It is a small swampy landmass that is scattered with lots of tiny villages bursting with humanity and holding nature's abundance in its lap. It is endowed with more than 700 rivers, including their tributaries and distributaries that during the onset of the summer, almost half of the landmass in submerged under water. Flooding is an annual event in Bangladesh, and this is especially responsible for the rich alluvial deposits on the landmass that makes it so fertile for the rest of the year. It exhibits a plethora of shades of lush green scenery from one end to the other. Whenever you think of Bangladesh, the only picture that comes to your mind is a huge crowd of boats on a river bank. It is the spot for tourist every year because of the greenery and lushness it boasts. There are a lot of places to visit in Bangladesh irrespective of the landmass that is spurring with waterbodies. It has some of the world's only sites that make it even more unique and attractive. Sunderban The largest mangrove rainforest in the world is located in Bangladesh. It is situated in Bagherhat and is full of wildlife. You can practically feel the forest alive when you go trekking along a trail in Sunderban. One of the most thrilling and exciting journeys in Bangladesh is, perhaps, a walk down the Sundarban Delta. This delta is formed by the Ganges and the Brahmaputra before they meet the Bay of Bengal and is home to some of the rare aquatic life and species. This delta is also a UNESCO protected site to protect the aquatic habitat from overfishing, oil drilling and other human activities that can ultimately harm the natural reservoir and the ecosystem. This region is also famous for its boat trips that last about three days and three nights, usually for a complete tour. It is not even a fraction less than a thrilling Indiana Jones movie. The tiger point safari is also an exquisite experience if you are lucky you could get to see one of the many royal Bengal tigers as This is also the house of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The tour usually starts at a place called Khulna and goes down all the way to the Bay of Bengal. The Tigers are decreasing gradually due to illegal poaching, and you must be very lucky to get a view of one. The three most famous tiger point that attracts people are the Heron Point, Kotka Point, and Kachikhali Point. You must have at least three nights four days tour to complete all these sites and take home some pleasant memories that will last a lifetime. In today's busy modern city lifestyle, you are miles away from nature and Sundarban is just the place to feel it. Lowacherra National Park Lowacherra National Park is one of the best places to hang out at Sylhet, Bangladesh to keep you busy for about a complete day. The park is precisely located at Kamalganj Upazilla, at Sreemangal. The trip usually lasts a day and with a wonderful and knowledgeable guide you can make the best out of it. There are a lot of things to indulge into for every age and taste. It consists of Tea Garden, Train Track, Walking Trail and Natural Animal Habitat. You can select whichever track you want to take right at the gate and then embark upon your journey along with your guide. Although, the place full of rivers and swamps everywhere, it still gets a lot of sunny days, and this is what makes the weather so lovely and charmingly fresh. The trail is covered with trees that provide you shade from the scorching sun over the head and at the same time they also provide refuge to monkeys. You can see a lot of them playing all around you on the top of the trees along the trail. You can also see deers along the trail if you are lucky. The only thing you could do is keep walking down the trail with your guide and enjoy the forest life. This is the most recommended place to visit in case you stay somewhere near Sylhet or happen to visit this fantastic place for any of the numerous reasons. It is always recommended to book tours from local operators and eco-tourism guys to make the most of it. Cox's Bazaar Beach It is pretty ironic to think the name of a beach resembling that with a market, but this is exactly what the place is like. It is world's longest sandy beach and attracts thousands of visitors every day. People book a stay in the nearby areas for 2-3 days and enjoy every bit of it despite the lack of any water sport as in other beaches you find in India or nearby countries. There are plenty of world-class hotels, and it provides the ideal place for family holidays. It spans for an incredible length of 125kms and is magnificent with the sunset and the sunrise. It makes you forget everything right away. The beach is also flourishing with thousands of stalls and street foods that sell local goods and handmade products ranging from cottage industries built dresses, showpieces and decorative items for your household, lots of varieties of handcrafted jewelry, art and artifacts, jute products, which is one of the only places to get, and many more. The longest beach in the world, is also an ideal place for all the local cuisines, which are not like the ones you taste at lavish restaurants but are the ones prepared in every household of the country.The beach is also flourishing with thousands of stalls and street foods that sell local goods and handmade products ranging from dresses manufactured at homegrown industries, showpieces and decorative items for your household, lots of varieties of handcrafted jewelry, art and artifacts, jute products, which is one of the only places to get, and many more.It is also certain that you will not get the same taste as the ones that breed in the farms because the ones that are brought from the sea have the natural essence to it. Lodging There are lots of affordable habitats in the most important locations covering all parts of the country. You have superb places at decent rates as well as luxurious cottages that offer incredible hospitality and customer service. Beginning from the capital city, Dhaka there are lots of 5 star hotels like Pan Pacific