. Yes, it’s been a while since I was in Bangladesh – I wrote this in 2018, well before COVID and inflation and other financial hits. I’m sure a lot of the prices are vastly different now!

Oh my goodness! I didn’t realize you were a woman. I think that this guide is like twice as powerful now. Thank you for creating this. <3

$1,000 TK a day (in both cases). Not $10,000 (goodness I always mix up my numbers).

In case your hormones usually are not on monitor they’ll wreak havoc in your numerous bodily features. Carry out these 7 workouts for…

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You are here: Home » Experiential Travel Guides » Bangladesh Travel: A Beginner’s Guide

Bangladesh Travel: A Beginner’s Guide

Last Updated on July 21, 2021 by Audrey Scott

Let’s face it. Reliable independent travel information about Bangladesh doesn’t flow quite as freely as it does for some other nearby countries in south Asia.

And even when you get in country, information can be hard to come by: ask five people a question and you're likely to get ten answers.

But persevere and show your curiosity and you’ll find that Bangladesh actually offers more diversity in sights and experiences that you might first expect, from UNESCO pre-Moghul mosques to cycling through tea estates to tracking tigers in mangrove forests. But perhaps more distinct are the human interactions that make visiting Bangladesh such a unique experience.

More than five weeks in Bangladesh? Is there really enough to do there?

— A typical response when we shared our Bangladesh travel plans.

Next time you wonder what there is to do and see in Bangladesh, take a look at the list below for inspiration. Seek it out, understand that things don’t always go as planned, and enjoy the journey.

Cox’s Bazar Spoiler: We're prepared for flak from Bangladeshis regarding the fact that Cox’s Bazar does not appear on our list. Cox's Bazar, home of the longest continuous stretch of beach in the world didn't make the cut during our visit. We'd spent plenty of time on beaches in Thailand before visiting Bangladesh, and frankly we were having too much fun in the Bangladesh countryside to up and make our way to the beach.

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s sprawling, crazy capital city

Make your way to old town Dhaka (Puran Dhaka) and Shakari Bazaar for interaction with some of the friendliest and most energetic people in the world. Go early in the morning or on a holiday so that you have a chance to see it all and engage with the crowds before things become too hot or busy. Take a rickshaw ride through the narrow old town streets. Wild, fun, human. Our favorite part of Dhaka by far.

Also recommended is the walking tour of old Dhaka by the Urban Study Group working to protect Dhaka’s historical buildings (ask for Taimur). Our tour happened to coincide with the Hindu holiday of Holi so our walks through the Hindu parts of town were in full festival and color mode. A fulfilling, educational experience all around.

The easiest way to get to the old town is by CNG (compressed natural gas auto rickshaw ) – ask to use the meter. Traffic in Dhaka is horrible, so plan your way around the city wisely or risk spending hours stuck in traffic that may leave you never wanting to exit your hotel again.

View more photos: Dhaka

Rocket steamer: river travel.

While the rocket steamer may not be one of the fastest ways to travel, but it is one of the most pleasant. Bangladesh is a country of rivers; you have to travel them to get a feel for the country. The Rocket Steamer is a great way to do this.

Although we’re usually cheapskates when it comes to transport, we do recommend splurging for an overnight first class cabin (around $25 total for the two of us). On the route from Dhaka to Khulna, this allowed us access to the front of the boat along with a handful – as opposed to hundreds – of other people.

Pull up a chair outside and watch Dhaka disappear in the rear view as the river opens wide with fishermen, villages and the occasional brickfield (brick-making operation). We will never forget drinking tea after sunset on the front deck as we exited Dhaka's orbit and made our way into wider, more silent waterways. Epic and soothing.

Because water levels were low, we chose to exit the boat at Pirojpur. From there, we took a bus the remainder of the way to Khulna (about 2 hours). In Khulna, we met up with our Sundarban tour boat the following day.

A note on safety: You might be asking, “ Is it really safe to take a boat in Bangladesh? I keep hearing reports of boats sinking .” The Rocket Steamer does indeed have a good safety record. However, be aware that other public river ferry transport options may not be as safe due to overcrowding and spotty maintenance.

Buying tickets: The Rocket Steamer departs around 6 PM from Sadarghat in old Dhaka. Although touts may suggest otherwise, you cannot buy tickets for the Rocket Steamer at Sadarghat in Dhaka. We advise going directly to the BIWTC (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport) office at 5 Dilkusha. Call ahead to confirm that boats are running. Schedules are subject to change based on water levels and repairs: +88-02-9559779. You can also buy Rocket Steamer tickets through local travel agent for a fee that will include a commission.

View More Photos: Rocket Steamer from Dhaka

Sundarbans: tiger tracking in mangrove forests..

The Sundarbans, the largest tidal mangrove forests in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a big attraction in Bangladesh. A Sundarbans tour is usually among the first items on a visitor's Bangladesh travel itinerary. The Sundarbans feature mangrove forests, visits to the Bay of Bengal, and an often unsuccessful search for tigers.

Most journeys to the Sundarbans depart from Khulna and travel south and east along various rivers and streams towards the Bay of Bengal. Within a few hours of leaving Khulna, industry, towns, fishermen and villages fade in favor of virtually uninhabited mangrove forests. Birds, deer, crocodiles, and wild boar become your new companions. Oh, and tigers — whether or not you get a chance to see them, they will likely see you.

Sundarban tours include a few landings to walk through the thick mud of the mangrove forests in search of the shy Bengal tiger. Although it’s unlikely you’ll actually see a tiger (there’s an estimated 400 of them remaining in this vast land mass), this is still a recommended trip to get yourself into the middle mangrove forests, see some different animals, and just enjoy nature and its silence.

Booking a Sundarbans Tour:

We went with Bengal Tours . The boat, food, and staff were all great. A standard tour for two nights/three days is around $150. If we had known in advance, we would have better timed our visit to coincide with the honey harvest season (April) and booked a “honey-hunting tour.”

Honey-hunting tiger tours run at the very end of the Sundarbans tour season, as the dry season becomes full-blown. This special tour follows villagers in the northwest reaches of the Sundarbans and includes as they harvest honey, a rather dangerous undertaking because of the apparent relative profusion of curious tigers in the area.

The Guide Tours also runs Sundarbans tours. Although we didn’t travel with them, one of our close friends did and he recommended them. Rupantar Eco-Tourism , was also recommended to us, but there were no tours running at the time of our visit.

View More : Sundarbans Photos

Bagarhat: pre-moghul mosques and crocodiles.

While Shait Gumbad Masjid (Sixty Dome Mosque) in Bagerhat, Bangladesh might qualify as one of more remote and foreigner-free UNESCO sites we've come across in our travels, it's certainly not a lonely place.

From the moment we stepped foot on the grounds of this 15th century pre-Mughal-era mosque, we were approached by playful school girls, elderly Imams, extended families, shutter-happy teenagers and everyone in between. Like all their Bangladeshi countrymen and women, they are a curious and friendly lot and will pay you oodles of attention, as this site currently does not get many foreign visitors.

Conversations went in and out of Bangla and English about Bangladesh, United States, Islam, crocodiles, cricket, Facebook and more. At every turn, mobile phones clicked with photos of us.

