Bangladesh Trip Report
I was exploring the Sundarbans years ago in 2011 and, across the mangrove delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges was the country of Bangladesh. We returned to Calcutta, a city which I had grown to love, and a part of me always longed to return to Bengal and explore that mysterious land which was so close, yet seemed so distant and unknown.
Fast forward to this year. Our Eritrea visa was snagged up in bureaucracy and at the last minute we were trying to pivot our vacation somewhere equally adventurous. We hadnt planned anything and there isnt a plethora of super relevant independent travel information so I hope this guide can serve as a once stop shop for your future travels to this beautiful place with the kindest people.
Bangladesh was astounding in the sights, history, but mostly we were surprised how incredibly kind and gentle everyone is. As a traveler through Bangladesh we existed in a warm sense of welcome and belonging, almost familial where you arent hounded as a foreigner, but you arent ignored either. There is a fine line between the two and we really grew to love how chill and welcoming everyone was. People will ask you to take their photos, but in a kind way which I really enjoyed. If we needed something, almost anyone was eager to go out of their way and help us. But if we wanted to be left alone, we could go about our lives without stares and attracting much attention. This is a rare thing to cherish.
Getting there, and Visa
We flew from Amsterdam to Istanbul, and seamlessly connected from there to Dhaka on Turkish. For anyone with a layover who plays the credit card games, there is a priority pass lounge in Istanbul which is massive and even has a pool table. On arrival in Dhaka we obtained our visa on arrival (voa) in about 20 minutes, US Passports, paying $50 in US dollars only. This is valid for 15 days. You can look up information on specific eligibility here: https://www.immi.gov.bd/Land-Permit-Eligibility
Transportation
Tuk-tuks and bicycle “carriage type” taxis are abundantly found everywhere, and can be faster than busses and cars sometimes because they can navigate narrower passageways, or through small gaps in the traffic where other vehicles wont fit. A bicycle taxi saved us from missing a flight as we attempted to navigate severe gridlock one evening on our way to the airport. Its a really convenient system.
Uber is available in most cities, and is also relatively easy to use for shorter intracity explorations outside the city. Generally you pay in cash. Note: during the evening call to prayer around 5pm, all Ubers completely disappear for around 2hrs. We almost missed our return flight to Amsterdam due to this.
- Uber Pro tip: get hotel, or airport security or locals to help you with Ubers. The app shows the “western” numbers and letters, but the cars have number plates which use Bengali alphabet and Bengali numerals. Good luck finding your specific uber – a white toyota in a sea of thousands of identical cars during Dhaka rush hour without knowing how to read the bengali plates.
Flights: most cities are connected by several airlines, which offer cheap fares, even at the last minute, for around $30. We purchased all our tickets only a couple hours or days before, and generally everything went very smoothly with no issues. All of the airports have multiple priority pass lounges (with no alcohol) for those who have access.
Trains and Busses: Buses are incredibly cheap and range from short to long distance versions covering all comfort levels. We took a bus in Dhaka to crossthe city after our Uber driver gave up fighting the traffic one evening. The metro is also a convenient option in Dhaka. All long distance trains were booked full during our trip so we didnt use these because flights were only $30, when a much longer train was $7. I have heard from other travelers that 1 or 2 “tourist seats” can sometimes be obtained at the last minute if you show up to the station and ask, but I cant confirm this. Train and flights websites: https://12go.asia/en
and flights at https://usbair.com/
Cash
ATM are available everywhere and we had no issues.
Dhaka
Entering the sprawling densely packed capital and megacity of Bangladesh can be a bit disorienting at night after a longhaul series of flights. It is the ninth-largest and seventh-most densely populated city in the world with a population of 22.4 million residents in Greater Dhaka. Its is widely considered to be the most densely populated built-up urban area in the world. As such traffic is horrendous. Count on at least 2 hrs to get into the city center.
