Backpacking in Bangladesh

I didn’t know a thing about Bangladesh before setting foot into the country. I had no guidebook, no clue really where I was heading to, no idea what types of attractions there are to see in the country and I was pretty much scared stiff because I was going to friggin’ Bangladesh! But all of my fears were for nothing because it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life.

Best Things

Amazingly warm, generous and friendly people
Spending two months working with Hands On Disaster Response
Locals going totally out of their way to help me out when I got stranded
Cheap and easy internet connection through a cell phone
Feels safe and people look out for you
You have rock star status everywhere you go
Ridiculously cheap
Riding on the top of Bangladeshi buses

Worst Things

Not being able to wear shorts and sleeveless tops in ridiculously hot weather
People and kids who resort to beating each other over disagreements
Having people constantly staring and crowding around
People don’t tend to be too nice to animals
The horrible noise everyone makes before hocking out a massive spit

Where I Went in Bangladesh

Dhaka

Dhaka is a big, smelly city that I didn’t take any time to really explore. I basically arrived, hired a car to drive me around to buy a cell phone and then left the next day. I stopped back here for a couple of days before leaving Bangladesh and a friend and I explored a little bit. The streets are chaotic and just walking around is interesting. The most fun though was when we hopped in a tuktuk type vehicle with a driver at night. He charged through the streets on that thing and it was terrifying and awesome all at once.

Rayenda

This is where I spent most of my time. It’s a small city of about 50,000 and isn’t even on the maps I’ve seen of Bangladesh. It’s in an area called Sharankola which is near the Sundarbans and is a pretty stunning place. There’s a lot of poverty and the area was hit very hard by Cyclone Sidr but the market is lively and the people are very friendly once you shoot a smile their way.

It’s not a tourist destination but there is a hotel in town called 'Hotel Pinky'. The countryside around this areas is so flat and beautiful, you feel like you can see forever. The life along the riverbanks in the more rural parts outside of Rayenda is fascinating as well. If you do find yourself here for some reason, have someone take you around by bike taxi or motorbike and you will see some great scenery and meet some very curious people.

Bagerhat

Bargerhat is a city about an hour or two by bus from Rayenda. I got stranded here and on my way to Rayenda and was helped out by about 30 men who all wanted to make sure I was looked after. The man at the bus station and his family even escorted me to the hotel and collected me the next morning to make sure I got on the right bus. The city itself is known for having a couple of significant mosques and a vibrant market but my experience in Bagerhat was limited to the hotel and I also came back here a month later to take a training course with 'Save the Children'. The best part about the second trip to Bagerhat was riding on top of the bus for the two-hour journey there.

The Sundarbans

The Rocket

The Rocket is an old paddle wheel ship and one of Bangladesh’s few tourist attractions. I took the boat from Masua (a village across the river from Rayenda) to Dhaka, a 20 hour journey which cost 900 taka for two beds in a second class cabin. I could have paid 450 for one bed but I didn’t feel like being sociable and as most passengers tend to be men, they prefer women take an entire cabin to themselves. The cabin is sparse but comfortable. Make sure you lock your door from the inside because the crew like to bust in without knocking. First class is a lot nicer with access to a deck at the front of the boat (although I hear you can sneak up there with a second class ticket too), nicer cabins and a communal eating area with a huge long table. If you want to hang out with the locals, deck class tickets are 200 taka but this is probably not for the feint of heart.

Visa

I’m told that visas can usually obtained on arrival for a maximum of 15 days so if you are planning a short visit then this is the way to go. Because I wanted to stay for two months, I had to sort out my visa in advance in Manila. I wouldn’t recommend The Philippines as a place to get your Bangladeshi visa though as the guy in the office didn’t seem to have a clue what he was doing. I waited 4 weeks for the thing and he even managed to lose my original application. Eventually a visa was issued for what I thought was two months for about $60 (in my UK passport) but I had read the visa wrong and it turned out that it was only for six weeks so I ended up overstaying by 14 days by accident.

The overstay charge was 200 taka per day up to 15 days and afterwards it’s 500 per day. Visas can be renewed for the same price you paid the first time around but I’m not sure for how long. It is possible to get a double entry and it will probably cost twice as much as a single entry visa.

