Travel And Explore BD House 567(2nd Floor), Road# 9, DOHS, Mirpur, -1216, . +8801714085999 (whatsapp). [email protected] www.travelandexplorebd.com Destination Bangladesh

Tour Itinerary

Day-01: Arrival and Welcome to Bangladesh, a step into the school of life…:

One of our representatives/guides will receive you inside the airport upon arrival and take to the hotel for refreshment and start the tour depending your arrival time or else transfer you to your hotel. This short tour on the first day will be helpful to be oriented to our city and people and with the guide who will be with you for the next 3 weeks almost. Overnight at Dhaka.

Day-02: Explore old and new Dhaka and overnight ferry. :

Your month-long trip starts today with full day sightseeing at old Dhaka and it starts just after breakfast at 8 am. Check out from the hotel at 8 am with all your luggage and visit new and old part of Dhaka city including Parliament building, designed by world-famous architect Louis Kahn, an extraordinary example of modern architecture being transcribed as a part of Bangali vernacular architecture, The quasi- Gothic red-brick Curzon Hall, , the most important place of Hindu worship Bangladesh, , an unfinished fort that is located at the Lalbagh of Old Dhaka since 17th century Mughal fort , Khan Mohammad Mridha An elegant Mughal mosque , Armenian Church named after the Armenian colony that settled here in the late 17th century, an exquisite white marble structure superbly decorated with engraved floral and star patterns, Ahsan Manjil, one of the most supreme and old structures of Dhaka with an ostentatiously European architectural expression, recall the Mughal treatment of buildings in a tropical climate, and Sadarghat River Station the busiest river port of Bangladesh and the riverfront of Dhaka. . Riding rickshaw on the narrow streets of Old Dhaka is a true fun and a must-do activity. Walking through narrow streets and having a small boat trip one live and bustling river Buriganga is an unforgettable experience. Watching sunset sitting on the deck of the traditional ferry at Sahadarghat at 6 pm followed by an overnight journey to Barisal which will give you a complete picture of an enormous network of the river on the biggest delta of the earth. Overnight at launch.

Day-03: Welcome to Barisal, Exploration of the Ganges Delta and backwater trip. :

Leaving the boat at Barisal in the early morning around 5.30 am, and transfer to your hotel. After check-in, and freshen up, drive to a remote place in Barisal on a three-wheeler Tuk-Tuk. Upon arrival, you’ll embark at our waiting country boat, and start cruising immediately toward a floating market or other interesting place depending on the day of the week. These floating markets start around 7 am and finish within 9 am in the morning. And this is why we start the days early on this tour. Breakfast will be served on the boat procured from the local market. Being a very remote place where no decent restaurant is available, this will mainly be bread and some fruits. You continue cruising the whole day in the rivers and small canals in Barisal and visit a floating market where they bring everything to sell by boat which is full of activities and perfect for photography. Goods on these markets are mainly sold on wholesale from farmers to resellers. We’ll buy some seasonal local fruits from a local market for lunch such delicious jack- fruit(If you can eat those !!!), watermelon, lichee, mango, coconut, and continue cruising. You’ll also visit few bazaars on land, stop on a village and have tea while meeting with local people and exchange culture with them, and visit a factory yard where they make fiber from coconut which is used as a raw material to make carpet and rope. Return to our starting place around 3.00 pm, transfer to Barisal by tuk- tuk, and retire for the day.

Day-04: Experience life on Ganges Delta:

Today our activity will be a bit similar to yesterday's Breakfast at a restaurant at Barisal at 7 am and transfer to a remote place in Barisal by Tuk-Tuk (Three wheeler CNG). Board on our waiting boat upon arrival, and start cruising immediately. Today you will be taken to some other places to visit through the narrow canals and rivers. You’ll float through the backyards of people’s house and see their lifestyle while they welcome you and greet you from the land, see a floating guava market, visit numerous guava gardens where a big percentage of Bangladesh’s guavas are grown, visit kids and teachers on a school where you can talk with them, and exchange culture. Locally bought fruits will be served for lunch on the boat as yesterday with some bread procured from a local source. Continue cruising through the narrow canals and rivers. The next attraction for today will be visiting a timber market where you will see logs dumped beside the river spread in miles long places, carried away on the river very slowly with the help of a boat, loading and unloading them manually with the help of tide. Also, visit numerous sawmills where they saw the logs according to the needs of the customers located on the bank. Return to our starting place around 3.00 pm. Overnight at Barisal (Hotel Arena)

