THE GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES INC PRESENTS SSUURRPPRRIISSIINNGG BBAANNGGLLAADDEESSHH

A NEW STUDY TOUR FEATURING LIFE ON THE COUNTRY'S WATERWAYS, HISTORICAL MONUMENTS, MINORITY HILL-TRIBE VILLAGES, & THE UNIQUE SANDABANS NATIONAL PARK

FRIDAY 07 to SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY, 2014 - 16 DAYS, 14 NIGHTS

TWIN-SHARE COST: $ 5,750 Single Supplement Cost: $ 790

THE “SURPRISING " STUDY TOUR, 2014 ITINERARY Day 1 – Fri. 07 Feb: Sydney to Bangkok. Depart Sydney on THAI flight TG476 at 10.00 and arrive in Bangkok at 3.30 pm. Transfer to the city, with free time for the rest of the day, and dinner if required. The stop-over is necessary because there is no connecting flight to Bangladesh after flying from Australia. . . Stay 1 night: Narai Hotel, 222 Silom Road, Bangkok, Thailand, 10500. (Phone: [662] 237 0100) Day 2 – Sat. 08 Feb.: Morning arrival in , with afternoon city tour. After the hotel's big buffet breakfast, transfer back to the airport to depart Bangkok on THAI flight TG 321 at 10.55. Land in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, at 12.30, meet our guide on arrival, and transfer to our first-class hotel in the city centre. After settling in, we will travel by coach to see some of the city’s main sights, but we can expect to find the traffic horrendous between sites, while being full of interest at the same time. We can expect to see the National Assembly building, National Museum, Dhaka University area including Curzon Hall, and Shahid Minarr which is the National Monument commemorating the people who were killed by the Pakistani Police during the Movement demonstrations of 1952; the protesters were demanding equal status with , for their native tongue, Bengali. . Stay 2 nights: Hotel Ruposhi Bangla or Similar, Dhaka. 5* . (B, D)

