Bangladesh is south Asia's
greenest jewel – a country braided with rivers, with a rich culture
waiting to be explored by pioneering travellers.
A Land of Rivers
Welcome to river country.
Bangladesh is braided together by more than 700 rivers, producing a
deliciously lush landscape with more shades of green than you ever
imagined. Travelling by boat is a way of life here, and provides a
fabulous opportunity to see the country from a more unusual angle. This
is one of the world’s most densely populated countries, but once you’re
slowly floating downriver on a small wooden rowboat, it’s easy to
imagine you have it all to yourself. Whether you're travelling to hectic
Dhaka or to the Sundarbans' mangrove forests, boats large and small
will help you explore Bangladesh's riches.
Hidden Riches
The mangrove forests and
tigers of the Sundarbans National Park are Bangladesh's most famous
attraction, but the country has a host of lesser-known attractions that
are waiting to be discovered. Highlights include the Buddhist remains at
Paharpur and the 15th-century mosques and mausoleums of Bagerhat, both
of which are Unesco World Heritage Sites. While modern Bangladesh is
majority Muslim, its hill tracts are still home to Buddhist and
Christian Adivasi tribal peoples, while temples in Dhaka and beyond
attest to the influence of Hindu culture on the country.
Warm & Welcoming
Getting off the beaten
track is something of a travel cliché these days, but Bangladesh is
somewhere that tourism remains in its infancy. It's easy to get the
sensation that you're breaking ground here, even if your pioneering
spirit is frequently attended to by being the centre of attention.
Bangla culture is famously welcoming – rarely will you have cause to
suspect the ulterior motives that can sometimes bedevil travel in other
parts of south Asia. If you enjoy making friends, mixing with locals and
travelling without bumping into too many other tourists, then this is
probably just the country to explore.