Day-05: Full day tour at Bagerhat, a fascinating visit to UNESCO heritage.:

Very early in the morning, you will be transferred to River Station to catch the Paddle Steamer River Station and catch Rocket Paddle Steamer at 5.30 am. Enjoy the riverine beauty of Bangladesh from Rocket Steamer in the morning and this journey will for roughly 3 hours. You will leave the boat at Hularhat at around 09.00 am. Rocket Steamer will arrive around 9 am at Hularhat in the morning and the cruise on the boat at the morning time will give you a chance to learn about the life of people who reside on the bank of the river and different profession based on the river water. After getting off the boat you will have a short drive of an hour towards Bagerhat in an air- conditioned vehicle and visit the 15th-century Muslim city once called Khalifatabad, which is presently Bagerhat, a UNESCO world heritage site. For the whole day, you’ll visit most of the remaining from the 15th-century city Khalifabad, such as 60 Dome Mosque, 09 Dome Mosque, Rono Bijoypur Mosque, and Singair Mosque. Also, we’ll take you to visit the shrine of Khan Jahan Ali, the saint general from Turkey who came to spread Islam in the Indian sub-continent and founded this great city, and Kodla Moth – a very beautiful Hindu temple from 17th century. By the evening you will be exhausted and drive back to Khulna for overnight. Drive to Mongla which is one hour drive from Bagherhat and stay overnight at Mongla to start the Sundarban tour next day

Day-06: Welcome to our Sundarban Adventure Cruise, the homeland of the tiger.:

Just after completion of boarding, you will start the lifetime memory journey through the magical mangrove forest, you likely will be arriving in Kotka/ Kochikhali by late in the afternoon. On the way, at the entrance of Sundarban, you will stop on a forest station to complete formalities, and continue toward Kochikhali. Once you are inside the Sundarban you will be cruising through numerous creeks and canals with our small boat because the main boat cannot access those are due to their size and the canals being shallow. And this private tour in a small boat will give a chance to feel the nature more closely and a grate opportunity to see the majestic Royal Bengal tiger and other wildlife. Stop at Harbaria Eco Park, the people on an excursion trip to Sundarbans finishing the visit until this point doing which we rarely recommend, walk for 30 mins of the trail for the first experience of Sundarbans. Your expert guide will offer you some forest activities in the afternoon after reaching there and If only we are allowed by the daylight. Enjoy the fascinating nature; hang on to the music of silence. Overnight and all meals onboard. The boat will be anchored nearby the forest station.

Day-07: Full day activities at Wildlife Sanctuary (Kotka/Kochikahli):

Today early in the morning around 6 am (will depend on the weather situation) your guide will offer you a silent wooden rowing boat trip, which is considered one of the must-do activates during your stay at the home of tiger the magical forest, through the narrow creek for couples of hours and get back to the boat for breakfast. We will invite you to a six-kilometer beach walk/ easy forest walk and beach activities for the next couple of hours in between lunch and breakfast. After the beach activity return to the boat by lunchtime, after lunch around 3:30pm, an adventurous jungle walk will be offered by your guide or you can climb to watch the tower at Kotka before the sunset. This is in fact the feeding ground for animals. A big number of deers and other wild animals come here in the evening to eat grass and drink water. If you are lucky what surprises will be waiting for you here! I visited many times there but not seen any of the tigers yet. Soon after completion of your boarding on the boat, you will start the journey for the Pakhir Khal or at a convenient location for overnight stay by the forest station.

Day-08: Visit Fishing Village & Crocodile Breeding Center:

Today you will be offered a boat ride on the noiseless wooden rowboat just after the sun rises and explore a canal near the forest station. Return to the main boat at 7.30 am and have breakfast. We’ll start our return journey toward Mongla from here through other small rivers and canals. You will visit a fishing village and Koromjal Crocodile Breeding Center on the way to Mongla. And finally, you reach at Mongla late in the afternoon or the boat will continue till the khulan where you will do the night stay. If you disembark at Mongla then you will be transferred to Khulna by our car which is an hour and a half driving distance.

Day-09: Transfer from Kulna to Rajshai by Train and then Puthia:

After Breakfast you will be transferred to Khulna Railway Station, and then depart for Rajshahi on 715 Kapotaksha Express at 06.30 am. You will arrive at Rajshahi roughly at 12.20 pm and immediately transfer to the hotel. After check-in, get refreshed then lunch. Leave for Puthia and you will reach there in 30 mins drive and visit beautiful temples and palaces. A biggest number of historical temples of Bangladesh are located in Puthia. In the evening you will be back to Rajshahi.

