Srimongol

 
Location: Moulovibazar, Sylhet. 
                  Bangladesh

Latitude: 24° 18′ 29.88″ N, Longitude: 91° 43′ 59.88″E

Srimongal, Known as the tea capital of Bangladesh, just around 75km south of Sylhet. This hilly area, with tea estates, lemon orchards and pineapple plantations, is one of the most picturesque parts of the country.

Round the forest areas on the hills, within your eyesight you will find green throughout. It is famous for the largest tea gardens of world covered by lush green carpet. It's the one area (besides the Sundarbans) where it is possible to look around and not see

another human being. Visits to forest reserves, tea estates and tribal villages are the main attractions of Srimangal.

Bangladesh produces and exports a large quantity of high quality tea every year. Most of the tea estates are in Srimongol. It is called "The land of two leaves and a bud".

HOW TO GO

Srimongal is accessible direct by bus or train from Dhaka.

Bus
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
-	Dhaka	Srimongal	-	-
-	Dhaka	Srimongal	-	-
Shohag Paribahan	Dhaka	Sylhet	02 - 9334152, 8316766
Green Line	Dhaka	Sylhet	02 - 9339623, 9342580

Train
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Bangladesh Railway	Dhaka	Srimongal	02-9358634, 8315857

Air-Transport
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Biman Bangladesh	Dhaka	Sylhet	02 - 8917400-19 (HO)
GMG Airlines	Dhaka	Sylhet	02 - 8825845-9
United Airways	Dhaka	Sylhet	02 - 8963191 (Air. Office)
Air Parabat	Dhaka	Sylhet	02 - 9567056

For Foreigner

At first arrive Bangladesh and then pick one way for your destination

ACCOMMODATION

Hotel of Srimongal
Service Provider	Address
Hotel United	Dhaka - Sylhet Road ; Phone: 08626-419	-
Hotel Sandhya	Phone: 08626-243, 439	-
Hotel Plaza	College Road : Phone: 08626-525	-
Hotel Tea Town	Dhaka - Sylhet Road ; Phone: 08626-370

Nijhum Dwip

Location: Hatia, Noakhali,
                  Bangladesh.

Nijhum Dwip (Bengali: নিঝুম দ্বীপ; English: Silent Island) is a small island under Hatiya upazila. It is situated in Noakhali District in Bangladesh. Once it was called "Char Osman"

Occupying area: 14050 acres.
Latitude: 21° 35′ 0″ N
Longitude: 92° 1′ 0″

During winter, thousands of migratory birds flock in to island. The fishermen use the airy and sunny land as an ideal place for drying their catches from the sea. Sometimes many of them also construct straw huts on the island as seasonal residences.

Nijhum Dwip presently has six big bazaars with mainly the grocery shops, small restaurants and drug stores. These bazaars are the only places in the islands to have electricity from generators. The forest department of the government of Bangladesh created mangrove forests in Nijhum Dwip and the main attraction in these forests is the herd of about 5000 +/- spotted dear. Tthe government of Bangladesh declared Nijhum Dwip forests as National Park.

How to go:

From Dhaka (Sadarghat)  to Hatia by Steamer, (MV Farhan, MV Tipu) From Hatia (Tomuruddin to Nijhum Dwip by rented engine boat.

Where to stay:

Hotel Abakash.

(Room rent 500-1500 Tk), 

Dormitory of 5 beds (Cost 2000 tk)

What to eat (food):

There are available restaurants or you can hire a chef from Hotel Abakash, he’ll take extra 200-300 tk for cooking. B-B-Q facilities is available at Hotel Abakash, they have a big BBQ Burner.

Khagrachori

Location: Khagrachori                                                                      Bangladesh.

Khagrachari (Bengali: খাগড়াছড়ি) is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Division and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Its local name is "Chengmi". Khagrachari is also known as Phalang Htaung or the Mong Circle (of the rest of the three hill districts Rangamati is the Chakma Circle and Bandarban is the Bohmong Circle. Khagrachari town is the home town of the Mong Chief (currently King, or Raja, Saching Prue  Chowdhury who is the head of the  Arakanese descendants living in the circle. It also is the administrative headquarters of Khagrachari district.

Latitude: 23° 2′ 30.12″ N,

Longitude: 91° 59′ 39.84″ E

Required permission for foreigners: 

For visiting of foreign tourists to the Hill Districts prior permission from the Government is required, to obtain a permit, fax your details to the district commissioner (DC) of the district you intend to visit three days before you enter the region. The DC should forward your details to the relevant `foreigner checkpoints', but this doesn't always happen. You must provide your name, native country, passport number, district you intend to visit, purpose of visit, duration of stay, occupation, mode of transport, probable date of visit, expected date of return and signature.