Day 3 – Sun. 09 Feb.: Sight-seeing in Old Dhaka Sightseeing. After breakfast, we will explore some of the fascinating areas of the Old City by coach and on foot; many of the streets are very narrow and crowded. In the morning, we can expect to visit Sadarghat with the teeming waterfront of the city's Buriganga River, Ahsan Mazil also known as the “Pink Palace” from 1872, fascinating Shankharia Bazar (Hindu Street), and the Sitara Mosque “with its striking mosaic decoration”. And after lunch, we will visit , and the 12th century Dhakeshwari Hindu Temple before returning to our hotel for the second night.. (B,L,D) Day 4 – Mon. 10 Feb.: Coach travel from Dhaka to Chittagong via and Mainamati. After breakfast we will commence the 213 km drive from Dhaka to Chittagong, the country’s second biggest city, on the country’s most important highway, currently undergoing enlargement from 2 lanes to 4, and involving very slow progress. On the way we will visit Sonargaon, the old capital of Bengal (like a ghost town today), and at 95 km from Dhaka, visit the ruins and important Buddhist archaeological sites of Mainimati-Lalmai from the 6th to the 13th centuries in the town of Comilla. See the remains of a former university with 115 cells for student monks from the 8th-12th century AD, and the archaeological museum with its treasures from the once-prosperous Buddhist civilization.. We will stop at a wayside hotel for a lunch of Bangladeshi cuisine, and then continue our drive to Chittagong for dinner and over-night. . Stay 1 night: Hotel Well Park or Similar, Chittagong. 4* (B,L,D) Day 5 – Tue. 11 Feb.: See Chittagong, and then travel east into hill-tribes Country. In Chittagong, we will explore some of the more interesting sights of this historical port city, including the Court Building, the Bayazid Bostami Shrine, where evil spirits were turned into turtles by a local holy-man, and an unusual colourful mosque. We will then drive to Rangamati in the forested Hill Tribes’ district, 77km from Chittagong, but stopping to visit the Tribal Museum en route. After freshening up and having lunch in Rangamati, we will visit the Rajban Bihara & a tribal market. . Stay 2 nights: Parjatan Resort Motel, Rangamatti - (Standard hotel - the best available). (B,L,D) Day 6 – Wed. 12 Feb.: Rangamati boat cruise. After early breakfast we will join a private cruise boat for a fascinating boat cruise on Kaptai Lake “with its splendid setting of lush landscape and scenic grandeur” considered to be “an amazing experience which is more exciting than that of Kashmir valley”. The boat travel is through the lake’s vast expanse of over 680 sq. km. of crystal clear water flanked by hills and evergreen dense forest where there are “rich tribal villages and tribal markets”. It is actually an artificial lake built by the former East Government between 1956 and 1962 to generate hydro-electricity and was very controversial at the time; it flooded 40 per cent of the district's arable land and displaced almost 100,000 tribal people. Fortunately, fishing has become an important industry for the local population. We will visit communities of the local Chakma people, and lunch will be in a lake-side restaurant. Return to our Resort-Motel for overnight. (B,L,D) Day-06 – Thu. 13 Feb.: Rangamati to Bandarban. After breakfast we will drive to Bandarban on the Sangu River, but, along the way, we can expect to visit tribal villages, and a traditional market. After lunch in Bandaban, we will visit the Zadi temple (Golden temple) “the most ornamented Buddhist temple in Bangladesh”, and we may go for a hike down to the Sangu River where there are local Bazars. Stay 2 nights: Milonchari Mountain Resort. (B,L,D) Day 7 – Fri. 14 Feb.: Bandarban Sightseeing: After breakfast we will travel by 4-wheel drive vehicles towards Nil Giri which is one of the tallest peaks and one of the most beautiful hill sites in Bangladesh at Thanci Thana. En-route we will visit Chimbuk Hill, and ethnic tribal markets & villages such as Bom, Marma & Tongchonga. We will then return to the Resort for overnight. (B,L,D) Day 8 – Sat. 15 Feb.: Bandarban to Chittagong and return to Dhaka. Rising early, we will return to Chittagong in our coach, and, at the airport join a flight back to Dhaka. On arrival, if time permits, we may take a shopping trip to Aarong Arts & Crafts Market. Established in 1978, “Aarong is a fair trade organisation dedicated to the promotion of Artists and Craftsmen - weavers, potters, brass workers, jewellers, jute workers, basket weavers, wood carvers, leather workers and more”. Stay 1 night: Hotel Ruposhi Bangla or Similar, Dhaka. 5* (B,L,D) Day 9 – Sun. 16 Feb.: Commence a 4-day cruise of the country's waterways. In the morning we will transfer to Sultana Kamal Bridge, at Demra in Dhaka, to join our chartered small cruise boat, the M.V Mahirah, on which we will stay for 5 days and 4 nights sleeping in a.c. cabins. We commences by journeying south towards Sandarbans National Park, passing through and between the many islands, and seeing the people's riverine life, Hilsha Fishing, harvesting of crops, and different types of country boats, and stopping at Barisal or Shupoti Forestry stations. The cruise will continue through the Buriganga, Meghna, Kirtankhola, Baleshwary and Pashur Rivers. We may visit the Karamjal panoramic tourist Resort and salt water crocodile arboretum and walk on a half-km long, raised boardwalk through the forest to observe the forest vegetation and the wildlife including spotted deer, monkeys, wildfowl, and beautiful birds. We will spend the whole day cruising different rivers and canals amongst fishermen, and observing the forest closely for a possible rare chance of seeing a Royal Bengal Tiger (400 of them are thought to exist in the park – the highest tiger density in the world). Overnight on board in the Park. (B,L,D) Note: A photo of the M.V. Mahirah appears on this brochure's front cover; it is fully air-conditioned. Under the open Sun Deck, is the Bridge Deck with lobby, lounge and dining room. Below that is the Main deck with internal central corridor leading to two deluxe double cabins at the front (which will cost an additional $220 per person for the trip), 12 twin rooms without en-suites, and 3 toilets and 3 shower rooms down the corridor at the back. Below that is the Lower deck with 5 twin cabins, not intended to be used, a theatre, a gym, staff quarters and engine room. Day 10: Mon. 17 Feb.: Sundarbans to Kachikhali. During the morning, following formalities at the Forestry Department Station at Shupoti, we will cruise towards Kachikhali and spend most of the day exploring that area. Overnight on board in Kachikhali. (B,L,D) Day 11: Tue. 18 Feb.: Kachikhali to Kotka. Shortly after sunrise we will commence a journey towards Kotka and join a wooden rowboat to explore small narrow creeks allowing us to have a close-up look at the unique mangrove fauna & flora. After a leisurely lunch, the guide will offer a variety of activities, including an easy trek to the pristine beach facing the Bay of Bengal, a hike through the mangroves, and an evening boat trip. Overnight on board in Kotka. (B,L,D) Day 12: Wed. 19 Feb.: Kotka to Khulna. Depending on the tide schedule, we will begin the return journey with the high tide and cruise peacefully for the whole day through creeks of the mangrove forest, to arrive in Khulna. Disembark there for dinner, bed and breakfast. Stay 1 night: Hotel City Inn, Khulna. (B,L,D) Day-13: Thu. 20 Feb.: Visit to the World Heritage Sites of Bagerhat & district, and return to Dhaka. After breakfast in the hotel, we will drive to Bagerhat by AC tourist Coach to visit the historical Sixty Tomb Mosque and other world heritage sites and historic places of the district. Then return to Khulna for lunch and to visit the district's Museum. At 4.00 pm, we will travel to the airport in Jessore to fly back to Dhaka. On arrival at the domestic airport, we will transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Stay 1 night: Hotel Ruposhi Bangla or Similar. 5* (B,L,D).

Day 14: Fri. 21 Feb.: Departure from Dhaka to Bangkok. After a morning with opportunities for shopping in the most popular shopping centers and exotic Bazars of Dhaka, we will transfer to the international airport for departure on THAI flight TG 322 departing at 13.40. Arrive in Bangkok at 17.10, and transfer to the city. . Stay 1 night: Narai Hotel, 222 Silom Road, Bangkok, Thailand, 10500. (Phone: [662] 237 0100) (B) Day 15: Sat, 22 Feb.: In Bangkok with overnight flight to Sydney. Enjoy the Narai’s excellent buffet breakfast, and then a day of leisure activities and shopping, with rooms available until departure. At 4.00 pm, transfer to the airport to depart on THAI flight TG 455 at 7.15 pm. (B) Day 16: Sun. 23 Feb: Arrive Sydney at 7.20 am.

STUDY TOUR ARRANGEMENTS: Transport: Flights will be by THAI Airways International; surface travel will be by small buses, jeeps and chartered cruise boat, with professional drivers and crews, and there will be a local escort/guide for the whole tour. Tour Leader: The Study Tour will be led by Colin Sale, Vice President of the Society. He has organised and conducted 55+ previous Study Tours, and travelled to Bangladesh recently to prepare the way for this new Study Tour. Included in tour price of the main tour: All transport, transfers, attractions and excursions as itemised, and meals as specified (all breakfasts, and all meals in Bangladesh); accommodation in good quality hotels or the best available, and in a.c. cabins on the chartered cruise boat (4 nights), entrance fees, sight-seeing and all taxes. Not included in tour price: Passport & visa charges, meals that are not specified in the itinerary, & all personal items eg: beverages, phone, laundry, insurance, medical expenses, excess baggage, gratuities to drivers, boat crews and escort. Application: An application form may be obtained from ACR Travel office, or from Colin: [email protected]. Return the completed form with a deposit of $250 per person, to ACR Travel at the address on the front of the brochure

Map & photos by Colin Sale. Cover photos: Suburban Dhaka; The Port of Dhaka on the Buriganga River; The Pink Palace, Dhaka; Inside the 17th cent. Mughal Lalbagh Fort, Dhaka; School girls in Chittagong; The Bangladesh Parliament building; Mosque in Chittagong; Kaptai Lake in the eastern hill-lands; The Buddhist temple in Bangladesh; Cruise boat, M.V. Mahira: Boardwalk in the mangrove forest, Sundabans National Park; Fishing on the waterways; Crocodile in Sundabans N.P.; Tribal people of Rangamati; Back page photos: People of Bangladesh, colourful bicycle rickshaws, and a parking lot on market day at a Kaptai Lake village.