And although the grounds of the mosque teem with people and activity, the interior is impressive with its dozens of columns, pre-Moghul architecture, and faded wall decor wiped out by heavy-handed plastering. However, what we enjoyed most was that the mosque is not a museum, but is still actively used by the local community.

If you have more time, take a rickshaw to Khan Jahan Ali Mazar where you’ll find a pond full of well-fed crocodiles and the Nine-Domed Mosque a short walk away. Keep an eye out for this friendly Imam who will take you around the 15th century building.

There isn’t really a place to sleep here, so visiting Bagerhat is best done as a day trip from Khulna. For a taste of beautiful peaceful brick-lined village lanes, a visit here is an absolute must.

Khulna Hotel : We enjoyed staying at Hotel Jalico on #77 Lower Jessore Road. Around $14 for a double room with A/C, including breakfast served in your room. Request a local breakfast – the “western breakfast” includes soggy eggs and toast.

More Photos from Bagerhat

Rajshahi and puthia: university town and hindu temples.

Take the early morning train from Khulna to Rajshahi for one of the most pleasant rides in the country through villages and rice fields. Besides offering an absolutely beautiful journey, this train seems to run on time. Purchasing a ticket at the Khulna train station is fairly easy. Foreigners will likely be directed around the back of the building to make their visit even easier. 1st class cabin tickets run about $3-$4/piece. Among the world's greatest train ticket values.

At dusk, go down to the Ganges/Patma river front: kids play cricket, families gather around food carts, and boats carry people back and forth towards the Indian border. You’ll soon be surrounded by Rajshahi’s students; curious, outgoing, and sporting good English. A good sign if these are the future leaders of their country.

Nearby Puthia is worth a stop to walk around, see the Hindu temples, and chat with the temple caretakers and other locals. You can see the town’s former prominence in the Hindu Temples and Palace. We particularly enjoyed the Govinda Temple with its exterior of carved terracotta tiles.

Note that the representative from the Puthia archeological association can be a bit overbearing and ultimately hijack your visit and your sanity, so be firm in expressing your wishes.

More Photos: Rajshahi and Puthia Photos

Paharpur monastery: tantric buddhist monastery.

Another UNESCO World Heritage site in Bangladesh: the 8th century Paharpur Monastery in northwestern Bangladesh is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries south of the Himalayas. Today, much of the site is in ruins but it’s still worth a visit. Fascinating to imagine how this university-style “dorms” where Buddhism and Buddhist monks thrived for several centuries under in what was once Buddhist Bangladesh.

If you visit Paharpur, we recommend spending the night in Joypurhat and taking an electric or auto rickshaw to the the site.

Paharpur Hotel : We stayed in a great guest room at an NGO called DMSS for around $11/double room. Our host, Aburpa, was wonderful and the money from your stay goes to support DMSS' work with indigenous people in the region. He can also arrange a rickshaw to the ruins. Contact the organization in advance to see if they have availability. A great place to stay.

More Photos: Paharpur Buddhist Monastery

Rural homestay in a bangladesh village exploration.

Bangladesh’s cities are busy, harried and full of people, traffic and commotion. From our perspective, an absolute must in Bangladesh: spending time in rural Bangladesh to get a completely different perspective. One of the highlights of our trip was a two-day village homestay in the village of Hatiandha outside of the city of Natore.

In the village, we stayed with a local family for two nights and enjoyed delicious home-cooked Bangladeshi food. We also had an opportunity to visit rural schools, walk around the village and fields to learn about agriculture, see a pottery village, various aspects of harvesting, puffing rice with hot sand and enjoying the pace of Bangladesh village life.

Arranging a Bangladesh home stay

The home stay program we used is a new initiative from Eco Connexion, the rural tourism arm of the NGO ESDO.

Srimongal: Tea Estates and Long Bike Rides

From our perspectives, another must see during a visit to Bangladesh. The aim: to get out of town and enjoy the countryside; tea estates, ethnic villages, national parks, lakes and greenery. You can hire a car, or as we did, rent bicycles and cycle your way through the teaberry flavored air of tea plantations, take up a local or two on their invitation for tea (or a birthday party). Go, enjoy the outdoors and let your days unfold by themselves.

Our suggestion: rent bikes and head out to Madhabpur Lake, not so much to see the actual lake but for the adventure on the way there and back. Beautiful scenery, villages and people. The fragrance of tea bushes in the fresh air of early morning is like nothing you'll experience in life.

The tea gardens surrounding Srimongal are remnants from the British Empire; workers were brought from other parts of the country and also from India. Today, this area is home to several different ethnic groups. Although working conditions are exceptionally difficult for the tea pickers, we found them incredibly friendly and welcoming.

It’s possible to arrange visits to indigenous Garo, Manipuri, and Khashia villages. Our suggestion is to go with a guide who is from that indigenous group and village so that you have a more personal experience. You can contact Nishorgo Network or Community EcoTour to arrange village visits. Don't miss a visit to Nilkantha for a taste of 7-layer tea. There's also an unassuming stand that serves up puchka. Makes for a perfect late-afternoon snack.

To rent bikes, contact Sablu at Classic Tours and Travels in Srimongal. He's a really nice guy who can arrange other tours. He also knows where to find a get a good shave.

READ MORE : The Destination Is Everything, The Destination Is Nothing

Chittagong Hill Tracts: Bandarban and Rangamati

This little sliver of land in the southeastern corner of the country can be a bit tricky to get to, but it's all worth the effort. More than a dozen ethnic groups share this region; it’s like a journey through Southeast and South Asia in one swoop.

Try to plan your visit around the weekly market in Bandarban and Rangamati on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In scenes like this one at the indigenous market in the town of Bandarban, it's easy to forget which country we're visiting.

Bandarban is part of an area known as the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). CHT's rolling hills in southeastern Bangladesh are home to over fifteen indigenous groups, many of which have their origins in far eastern India, Burma and Southeast Asia .

While the market had some unusual features for one in Bangladesh — a monitor lizard butchered to bits at the river's edge, a huge pig sawed in half mid-market, massive sting rays hanging on hooks, and sacks jumping with plump frogs — something else stood out. Women.

Women were everywhere – as vendors, buyers, connoisseurs of cigars, and among the out and about. While the presence of women may not sound terribly profound, their absence from other markets and many facets of public life here in Bangladesh has been noticeable. And we've missed it.

So at the Sunday episode of the Bandarban indigenous market we enjoyed the opportunity to sit with vendors (men and women), throw around a few words in Bangla (didn't really help), use charades to communicate some more, learn the local names of vegetables, and share a few smiles.

Also highly recommended is hiring a guide for half a day in Bandarban to go through villages and take a boat ride down Shangu river. We arranged for this through Guide Tours Bandarban Hill Resort (about $8-$10) and it was a fantastic experience. Our guide, Royel, was a Baum man from the surrounding villages and knew everyone, everything.

Another site to see near Bandarban is Bangladesh's largest active Buddhist temple, Buddha Dhatu Jadi or Golden Temple — a peaceful little place tucked into the hills above the town. You might be thinking, “Buddhism in Bangladesh?” Once upon a time, Buddhism was the prominent religion across the land that is now Bangladesh.

Although Buddhists only make up around 1% of the population today, you can find pockets of of Marma, Chakma and other ethnic communities practicing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in southeastern Bangladesh. There are even a few Bengali Buddhists about.

