Bangladesh: An idyllic destination for eco-tourism
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Mohammad Shahidul Islam
For those who are fond of a destination for eco-tourism, Bangladesh is truly irresistible. For a small country in South Asia that measures only 144,470 square kilometres there are definitely a lot to see and enjoy.
Located between India to the north and the west and Myanmar to the southeast, Bangladesh is one of the most beautiful South Asian countries. There are tropical beach resorts on the Bay of Bengal coast of the country for sun vacationers, but the main attraction of Bangladesh should be inarguably the eco-tourism options on offer. For example, there is a wide variety of animals, birds, forests, mountains and aquatic resources in Bangladesh than in any other countries of South Asia.
Surprisingly, there are diverse eco-systems in all the six seasons within Bangladesh. In addition, along the Cox's Bazar beach there are jungles and forests with a wide variety of flora and fauna. Some of forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts are referred to as cloud forests because of the moisture of the mists that linger among the trees in some parts. The forests in Bandarban will soon have cable cars set up so that tourists can observe the plant and animal life from the treetop levels. For the more adventurous types, there is a place where one can swing from tree to tree using a network of rope attachments. There are also dry forests in some parts of Chittagong. Quite extreme changes in all the six seasons can be observed even within one to two months interval. Some parts of the country have canal systems similar to those found in the Amazon and a few rivers offer excellent white water rafting.
In addition to the many different birds that can be sighted, there is a wide number of other exotic wildlife including Royal Bengal Tigers, monkeys, jaguars, bats, deer and reptiles that can be seen during one of the many available nature tours in the Sundarbans, the world largest mangrove forest and a World Heritage Site. Every year, there are sea turtles and oysters that come to certain beaches to nest and this event attracts many nature lovers. The wildlife in Bangladesh is not only rich on land or the air but also in the Bay of Bengal and in its mighty rivers. For scuba divers, Saint Martin's Island may offer excellent diving opportunities and they would be quite different from the waters in the Caribbean.
Tea and mangoes are some of the main exports of Bangladesh. For tea lovers, this is the place to sample some of the best in the world although the foreign visitors should be warned that the locals like their tea quite strong. Tours in the valleys of Sylhet will often be spent among the numerous tea plantations, and a visit to the region will remain incomplete without a visit to Madhabkunda waterfalls. Rajshahi is a paradise for mango orchards. Tourists would definitely hesitate to leave such a place with millions of sweet mangoes.
Most tourists will fly to the capital city of Dhaka. Although there is some nice ancient architecture to see in Dhaka, it is one of the pleasant places to stay in Bangladesh. It is a city of mosques and recently some international 5-star hotels have sprung up. One can use Dhaka as a base for many day trips to the various locations to see mountains, historic places and beaches. Travellers can also fly to Chittagong, a city in the southern part of the country and is full of greeneries. This is a much quieter region and close to many of the southern tourist resorts. One option that many travellers take is to rent a vehicle and tour the country on their own. The roads of Bangladesh are more or less good. If renting a vehicle, a 4×4 drive is definitely recommended.
There is so much to see and enjoy in Bangladesh that many visitors return to see the greener parts of the country that they missed before. The country can easily be the most popular eco-tourist destination to visit in South Asia.
(The writer works with the National Tourism Organisation, and can be reached at email: shahidbpc@gmail.com)
For those who are fond of a destination for eco-tourism, Bangladesh is truly irresistible. For a small country in South Asia that measures only 144,470 square kilometres there are definitely a lot to see and enjoy.
Located between India to the north and the west and Myanmar to the southeast, Bangladesh is one of the most beautiful South Asian countries. There are tropical beach resorts on the Bay of Bengal coast of the country for sun vacationers, but the main attraction of Bangladesh should be inarguably the eco-tourism options on offer. For example, there is a wide variety of animals, birds, forests, mountains and aquatic resources in Bangladesh than in any other countries of South Asia.
Surprisingly, there are diverse eco-systems in all the six seasons within Bangladesh. In addition, along the Cox's Bazar beach there are jungles and forests with a wide variety of flora and fauna. Some of forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts are referred to as cloud forests because of the moisture of the mists that linger among the trees in some parts. The forests in Bandarban will soon have cable cars set up so that tourists can observe the plant and animal life from the treetop levels. For the more adventurous types, there is a place where one can swing from tree to tree using a network of rope attachments. There are also dry forests in some parts of Chittagong. Quite extreme changes in all the six seasons can be observed even within one to two months interval. Some parts of the country have canal systems similar to those found in the Amazon and a few rivers offer excellent white water rafting.
In addition to the many different birds that can be sighted, there is a wide number of other exotic wildlife including Royal Bengal Tigers, monkeys, jaguars, bats, deer and reptiles that can be seen during one of the many available nature tours in the Sundarbans, the world largest mangrove forest and a World Heritage Site. Every year, there are sea turtles and oysters that come to certain beaches to nest and this event attracts many nature lovers. The wildlife in Bangladesh is not only rich on land or the air but also in the Bay of Bengal and in its mighty rivers. For scuba divers, Saint Martin's Island may offer excellent diving opportunities and they would be quite different from the waters in the Caribbean.
Tea and mangoes are some of the main exports of Bangladesh. For tea lovers, this is the place to sample some of the best in the world although the foreign visitors should be warned that the locals like their tea quite strong. Tours in the valleys of Sylhet will often be spent among the numerous tea plantations, and a visit to the region will remain incomplete without a visit to Madhabkunda waterfalls. Rajshahi is a paradise for mango orchards. Tourists would definitely hesitate to leave such a place with millions of sweet mangoes.
Most tourists will fly to the capital city of Dhaka. Although there is some nice ancient architecture to see in Dhaka, it is one of the pleasant places to stay in Bangladesh. It is a city of mosques and recently some international 5-star hotels have sprung up. One can use Dhaka as a base for many day trips to the various locations to see mountains, historic places and beaches. Travellers can also fly to Chittagong, a city in the southern part of the country and is full of greeneries. This is a much quieter region and close to many of the southern tourist resorts. One option that many travellers take is to rent a vehicle and tour the country on their own. The roads of Bangladesh are more or less good. If renting a vehicle, a 4×4 drive is definitely recommended.
There is so much to see and enjoy in Bangladesh that many visitors return to see the greener parts of the country that they missed before. The country can easily be the most popular eco-tourist destination to visit in South Asia.
(The writer works with the National Tourism Organisation, and can be reached at email: shahidbpc@gmail.com)