Since we arrived at night we opted to stay nearby at the Best Westerm Plus Maple Leaf (lol), because we met a super nice man at the airport who worked for one of the local airlines and he hooked us up with a great deal. The hotel picked us up for free, and had a great view over the city where we could look out over the traffic chaos. The next day we chose to fly to Sylhet in the north, which was our base of explorations for a few days, and we saved Dhaka explorations for the end of our trip. If you plan to return to Dhaka, and you are flying, then I would recommend this option to maximize your time. 9
Central Dhaka pulses with chaotic energy at all hours. Markets are packed with people who pour out into the streets where merchants place their goods on blankets covering the streets selling a seemingly infinite assortment of products. The bustling riverside port is a hive of activity mixing small canoe river taxis with larger overnight river cruises, cargo ships, and everything in between. The architecture ebs from crumbling, colonial ghosts of a dynamic past contrasted by gleaming skyscrapers but the streets everywhere are the same bustling energy filled chaos whis is fascinating to be a part of, and walking around Dhaka was safe at all hours, and exploring the gritty historical center was one of our favorite experiences in Bangladesh.
Eating in Dhaka old town is relatively simple. Go where to locals are, and find somewhere packed. This was a good sign of quality food with high turnover, and we had no issues during our trip to Bangladesh – something which cant be said about my 6 weeks travelling through neighboring India 😀 The quality and turnover in the places we went was very high which ensured we had no issues. I loved the freshly made masalas, bbq chicken and lamb, and the breads! All incredible. We found an incredible restaurant with signs in Bengali – which we cant read. The food was amazing, and if you google map “Chanda Hotel and Restaurant.” its between that and a place called “BSB trading 38, Begum Bazar.”
Sights: Dont miss exploring Old Dhaka. Its an incredible walk back into time and the chaos is spellbinding. We felt 100% safe wandering here in the day and at night. Here you will find the Ahsan Manzil building on the river, Tanti Bazar, Ruplal House, the shipbreaking lots on the west side of the river, the Armenian Church Dhaka, Lalbagh Fort. Make sure to explore the Dhaka River Port and surrounding area.
This was a top choice for our visit to Bangadesh – for obvious naming reasons alone – as well to experience their unique beach life in this place. Its the is the longest uninterrupted beach in the world, and its gently sloping sands are filled with people enjoying life. We enjoyed witnessing the busy markets, food bizzares, horseback riding, jet skis, kids playing soccer, swimming, and even mass dance parties in the evenings. Its a bustling family place where parents and relatives spend time walking the beach with their children. Transportation here is easy via tuk-tuks – even to and from the airport – and hotels can be easily booked online at most major booking sights or by just showing up. We booked a hotel which ended up being closed. Fortunately, it was easy to walk down the beach and find another great deal.
Exiting Dhaka: Normally not a section of particular intrique, but we had an incredibly tough time getting out of Dhaka. The cities traffic at times can grind to an absolute halt which can make any sort of movement impossible. We were in Old Dhaka and planned to take an Uber back to our hotel in Tejgaon district. a two hour journey if all goes well. We opened the Uber app and shockingly there were 0 Ubers in the whole city of Dhaka?! It was the same time as the call to prayer, and all the drivers turn off the app to pray. We were stuck.
Finally, one appeared but cancelled after 30 minutes. A second accepted but never moved anywhere. We were stranded 2 hours from the airport with no means of getting there. Some locals helped us onto a bus, but after the bus spent 15 minutes moving about 35 feet in gridlock traffic and we had to get out. Fortunately the man who was helping us had gotten with us on the bus, and he came with us to assist us in getting a bicycle taxi. These small carriages are everywhere – part carriage and part bycycle. They can weave between traffic, hop up onto the edges of sidewalks, in short they are your only prayer when trying to somewhere quickly during a traffic jam in Dhaka. We made it back to our hotel in record time thanks to the boy peddling like he was in some bizzare Tour De France – carriage edition. I paid him 3x the rate, grabbed our bags. Prayer time was over by this time – so we got an Uber and made it to the airport with literally 1 minute to spare before check-in closed. An unforgettable journey through one of the most intense traffic jams I have ever seen.
Sonargoaon
Sonargaon is the historic riverside capital of Bangladesh and was an important center of muslin trade in Bengal, with a large population of weavers and artisans. A wander through the ancient ruins takes a visitor back to an age which has been long forgotten in the modern hustle and bustle of present day Dhaka.
