Bangladesh and tourism

[cami]

Hello,
Can you tell me how is B. for tourists?
What is cheap, what is expensive.
Espesially Dhaka. Tourist-offices?
Service in english?
Where to live. Motels, hotels....
Sooner or later I travel there.
Riksha or taxi. Bus or train.
Maps??? Guide-service???

Politics? airport? Mafia? People?
Tell me anything -- we all read and get wiser

Thanks in advance,
cami

[TirtherKak]

Hello Cami,
I have seen your previous posting. I am m/33 from Dhaka. Pls email me at tk@nitexpo.com if you think I can do anything for you. Important thing with me is I dont't evaluate everything in money terms.

Thanks & regards.
Nizam
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[RAUL]

Originally posted by cami
Hello,
Can you tell me how is B. for tourists?
What is cheap, what is expensive.
Espesially Dhaka. Tourist-offices?
Service in english?
Where to live. Motels, hotels....
Sooner or later I travel there.
Riksha or taxi. Bus or train.
Maps??? Guide-service???

Politics? airport? Mafia? People?
Tell me anything -- we all read and get wiser

Thanks in advance,
cami

Hi Cammi,
May I say the "B" is great.Only if u make it 2 be, like any where else. But at the same time risky too... it would be best if u travell the country with someone who has local knowledge and where abouts. its the safer way 2 go, its what i did.
hotels-
Sylhet- Porjaton motal. over looks the tea gardens and airprt from hilltops.***
Dhaka- Sheraton city centre. *****
rikshaw,train or private hire. never the local bus.
airports, there arnt many.
maps- they havent got round to do one yet.
people = politics + mafia or
mafia + people = politics.
* they will be after ur mony or passport.

good luck. enjoy your stay in the mother land.

[Versace-boy]

Theres a lot to see at Dhaka..which is where i suggest you start off.

There are excellent bus services which take you almost anywhere in Dhaka city- Called premium Bus service - which enables many businessmen to leave their cars at home and travel by bus. I think Western countries who have been dying to get more people on public transport should learn from Bangladesh!! COst is about 20 taka per ride (just under 0.5 US dollars). This is probably very cheap to a westerner, but about 15 times the usual bus fares!

There are also taxi services.

There are numerous comfortable hotels and guest houses, the best would be Sonargaon or Sheraton. There is also Hotel Da Vinci...just by the Sonargaon. There are some small but very comforatble (fully a/c with 24hour service) hotels, there is one very nearby to the airport, which is about $10 (us dollar) per night.

You should also try traditional rickshaw.... but u wont find any rickshaw drivers who speak anything but bangla usually, so u will have to have a guide really.

There are maps for Dhaka city available. You should buy the lonely planet guide, they got some excellent stuff on Bangladesh.

If u wana visit the longest beach in the world, go to cox's bazar, there r fights there, and a good hotel there too. Which you should have no prob gettin to, as they do have people who speak english at the airports.

I think there is a new airport in Chittagong just opened too........chittagong is a good place to visit too...although there isnt really that much to see...(u dont wana go near the hilltracts).

Travelling from city to city is best done by air in my opinion, as its shortest time, and domestic flights are very cheap. You just have to shut your eyes and plug your ears when u r on the plane, as they wont seem very safe, but they'll get you to ur destination in one piece usually.

....but then if u travel by air you dont get to see all the beautiful countryside you would if u went by rail or by car. By car is not advisable, even travelling in a brand new pajero tires you out cos the roads are so messey. Rail is ok i guess, although you maybe thinking you are on a steam train!! ..its ok though.... it just is very very slow. Cos you see the soil in bangaldesh is such that, if the trains went too fast, the tracks would actualy get pulled off the ground!!...and also they have old style track throughout the country (not as wide as regular rail tracks)....and bangladesh is too poor to create RCC structure and put the track on top of that throughout the whole country and also replace all the tracks.... hence we have to put up with slow trains.

You should also visit Sundarbans Jungle, one of the msot preserrved and precious jungles in the world. There are good guest houses around there i think , and tourists do go there.

Tourist office: Yup there is one...called the Porjoton board or something. I dont know how helpful they are these days.

Crime: best advice....dont travel all on ur own. Especially at night. Crime has been increasing by over 100% every year for the last 4 years. ( i know that figure sounds ludicrous!...but im understating even so tourists arent scared off!)


...thats all i have time to write about now