You can also arrange through Tour Operators or Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.

Contact:
Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation
Phone: 88-02-9120392, 8117855-9 Ext: 108
Fax: 88-02-8126501








HOW TO GO

Bus
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
BRTC	Komolapur, Dhaka	Khagra-Chari	02- 9555553, 9333803	-
Dolphin Paribahan	Dhaka	Khagra-Chari	-	-

Train
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Bangladesh Railway	Dhaka	Chittagong	02-9358634, 8315857

Air-Transport
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Biman Bangladesh	Dhaka	Chittagong	02 - 8917400-19 (HO)
GMG Airlines	Dhaka	Chittagong	02 - 8825845-9
United Airways	Dhaka	Chittagong	02 - 8963191 (Air. Office)
Air Parabat	Dhaka	Chittagong	02 - 9567056

ACCOMMODATION

Hotel of Khagra-Chari
Service Provider	Address
Hotel Three Star	Naraon Road, Khagra-Chari	-
Parjatan Motel	Khagra-Chari	-

Saint Martin's Island

Location: Cox's Bazar,
                 Bangladesh

Latitude: 20° 37′ 38.12″ N,
Longitude: 92° 19′ 21.28″ E

St. Martin's Island is a small island in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar, at the mouth of the Naf River. The local name of the island is "Narical Gingira", also spelled "Narikel Jinjira/Jinjera", means 'Coconut Island' in Bengali. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh.

Most of the island's 5500 inhabitants live primarily from fishing. Besides, the other staple crops are rice and coconut. Being very common in the island, Algae is collected, then dried and finally exported to Myanmar. Between October and April, the fishermen from neighbouring areas bring their caught fishes to the island's temporary wholesale market. As the centre and the south are mainly farmland and makeshift huts, most of the strenuous things are around the far north of the island.
HOW TO GO

From teknaf : A ferry is supposed to leave the island at l0am, but get there at 9am and be prepared to wait until 11 am. Keari Sindbad runs an efficient service between St Martin's and Teknaf (October to March). Its boats leave Teknaf at 9.30am and St Martin's at 3.30pm.
(1 st class returns Tk 350 ; 2 nd class returns Tk 300)

From Cox's Bazar : The Green Abakash (0341-647445) arranges boats from Cox's Bazar for its large numbers of guests. You could try to hitch a ride through it.

Bus
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Shohag Paribahan	Dhaka	Cox's Bazar	02 - 9334152, 8316766
Green Line	Dhaka	Cox's Bazar	02 - 9339623, 9342580

Train
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Bangladesh Railway	Dhaka	Chittagong	02-9358634, 8315857

Air-Transport
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Biman Bangladesh	Dhaka	Cox's Bazar	02 - 8917400-19 (HO)
GMG Airlines	Dhaka	Cox's Bazar	02 - 8825845-9
United Airways	Dhaka	Cox's Bazar	02 - 8963191 (Air. Office)
Air Parabat	Dhaka	Cox's Bazar	02 - 9567056

Paharpur Buddhist Bihar

 Paharpur Buddhist Bihar.

Location: Naogaon, 

Somapura Mahavihara (Shompur Môhabihar) in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Naogaon District, Bangladesh (25°1'51.83"N, 88°58'37.15"E) is among the best known Buddhist Biharas in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Kuakata Sea Beach

Location: Patuakhali, Bangladesh.

Kuakata (Bengali:কুয়াকাটা) is a panoramic sea beach on the southernmost tip of Bangladesh. Located in the Patuakhali district, Kuakata has a wide sandy beach from where one can see both the sunrise and sunset. It is about 320 Kilometres south of Dhaka, the capital, and about 70 Kilometres from the district headquarters. The Kuakata beach is 30 km long and 6 km wide. 

The name Kuakata originated from the word 'Kua'-the Bengali word for “Well” which was dug on the sea shore by the early Rakhine settlers in quest of collecting drinking water, who landed on Kuakata coast in the eighteenth century after being expelled from Arakan (Myanmar) by the Mughals.Afterwards, it has become a tradition of digging Well in the neighborhoods of Rakhaine tribes for water. Kukata is truly a virgin beach – a sanctuary for migratory for birds a series of coconut trees, sandy beach of blue bay, a feast for eye. The unique customs and costumes of the ‘Rakhyne' tribal families and Buddhist temple of about hundred years are additional attractions.