Sonargaon which starts at a rate of 12,00 bucks for a night's stay, and The Westin Hotel Dhaka that begins at a modest price of 22,700 Taka per night. There are 3-star hotels that start at 2300 Taka per night like Hotel 71, Innotel Baton Rouge, which offers a decent stay at 3,800 bucks per night. There are good places to stay at Hotel Saint Martin for a budget of 4,300 at Chittagong, which is a comfortable inn that offers modern amenities and all essential goods as well. The staff is courteous and helpful, and you can always make little adjustments when your primary motive remains to explore the region rather than sleeping day and night. There are also many other hotels on Sheikh Mujib Road, at Chittagong. You cannot miss the Cox's Bazaar area as it is the location of the world's longest walking meridian along the trail of a mountain underneath the sea. Hotel Coral Reef offers a comfortable and pleasant stay on your visit at a modest price of 4000 Taka. You also have lower budget hotels like Royal Bay Regal Palace, which starts at a nominal price of 2,200. All the above prices are for a double-bed room that can comfortably stay two adults. Seagull Hotel Cox's Bazaar and Long Beach Hotel Cox's Bazaar are also quite affordable hotels in the beach view. There are also other towns that have good staying options like Sylhet, Uttara, Bandarban, Maulvi Bazaar, Rajshahi City, and Bogra. These are small but attractive towns in Bangladesh that attract many tourists all around the world. These places hold the key to unearthing the local lifestyle and the essence of the people in it. Eateries When it comes to famous places to eat, it is none other than the Cox's Bazaar Beach. Some of the most famous and tried out places are Poushee Restaurant on Hotel Saymon Road, in Cox's Bazaar. This is always full of rush, especially during the lunch and the dinner hours. It is a must location for all cab and tour taxis because of its reputed and delicious menu and quickest delivery. The authority keeps the place neat and clean irrespective of an average budget eatery, whereas there are many expensive places just nearby. Fast Service is its first and top priority that helps it handle thousands of customers every day. Please try “bhorta” or mashed items as this is a special snack or side item served with the meals in every house. The next one is not less than anyone, especially famous for its fresh fish cuisines. This place is unsurprisingly also called Live Fish Restaurant and is located on Motel Road, Cox's Bazar. This is a place of a tourist attraction on its own with aquariums that hold several kinds of fishes to spend your time when waiting for your delicious dish. The ambiance is not so cool as the rush and crowd make it a little ill maintained after a few initial hours when it gets completely out of control. Once you have the plate serves you can feel the burst of flavors with just a spoon full of it. There is a dish called “Telapia Grill” which can be tried, but if you love tasting a variety of fishes, this is certainly the spot for you. In case you are not so sure about them, you can always go with the most popular fish curries and enjoy a hearty meal of rice and fish curry. Few other places serve some local cuisines at Jouban Restaurant, Mermaid Cafe, Koyla, which is a wonderfully built place and will simply awe you with its ambiance. The place is completely different from the rest of the exteriors, and you feel as if you are in a hut in a small village by the river. It is dimly light to give it the feel of a small mud cottage with bamboo and straws. This is located at Labonee Point, near Seabeach Road, at Cox's Bazar. This is also a place where they serve Indian food along with their desi menu. You will also see a sitting arrangement followed in the houses of India or more like the Japanese with a table at the front and sitting on the floor. This is also quite famous for the “barbecue” and “kababs”, so do not forget to try those. Handicraft's Market Apart from the ones listed above that are down on the beach, there are also quite a few shops and malls in Dhaka and other famous cities of Bangladesh that exclusively sell the cottage industry products and local goods. They are helping their culture and national manufacturers survive and earn a livelihood. In the era of modernization, the “Desi” and “Swadeshi” good are survived by some of these initiatives. Hence, it is also a point of interest fro foreigners and visitors to see and learn about the country. Aarong Supermarket is located at the intersection of Mirpur Road and Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka City. It is centrally air conditioned and always flourishing with tourists. There are several floors and all occupied with items like good quality cotton clothes like sarees, salwar, kurta and pajamas for ladies. There are separate floors dedicated for gents and kids wear. You get home decorative items and authentic Bangladeshi handicrafts at very reasonable prices. The souvenirs that you must get is the “bamboo flutes, and there are also many other items in numerous shops spanning across the floors. You also have options for artificial imitation jewelry and ornaments, leather goods. Aarong Shopping Arcade also has its presentation of varied items and merchandise. You can also find many of these items in street shops, except that you get everything much more organized and concentrated right in one place.
I may do some research and look for a tour that includes Bangladesh, as well as some key spots of India. I will have a month, and will be travelling with my family, so we should be able to cover a lot of ground during that time.
I have a friend who lives there. From the photos I have seen this seems like a very dry country. It also seems very hot there most of the year. I have never heard him speak of such places. I'll ask him next time we talk. This sounds beautiful and what a great place to visit. I wounder if from India it would be easy to stop there on the way home. I'm curious if you'd need a visa to visit.
