Tour leader Amanda has just returned to Dhaka ready to lead her third tour in Bangladesh. Here she explains how the country differed from her expectations and talks about her favourite parts of the tour and why everyone should visit.
I have just arrived back in Dhaka preparing to lead my third tour here and I am writing this particularly to all my past clients who share my love of the sub-continent, but more widely to any traveller that likes being on a road less travelled… Visit Bangladesh!
Before I began coming here, to be honest my main preconception was horrendous famine, flood and unimaginable poverty, and currently of course the refugee camps for the fleeing Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar. The reality is, as I have discovered over the last three years, of course so very different…
Like so many of Wild Frontiers destinations, it will surprise as well as utterly delight and this wonderfully diverse Bangladesh tour itinerary put together by our logistics team covers almost the entire country by every means of transport available!
For those photographers amongst you, the intensity of the colour, soft light, the lush landscapes and the joy and merriment of the local people all make this a mecca for keen amateurs and professionals alike.
For culture buffs, we explore the current Islamic sites, ancient Buddhist monasteries, Christian churches both Armenian Orthodox and communities up in the Hill Tract tribes, as well as now derelict but once majestic Hindu mansions. As with most of the sub-continent, Bangladesh has been influenced over millennia by so many different trading partners and conquerors that have woven such a rich tapestry of life.
For you “birders” out there, you will be overwhelmed by the abundance of bird life on the waterways of the country as we cruise for 3 days around the narrow inlets of the Sunderbans (the delta area). And for wildlife enthusiasts, the chance of seeing a Bengal tiger truly in the wild has to be very high on your list of visual trophies on a Bangladesh tour itinerary.
We have so much interaction with the lovely local people, who are so excited by finding foreigners wanting to visit their country, and I can guarantee you, I have never seen one single other tour group here, which for me is a huge bonus.
The weather is wonderful in February, cooler mornings and evenings with lovely warm sunny days and not a drop of rain! October can be a little warmer but every thing is sparkling after its annual wash by the monsoons.
Bangladesh really is on a road less travelled by tourism but it is rich in colour, culture and friendliness, has a wide variety of delicious local food, including of course, a lot of seafood, accommodation that is far better than you will have anticipated and, if you know where to purchase it, alcohol!
Finally, I am a huge fan of the itinerary as it is beautifully paced to include leisurely boat trips and train trips, fascinating street and village life when driving on the country roads and the loveliest group of people who take care of us in their country, Akram, a driver with exceptional skills and the enthusiasm and charisma of our local guide Mani!
Bangladesh is one of our really winning and yet so far undiscovered destinations! A real Wild Frontiers secret shared amongst its band of followers. Come, come… Please come!
Wild Frontiers Currently Offers Two Bangladesh Tours:
