Discovering Bangladesh Secret Spots

Bangladesh is an exciting place full of cool things to do. You can go looking for tigers in the swamps of the Sundarbans, take a big boat called the Rocket Steamer from Dhaka to Khulna, or zoom through the busy streets of Old Dhaka on a rickshaw.

There’s a slideshow about “Saving Dhaka’s heritage” you can check out too.

But there’s more! Here are some secret places in Bangladesh that are super fun to explore.

China Clay Hills

Imagine a place with nice blue waters that look like they belong up high in the mountains. Instead, it’s the China Clay Hills, just some small hills in the middle of farms and rivers in Bangladesh. It’s a really pretty place to have a picnic under the trees. The trip to get there is the best part.

To get there, you ride a bus for three hours from a place called Mymensingh to a little forest village named Birisiri. Then, you can have a peaceful boat ride for three hours on the Someshwari River, or take a fun rickshaw ride for two hours. You’ll cross the river on a little ferry and go through some tiny villages.

Muktagacha Rajbari

This place is what you might think a haunted palace should look like. It’s old and falling apart, with plants growing all over it, just like in a jungle adventure movie. You might even imagine monkeys running around! There’s a very excited local guide who speaks English and will make the place come to life for you.

Just catch a 30-minute bus from Mymensingh to Muktagacha village and follow the signs.

Maheskhali Island

This little island is super calm, with nice temples and a small-town feel, right near the busy beach place called Cox’s Bazar. Getting to the island is the best part. You walk along a wooden pier, hop onto some boats and either zoom off on a speedboat or take a slower, bigger boat with the locals.

You’ll dodge fishing boats, pass by a stinky fish market, see a place where they build boats and watch huge ice blocks get loaded onto boats.

Goaldi Mosque

This is probably the oldest mosque in Bangladesh, but now it’s just sitting quietly in the countryside near a place full of old broken houses called Painam Nagar. It’s not used for prayers anymore, but it’s a good reason to see something different not too far from Dhaka.

It’s not well known by tourists, so local people will have to point you in the right direction.

Teknaf Game Reserve

Next to the Myanmar border, there’s a forest called Teknaf Game Reserve. You might find elephants here if you’re lucky, especially in the evening. Walking in the forest is an adventure. You might see local people gathering wood and follow simple trail signs to find your way.

Catch a bus heading for Teknaf from Cox’s Bazar. Look for a sign with an elephant on it, about 10km before Teknaf. If you miss it, no worries—just hop on an auto-rickshaw back to the reserve.

Floating Rice Market

Like other famous floating markets in Asia, this one in Banaripara is all about floating boats selling stuff. Here they mostly sell rice. It’s a cool place to see on a Saturday when it’s extra busy. Jump on a bus from Barisal to get there.

Sangu River

Boat trips are great in Bangladesh, but the Sangu River is extra amazing. It’s between Ruma Bazaar and Bandarban. The river has huge rocks, forests, and lots of animals.

Take a bus from Bandarban to Ruma Bazar, and then find someone to boat you back down the river to Bandarban, which takes about six hours. Bring a local guide to help you get a boat.

This article about cool places in Bangladesh is brought to you by Media Travel.