Lush green tea estate near Lawachara National Park Bangladesh is a land of artistic beauty and enchanting sights, capable of alluring anyone who visits to release their exhaustion. The small city of Sreemangal in the Moulvibazar district in Sylhet division is one such destination in Bangladesh. Tourists consider it a small tea heaven filled with many tea gardens.
Piercing a scenic image into the heart of all the visitors, it has become one of the most favourite tourist places for the people of Bangladesh. So, how can one travel to the Sreemangal city to capture all its grace?
To make a successful trip to the tea capital of Bangladesh, whether for a honeymoon, a solo trip, or a group tour with friends and family, one must plan well from the beginning.
First of all, you need to fix a budget. Are you looking for luxury travel? If so, then you will be looking for certain types of hotels that provide special facilities. If you want to spend less money, you might have to compromise with some services. Always carry some extra amount of cash beside the budget for emergencies. But don't worry; you can make a successful trip within your budget constraints. All it takes is proper planning and availing necessary information about transportation, hotel, per day meal cost, vehicle cost for sightseeing, tickets and shopping.
Choose your preferred transportation
Internal travelling from one district to another is easily possible by car, bus, train, and sometimes by plane. If you want a day tour in Sreemangal, you can rent a car and enjoy the magnificent view of different spots, and start for home in the evening. In this case, you will not even need to book a hotel.
A train or bus would be the most cost-saving way. The train journey from the capital city to Moulvibazar is a comfortable experience. Different seating patterns, such as AC, non-AC, berth, and chair systems, vary from price to price. The trains start at different hours of the day. In the case of buses, both AC and non-AC buses are available for Sylhet. The journey will take more than 5 hours by train and less than 5 hours by bus.
By air is an option too. The airfare from Dhaka to Sylhet costs around Tk 3000. However, bus and train tickets can be found at a far cheaper rate.
This writer, however, travelled by train. We booked two seats on the Parabat Express train and got on the train from the airport rail station. The train journey is almost always comfortable compared to the bus and plane. If you feel snacky on the train, you can always buy tea, drinks, and sandwiches from the assigned train staff. However, the quality of the food needs improvement.
Where to stay
Sreemangal has some of the finest and most exquisite resorts available in different price ranges, starting below Tk 2,000 to 24,000 and above for a night stay. Some of the top hotels and resorts of Sreemangal are Grand Sultan Tea Resort & Golf, Novem Eco Resort, Tea Heaven Resort, Paragon Hotel, Dubai Resort & Spa, and Balishira Resort LTD. For a safe and easy booking system, visitors can check hotel prices online through different websites such as Tripadvisor, Trip.com, booking.com, and other reliable sources. These websites often provide discounts and other facilities in different renowned hotels.
One thing to remember is that the hotels' prices vary between the weekdays and the weekends. The tourist pressure is higher on the weekends. Therefore, the price for a one-night stay in a hotel is higher on Friday and Saturday than the rest of the week. If you are planning a long trip, you can stay in more than one place to change the flavour. As of our Sreemangal trip, on the first day, we stayed at Balishira, an appealing, delightful, and nature-friendly resort with a private swimming pool attached to your bedroom. There is a mini river-like flow in the backside. At night, you can hear water flowing slowly, along with crickets chirping. This is undoubtedly the perfect place for someone who wants to taste the essence of nature.
After being content with this experience, we moved to Grand Sultan for an outstanding hotel service and diversified food experiments. The scrumptious foods prepared by the finest chefs will satisfy your appetite. A warm bath in the jacuzzi while enjoying the dazzling night view of the tea fields will give you a memory of a lifetime.
What to see
How a tour should be executed is up to the tour planner. The top four must-see places in Sreemangal city are Hum Hum Waterfall, Lawachara National Park, Madhabpur Lake, and Baikka Beel Wetland. Famous for its natural beauty, Madhabpur Lake is one of the main tourist attractions. It is home to the Great white-bellied heron.
The Baikka Beel is also a popular tourist place. The Hum Hum waterfall in Razkandi forest has attracted visitors from all over the country. The tickets for entering the tourist spots are reasonable for everyone.
Sreemangal can be enjoyed by walking, biking, auto, or microbus. Although it is most famous for its tea fields, visitors can also find the cultivation land of rubber, pineapple, wood, betel, and lemon industries in different areas in the city. You can book a car or auto for the whole day to stop at various tourist spots in the city. Booking an auto for visiting 3 to 4 places can cost you approximately 800-1500. Sometimes hotels also provide transportation facilities for their guests, given extra charges.
The tea fields are exciting to walk around and explore. By evening, the tea fields and pineapple fields take a horror turn. The sun starts to fade away, and the highlands look shadowy. Sreemangal is a small city; therefore, it becomes quiet and calm by night. Some tourists like to stay out at night, but if you feel any security threats, it is better to return to the hotel before it's too dark.
Where to get food
There are many local restaurants and tea shops from where tourists can try different foods and beverages. Kutum Bari, Shatkora restaurant, and Panshi are famous for flavoured Bangla food. If you stop by Panshi for dinner or lunch, try their mouthwatering prawn curry, kala bhuna, and spicy chicken. Food prices vary from place to place.
Sreemangal is the place of origin of the Seven-colour tea. Nilkantha Tea Cabin is a good place for tea and snacks. Pineapples from the Sreemangal area are known for their flavour and natural sweetness. So, make sure to give it a try.
Local markets
If you want to take gifts for your loved ones back home, then Monipuri Market is the best place. Here, you can find handloom bags, clothes, bedsheets, and artwork done by the aboriginal people. You can buy pineapple, shatkora, and other local fruits from the bazaar. Besides, there are always nearby departmental stores for urgent shopping.
Srimangal has a moderate climate. There is heavy rainfall in the summer, and nature becomes dull and dry in the winter. The best season to travel to Srimangal is during the monsoon season. In this period, the temperature is comparatively warm and comfortable. Therefore, hotels and resorts are more crowded during this time.
Time has changed, and the new generation tends to spend their hard-earned money on vacation instead of investing in buying properties like our previous generation. Because sometimes the best way to forget your pain is to run away from everyday city life for a while.
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