The main tourist season is in winter but all over the year tourists visit this place. In Kuakata you can visit the life style of tribe Rakhains, who are very friendly to the tourist and visitors.

HOW TO GO

The road between Kuakata and Barisal is not as good as that between Barisal and Dhaka, largely due to extensive renovations. There is a small, barely identifiable ticket office diagonally opposite the Parjatan Motel that sells tickets for the bus to Dhaka (14 hours, 277 km, and daily at 1 pm). You'd be wise to book a day ahead.

Bus
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Eagal Paribahan	Dhaka	Barishal	02 - 7101504	-
Shohag Paribahan	Dhaka	Khulna	02 - 9334152, 8316766
Green Line	Dhaka	khulna	02 - 9339623, 9342580

There are also direct connections from Barisal to Khulna (eight hours). The trip, involving two ferry crossings, is via Bagerhat.

Train
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Bangladesh Railway	Dhaka	Khulna	02-9358634, 8315857

Air-Transport
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
GMG Airlines	Dhaka	Barisal	02 - 8825845-9
Air Parabat	Dhaka	Barisal	02 - 9567056

For Foreigner

At first arrive Bangladesh and then pick one way for your destination

ACCOMMODATION

Hotel of Kuakata
Service Provider	Address
Parjatan Holiday Homes	Kuakata, Phone: 88-0441-64433, Cell: 88-01715167936
Hotel SKY Palace Ltd.	Kuakata, Potuakhali, Mob: 88-01727030248, 01716749027

Kaptai Lake

Kaptai Lake
Location: Rangamati
Bangladesh.

Kaptai Lake is a man made lake in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is located in the Kaptai Upazila under Rangamati District of Chittagong Division. The lake was created as a result of building the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River, as part of the Karnaphuli Hydro-electric project. The Kaptai Lake's average depth is 100 feet (30 m) and maximum depth is 490 feet (150 m).

Construction of the reservoir for the hydro-electric plant began in 1956 by the Government of East Pakistan.As a result, 54,000 acres (220 km²) of farmland in the Rangamati District went under water and created the lake. The hydro-electric project was funded by the United States. The project was finished in 1962. International Engineering Company and Utah International Inc. received the contract for construction of the dam. The dam is 670.8 meters long, and 54.7 meters high. The dam has a 745 feet (227 m) long spillway containing 16 gates. Through the spillway 5,250,000 cu ft/s (149,000 m³/s) of water can pass. The land that went under water as a result of the dam construction, was 40% of the total arable land in the area. Along with that, 29 square miles (75 km²) of the Government-owned forest, and 234 square miles (610 km²) of other forest land went under water. About 18,000 families with a total of almost 100 thousand people were also displaced. The palace of the king of the Chakmas was also flooded and is now under water.

How to reach Kaptai

The route of going to Kaptai is simple. Dhaka-Chittagong-Rangamati (Kaptai).

Air:  You can use airway for reaching Chittagong from Dhaka. After that you need to use bus or any other road transports for reaching Kaptai.

Rail: Railway communication is also available for Dhaka-Chittagong route. Then you have to use road for going to Kaptai.

Road: You can reach Kaptai directly from Dhaka or you can use this route- Dhaka to Chittagong and after that Chittagong to Kaptai.

Accommodation 

There are some guest houses, hotels and parjatan motels for the convenience of the travelers. You can travel Kaptai staying there or in Chittagong. Just you need to pick up reserve transportation for a whole day visit.

Jamuna Bridge

Jamuna Bridge

Location: Shirajgonj, Bangladesh.

Bangabandhu Bridge, also called the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge (Bengali: যমুনা বহুমুখী সেতু Jomuna Bohumukhi Shetu), is a bridge opened in Bangladesh in June 1998. It connects Bhuapur on the Jamuna River's east bank to Sirajganj on its west bank. It was the 11th longest bridge in the world when constructed in 1998 and currently the 6th longest bridge in South Asia. It was constructed over the Jamuna River, one of the three major rivers of Bangladesh, and fifth largest in the world in terms of volumetric discharge.

Web Directories

Jaflong

Jaflong.

Location: Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Jaflong is one of the most attractive tourist spots in Sylhet division. It's about 60 km far from Sylhet town and takes two hours drive to reach there. Jaflong is also a scenic spot nearby amidst tea gardens and rate beauty of rolling stones from hills. It is situated besides the river Mari in the lap of Hill Khashia.

