Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries on earth, a watery delta nation squeezed between India on three sides and Myanmar to the southeast, with the Bay of Bengal opening to the south. It is not an easy country to travel — the infrastructure is rough, traffic is chaotic, and the heat and humidity in summer are genuinely punishing — but travelers who come here find something they rarely expected: warmth, generosity, and landscapes of extraordinary beauty.
The country is essentially a river delta. The Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Meghna all converge here, splitting into hundreds of channels before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. In monsoon season, vast stretches of the country flood completely. In the dry season, the same landscape turns startlingly green. The rivers are not just scenery — they are roads, markets, and livelihood for millions of people.
Most travelers pass through Dhaka, the chaotic and endlessly energetic capital. It is worth more than a transit stop. The old city, Puran Dhaka, is one of the most atmospheric historic neighborhoods in South Asia: narrow lanes, Mughal mosques, rickshaw traffic jams, and street food at every corner. From Dhaka, the rest of the country opens up.
To the south, Cox's Bazar has one of the longest natural beaches in the world — 120 kilometers of sand with relatively few tourists by international standards. To the southeast, the Chittagong Hill Tracts — the forested hill country around Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari — are home to a dozen or more indigenous peoples with distinct languages, religions, and cultures. Permits are required to visit some areas. Further east, the Sundarbans, a vast mangrove forest shared with India, is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The northeast — Sylhet and the surrounding tea country — is Bangladesh at its most lush. Rolling plantations, clear rivers descending from Meghalayan hills, and swamp forests full of birds draw travelers willing to make the journey.
Destinations
- Dhaka — the capital, old and new, overwhelming and compelling
- Chittagong — port city, gateway to the hill tracts and Cox's Bazar
- Cox's Bazar — the long beach on the Bay of Bengal
- Bagerhat — 15th-century mosque city of Khalifatabad
- Sylhet — tea country and river valleys in the northeast
- Rajshahi — silk city on the Padma river, gateway to Paharpur ruins
