Get-aways

Warm rays of the winter sun were melting down slowly through the fog in the early morning, as riverside villages lay asleep in a misty lap. Some farmers were busy harvesting seasonal vegetables in their farmland, while fishermen lazily waited for fishes to bite in the river Gomati. This crisp rural scene you can enjoy after only a two-and-a-half hour bus journey from Dhaka towards Comilla. For domestic tourists, Bangladesh is among other ideal places for all season tourism. Although winter is considered as the ideal season for tourism, people mostly have little information about the delectable spots in our own country, which can be enjoyed during all seasons. The country provides tourists with a historical, archaeological and natural richness both in short and long distances from Dhaka. To help travellers take tours out of the city and discover places that city-goers rarely go to, Xtra takes a pick on a few places with special emphasis on the duration if one is to travel from Dhaka. Day tours Anyone, who wants to enjoy a one-day holiday during winter, should definitely move toward the riverbanks. Rays of winter sun on the vast river-chars will give the holiday seekers much sought after recreation. You walk through the riverbanks in the morning; collect food from nearby villages at noon and have traditional winter pithas from rural ‘haat’ or bazaars in the evening. A good number of people swarm Sonargoan, from different places of the country, to see the folklore museum and the ruins of Panam Nagar. But few of them have information about Nunertek, a char-land situated beside the mighty river Meghna. A holiday seeker can easily ride on a city-service-bus from Shahbagh (in front of Dhaka Club) or Gulistan (in front of Gulistan Cinema Hall) and after a one-hour bus journey, reach Sonargaon. After enjoying the historic and archaeological sites in Sonargaon, which was once a rich capital of Bengal during the rule of Isha Khan in seventeenth century and the relics of the folklore museum, he or she will also be able to witness the Panam Nagar ruins, once a colony of merchants some hundred yards away from the museum, and the tomb of the great ruler of Bengal, Sultan Giasuddin Azam Shah. You can go to Boiderbazar Ghat by noon on a rickshaw. After a short trawler journey on the river Meghna, you will reach at Nunertek, an unusual place for young tourists. With their fishing boats and trawlers anchored on the river ghat, fishermen sell fresh as well as dry fishes on the sandy river banks. The hoards of fishes attract a large number of birds, including kites. The combination of all these elements brings about a memorable sunset on the vast char of the river. The glowing light after the sunset will create a dreamy world on the bank of Meghna. Tourists, with a day to spare, can also go to the bank of the mighty Padma in Mawa of Munshiganj. A cruise on the river will award you with picturesque views of Padma and its serene surroundings. Overnight tours Those with a two-day holiday would naturally want a luxurious vacation. They can pass a night in the palace in Dhanbari in Tangail. A nearly three-hour bus journey will take holiday-seekers to the palace situated on the Madhupur-Jamalpur highway. This royal resort belongs to the well-known Dhanbari Nawabs who set up a large number of educational institutions. The palace was established by Nawab Bahadur Syed Nawab Ali Choudhury, the first Muslim minister from undivided Bengal during the British rule. Couples will especially rejoice the moonlit nights in the palace. Such nights, outside the palace, are also charming, as the lush green ‘sal’ forest and cultural activities of the ethnic community called Mandi, will provide tourists delight and pleasure. You can also visit the compound, with the nearly 700-year old grand Nawab Masjid along with its the over 100-year old extension works with minarets, domes, china and mosaic arts with beautiful stones. Also a good number of buildings are available, including Manjil, villa and cottage, in the traditional archaeological designs, to house tourists. Vacationers can also fish and boat in the large dighis or ponds of the area. They can pass their time in the nearby Madhupur forest. Rent for a double-bed room in the palace compound varies from Tk 1000 to Tk 7000. Interested individuals can contact the Nawab Ali Hasan Ali Royal Resort, a concern of Lighthouse Group over telephone (9130900). For two-day holiday-seekers, Teliyapara in Habiganj district, among others, is another ideal place to visit. Having no hurry of ‘see and run’ the visitors will relish the activity in the teagardens and the colourful life of the ‘tiny forest’ called Satchhari. This place is more enjoyable during the rainy season when the workers of teagardens are busy at work. On the other hand, during this season, the flora and fauna of the forest get a new life after the monsoon rain. To get to Teliyapara, tourists will first reach Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj by bus, available in Saidabad in the city and can rent a rest-house in