Accommodation

Accommodation can be as cheap as 50 taka per night or as expensive as you want it to be at western hotel chains like the Sheraton and Westen. The western places will be what you expect from a top hotel with hot water, standard toilets, room service and you will even be able to find people to get you alcohol. The supercheap options will have none of these things.

Where I Stayed

Dhaka - Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast, Hotel Ramna

Khulna - Western Inn

Transportation

Plane

The national airline is Biman and it has a reputation for being terrible. I had heard enough horror stories to not even attempt to find a flight with Biman out of Bangladesh. Flight cancellations and delays seem to be the norm with these guys. I even know of someone being sold a ticket on a flight two hours before it was due to leave only to be told on arrival at the airport that it had been cancelled. Fortunately the flight the following day was only delayed by six hours. GMG is the other Bangla option with flights to various destinations in Asia and the Sub Continent.

Ferry

Bangladesh seems to only make international news when there's a cyclone or a ferry accident and, while it is a logical way to travel around such a water logged country, overloaded ferrries will tend to make any traveller a bit anxious. If you take a bus anywhere you will most likely have the bus drive onto a ferry or two so there's no escape. If you would prefer to travel by boat the whole way then head down to the local docks and ask around for 'launch' tickets.

Bus

Bus accidents are common which isn't surprising because the roads are narrow and crappy and the drivers are insane. Buses operate with a driver and what I like to call the shouter. The driver barrels along in the middle of the narrow roads with everything smaller having to get out of the way if they want to survive. The shouter hangs out the door at the front of the bus screaming at everyone to get out of the way. Most of the buses look like they’ve been rolled a few times and are covered in dents and have broken windows (if they have windows). One local bus I was on even needed everyone to get out an push to get it started.

Inside, the seats are small and set at a 90 degree angle and if you are travelling over a long distance it's advisable to buy the seat next to you for your bag and also to give you some breathing room. You will probably be stared at by everyone within a few seats of you for an uncomfortably long time but it’s just good-natured curiosity. Riding up top is a more comfortable, if death defying, option but is only allowed in rural areas.

Rickshaw

In the cities there seem to be more rickshaws than cars. They’re pedal powered and are quite high up off the ground with large wheels and the world’s most uncomfortable design for the passenger. The seats are just that little bit too narrow to comfortably sit two people and they’re tilted forward on an angle just awkward enough so you feel as though you’re sliding off for the entire journey. Two friends of mine had their entire rickshaw fall apart beneath them, dropping them onto the street as whole contraption collapsed. Fun!

Ban

Bhans (pronounced ‘vans’ but for some reason spelt ‘bans’) are three-wheeled bikes with a flat bit on the back. They are used to transport anything - from giant tree trucks to loads of sheet metal to entire families and sometimes everything at once. Despite having three wheels, they’re pretty unstable and often have drivers who are too small to reach the pedals. They’re slow and uncomfortable but they are the cheapest way to get around rural Bangladesh. Agree your price at the beginning of the journey and feel free to tip if you make it from point A to point B without incident because these things are hard to steer and the drivers make peanuts a day.

Weather

I arrived in the middle of February to great weather by my standards. The nights were a bit chilly at that time but not uncomfortable and the days were sunny and 25 degrees. As March approached it started to get humid and working in the sun was pretty hot and sticky. It only rained about once every couple of weeks but when it did, it didn’t mess around and came down in buckets for several hours. By early April the heat was pretty fierce and even a short walk would result in some serious sweatiness. When I wasn’t working I spent most of my time parked in front of a fan and when I was working I spent most of my time complaining about my impending death due to heatstroke.

People

Locals

If you want instant superstar status then come to Bangladesh. The locals will be fascinated by you and you will never be short of stares or people, old and young, yelling ‘hellos’ in your direction. It’s impossible not to tire of the continuous ‘what is your name, what is your country?’ question but it’s all harmless and everyone is genuinely interested in what you’re doing in Bangladesh. Plus those are probably the only words they know in English. I’ve never been to a place where the locals are more friendly and generous. Quite often the women would look as though they were scowling at me but once I smiled at them their faces lit up with a beaming smile and they would often start talking cheerfully to me in Bangla. It is impossible to feel lonely in Bangladesh and you will probably end up fielding many invites into people’s homes.

