Planning To Visit Bangladesh, Here's Your Travel Guide

Would you really like to visit Bangladesh? Do check out the magnificent Ilish (Hilsa shad), the favorite fish of a fish-eating nation. If your appetite has been whetted and you would really like to visit Bangladesh read the  entire artcile before you go there.

To get there you can go by by air or by land. And don't forget the visa requirements. You also need to take certain health precautions. It would help if knew a bit about the monetary system and custom regulations. Bangladesh time is 6 hours ahead of GMT, so don't forget to set your watch appropriately. If you know a bit about our climate, it would help you decide what to wear.

Knowing a bit about bangla [bengali] the national language might help you a lot. We have put up a survival Bengali page where you can learn a smattering of Bangla. While English is still widely understood, hardly any sign-posts and shop signs would be in English.

Friday is the weekly holiday, so you must watch out if you are coming from the west. Some organizations may take Thursday or Saturday off as well. Office hours vary from 7:30 to 2:00 for most government offices to 9:00 to 5:00 for some businesses. Banks are open to the public from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

The people of Bangladesh are mostly Muslim and the religion affects all aspects of life in Bangladesh. There are many many festivals and holidays in Bangladesh. Let's assume you have reached Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Now you do need to find some transport to take us to where you want to stay. Visit http://hotelrates.com

Famous Cities

Most of these cities are also the capital of the division of the same name:

Dhaka - The hectic capital city, an intense and thriving metropolis of some 12 million people that's growing by the day
Chittagong - a bustling and polluted commercial center and the largest international seaport in the country
Cox's Bazar - The country's premier beach resort, filled to the brim with boisterous Bangladeshi holiday makers.
Khulna - located on the Rupsha River, famous for shrimp and a starting point for journeys into the Sundarbans
Rajshahi - The silk city
Barisal - Southern city famous for Peddy growing and many rivers, best reached by a slow-paced and relaxing boat ride on the Rocket Steamer
Sylhet - the largest city in the northeast, known for the shrine of sufi saint Hazrat Shahjalal, one of the holiest sites in the country
Jessore - a non-descript small town, and a likely transit point to or from Kolkata, famous for a sweet cake-like food item know as Gur, produced from the extract of the date tree

Other Places

Bagerhat - an important historical center and site of several mosques including the famous Shait Gumbad Masjid
Saint Martins Island - the country's only coral island with friendly locals, a laid back vibe and coconuts to spare
Sundarbans - the largest mangrove in the world, with lots of bird life and some very elusive Bengal Tigers

A Good Place For Shopping

Bangladesh is one of the largest ready-made garment manufacturers in the world, exporting clothing for famous brands such as Nike, Adidas and Levis. Though these products are usually not meant for sale in the local markets, they can be found in abundance in famous shopping areas such as Banga Bazaar and Dhaka College.

In most stores prices are not fixed. and can be lowered quite considerably. If bargaining is not your strong point ask a local in the vicinity politely what they think you should pay.

Aarong is one of the largest and most popular handicraft and clothing outlets with stores in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Khulna. It's a great place for souvenirs or to pick up a stylish kurta or salwar kameez at fixed prices.

Women can find a cotton salwar kameez for around Tk 400 in a market or Tk 800-1500 in a shop. Silk is more expensive.

ATM's can be found in some of the larger cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. HSBC and Standard Chartered both have networks accepting debit cards with the Visa or Mastercard logos. There is an ATM machine in the Dhaka airport.