Teliyapara. Three-day tours Travellers hoping to venture in least crowded natural places should visit the vast Garo Hills in the region of greater Mymensingh, on the north-eastern border of Bangladesh with India. Those, who had earlier visited Birisiri in Durgapur in Netrokona, a nearly six-hour bus journey from Dhaka, can go to Lengura, a lucrative place for the tourists who prefer to enjoy calm and crowd-free natural scenes. Tourists can visit this place in summer to escape the summer heat in Dhaka city. The horizontal views of the hills, the vast paddy fields in the valley and the huts of the ethnic communities of Mandi, Koch, and Hajong in the laps and tops of the hills and hillocks, provide a great feast for the eyes of the holiday seekers. If you can enjoy the traditional music of the ethnic communities, it will add more delight and the place will feign to be a natural paradise. Durgapur bound buses are available in Mohakhali Bus Terminal in the city and tourists will get local bus and tempo service for Lengua, once they reach Durgapur. The journey by rickshaw on the way to Lengua provides the visitors with a different charm. The full-moon nights on the bank of river Someshwari in Birisiri creates a mystery; even for people tired by the summer heat in the cities. The southern breeze on the bank of the hilly river will refresh anyone while the moonlight will pave the way for visitors to the villages of the ethnic communities, or along the river banks. A heavy shower on the bank of the river will be even more fortunate for a vacationer as it will grant him the thorough magic of Someshwari. The river floods its bank by the mountain stream and after some moments it becomes rather dry! A visitor would need, at least a three-day respite, to behold the beauty of nature in North Netrokona. Rest-houses and hotels, with rooms ranging from Tk 300 to onwards, are also available in Birishiri. For three-day holiday seekers, the vast haors or the wetland in the Sylhet region can also be the spot to visit. Numerous species of birds, which migrate from the Siberian and northern hemisphere of the world, pass their ‘winter vacation’ in this region. During rainy season, the Haors get a look of the sea – water and water everywhere! Four-day tours A motorbike drives along the beach while the cool sea-breezes touches the face of the bike riders. Those on feet are no losers either as waves of the Bay are washing their feet, as they anticipate the sunset. Such is a brief description of Kuakata, a rare place on the globe, providing any visitor the charm of seeing both the sunrise and sunset from one spot. Kuakata is gradually crowding up due to the improvement of road communications from Dhaka. Kuakata also sports the mangrove forests -Fatrarban, rivers, and the colourful life and cultural heritage of the ethnic Rakhain community. Hotels and rest houses are available at different costs (varying from Tk 300 to onwards) near the beach in Kuakata. Though buses are available from Saidabad and Gabtali bus terminals, the most interesting and worthwhile journey is through Steamers and launches. Patuakhali-bound vessels are available from Sadarghat Launch Terminal. The journey by launch towards Patukhali itself provides the visitors an experience to remember for the rest of their life. The prime place for passing a four-day vacation can also be St Martin’s Island and its southern trail called ‘Chheradweep’. This heaven for the holiday seekers is a place for all season tourism. Though it is believed that rainy season is rather risky in sailing to St Martin’s, the rolling Bay gives the tourists a thrill that is mostly seen only in the movies. The coral island can also fill your eyes with natural diversity. Our country has numerous such spots which have tourism value and can provide the best experience. It is better to enjoy these spots of our very own land, freeing oneself from all fear and prejudice. At a glance Day tour Destination: Nunertek, an island on River Meghna Travel guide: From Dhaka to Sonargaon City bus service from Shahbagh or Gulistan Rickshaw ride to Boiderbazar Ghat Sail through the Meghna River to Nunertek Cost estimate: per head Tk 200 to Tk 500 (including food) Overnight Destination: Dhanbari, Tangail Travel guide: three hour bus journey from Dhaka to Dhanbari palace on Madhupur-Jamalpur highway In the vicinity: Madhupur forest Cost estimate: per head Tk 3,000 (including food and accommodation) Three day Destination: Leguna, Birisiri Travel guide: six hour bus journey from Mohakhali bus terminal to Durgapur Rickshaw ride to Leguna In the vicinity: horizontal views of the Garo hills and Someshwari river and its bank Cost estimate: per head Tk 3,000 (including food and accommodation) Four day Destination: Fatrarban, Kuakata Travel guide: Road trip by buses from Saidabad and Gabtali, river trip on Patuakhali bound vessels from Sadarghat In the vicinity: Fatrarban mangrove forest, colourful life and cultural heritage of the ethnic Rakhain community Cost estimate: per head Tk 3,000 and Tk 5,000 (including food and accommodation)