Our visit to Rangamati overlapped with both local Buddhist water festival and Bangla new years; we were adopted by a local Chakma man and visited about ten groups of family and friends, each with outrageous amounts of rice wine and food. Let’s just say we didn’t do a lot more than that during our two days there.

Permits to CHT:

It’s necessary to get a permit to enter the CHT. Most travel agents or hotels can arrange this for you for free or for a small fee. They will submit your passport details to the authorities so that your name appears on an approved list.

Bandarban Hotel

We stayed at Hotel Purbani on the main road in Bandarban town. Around $8 for a double room (fan) with some of the most attentive staff in the world. To enjoy the hills and countryside outside of town, take a look at the Bandarban Hillside Resort run by Guide Tours. We hired a guide from here and the facilities looked nice.

Rangamati Hotel

Banarupa Tourists Inn is on the outskirts of town. We were there during a big holiday, so rooms were hard to find. A double room cost around $18-$20.

Of course, there is much more to do in Bangladesh than what is on this list. Our aim is to provide you a starting point to inspire your thinking, planning, and preparation for Bangladesh. Independent travel in Bangladesh is intense, so be sure to plan in enough down time; try to get out of the big cities. Once you do, you are sure to set yourself up for some unforgettably unique experiences.

If you're interested in more information on travel to Bangladesh, be sure to listen to our Bangladesh podcast interview with Chris Christensen from the Amateur Traveler.

About Audrey Scott

36 thoughts on “bangladesh travel: a beginner’s guide”.

Great details, very informative.

Just adding to this otherwise pretty complete guide.

Boga Lake A part of Chittagong Hill Tracts, but can only be reached by trekking through some darn nice hill country inhabited by different tribes.

Cox’s Bazar Yes, you mentioned it yourself. A visit to Cox’s Bazar beach is pretty mandatory. Not because is pretty, but because Bangdeshis consider it to be a paradise and it is so far from. It is a wonder how a beach can be so unattractive in a fascinating way… but hey, this is Bangladesh!

Sorry, I should have added some pictures from both Boga Lake and Cox’s Bazar. Here they are:

Boga Lake http://www.globespots.com/photogallery.php?photogallery=boga_lake

Cox’s Bazar http://www.globespots.com/photogallery.php?photogallery=coxs_bazar

@Sutapa: There’s a lot of inconsistent information about Bangladesh in guide books and even when you get on the ground, so we tried to be thorough here with all the details we wish we had known before we went.

@Bo: Boga Lake was on our wish list, but as we were in CHT during the new year it was difficult to find guides and transport. We’ll just have to return to be able to visit next time…including Cox’s Bazaar 🙂

@Tom: Yeah, tigers going after honey does sound rather Winnie the Pooh-ish, but it is a dangerous activity. Something like 50-60 people get killed each year by tigers and many of them during the honey season.

Bangladesh definitely does surprise on its old mosques and ruins; there used to be much more, but as the population has grown it’s hard to keep things up. I don’t see EasyJet going to Dhaka anytime soon, but Air Asia used to from Kuala Lumpur. We flew $90 one-way from Dhaka-KL. Such a shame they stopped service!

Great tips, thanks for sharing! Tigers being curious about honey sounds adorable but I’m sure it’s far from the opposite – I need to switch my brain off of Disney mode!

I’m a complete geek for things like old mosques and ruins, I had no idea there were so many in Bangladesh! Now to book a ticket… EasyJet to Dhaka? Hmm!

Thanks for the wonderful detailed guide. I’ll be referring back to this when we eventually visit Bangladesh.

@Erin: You’re welcome! Just get in touch if you need any more details for planning your trip to Bangladesh or when you’re there.

Definitely one of the most detailed, well-illustrated and thorough write-ups I’ve seen about Bangladesh. Could you let me know if/where you discovered “inconsistent information about Bangladesh in guide books” in the Bradt guide? I’m in the midst of updating right now!

Thanks for covering Bangladesh in such a positive and interesting manner. One thing though, the mention of Tea Pluckers(not pickers in the true Tea jargon)life being exceptionally difficult is not correct as they are probably the only working group that are provided with their own homessteads, clean water, weekly ration and a large communal meeting place with TV for their entertainment.In some large estates they also have dispensaries and small scale hospitals. Working conditions are difficult for all agricultural growers in Bangladesh.In fact it is specially difficult for the Rickshaw Wallas who migrate from the villages due to no employment opportunities there and live in almost squalid conditions in the large cities.

@Mikey: Wow, thank you for your kind words about our write-up. Coming from you as an expert on Bangladesh that means a lot.

I don’t have the Bangladesh guidebooks in front of me at the moment, but some suggestions we have for updating the Bradt Guide would be: 1) For all transport routes, be sure to list (expected) hours/length of route. If possible prices as well (although these do change). 2) Give the Bangla name for sites and locations since many rickshaw drivers don’t speak English. I remember doing charades trying to communicate Buddhist temple when we were in Bandarban to the rickshaw drivers since they only knew the local name. 3) Improve the maps. I know Bangladesh is impossible to map, especially its cities, but we found it quite difficult to navigate the maps in the Bratdt Guide.

If more ideas come to mind, I’ll be sure to send you an email. Good luck with updating the Bangladesh Bradt Guide!

@Marc: Many people don’t think about Bangladesh as a travel destination, which is really a shame. Bangladesh is not the easiest travel out there, but it’s certainly fascinating and people are so welcoming.

@Murad: Thanks for sharing this about the Tea Pluckers. I completely agree that life for all agricultural people in Bangladesh is difficult and for rickshaw drivers they live extremely challenging lives.

Yes, the tea estates provided housing when the pluckers moved from other parts of Bangladesh and India many years ago. Of the people we spoke with, they still live in the same homes their parents had when they arrived many years ago. However, we were told by different sources that the situation now for tea pickers is worse than it used to be because the tea estates don’t have as much money for these services. Many earn around $1/day and the food rations are often not sufficient. But, it’s hopeful to hear that some tea estates are able to provide better services and pay.

Yes, Bangladesh is good for traveler. It is green. people also green here. River and and green tree are beautiful.

its great about travel in Bangladesh, nice writing. hope your page is run very rapidly. thanks.

The post is briefly helpful for the tourist who want to travel Bangladesh

My fingers tingle as I begin to pen this down; I’m a Bangladeshi by descent and the closest living link, is only a Bangladeshi friend staying in London. Every conversation with him is like taking a trip to the land I have sworn to visit at least once, the land where my roots lie.

Remarkable, Bruce. Hoping you have the opportunity to visit Bangladesh to bring your thoughts full circle.

WOW, great listing. It will help foreigners when they will visit my country Bangladesh. Thank you so much.

Thank you for your blog. I was wondering could you advise on a rough travel itinary I.e which route to take around the country. We land in Dharka and have 30 days and will be missing out Chittagong. If you could give a rough idea of the best route around the country taking into account transport options that would be fab. Look forward to hearing from you

I am sorry if this is the second message/ comment you get. I am currently in India and the internet is well…Indian. I cant see my first comment so maybe it didn’t send.

Anyway as of the 15 of this month i will be travelling Bangladesh (for the first time) for 30 days. I fly into Dhaka. I would be grateful if you could provide any advice / a rough idea of which way around you would travel the country. I.E taking into account the transport options and how possible it is to get from region to region, from Dhaka which region would you explore next and from there, where next and so on. I would like to end up in Dhaka again. I am trying to learn from experience as i have been in a situation where i should have traveled the opposite way around to the way i chose which meant to couldnt easily get to a place without spending days going back on myself. Any advice you can provide would be gratefully received.

Thank you in advance.

PS. dont worry about timing – i will attempt to sort that 🙂

Casey, we ended up transiting through Dhaka a couple of times during our travels in Bangladesh as it sometimes worked out easiest from a transportation standpoint. As for our route, we went from Dhaka to Khulna via the Rocket Steamer and then onward to the Sundarbans (boat tour) and Bagerhat. Then we continued train and buses to Rajshahi, Puthia, a homestay in Hathiendha, and Paharpur. From there we returned by bus to Dkahka and went by train to Srimongal and then all the way south to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bandarban & Rangamati). I’m not sure if that was the most efficient itinerary, but we were trying to maximize our use of trains and minimize our use of buses and highways. And, of course, there were many places in Bangladesh that we didn’t get to that you may want to visit.

Good luck with planning for your trip and enjoy!

This is a great post and really informative.

We have just one week in Bangladesh on our way from India to Myanmar. We fly in and out of Dhaka. Given our short time 7 nights 6.5 days what would you recommend as must see’s do’s? We like off the beaten track too.

Ideally we want to pick 2 or 3 keys things so we’re not too rushed!

Hi Tanya, Glad this post was useful! Given your short time I’d probably take the Rocket Steamer and head down to the Sundarbans on a boat tour. Otherwise, you could take the train up to Srimongal and enjoy the tea plantations and lakes. The other option is go to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, but if you’re spending time in Myanmar then culturally that might be similar. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Great post, very informative. My husband and I are traveling to Bangladesh Nov 30 – Dec 18 are are including many of the same stops in our itinerary. One quick question regarding the trains…. was it easy to book/purchase the train tickets at the stations yourselves, or did you typically purchase the tickets through travel agencies or with the help of lodge owners (or others)? We also plan to travel mostly by train. We found that booking train tickets in India was very easy as there was typically at least one desk (or more) where foreigners could book tickets in English, though it sounds like this is likely not the case in Bangladesh. Thanks very much for any information you can provide!

Thanks, Kate! Glad you found this useful. Please take a look at Casey’s comment below as she recently traveled to Bangladesh in October 2016. Her experience is similar to ours — we bought our train tickets directly at the train station and language usually wasn’t an issue as someone usually spoke some English. Usually this was done the same day (if a very untraveled route) or the day before. However, we didn’t take any overnight trains so I’d probably check at the guesthouse/hotel if that needs to be reserved further in advance.

Hi, I love your posts on Bangladesh! They’re truly fascinating! I’m interested in planning a trip there myself, how did you go about finding places to stay? Let’s say both in Dhaka and in the countryside. From what I’m seeing on the internet, there aren’t that many hostels in the country.

Justin, thanks for the kind words about our Bangladesh articles! Please see Casey’s comment below as she recently traveled to Bangladesh (October 2016). Our experience was that we found hotels by looking in the guide book, asking around with Bangladeshis we met, and sometimes just walking around a town looking for signs. We never had a problem. One thing we did have was a Bangladeshi SIM card so we could make local phone calls to hotels in advance to see if they had availability and check the price. There weren’t many traditional hostels, but instead simple hotels/guest houses.

Hi there (Kate and Justin)

I returned from a month in Bangladesh on October 13. We did not have one nights accommodation booked in advance. They only places we had problems were Syhlet and Rangpur – the majority of guesthouse/hotels/hostels didn’t want ‘foreigners’. This is due to the hassle they get from the police after the terrorist incident in July. Also in Sylhet we were not able to hire cycle bikes to cycle through the tea gardens at all, but we went to the police station and the police commissioner have us two armed gaurds to go through the tea garden and to the lake – bonkers. Regarding train ticket. We book all at the train station there was always someone who spoke english and wanted to help. Some trains like night trains I would be at least a day in advance. Enjoy your travels – females have cover up clothes and a scarf (just for certain time not all the time)

Casey, thanks so much for commenting and helping to answer Kate & Justin’s questions based on your recent trip. Really appreciate this updated information.

Yes, that is bonkers about Sylhet and needing armed guards to go through the tea gardens and lake. I figured that security would have been tightened after the July attacks, but didn’t realize it would take that form. Same with guesthouses having stricter restrictions on foreigners.

Thanks again!

Thank you all for the good information! Very informative!

Glad to read a great guide about my Country Bangladesh. Thanks dear.

Awesome blog! I used to be questioning May you advise on a rough travel itinerary I.e. that route to require around the country. We have a tendency to land in the capital of Bangladesh and have thirty days and can be missing out metropolis. If you’ll provide a rough plan of the simplest route around the country taking under consideration transport choices that may be fabulous. Expect to hear from you. Thanks for sharing.

The experiences and places listed here are roughly the itinerary path that we took around Bangladesh, including transport (steamer first, then bus, then train, bus, train, etc.).

A nice read! Really enjoyed reading your adventure. Thanks for sharing it! I can see from the comments that it made everyone so curious about Bangladesh, most of whom never even thought anything about visiting this country ever! No wonder, this is the least traveled destination in the world.

me and my girl friend are travelling around Asia at present and potentially have a week in Bangladesh. We are not sure if it’s safe to travel to at the moment as it’s very hard to find any recent information. The travel advice from the foreign office is concerning us and the amount of sercurity that is surrounding the England cricket tour. I understand that care needs to be taken when visiting any large city but the travel advice suggests not walking around the streets and avoiding busy areas but doing these things would be one of the reasons to go there and don’t want to feel worried all the time while travelling!

We haven’t met any one who has been there or going there. Is it safe for western tourists to go there or is it maybe not the best time to visit?

Thanks, Mike.

congrats for ur blog is all so very nice & thanks for sharing it with us… can u please say me what do immigration officers offenly ask in dhaka airport to foreigners that arrived there? i will soon travel to bangladesh for the first time & i am a honduran woman who will travel alone to bangladesh with a tourist visa & i will have a hotel reservation for the days i will stay there, so it will be most helpful for me if u can inform me about the matter, in advance i thank u most for ur answer & help…

Dear Sally, We’re glad our blog post on our travels in Bangladesh was useful. I have to be honest that I don’t remember exactly what the immigration officers asked us when we arrived in Dhaka airport as it’s been a few years. However, usually the questions are related to your itinerary (where you will visit) and where you are staying (hotel). They might ask if you are on a tour or traveling independently, but that is more unusual.

Have a good trip!

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Bangladesh is south Asia's greenest jewel – a country braided with rivers, with a rich culture waiting to be explored by pioneering travellers.

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Built in 1459 (the same year Khan Jahan Ali died), the famous Shait Gumbad Mosque is the largest and most magnificent traditional mosque in the country…

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This wonderful patch of tropical semi-evergreen forest, around 8km east of Srimangal, provides some lovely forest walks and also your best chance of…

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The flamboyant and delightfully maintained Tajhat Palace is arguably one of the finest rajbaris in Bangladesh. The palace was constructed in the 19th…

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About 750m beyond the turn-off for Darasbari Mosque, turn right at the bus stand and keep walking for around 250m until you see a sign directing you off…

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Bangladesh and beyond

Bangladesh Travel Blog

Hello and welcome to our Bangladesh travel blog. You will find all our Bangladesh blog posts in this section of our website.