Other Travellers

What other travellers? I spent most of my time in Bangladesh in the middle of nowhere but during the short time I spent in other places I only bumped into a couple of other travellers. We came across a lost looking Czech guy in a Khulna supermarket who was wearing the shortest jean shorts I’ve ever seen in my life on a guy. There were also a couple of backpackers on a Sunderbans boat trip I did but for the most part, foreigners you meet in Bangladesh seem to be working for an NGO or an embassy or something along those lines.

Money and Costs

The local currency is the taka and you’ll have a hard time finding ATM machines outside of the major cities so load up on cash before you leave for more remote areas. Bangladesh is ridiculously cheap, especially if you hang out in a rural area like I did. Things can get more expensive if you stay in flashy hotels in Dhaka and hang out at clubs aimed at Westerners but things can still be done very cheaply here if you do like the locals.

Example Costs (April 2008):

Cup of tea - 3 taka
Egg - 5 taka
Onion - 2 taka
Ice cream bar - 16 taka
Chocolate bar - 2 taka
One hour motorbike journey - 100 taka
Bus from Dhaka to Rayenda (8 hours) - 200 taka
Bus from Rayenda to Tafalbari (30 minutes) - 7 taka
Second class Rocket ticket (whole cabin) - 900 taka
Pants hemmed - 20 taka
Women's outfit made (top, pants, scarf) - 650 taka

Eating at local restaurants is cheap too. I spent a few hours at a tea shop with two friends and we had about 15 teas between us, six shingola (samosa type things), and two lunches of rice, egg and squash for a grand total of 70 taka. That’s about $1 for all three of us!

Safety and Security

I didn’t feel unsafe at all during my two months here. Upon arrival in Rayenda I was told I shouldn’t head out to the market alone after dark but I think this was just a common sense type precaution rather than being based on Rayenda being a dodgy place. I felt that, no matter where I wandered off to, there would always be people around to help out.

Food and Drink

Spending two months in rural Bangladesh doesn’t do much for your appreciation of the food. Being in a remote area meant that meals consisted of a rotation of only and handful of dishes including rice, dahl, fried cauliflower things, squash mosh, cabbage crap, spinach surprise and the very occasional mystery meat or fish dish. While they were all pretty tasty for the first couple of weeks, after two months of it, I never want to see any of those dishes again.

Bangladeshis eat everything with their hands so if you’re served a meal with no utensils just go with it. If you get some runny stuff you just have to mash it into your rice and do your best. Make sure you eat only with your right hand because the left hand is reserved for poop related activites and if you eat with it you’ll gross people out and potentially cause a cultural incident.

Tea is a huge part of Bangladeshi life and is sold over the place at street side stalls. It’s loaded with sugar and if you ask for milk you might get condensed milk so prepare for a serious sugar buzz. Needless to say, the tea is awesome. Finding booze in Bangladesh isn’t impossible but it’s not just a case of rocking up to a supermarket either. I was offered some black market beer from a dodgy dude working at a hotel in Khulna but at 320 taka per can I wasn’t that tempted. Plus, strangely, the only option seemed to be Foster’s which made it even less tempting. He said he could get spirits as well but I didn’t get any prices. If you plan on spending any time in Dhaka then there are clubs at the embassies that sell booze and I think the same goes for the western hotel chains. I have to say though that it was nice to go alcohol free for a couple of months and I didn’t miss it at all. If you can’t cope without the occasional tipple you can bring alcohol into the country as a foreigner but Bangladeshi passport holders can’t.

Communication

Bangladesh is surprisingly well hooked-up for being one of the world’s poorest countries. I was able to buy a Nokia cell phone for about 10,000 taka, a local sim card for about 300 and hook it all up with unlimited internet access for 1200 per month. Service like this would cost a fortune in the UK and I doubt the coverage would extend to the middle of nowhere like it does here. I can hook it up to my laptop easily and could get online from the middle of a rice paddy if I wanted. The service is with Grameen and the coverage is amazing and reasonably fast considering the location. It’s funny to be in a place where I can connect to the net from anywhere but can’t find a simple payphone to call home.