Day-10: Ancient Bengal Capital Gauda, The Alexander of Bangladesh :

Drive to Sona Masjid (90 km, 03 hrs) and visit some of the remaining archaeological sights of Gauda, was a Hindu power during the Late Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, which originated in the region of Bengal. This once rich city is located in the Bangladesh-India border and split between two countries. You will visit its beautiful mosques, palace, and shrine including Tahkhana complex, , Darasbari Mosque, Khaniadidhi Mosque, Dhnikchak Mosque, Shrine of Shah Niamatullah the whole day. Return to Rajshahi in the evening. Overnight at Rajshahi (Hotel Nice)

Day-11: visit Bagha Mosque, Temples and Palaces of Puthia and Natore :

After breakfast, drive to Bagha (42 km, 1.5 hrs) upon arrival there you will visit Bagha Mosque, the magnificent mosque was built in 1523 A.D. by the Sultan of Bengal Nasiruddin Nasrat Shah. Ornamented with beautiful terracotta, Bagha Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in the current days of Bangladesh. Afterward, you will drive to Puthia (21 km, 45 mins) and visit its beautiful temples and palaces. The largest number of historical temples of Bangladesh is located in Puthia most of which were built in the 19th century. Then drive to Natore (20 km,30 mins) and visit the palace of Rani Bhabani which was built in the British period. The whole and part of the current day West Bengal was once ruled from here, and the queen was called ‘the lady of half of the whole greater Bengal’. Drive back to Rajshahi (43 km, 01 hr) in the evening. Overnight at Rajshahi (Hotel Nice).

Day-12: Visit Kusumba Mosque, Somapura Mahavihara, and : Today it will be a bit laborious day as just after breakfast we will drive more than 200 km at a row and visit 3 magnificent ancient architecture. First Visit Kusumba Mosque, a beautiful stone-built mosque from the medieval period. This is one of the sixth remaining stone-built mosque from the Sultanate period in Bengal, which is very well preserved. Again there will be one drive 60 km to reach Paharpur (1.5 hours of drive) and visit Somapura Mahavihara, a Buddhist monastery from 8th century and a UNESCO world heritage site. This is the most impressive archaeological site in Bangladesh. Finally drive to Mahasthangarh (Distance: 60 km Time: 1.5 hrs), and visit the remaining of the oldest known city in Bangladesh from 3rd century BC. We will take you to visit most of the well-known sites at Mahasthangarh including the Citadel, Mahasthangarh Museum, Gokul Medh, Vasu Bihar. After visiting all those spots in one day you will be tiered and reach at Bogra finally. Overnight at Bogra

Day-13: Chars of Jamuna, Primitive char life of Mighty Jamuna river and Tajhat Palace:

After breakfast Drive to Sariakandi to visit the chars (the temporary river islands which are made from erosion of river bank) of Jamuna. Cruising by boat to see the simple life of people in the river island. After visiting the chars area drive to Rangpur (124 km, 4 hrs) and Visit Tajhat Palace, the most beautiful palace in the Northern part of Bangladesh built in the British period. Also, visit a nearby Kali temple. Overnight at Rangpur (Hotel North View / RDRS Guest House / Parjatan Hotel).

Day-14: Kantajew Temple, magnificent religious edifices since 18th century and fly back to Dhaka. :

Today we will start our journey a bit late at 10.00 am and drive to Dinajpur (72 km, 02 hrs) and visit Kantajew Temple, which is the most beautiful Hindu temple in Bangladesh. Every inch of the temple is decorated with beautiful terracotta plaques describing epic Hindu stories. Also, visit Nayabad Mosque built by the Muslim workers who came to build the temple. Then Drive to Saidpur Airport (32 km, 01 hr), and fly to Dhaka at 5 pm flight. Arrive at Dhaka around 6 pm, and transfer to the hotel.

Day-15: Tea Plantations, Pineapple & Lemon orchard. :

Pick up from the hotel at 06.30 am, transfer to Airport Railway Station and depart for Srimangal at 7 am on 709 Parabat Express. After 4 hours train journey you will reach at Srimangal around 11 am, transfer to the resort and after check-in its lunchtime (on the way of our journey we will confirm our arrival there and fix the menu for the lunch). In the afternoon, you will see tea deposit activities on a tea garden before sunset when female workers gather to deposit their tea leaves which they collected during the whole day, which is photogenic and walking through the tracks inside picturesque tea gardens, visit some pineapple lemon orchards on the gentle slope of the hills are some common activities at Srimangal at first day. Visit a colony of tea workers if time permits. After dinner, we’ll be taken to Nilkontho Tea cabin to taste the famous 7 layer tea of Srimangal. Overnight at Srimangal (Nisorgo Eco Resort).

Day-16: Srimangal: Lawachara National Park:

Very early in the morning around 5.30 to 6 am, before the local tourist arrives at the Lawachara national park, you will go for a rewarding nature trekking through the Lawachara National Park Park consists of 460 species, of which 167 species are plants, 4 amphibian species, 6 reptile species, 246 bird species, and 20 mammal species. Different types of plants make the natural view of ‘Lawachara’ very thrilling and attractive. We’ll take the 03 hours track for the maximum chance to see wildlife, especially the Hollock Gibbons for which this forest is famous for. In the afternoon you are free and discussing with the guide you may choose the activity in the afternoon. Madobpur lake could be one of the good options.

Day-17: Bird Watching tour , Transfer to Sylhet. :

Early morning visit Baikka Beal, a famous wetland sanctuary for the migratory birds and it is a perfect place for the bird lovers. Return to the resort late morning and take breakfast and prepare for check-out. Drive to Sylhet and it will take approximately 2 hours to reach Sylhet. Welcome to Sylhet and after check-in, freshen up, and lunch, we’ll give you a walking tour of Sylhet city. We’ll take you to visit the century-old Kin Bridge which was built on the colonial period and shrine of Shah Jalal where you’ll see many interesting people. Overnight at Sylhet (Hotel Britania / Noorjahan Grand Hotel)

Day-18: Day long tour at picturesque Jaflong, place of rolling stones from hill:

After picking up from the hotel at 9 am we will start driving for Picturesque Jaflong and this is one of the scenic drives in Bangladesh. The distance from Sylhet to Jaflong is 58 km and around 2 hrs of driving distance. Here you’ll pass your time idly enjoying the beauty of Jaflong. You’ll get a chance of photo shooting of the stone collection activities on the river where you will observe they collect stones manually and take into crushers nearby. We will take you to the river on a local boat to photograph the stone collecting activities. Lunch on a decent restaurant run by Nazimgarh Resort overlooking the river. Visit the village of Khashia tribe and see their lifestyle. You can visit their gardens and see how they grow betel leaves. Return journey toward Sylhet in the evening. Overnight at Sylhet.

Day-19: Boat ride at Lalakhal, Fly to Dhaka:

Check-out from the hotel and start at 8 am, start driving toward Sarighat which is 37 km and 1-hour driving distance. Upon arrival Sarighat, directly transfer to the boat. Experience a pleasing boat ride on the cristal clear blue-water canal called Lalakhal. You will be taken up the end of the canal as much as close to the Indian border and back, which will be roughly 2.5 hrs ride in total. We’ll be using a motorized local wooden boat for this fascinating journey and Back to Sylhet, just after lunch transfer to the airport. Catch the 2 pm flight or 3p train, Parabat Express. Arrival at Dhaka around 2.40 pm/ 9 pm, and transfer you to your hotel.

Day-20: Old Capital :

After doing some the tour outside Dhaka today you will be offered a full day sightseeing at Sonargoan which is our old capital of Bengal. From your hotel our guide will come to pick you up at 8 or 7.30 am to avoid the horrible traffic of Dhaka. On the way to Sonargoan, we will stop at Nawapara Jamdani village, the place of weaving traditional Jamdani sari, which is an incredible artwork of magic fingers unfortunately disappearing at present days? Continue drive to old capital of Bengal, an important river port and the trading center for the world-famous muslin. You visit there mosques, tombs, stupas and a bridge in Panam Nagar, (Know details of Panam Nagar at the bottom) the Shiv Mandir (Hindu temple) and the well-maintained Folk Art Museum are well worth visiting. There you also find Goaldi mosque which is small in size but size is majestic in beauty because of terracotta works since Mugal Period. To taste the local food lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Sonargaon. After visiting folk art museum continue drive to Buiddyer Bazar. At this place we will take a country boat for couples of hour cruise on Meghna. This small tour at Char (a temporary sandy island, formed by the river erosion) will be very interested to explore the primitive village life. This kind of chars, which can be disappeared by flooding, high tide or by any natural disaster or so, in Bangladesh up from northern part till to the south coast. By this time it will be 3.30 pm and time to get back to Dhaka and hopefully at 5 or 5.30 PM we will reach at your hotel or resident.

Day-21: Welcome to Hill tracks, Dhaka - Chittagong by air and Transferred to Rangamati: After having the breakfast early in the morning (depending on the flight schedule we may advise the hotel to prepare the takeaway breakfast) then transfer to the airport to take the flight to go to Chittagong 7.15 am. By 8.10 am you will be landing at Chittagong, start driving for Rangamati this journey 102 kilometers by road is almost 4hour long driving distance. Enjoy boat ride at Kaptai Lake for the rest of the day before sunset. This cruise is the most fascinating boat cruise in Kaptai Lake with its splendid setting of lush landscape and scenic majesty. Visit some tribal handicraft markets in the evening. Overnight at Rangamati (Parjatan Hotel)

Day-22: Transfer from Rangamati to Bandarban:

Drive to Bandarban after breakfast. It’s a three and a half hour driving distance. Visit a small tribal museum on the way. After reaching Bandarban you will have many options to do activities for the rest of the day and depending on your interest Visit Golden Temple at Nilachal, and other popular tourist sites in Bandarban. Just keep in mind to reach Golden Temple, you have to climb a 60m / 200ft hill through paved stairs or After lunch visit the Bhomong King’s residence and the colorful native market at shailokup propat. One of the popular activities at Bandarban to have a small boat trip and walk through Bhom tribal village or visit Chimbuk hilltop (3800 feet high pick) by car to witness the spectacular sunset what you can do tomorrow also. Actually, there are numerous options for activities at Bandarban. Overnight at Bandarban (Hillside Resort)

Day-23: Full day activities at Bandarban: Tribal Villages and Sangu River:

Yesterday after reaching at Bandarban you had a very small time to explore Bandarban deeply but today you will do the rest of the activities that you could not do yesterday due to the shortage of time. You may Visit villages of different tribes in the morning to see tribal lives. You also will be able to see how they hand-make their own cloths, and also you would have an option to buy some of those hand-make products if you like from small outlets directly run by the tribal people, which is indeed big support for them. If you missed the fascinating boat ride yesterday then do it today as the boat ride at beautiful Sangu river in the evening, which is the most beautiful river in Bangladesh coming from India directly. Overnight at Bandarban (Hillside Resort)

Day-24: Free Time at Morning then Drive to Cox's Bazar:

Morning is free to enjoy nature from the resort and afterward drive to Cox’s Bazar (121 km, 03 hrs) around 10.00 am, check into the hotel and start beach activity. Free time on the sandy beach in the world rest of the day. Overnight at Cox’s Bazar (Long Beach Hotel)

Day-25: Cox's Bazar and Fishing Port visit:

Early in the morning, we will reach the fishing port to see the fishing loading and unloading of the fish which is just caught from the see last night. If you are a photographer you will be lost thereby clicking your camera for million times, You will miss your camera even if you are not a professional photographer. After lunch, go to visit a fishing village and experience the lifestyle of the fishing community of Cox’s Bazar and this visit to the village unveil a scope to see the preparation of dry fishing center where they make and sell dry fishes in large scale all over Bangladesh. Free time at Beach for the rest of the day. parasailing on a beach outside the city is one of the favorite activities at Cox. Return to the hotel in the evening. Overnight at Cox’s Bazar (Long Beach Hotel)

Day-26: Free Morning, Cox's Bazar - Dhaka on Flight:

Morning is free to do anything you like on your own. Transfer to the airport, and fly back to Dhaka on 11.30 H flight. Arrive Dhaka around 12.35 H, transfer to the hotel. Overnight at Dhaka (Richmond Hotel & Suites)

Day-27: Departure and Time to Say Good bye: Transfer to the airport in the morning according to your flight, say goodbye. End of the tour.

Tour Includes what's Included All the airport pick up and drop in Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, Saidpur, Sylhet, and.

All 27 nights’ accommodation mentioned in the itinerary. There will hotel, resort, houseboats. Rooms are twin sharing basis.

For the full-day trip at Barishal (Day 3&4) lunch is included but due to the non-availability of good lunch, we will buy lunch in advance from the city. Generally, they are some bread and locally purchased fresh fruits.

All meals including drinking water, tea, and coffee during the stay on the houseboat at Sundarbans for three days (Day 6,7,8)

To go to Barishal there will a 1st class cabin on the passenger ferry on twin sharing basis.

All domestic air tickets Sylhet-Dhaka, Saidpur-Dhaka, Dhaka- Chittagong, and Cox’s Bazar-Dhaka.

All train and boat rides.

All site entrance tickets.

Air-conditioned car, driver, and English speaking guide.

5,500 BDT per person govt. forest permission fee for Sundarbans.

All tips except our guide, driver, and boat crew.

What's not Included Any food or drinks are other than mentioned above.

Parasailing in Cox’s Bazar. 1,200 BDT fee for video camera in Sundarbans (if any).

Any personal items.

Special Notes

Availability and Booking We need at least 02 people to book this tour. For solo travelers, we have a different option. This tour is available round the year. We prefer you make this the booking for this tour minimum 3 weeks before as there are a lot of things to arrange at the backend.

Meet and Greet at Airport. On the day of your arrival, there is only one gate of the whole airport that is called Green Channel Exit which is just 15 meters after collecting your luggage, there will be one of our representative waiting for you with your name in Placard with our logo Travel and Explore BD. Look for your guide there or you may call him just from your phone. Upon your arrival, you can buy a SIM card just after landing at the airport and call our guide immediately. In Bangaldesh SIM cards are not that expensive. Or else you may use airport Wi-Fi to make a call our guide by WhatsApp. Sometimes the Airport authority restricts visitors inside the airport temporarily up to the Green Channel. In that case, the guide will be waiting outside on Terminal-2 ( We strongly recommend our guest to use Exit gate number-2). For the domestic flights, our guide/driver will be waiting at the domestic terminal exit point.

Hotels & Resorts: Category and their facilities. Hotels/Resorts/House Boat/Overnight Ferry we use on this tour are mostly 2 star and 3 star standard. Accommodations with standard facilities for foreigners such as cleanroom, air-conditioning, hot water, western-style toilet, and complimentary breakfast.

The properties run by the government such as Parjatan Hotels at Rangpur have all the standard facilities, but sometimes they are not as standard as the private properties. These are the best option for accommodation in those areas, subsequently, we are sticking with them until better hotels are developed.

We use this hotel in Uttara, Banani, Gulshan, Baridhara because it is located close to the airport and the railway station than the hotels in downtown. Among all hotels in Uttara are on the enter and exit the city without facing the hectic city traffic. The rooms are in all areas that are soundproofed with double pane windows, but it might still feel noisy if you are very sensitive to the sound and please bring your earplugs.

Being located in the subtropical zone there is a lot of mosquitoes. You may find some in the public area of the hotels, not in the room. In the worst case if you find any mosquito in the room immediately call the hotel reception and they will take instant action on this issue. They will come and spray as many times as you need. You can also bring a mosquito spray or buy one upon arrival on the beginning of your trip, which will cost not more than $5 USD.

You are not bound to stay the hotels we offer in this tour. You may choose the more upscale of the hotel in that case you just let us know before so that we can book it and adjust our tour price. If our price is higher than your price booking through online then we may deduct the hotel cost from this tour. Both the options are open.

We, Travel and Explore BD reserve the right to change the hotel in the itinerary due to the non-availability of the rooms. In that case, we will reserve a similar standard of the hotel in those areas.

Check-in & Check-out Timing of hotels and resorts. The hotels we will book for you the standard timing of check-in are 2 pm local time but depending on your flight arrival time you might need early check-in. We may book the hotel room for you with a half-day charge for early check-in. For the checkout, this might also happen you may require late checkout. The standard check-out time is 12 noon in all hotels but based on your flight time you may keep the room paying a half-day charge which will be included in the tour cost.

Availability of Rocket Paddle Steamer and their class Friday is the weekly holiday for Rocket departing from Dhaka but alternatively, you can get the regular passenger boat and Monday is a holiday for the train from Khulna, as a result, you might choose another option to come to Dhaka either by bus or by air.

If for some unexpected reason Rocket ticket is not available at all, we’ll take you up to Barisal by a traditional ferry/Regular passenger ferry (overnight part) all the way to Hularhat.

1st class tickets for Rocket and train depend on availability. You might have to travel in the 2nd class if the 1st class is not available. There is not any significant difference in the 1st class and 2nd class on the rocket steamer, 2nd class is located on the backside, and have no air- conditioning. Other facilities of paddle steamer are the same. Passengers of the 2nd class can use all the facilities of 1st class, such as the dining area, sitting area on the front side.