Its easiy to immagine oneself walking through the historic town, having a drink by the rivers edge, going for a stroll in the surrounding forests. Fortunately Sonargoaon is easy to DIY and can be an exciting day trip from Dhaka via Uber in less than an hour.. You dont need to book a tour or hire a driver. All the sights are easily accessible via walking or tuk tuk
Sylhet
The gateway to northeast Bangladesh, Sylhet is a must visit door to beautiful tea plantations, subtropical mountains and rainforests. Nearby Jaflong on the Sari river is a popular vacation spot, a beautiful spot to swim, famous for its stone collections and is home of the Khasi tribe. Dont miss Lala Khal on the colorful Sharee River where you can rent a boat and explore the tea plantations
Sylhet logistics – To get to Sylhet there are three options from Dhaka. Bus (7 hrs -$7), train (8 – 10 hrs – $6-$10), or fly (2h – $30), taxi ( 4-5 hrs, $70). Keep in mind – taking a bus or train involves going into the city centre, which adds around 2 hrs to the overall journey. Train
In Bangladesh there is Uber, but we opted to take a cheaper tuk tuk from the airport into the city. Its a short beautiful drive through tea plantations into the city. In Sylhet we stayed at the Bottom Hill Palace Hotel ($16), next to the Hotel Noorjahan Grand ($40) which has a nice rooftop pool and view which we enjoyed during the evening. We asked reception at the Bottom Palace Hotel for a driver, and they put us in contact with an amazing man who who showed up in 30 minutes with a brand new car, we paid for $30 for the entire day . The driver took us to Jaflong, and Lala Khal + few places on the way.
Wandering around Sylhet is safe and easy. Tuk-Tuks are everywhere for longer trips, and we had a wonderful time exploring the city. We felt safe walking around during the day and night, it seems busy at all hours. There are countless amazing restaurants so you wont have difficulty finding an incredible meal. My advice, ask the locals and pick somewhere busy. I love Bangladeshi food, and many places served a unique curry made in a massive pot, with chicken which they cooked outside on the street over a huge fire. The names of most of the restaurants we visited were in Bengali, so one needs to translate the Bengali symbols to the english “Roman Alphabet”
Jaflong
On the Indian border and a very fun day trip, where we enjoyed swimming in the beautiful Sari river. Its also possible to take boat trips through the canyon for a few $$. The locals hang out here and everyone will be taking photos. There are colorful rocks under the clear water and boys with DSLR will offer to take photos of you for a charge. The water was low when we were there, and after swimming I was walking back and had to step over a small line or rocks.
On doing this, a man said “welcome to Bangladesh!” The low line or rocks was the border! It turns out that I was technically hanging out and swimming in India for a few hours that day, but it wasnt obvious because the water was so low. There are alot of police and military around that area, but I personally had no issues. However, if you are unlucky, I can immagine alot of ways this could easily turn into a problem. For example: if you accidentally swim to far, catch the wrong policeman, or if the border guard doesnt see you originally in Bangladesh and things you crossed from India. In summary: be aware of accidentally crossing to India 🙂
Lala Khal
Here the Sharee River bathed in magical greens and blues stretches out lazily winding its way through the tea hills. At the big Lala Khal hotel / restaurant you can arrange to hire a boat, and explore the river and tea plantations for less than $10. This is a phenomenally chill way to explore the area and meet locals who are often doing the same. We ate lunch at the riverside restaurant, which was tasty. The tea plantations and the river are very beautiful to explore.
Cox’s Bazar
This was a top choice for our visit to Bangadesh – for obvious naming reasons alone – as well to experience their unique beach life in this place. Its the is the longest uninterrupted beach in the world, and its gently sloping sands are filled with people enjoying life. We enjoyed witnessing the busy markets, food bizzares, horseback riding, jet skis, kids playing soccer, swimming, and even mass dance parties in the evenings. Its a bustling family place where parents and relatives spend time walking the beach with their children. Transportation here is easy via tuk-tuks – even to and from the airport – and hotels can be easily booked online at most major booking sights or by just showing up. We booked a hotel which ended up being closed. Fortunately, it was easy to walk down the beach and find another great deal.