Maybe you found our Bangladesh travel blog because you are considering a visit to the subcontinent, or perhaps you are partway through planning a trip to Bangladesh. Whatever the reason, we hope we can provide some useful resources and travel tips for Bangladesh. Highly under-rated Bangladesh took us by surprise and we’re hoping to return to this little-visited destination one day.

Our Bangladesh blog posts are generally aimed at independent travellers and backpackers like us and have a strong focus on travelling around using public transport, staying in budget accommodation and exploring off-the-beaten-path and lesser-visited places.

Browse all of our Bangladesh blog posts

World Smile Day 2020: Twenty smiles to brighten your day

by Mark | Oct 2, 2020

In celebration of World Smile Day, a photo essay featuring some of the smiling faces we have encountered during our travels around Asia.

Suggested Itinerary: Three weeks in Bangladesh

by Kirsty & Mark | Jun 12, 2017

A suggested three week Bangladesh itinerary for backpackers and independent travellers including Dhaka, the Rocket, Sundarbans National Park and Srimangal.

Are the People of Bangladesh the Friendliest in the World?

by Mark | Mar 5, 2016

One thing that Bangladesh has that makes it unique and that’s the Bangladeshi people themselves. A highlight of any visit will be the people of Bangladesh.

2015: A Review of our Travelling Year in Photographs

by Kirsty | Dec 20, 2015

2015 Travel Review: Our Year in Photographs. When it comes to travel, 2015 was another fantastic year for us, once more packed full of superlatives.

Longterm Travel: Seven Years on the Road

by Kirsty & Mark | Nov 30, 2015

Seven years of longterm travel. Today marks the date when, seven years ago, we left the UK and began our nomadic life. These are some of our highlights.

A look at Auto Rickshaws around the World (but mostly in Asia!)

by Mark | Oct 27, 2015

The Characteristics of an Auto Rickshaw: Slow and sometimes uncomfortable, the auto rickshaw is as synonymous with Asia as rice paddies and noodle soup.

A look at the colourful Rickshaw Art in Bangladesh

by Kirsty | Oct 8, 2015

One image of Bangladesh that stands out above all others: the image of a brightly coloured rickshaw, elaborately painted and decorated from top to toe.

Cycle Rickshaws: An Asian Icon

by Mark | Jun 1, 2015

Cycle rickshaws: An Asian institution. Developed in the 1880s they are still a common sight in many Asian countries; cyclo rickshaws are an icon in Asia.

Travelling by Rocket Paddle Steamer in Bangladesh

by Kirsty | May 2, 2015

Travelling by Rocket Paddle Steamer in Bangladesh: taking the famous Rocket ship from Dhaka to Hularhat is one of Bangladesh’s ‘must do’ tourist attractions.

Bangladesh Selfies

by Kirsty | Mar 31, 2015

A photo essay of Bangladesh selfies. We learnt the moment we started exploring the streets of Dhaka that Bangladeshis love having their photograph taken.

If you enjoyed our Bangladesh Travel Blog…

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The Best Things to do in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Our 2 Day Tour Itinerary with Deshghuri Tours

Bangladesh is one of the wettest and therefore greenest cities in the south Asia region and that extends to the capital city, where the best things to do in Dhaka are all around you! Despite being incredibly built up and heavily populated, the river is central to daily life here and plays a key role in every element of existence.

A vibrant and eclectic city, you will still find ancient tradition thriving alongside modern industry and technology. Be prepared to adapt to a new way of life during your time in Dhaka, where everything seems to happen at breakneck speed, yet nothing happens very quickly at all! People in Dhaka are extremely warm, welcoming and humble although many are very shy when it comes to speaking English, despite being able to speak it quite well.

Table of Contents

Here are ten of the best things to do in Dhaka, Bangladesh!

1. ride in a rickshaw.

These pedal-powered people movers snake their way through the narrow inner streets of Dhaka all day and night. In some places, they are the only effective mode of transport to pierce through the gridlocked traffic, whilst also being an exhilarating experience for newcomers to this hectic city.

2. Visit historic mosques

Bangladesh is a majority Muslim country, so there are many beautiful mosques, both historic and modern. One of these is the tiny Goaldi Mosque located in the historic capital city of Sonargaon.

3. Explore an Armenian Church

There was a strong Armenian and Orthodox Christian presence in Bangladesh for centuries and you can still visit the Armenian Church in Dhaka, including many graves dating back hundreds of years.

4. Visit the Pink Palace

Ahsan Manzil is known as the “Pink Palace” due to the color of the building material. It was the home of the Nawab of Dhaka from 1872 and now it is a beautiful museum that you can explore.

5. Ride in a Traditional Paddle Boat

This will be the highlight of your Bangladesh adventures, as you navigate the river in a hand-paddled wooden boat, surrounded by boat traffic of all kinds!

6. Wear a traditional “Lunghi”

Not only can it be extremely hot in Dhaka, but it is also necessary for men to cover their legs entirely to enter the mosques. A traditional “lunghi” is the perfect solution, covering the legs while providing welcome ventilation down below!

7. Visit Historic Sonargaon

Before the founding of the capital city of Dhaka, Sonargaon was the principal seat of power for the country. Nowadays it is a quiet escape from the busy city with historic reminders of its prominent past.

8. Stroll through Panam City

Like a Bangladeshi ghost town, this single street of wealthy colonial homes has long been abandoned by Indian Hindu landowners.

9. Take a Boat Trip on the River Meghna

Not just another boat trip, this time ride on the vast River Meghna by motorized boat surrounded by vegetation and fields on both sides. If you’re lucky your guide will find some interesting stops where you could see local activities like brick production, or sand dredging!

10. Go See the Taj Mahal…kind of!

This mini-Taj is a big attraction for locals who come visit picnic in the gardens, enjoy the fresh air, or even for weddings and family events!

Now that you know a bit more about what to see and do in Dhaka, Bangladesh, here’s a closer look at our own 2 days Dhaka tour with Deshghuri tour company !

11. Find accommodation in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Our 2 day tour itinerary (4 days / 3 nights in dhaka).

We stayed in Dhaka for 4 days but spent the 2 days exploring on our own and the other 2 days of full day tours.

Day One in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Shabbir from Deshghuri picked us up with a car and driver from the hotel at around 9 am and wasted no time in diving headlong into the frenzy that is Dhaka City!

We got out of the car at the entrance to a small side street, only big enough for pedestrians, rickshaws, and tug-tuks. We walked for a while, dodging puddles, steps and the constant weaving traffic.

It was quickly clear that being in one of those vehicles was going to be a lot easier and faster than walking! Shabbir flagged down a rickshaw which was peddled by strong, wiry Bangladeshi man. 3 of us managed to climb on, which seems quite normal here. The driver pulled us through the narrow streets, skilfully avoiding obstacles and potholes.

There are literally thousands of rickshaws carrying people all over the city, almost all of the pedal-powered. We have no doubt whatsoever that these guys are some of the hardest working people in the city. Part of us felt guilty for even being on the rickshaw, but then this is his business, just like thousands of others.