Train journey A first-class train ticket depends on availability. We will try 100% to provide you the first-class train tickets. In Bangladesh, we cannot issue the ticket 10 days before of departure date. But if that is not possible to provide you the first-class ticket, second class tickets will be provided, which is without air-conditioning and we will deduct the difference from your tour cost. In case of traveling on the 2nd class of train, you’ll have a reserved seat for your comfort and keeping your belongings just beside you.

The schedule of the train in our country often fails and as a result, It is common for the trains to be 01-02 hours late. But no matter when they arrive, our drivers will always be waiting for you at the station to take you to your hotel.

Traveling by Bus and Car We generally do not suggest our guests travel by bus as Roads in Bangladesh are broken and with heavy traffic. We only use our private car while it is not possible to avoid, such as no train, boat, or flight. We have a very skilled driver in our team who will take you around safely but you need to be a bit patient while traveling on the car due to the bad traffic. Travel time mentioned in the itinerary is our best judgment. It could be delayed or earlier depending on traffic and road conditions.

Sundarbans and some relevant issues The houseboat at Sundarbans is a very basic boat without air- conditioning, electricity. Hot water we will supply them on a bucket on request. It has accommodation facilities for 08-25 people and one western-style toilet. But there is also a larger boat available to arrange the tour for bigger groups.

As there are not any electricity cabins in the boat at Sundarbans are lit by small lights running on battery. However, we’ll run the generator in the evening for a couple of hours every day to charge your gadgets.

The tour plan for the sundarban segment is just a general an outline, It could be changed depending on the season, moon phase, tide, daylight hours, and fog. But all the activities mentioned in the itinerary will be done as much as possible.

We strongly suggest not to carry your mobile phone with you while you are at Sundarban to enjoy nature and wildlife. Just an opportunity to escape from the automated life in the city. However, you’ll get a mediocre mobile phone signal at different points of Sundarban of Grameen Phone. A new mobile phone tower of state-owned operator opened recently, so you’ll get full network coverage of the only Teletalk in Kotka with 2G internet facilities which are not so fast. No other SIM card will work inside other parts of the forest.

For trekking in the magical mangrove forest, the land is just flat and we will not pass through a very dense forest, I hope it will be easy for most of the people, as long as you can walk about 10 km. The trail is not marshy and muddy. Bring covered shoes for trekking that can protect your feet from small grass and trees with spikes.

You remain on the boat which will be still enjoyable If you decide not to want to walk, as it will go from Kochikhali to Kotka through small canals, which will be a ride of about 03 hours.

No binocular will be provided at Sundarbans. Bring your own.

Single Supplement on the house boat in Sundarban and Paddle steamer. Due to the limited capacity in the houseboat at Sundarban, you might not be offered separate cabins on Rocket and on the boat at Sundarbans, even if you pay for the single supplement, based on availability. A single supplement is applicable to the hotels only.

Visa on Arrival or Visa Beforehand? We strongly recommend getting your visa beforehand if you have a Bangladesh mission in the country you are from. It is a general practice that citizens of EU, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, Japan, Singapore, and some other Asian developed countries can get Visa on Arrival in Bangladesh, which is a pretty straight-forward process but bear in mind that you might wait in the long queue to obtain the visa on your passport after a long flight and you might have an interview of the visa officer which might be tiring for you after a long journey. To get a visa in your country we, once the tour is confirmed, Travel and Explore BD is always ready to send an invitation letter to submit in Bangladesh's mission as a supporting doc or to show at the immigration officer at Dhaka International Airport in the case of VOA.

It normally takes just 10 minutes to get VOA. Unless there is a long Queue for VOA. Cost of visa on arrival for most of the countries is $51 USD. You’ll not require any previous application or anything else to get the visa. However, Immigration officer might ask your hotel booking and a phone no of the hotel. We’ll send you the hotel booking confirmation before your arrival along with detailed itinerary which we will send you once you confirm your booking. Once VOA issued you can stay in Bangladesh a maximum 30 days. Check here for more information on visa on arrival for Bangladesh.

