Cox’s Bazar
Cox’s Bazar, the jewel of Bangladesh, is famous for its 120 km long sea beach, which has been declared the longest sea beach in the world. It is an otherworldly experience to enjoy a walk down to the beach, listening to the rumbles of the sea, while experiencing the charming sunrise or crimson sunset.
Its unique feature is the blend of the sea and hills which provide a magnificent landscape. Exploring the beach in the glittering moonlight creates a different vibe and heavenly feeling altogether. The vastness of the sea and the quiet hills have the true allure of nature.
Paharpur Bihar
Return to an age of amazement and wonderment in Paharpur Bihar, in north Bengal. This seventh-century archaeological site is now considered a world heritage. It holds the evidence of the era of ‘Mahayana Buddhism’ in Bengal and was a renowned intellectual center until the twelfth century. This monastery city represents a unique artistic achievement, with its profusion of carved decoration, breathtaking terracotta plaques, pottery, coins, ornamental bricks, and other minor clay objects. A heavenly playground for those with archaeological interest.
Sadarghat
Running calmly through the centre of Old Dhaka, the Buriganga River is the muddy artery of Dhaka and the very lifeblood of both this city and the nation. Exploring it from the deck of a small boat from Sadarghat (shod-or-ghat) is to see Bangladesh at its grittiest. The panorama of river life is fascinating. Triple-towered ferries leer over pint-sized canoes, and country boats bump against overladen barges with barely an inch of clearance above water.
Lowacherra National Park
This wonderful patch of tropical semi-evergreen forest, around 8km east of Srimangal, provides some lovely forest walks and also your best chance of seeing the endangered hoolock gibbons in the wild. These are the only apes in Bangladesh and there are only around 200 left in the country, some 60 of which live here. Protected as part of the government-run Nishorgo Network, the park now has walking trails as well as knowledgeable eco-guides who charge Tk 400 an hour.
Apart from the hoolocks, a further 19 mammal species have been identified here including capped langur, macaques, the delightful slow loris, orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel and barking deer. There are also some 246 bird species and 20 varieties of orchid.
Ratargul, Sylhet
Sylhet is the land of water and lakes, and ‘Ratargul’, the snake sanctuary, is a real adventure through the freshwater swamp forest. This green forest remains underwater most of the time and is navigated by boat. The overhead blue sky makes the surroundings even more eye-catching by casting its reflection on the clear water. The adventure of experiencing the wildlife here cannot be compared to anything. The green surroundings will make you feel closer than you have ever felt to the Mother Nature.