The ride itself was a lot of fun, as being up higher allowed us to see everything going on all around us, like moving spectators!

Throughout the day we visited so many places that we never would have seen on our own, like a beautiful mosaic-tiled mosque, an Armenian church, the Pink Palace, Lalbug Fort, Dhaka University, Dhakeswari Temple, Sadarghat (the river), Banga Bazaar, New Market and loads more in between!

One of the biggest highlights was riding on a traditional paddle boat across the river and back, crossing the heavy boat traffic. To us, it felt like we might hit another boat and capsize, but to our boatman and guide, it was just another day on the river!

We even managed to go shopping for branded clothes like Zara and Mango and all of a sudden a tiny man appeared and started calling me in Tagalog! Apparently lots of Filipino flight crew come here to buy clothes, so the local guys in the stores have learned to speak Tagalog. I was able to get some amazing deals and haggling with them was loads of fun as well!

Of course, I can’t forget Jonathan wearing a traditional Bangladeshi “lunghi” ( a sarong-like piece of clothing for men) to enter the mosque, then liking it so much he kept it on for most of the day!

Day Two in Dhaka, Bangladesh

On the second day of our 2-day tour in Bangladesh, we left the hotel early to get out of the city and see the countryside.

It took a while to get out of the city with the morning traffic but after about an hour or so we arrived at Sonargaon, the historic capital of Bangladesh before the development of Dhaka city. We stopped first at the small Goaldi Mosque, more than 500 years old and built using small red bricks. It’s an amazingly well-preserved building.

Our next stop was the Sonargaon Museum of Folk Art and Crafts which was formerly the Shadar Bari, a palace of a wealthy Hindu landowner before they fled during the separation. All the old parts of daily life from that time are on display and it’s really interesting to see how people lived including the clothes and jewelry they wore.

After that, we saw the old Panam City, a single street of wealthy colonial-era homes, also leftover from the wealthy landowners who fled to India. After that, the local farmers who they had oppressed for so long took them over and destroyed many of them. Most of them are in ruins although the government is starting to restore several of the buildings.

Once again, the biggest highlight of our day was a boat trip on the river! This time it was the River Meghna and the boat had an engine. The river was much wider here and surrounded by fields instead of buildings. We traveled about 20 minutes to an open-air brick factory on the shoreline.

As we approached we saw a line of workers carrying piles of bricks on their heads across a flexing plank onto another boat. I still can’t risk slipping off something with my ankle, so Jonathan went ashore to meet the workers, see how they make the bricks by hand and have some tea with them. It still amazes us how hard people work here to make a living and how we often take for granted the life that we have. Having said that, every person there had the biggest smile on their faces and asked to have their picture taken doing their work!

From here we took the boat back to shore and went to a local roadside restaurant for some local Bangladeshi lunch. It was a very filling selection of simple curries and rice, but really tasty and just the right amount of spicy!

Our last stop before driving home was a quirky scaled-down replica of the Taj Mahal, which has become a tourist attraction for locals and even a popular wedding venue. It was a perfect example of ‘if you build it they will come!’

The long drive back to the hotel through rush hour traffic was more like a chance to relax, if not for the driver!

We had an amazing time with our guide Shabbir and we experienced so much more of Bangladesh in two days than we could have seen in a week on our own. There’s still so much more to this incredible country to see, so we’ll have to come back again!

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One thought on “ The Best Things to do in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Our 2 Day Tour Itinerary with Deshghuri Tours ”

I enjoyed so much to read this article. Discover Bangladesh to explore more interesting things. Well wishes.

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Written by Kach Umandap

Founder of Two Monkeys Travel Group. Since 2013, Kach has visited all the 7 continents (including Antarctica) and 151 countries using her Philippines Passport. In 2016, she bought a sailboat and went on sailing adventures with her two cats - Captain Ahab & Little Zissou in the Caribbean for 2 years. She now lives in Herceg Novi, Montenegro where she's enjoying her expat life and living on a gorgeous Stonehouse. She writes about her experiences traveling as a Filipina traveler with a PHL Passport. Also tips on backpacking trips, luxury hotel experiences, product reviews, sailing & adventure travel.

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My Trip To Bangladesh

You might have read my two articles about traveling in Bangladesh already and figured out I had a great time in country number 87. These two articles already gave some information about my journey, but in this blog I will tell you all the ins and outs about my trip to Bangladesh.

I can understand that some people are only interested in blogs like these in where I tell you what happened, where I went, with whom and what went wrong. But my website is also about giving information for other travelers who might be planning a trip to Bangladesh so I also like to write informative blogs. Besides that I have to create articles that rank on Google so that my blog gets the attention it deserves! Right? ;)

Articles like these, in where I tell my story, will never rank in a search engine, but I am more than happy to write these stories for people like you who keep on returning to my blog and read all my adventures. I am more than happy with you, seriously thank you for following my adventures! If you feel like, please leave a comment at the end of this blog, would love to hear from you.

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My 45-hour journey to Dhaka

I present myself as one of the most uncomplicated travel bloggers in the industry. I have been traveling the world on a budget for many years and still feel fortunate that now people pay me to explore the world. I am normally the last one who complains. I told my sponsors in Bangladesh I could fly from either Dusseldorf, Brussels, Amsterdam or even Frankfurt as all these airports are within 4 hours and will cost me only around $30 to get there. Normally with a sponsored trip the client will always provide me an itinerary, which I have to confirm before they book it. Not this time!

The moment I see a sponsor books my flight I know for sure a trip is happening and it will always make me smile. But this time I was kind of in disbelieve. My trip was starting from Paris? At 10.00 in the morning? Oh no, Paris is far! This itinerary made me take a 9-hour bus ride to Paris Airport and wait there another 9 hours for departure. Then I had a 10-hour layover at Mumbai Airport (where they have 45 minutes free WiFi!) and finally after 43 hours I would land in Dhaka. It took me 2 hours to get my visa and to get to the place I was staying. Finally after 45 hours I saw a bed! I was broken.

First 36 hours in Dhaka – traveling is not always fun!

I made it to the house of my host in the afternoon and after 45 hours of traveling all I wanted was to sleep. I basically slept about 16 hours straight and woke up hungry in a dark room without windows in a deserted house. I could hear the crazy traffic outside and could taste the smog of Dhaka in my room. I started coughing straight away. I was hungry. There was no hot water. How do I get food? Where is my host? Is it safe out here on the streets? I had no local currency. Do I have a key to come back inside the house? I felt lost and hopeless, but at the same time a bit pathetic. This was country number 87, you are on the road for more than 6 years, man up Tom, I was telling myself! I seriously had one of those moments that traveling was not cool anymore! I fell back asleep again… 2 hours later I woke up, nothing changed, I felt even worse!

And then there she was: Sarah Richards. One of my best travel blogger friends who was also invited to take this adventure. She arrived at our host looked at me and said: you look terrible Tom! Come on let’s find a nice place to stay by ourselves. Let me get you out of your misery and make you smile again and 5 minutes later I walked around with our suitcases on the streets in Dhaka. A little bit lost, but the adventure had begun. Everything in Bangladesh is a challenge especially the first steps. WE finally ended up in Executive Inn , a place I would definitely recommend staying at in Dhaka.