Foreign Exchange, ATM Availability, Local currency, Money Exchange Although Bangladesh has many ATMs, some of these do not accept foreign cards – your guide can give advice on which ATM’s to use but we do not advise relying on ATM’s alone for money. Cards are generally only accepted in the more expensive shops and restaurants. Local currency, Taka, is always welcome at any shop in Bangladesh. There are a number of exchange houses in big towns and cities but Dhaka is the best option to exchange your currency. You can also exchange at Dhaka airport upon arrival, which provides good rates.

Eating and Drinking and availability of alcohol on the tour All the breakfasts, 03 lunches, and 02 dinners are included on the trip. You need to pay for the rest of the lunches and dinners during your trip. A meal at a decent local restaurant will cost about $5-$10 USD. Options for vegetarian food on the local restaurants are very limited. You need to go to a more expensive Western restaurant to find good vegetarian food.

You need to pre-arrange for the food on the trains. Especially vegetarian foods are non-existent. Bring your own food for the train if you are vegetarian, particularly for the long ride from Khulan to Dhaka. Vegetarian food will not be an issue on our boat at Sundarbans. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap. Mineral water is widely available.

Alcohol is not widely available and very expensive. Few hotels on the trip which have a bar, and even at these establishments you cannot usually drink in the restaurant. Local beer, when available, costs approx. $3 USD for a 300ml can, and a measure of spirits is similarly priced. It may sometimes be possible to purchase alcohol outside the hotels, but it is prohibited to consume in public places. Better to buy it from the duty-free shop on arrival in Dhaka airport (before immigration) and each person is permitted to buy two bottles of spirits only. In Dhaka, there are some wirehouses from where you can buy alcohol showing your foreign passport. But they only sell whole cartons of usually 24 bottles/cans.

Luggage Size and weight For as smooth mobility in different parts of Bangladesh, we suggest you carry a piece of luggage that should not exceed 20kgs and if you do the tour by a sedan car which has limited space at the back of the car due to the having gas cylinder in it. One large suitcase or rucksack and one small hand luggage/rucksack should be ok.

Clothing & Public Toilet Facilities As Bangladesh is a majority Muslim country and has a conservative attitude toward dress. In this regard, a modest dress is always welcomed. In the metropolitan cities western dress will not be any problem but in the rural area better to be a bit modestly dressed to receive respect from the locals.

Mosques, temples, churches, and synagogue are places of worship and in these areas, tourists are requested to put on modest dress. You might not be allowed to enter the prayer places if you wearing shorts, sleeveless t-shirts or blouses. You also need to remove shoes while entering one of these places.

There insufficient public toilet facilities but anywhere at any place you just inform the guide in advance. Our guide will take to any high way restaurant or at any house. Our people will not be bothered to welcome you to use their toilet when required.

Electricity and Plugs Pattern Generally electrical supply in Bangladesh is 230V/50 Hz and the plugs have two round or flat prongs. You will find in many places the English 3 pin sockets along with flat 3 pin sockets facilities. We suggest you travel with an adapter and to check the voltage locally.

Availability of Wi-Fi & Mobile Data Wi-Fi internet is widely available in Bangladesh. You’ll find free Wi-Fi on most of the hotels on this tour. Upscale restaurants will also have free Wi-Fi. Mobile phone operators have 4G coverage on most of the places in the country. The speed of the mobile internet is not that bad and it will serve your purpose definitely.

SIM Card activation of Mobile data In all our long tour we provide SIM cards and mobile phones for your smooth contact with our local guide at any time. However, if you want to a SIM by yourself the Best place to buy a local SIM card would be at the airport. Upon finishing with your immigration and collecting luggage there are numerous booths of different Mobile Phone Operators. Grameen Phone has the widest network coverage in the country and at the airport instantly you activate phone calls and mobile data.

Tipping or Bakshis In Bangladesh, most workers will expect a small tip especially from foreigners; you may discuss with the guide what should be the amount depending on the service provided in different places. At the end of the tour, if your principle guides, together with the driver and the boat crew have been helpful then you could think about tipping them before saying goodbye.

Miscellaneous notes Bangladesh is a country with insufficient infrastructure and things do not work here as first-world countries. Organizing a long tour in Bangladesh may bring some inconvenience occasionally. Be patient and flexible while traveling in Bangladesh.

During traveling on a group, be co-operative and tolerant of the interests and difficulties of your co-travelers.

We always encourage our tourists to come to visit us to see our people and their smiling faces. Certainly, there are very beautiful destinations in Bangladesh in different areas to visit but due to the insufficient fund of the government to maintain them perfectly and build the infrastructures.

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