[Stone Collection from the River, Jaflong - Sylhet] The Mari river is coming from the great Himalayas of India, which bringing million tons of stone boulders with its tide. You can watch the stone collection from the river in Jaflong as well as you can enjoy the boating in the river Mari. Jaflong is totally a hilly area of real natural beauty where hills are greenish with the forests. Lots of wild animal lives in this forest, so you need to be careful to enter in the forest alone. You can see the lifestyle of Tribe Khashia in Jaflong. If you intend to visit Jaflong it is advisable to start from Sylhet in the early morning so that you can comeback by evening covering the other tourists spots of nearby areas of Jaflong. The other tourist areas nearby Jaflong are Tamabil, Sripur and Jaintapur. by (spikes) Copyright © www.discoverybangladesh.com

Sundarban

Location: Khulna, Bangladesh.

The Sundarbans (Bengali: সুন্দরবন, Shundorbôn) is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. The Sunderbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering parts of India and Bangladesh. The Sundarban National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sundarbans South, East and West are three protected forests in Bangladesh. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger.

Latitude: 21° 56′ 59″ N,
Longitude: 89° 10′ 59.99″ E

Best time to visit the Sundarbans is from November to March. Exciting honey collection season is during April-May. Hunting is prohibited by law in the country for the preservation of wildlife. Certain species of birds, however, can be shot with prior permission of the Divisional Forest Officer, Khulna.
Royal Bengal tigers, the pride of Bangladesh, have been known to grow to a body length of more than 2m. They have a life span of 16 years and prey on deer, boars and fish stranded on river beds at low tide. It is only in old age, when they have lost their physical agility and canine fangs that they some­ times prey on workers in the area.

There are thought to be roughly 400 tigers remaining in the Sundarbans and every year there are reports of people in the area get­ ting eaten by tigers. Although they may not admit it, most guides, despite carrying rifles, are terrified of the tigers. Consequently, they make considerable noise during excursions, scaring them off and virtually ensuring that you won't encounter one. Nevertheless, there are just enough sightings to encour­ age visitors. One group reported seeing a tiger swim right by their boat.

Birds, over 270 different species have been recorded in this region, including about 95 species of water birds and 35 species of birds of prey. Birds found here include snipes, white and gold herons, woodcocks, coots, yellowlegs, sandpipers, common cranes, golden eagles and the Madantak (adjutant bird), which always looks worried and dejected.

Wildlife in the Sundarbans includes deer, wild boars, clawless otters, monkeys, crocodiles, 50 species of reptiles (including snakes and eight species of amphibians) and numerous river dolphins. There are an estimated 30,000 spotted deer in the Sundarbans. They're relatively easy to find given that they use clearings and river banks to drink. Monkeys have cu­riously been observed to drop keora leaves whenever deer appear on the scene.

HOW TO GO

Sundarbans can be reached easily from Khulna and Mongla. But it is strongly recommended that get the help of one well none travel agent for most comfortable journey. Alternatively get the help from Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation.

Entry Permission: Officially, permits are required to visit the Sundarbans. They are issued by the Divisional Forestry Office (041-720665, 211731) in Khulna and validated at the Dhangmari Forestry Station, 4km southwest of Mongla across the Pusur River on the northern fringes of the Sundarbans. For a day-trip from Mongla, you are technically required to inform the Forestry Station. This is rarely done in practice, though. If you want to stay more than one day or for overnight trips a permit, guides and guards are required. Required entrance fees for visitors, vessel or boat payable at the relevant forest station/range office. To get to Dhangmari from Mongla, two and half an hour round trip in a rowboat, which you can find on the waterfront near the BIWTC office.

Bus
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Eagal Paribahan	Dhaka	Barishal	02 - 7101504	-
Shohag Paribahan	Dhaka	Khulna	02 - 9334152, 8316766
Green Line	Dhaka	khulna	02 - 9339623, 9342580

There are also direct connections from Barisal to Khulna (eight hours). Involving two ferry crossings, is via Bagerhat.

Train
Service Provider	Departure	Destination	Contact
Bangladesh Railway	Dhaka	Khulna	02-9358634, 8315857

For Foreigner

At first arrive Bangladesh and then pick one way for your destination

ACCOMMODATIONSince it is strongly recommended that get the help of one tour operator. So the tour service provider will arrange accommodation facilities as the desires of particular tourists.
Alternatively get the help from Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation. Phone: 88-02-8117855-9, 8119192, Fax: 88-02-8126501, E-mail: bpcho@bangla.net.