Charity party The Flag Girl

Our trip to Bangladesh was organized by Priota, also known as The Flag Girl . She is the ambassador for Bangladesh Tourism and is doing an amazing job to promote tourism in her country while at the same she is also standing up for women rights in a male dominated country. On the day of the Shakrain Festival she hosted a party in her late grandma’s house, who was the first female journalist of Bangladesh. This night she honored some very brave Bangladeshi women who had struggled in the past for various reasons and Priota and her project offered them a kick-start into a bright future by giving them the opportunity to study in college. A very generous project and if you are ever looking to donate towards a female charity in Bangladesh I surely can recommend The Flag Girl.

Exploring Dhaka

The next day after slowly waking up and still being a bit jet legged Sarah and I decided to just wing it and explore Dhaka without a plan. Or actually we had the crazy idea to catch a ride on top of a train. Something unimaginable in our modern world, but here in Bangladesh it is daily practice. We walked out of our hotel and tried to get a tricycle. There were about a 20 of these things lined up and all of them wanted to bring us, but none of them had a clue where we wanted to go.

I showed them pictures on Google Maps, the exact location and even the street name in their language. It was a funny conversation but we did not manage to make clear that we wanted to go to the train station and we decided to walk around. The area where we stayed was called Gulshan and is the most developed area and also the place where you will find upscale hotels like Westin   and  Le Meridien Dhaka  and all the embassies.

We made it to the train track and walked up and down on it to see if we could spot a train or could find out where there was a station. We ran into so many friendly people but no one could really tell us where to catch a train. At least we got a slice of local life in Dhaka although we had no clue if the area we were roaming around in was safe. The fact that it actually never really crossed my mind actually says enough. I had my Canon DSLR, my GoPro and my iPhone with me and felt completely safe. Locals would stop and stare and even come up to us when they saw we were just walking around on the train track. Not because they wanted something from us but simply because very few tourists make it to Dhaka and probably not many of them trying to get lost on the train track in the outskirts of the city. But that is me, I like to get lost!

Meeting locals in Dhaka

While walking around with Sarah everyone who spoke a word English would come up to us and ask: ‘which country?’ Second question: ‘Selfie?’. It never got tired, these people were sincerely proud to have their picture take with a western tourist and they all looked so sincerely happy so why not. ‘Is this your wife sir?’, they would ask me pointing to Sarah. To avoid a ton of other questions I would say: ‘yes, we are happily married’, while smiling at Sarah! LOL. Getting lost in Dhaka was great fun and it made us realize that this trip to Bangladesh was going to be one big adventure!

Suddenly a train was coming towards us, we could hear it in the distance, making a hell of noise. Probably to warn everyone hanging out on the train track. When it passed by I saw exactly what I was hoping for. On top of the locomotive there was a young guy standing, showing of his surfing skills when the train passed with a decent speed and a lot of noise. Wow this was insane I thought, I want the same! Locals told me I was crazy, this was very dangerous. Perfect! That is exactly what I was looking for on my trip to Bangladesh: authentic experiences!

We tried to find a train station, but after a while we decided to hop in an Uber to get us to the Pink Palace, one of the tourist attractions in Dhaka. We got off close to it and paid hour driver $3 for an hour Uber ride. It was only 13 kilometer but this is Dhaka. Probably the craziest traffic I have ever experienced. Sarah and I wandered around trying to get close to the Pink Palace. Unknowingly we ended up in Old Dhaka and wow what an incredible adventure was that. I had never seen so many people on the streets.

I didn’t know where to look, there was so much going on. Look there, oh wow did you see that, be careful, which country, honking, tricycles hitting me, selfie?. Oh my god where did I end up? This place was madness! A million people, narrow streets, one shop after the other, too many tricylces, a constant stream of sounds, cars, street vendors, yelling people, smiling faces, friendly people, adults, staring eyes and even kids running around. My brain simply couldn’t take it all in, there were too many impressions.

How many times Sarah and I looked at each other with open mouth or were laughing out loud about something we almost could not believe we just witnessed. Old Dhaka is the craziest places I have ever been, I can hardly describe it. This is something you will need to experience yourself. It is not listed if you look for the best tourist attractions in Dhaka, but this is by far the coolest experience you can get on your trip to Bangladesh.

If you have been to Old Delhi, the capital of India you kind of know what I mean, but then Old Dhaka is even more hectic! I loved the madness!

We stopped and stared a hundred times, took time for friendly locals who were sincerely interested in why we were traveling to Bangladesh, had tons of selfies taken, tried some street food (yes brave decision), recorded a shit ton of GoPro footage and got stuck in traffic. Dhaka will be the remembered as the first place in the world where I got stuck in traffic as a pedestrian. I literally could not move in any direction. The traffic in Dhaka is so unique I think it should be listed as a tourist attraction in Bangladesh. :)

Boat trip Dhaka and the Pink Palace

To get away from the chaos we took a little boat trip on the river before we finally ended up at the Pink Palace. Officially it just closed, but the friendly guards opened the gates for us and let us in. I thought they would charge us a crazy price now or we had to bribe him, but nothing at all like that. Bangladeshis are lovely people and treat tourists like Gods.

Scams will probably exist but I did not come across a single person that tried to rip me off. Something that happens on a daily basis in the big neighbor India. Click on the link to read all about Bangladesh travel tips .

As soon as we walked into the Pink Palace all the Bengali tourists turned their attention towards us instead of the Palace and after we had our own pictures taken we had to join a bunch of family portraits. It was getting dark and it was time to head back, but in these narrow streets it was unable to find a car so we had to walk back to the main road to catch an Uber. It turned out to be another amazing adventure. Walking around through the dark narrow alleys of Old Dhaka is probably not what you will read in a Bangladesh travel guide. They will probably tell you it is unsafe, you will get robbed or anything like that! WRONG! Shops were closing, it got a little less crowded, mosques were calling for prayer, the small streets turned into mysterious alleys, but nothing close to frightening. In fact it was really cool to see how these streets looked at night and see the locals wondering what are those tourist still doing here, of course with a smile on their face.

Traffic in Dhaka

Finding our Uber driver was another story. While crossing the streets in Old Dhaka I got stuck in the middle and I was gently pushed forward by a bus. It seems something unimaginable but I am serious. This massive bus was just pushing me forward and I had to jump over some wheels of some tricycles. Sarah was following me and all she could say was: this is crazy! I could not stop laughing. Where is our Uber? The next 15 minutes we were just crossing streets, gasping for fresh air in the extreme smog of Dhaka, ordering 6 different Ubers at the same time until someone randomly came running at us. He grabbed my arm and started pointing at a car. Whatever mate we take your taxi, I thought, we need to get out of here. As soon as we got into his car I understood what he was saying: he was our Uber driver, he found us! ;)

The ride back to Gulshan from Old Dhaka was only 13 kilometers but in the end took us 1,5 hour. Sarah and I could not be bothered because after 10 minutes in the taxi we fell asleep. Our brain was dead after 4 million impressions in just 10 hours in this crazy but amazing chaos called Old Dhaka.

Trip to Sylhet

As part of our Bangladesh travel experience we got to enjoy one of the most peaceful regions in Bangladesh. Sylhet is also called the Switzerland of Bangladesh. We heard about it afterwards, but as we walked out of the airport we were literally enjoying the fresh air. The biggest industry in Bangladesh is garments, but in fact more than 50% of the Bengali people are famers. And here in the peaceful flatlands of Sylhet, life in the countryside is still authentic.

No tourists here either in this part of Bangladesh although there are a bunch of really cool things to do in Sylhet : a boat trip through the mangrove forest, the weekly local market, visit local tribes and villages and enjoy the beautiful tea gardens. For a full list of all the tourist attractions in Sylhet click on the link.

Sarah and I stayed in the Wilderness Resort a great place on a stone throw away from the tea gardens and the river on the border with India.

The general manager of this lovely place to stay in northeast Sylhet was the most amazing Thai lady. She arranged all the activities for 4 days and set up a meeting with the Queen of Khasia. For this special occasion we were invited to the queens house and I felt honored to meet this amazing lady. I heard she is still single! LOL :) For more info about traveling to Sylhet , click on the link above to read the full article.

Hitching a ride on top of a train in Dhaka

Before my trip to Bangladesh came to an end I had a couple days left in Dhaka and I had only one goal: to catch a ride on top of a train. Trains in Bangladesh are not the standard trains like you have ever seen. Imagine a full train and then add double that many people to it and you probably come close to what a train in Dhaka looks like. As soon as the train arrives people will jump on it, hang out of doors, climb up to the roof, find a spot in and between the coaches or anywhere on the train we they can hold on to something.

Here is my blog about catching a train in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Well, catching a train became riding on top of a train!

I took an Uber to the Dhaka Airport train station and wanted to catch a train south into Old Dhaka to Kamalapur station. There were thousands of people waiting on the platform and in the distance there was a train coming. I first filmed this incredible phenomenon how people would just literally invade the train when it arrived. Some locals told me people sit on the roof so they avoid paying for a ticket, but even the ones who sit inside no need to worry for a ticket check. There is zero space left! Claustrophobic people stay away!

Although the train was heading in the wrong direction I could not withstand the friendly waving youngsters on the roof. I made clear that I wanted to climb up. They couldn’t believe I wanted this and started cheering and giggling but at the same time they formed a human chain of hands all helping me to climb up to the top. My heart was racing and damn. Was this a wise decision? It only crossed my mind for a second and then adrenaline took over. Before I realized we were on our way and I was standing on top of moving train. Although I took snapchat videos, GoPro footage, normal videos and took photos, I also sincerely enjoyed. This was crazy, this is what I wanted ever since 2009 when I saw people doing this in Cambodia. This trip to Bangladesh made me cross off another bucketlist item and is actually something I should add to my list with 30 things I only experienced because I have been traveling the world.

In my blog with all my Bangladesh travel tips I constantly speak about the amazing travel experience, the super friendly people and the off the beaten path destination this country is. I am not sure if you are going to get your amazing Instagram pictures taken in this country though. If you are looking for beautiful landscapes, amazing hotels, and a place to have a nice holiday I advice you to look elsewhere because Bangladesh is not going to give you any of this. Bangladesh is a place for travelers looking for an authentic experience. Bangladesh is a place to go off the beaten path and where exploring is more important than getting a cool picture.

If you are an adventurer please travel to Bangladesh and I am sure you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you for keeping up with my adventures and please leave me a comment or if you like to share it anywhere on social media, please do so.

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The travel and tourism sector in Bangladesh is increasing day-by-day and also contributes to the country's national economy. These sectors in Bangladesh are also helping to increase the employment advantages for the young generation. The natural scenery and beauty are very helpful for this sector. Many architectural or heritage sites are available around all over the country.

The people of our country love to see different places and different countries for enjoying, moving, and gaining knowledge. For that traveling lover's people, the tourism industry in Bangladesh is growing at present time. With the development of the nation's growth and GDP rate, the characteristics of tourism and traveling have occurred suddenly in nature for the growth of development.

Meaning of Travelling and Tourism

Travelling and Tourism mean viewing something special and amazing or architectural places and also doing activities with non-profit and unproductive. The international association of scientists and tourism shortly known as AIEST also said about the meaning of tourism and travels that creates a relationship between the two sites or two peoples without any earning activity from the other persons only give them the enjoying and joyful facilities.

Significance of Bangladesh Tourism Sector or Industry

The importance of traveling is very needed for the peoples of the country in Bangladesh. This is significant for releasing depression and gaining knowledge opportunities from different places and countries.

Some people are very much addicted to traveling. Every year these types of people are trying to visit architectural places. If you are interested to visit places, then you can create a large group for visiting.

At present, this sector creates and obtains an industry which is the main or attractive point for earning money and gaining the countries profits. This tourism and traveling industry sectors are increasing their activities all over the world and growing firstly.

The Attracting Travelling Industry and Sector in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is surrounded by so many natural sceneries and architectural beauties and activities. It is the dream natural beauties all over the world.

There are full of natural attraction when you see the country. The land of Bangladesh recognizes as the natural scenery. The foreigners of the world are attracted to their greenery, land, civilizations, and typical climates. There are so many attractive resources are available in the country Bangladesh.

If you are not visiting this natural beauty full country, then you must be visiting and traveling the natural beauties of Bangladesh.

There are many historical places in Bangladesh including Cox's Bazar, Sundarbans, Kuakata, Rangamati, Sonargaon, Paharpur, Moynamoti, and others. All the time, foreign visitors and tourists are very much enhanced or fascinated by traveling of Bengal.

Different religions are available in Bangladesh such as Marma, Chakma, Saotal, Garo, and many others. The clothing styles and different cultures and their lifestyles are very amazing that resonate with all of the tourist heart and mind.

Although the traveling and tourism industry in Bangladesh is not a potential development than other countries, they play significant activities for reducing poverty and the development of the nations. The earning activity and measurement of Bangladesh are very low than other neighboring tourism developing countries. The amount of earnings in Bangladesh from the tourism and traveling industry is very low but that is very useful for the Bangladesh economy.

The Potential Point of Bangladesh Tourism Industry

There is a lot of natural beauty including the world heritage site, longest seaside, and mangrove forest with so many natural attractions that are surrounded in Bangladesh but lack of utilization of these resources.

Tourism is the services industry that needs an accurate utilization of growing and developing natural and economical facilities. If you want to earn foreign currency, then this tourism sector is the best of their options.

Many educated unemployed people are available everywhere. If our nation wants to convert them unemployment manpower to skill manpower by giving proper knowledge and training in traveling and tourism sectors. From this tourism industry or sectors, we can earn a lot of foreign currencies and unemployment opportunities.

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A woman dressed in traditional attire participates in a procession to mark Gudi Padwa or the Marathi New Year in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

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ঢাকা-চেন্নাই রুটে ফ্লাইট বাড়াচ্ছে ইউএস-বাংলা এয়ারলাইন্স

ডিসকাউন্টে বিমানের টিকিট বিক্রির নামে প্রতারণা

থাই এয়ারওয়েজ ঢাকা ও ব্যাংকক এর ফ্লাইটের সময় এগিয়েছে

ই-পাসপোর্টে ৩টি পরিবর্তন এসেছে

ঈদুল ফিতরে ৪০টি অতিরিক্ত ফ্লাইট পরিচালনা করবে বিমান.

বাংলাদেশ-ভিয়েতনাম সরাসরি বিমান চালুর সম্ভাবনা

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