Going off the beaten track sounds like a cliché these days, but Bangladesh is a place where tourism is still in its infancy. Expect lots of friendly attention and offers for a cup of tea. If you enjoy making friends and traveling without bumping into too many other tourists, then this is probably the country to explore. And what could be more fun than doing this by bike and boat. Most rural trails are flat and in good condition and a river or canal won’t hinder your journey as there is always some sort of boat to get you and your bike across.

Bangladesh consists of more than 700 rivers. All that water makes the landscape greener than green. Traveling by boat is a way of life here and offers a fantastic opportunity to see the country from a more unusual angle. Whether you’re traveling to hectic Dhaka or the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, boats big and small will help you discover the riches of Bangladesh.

Day 1 arrival Dhaka
Day 2 Dhaka
Day 3 Khulna
Day 4 Sundarbans
Day 5 Sunderbans
Day 6 Bagerhat
Day 7 Dhaka
Day 8 Barisal
Day 9 Overnight cruise
Day 10 Dhaka

Day 1 Dhaka

Today we will take the bike and explore Dhaka University area, Lalbagh Fort and New Market area.

The experience of visiting Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is overwhelming. What a city, love it and hate it, and that at the same time. You stand in traffic for hours, but once in the old town, you are amazed. Welcome to the “Rickshaw Capital of the World”. And not like the motorized tuk-tuks that make the streets of Delhi and Bangkok unsafe, no, the old-fashioned, nostalgic bicycle rickshaw. Four hundred thousand of them are in Dhaka alone.

Day 2 Dhaka

Dhaka has a history of more than 400 years and in those years the city has changed a lot. The city has grown so large that we now call the older part of Dhaka Old Dhaka (also called Puran Dhaka), which was the most important part when the city was founded. With such a long history, this older part of Dhaka offers many places to visit.

In the morning we cycle to the old part of the city and on the way visit the parliament building and Kawran bazar, the largest market in Dhaka, and cycle through Old Dhaka where we stop at the beautiful star mosque, the interesting market area of ​​the Chak bazaar, the Armenian Church, the Pink Palace and the Sadarghat waterfront. In the harbor we will also take a boat trip on the Buriganga River to admire the city life from the water. At the end of the day your bike will already be shipped to Khulna.

Day 3 Khulna

In the morning a domestic flight will take us to Jessore. We won’t stay here long because we’ll drive straight to the Narail district. In the remote villages here, fishing has been done using otters for centuries. This is one of the oldest fishing techniques used by only a few villages. After the visit we’ll drive to Khulna where we will spend the night.

Day 4 Sundarbans

In the morning after breakfast we will get on your bike to the Mongla area. Occasionally we’ll cross a river by boat. It is an interesting route, crossing several villages and markets along the way. After arriving in Mongla, we’ll board our bikes and cruise through the mangrove to reach the eco-village in the forest where we will spend the night. Depending on the time, it is still possible to cycle through the village in the afternoon if you want. 

Day 5 Sundarbans

Early in the morning the forest awakens so that is the perfect time to get out on the water. Bring your binoculars to spot the rich bird life. Especially early in the morning, a trip on such a small boat is breathtakingly beautiful, so enjoy the peace and beauty. You will return to the village for breakfast and then get back on your bike to explore the villages and local life. In the afternoon you will visit a dolphin hotspot before returning to your cottage in the village.

In addition to the tiger (which is difficult to spot), the Sunderbans also have monkeys, deer and many different birds. The kingfisher, or kingfisher, comes in 9 different colors and sizes.

Day 6 Bagerhat

We’ll leave the Sundarbans and drive past Mongol towards Bagerhat. After checking into the local guest house, we will cycle through the various unique heritage sites.

Bagerhat is a kind of open air museum with medieval architectural heritage. Hidden among the green folds of the surrounding countryside of this sleepy city are more ancient mosques and mausoleums than anywhere else in Bangladesh (except Dhaka). Bagerhat was built in the 15th century and is an important cradle of Islam in Bangladesh. The crown jewel is the Shait Gumbad Mosque – a multi-domed medieval masterpiece.

Day 7 Barisal

After breakfast, we will cycle to the morgalgong radar steam station and take the radar steamer to Barisal. All day long you can enjoy the rustic life around the river, while you imagine yourself a century back on this nostalgic boat.

What a peace, the boat slides slowly through the water, the landscape is green and tropical, in the distance people work the rice fields, here and there you see men carrying stones at the many brick factories, egrets fly over. Who knows, you might even spot freshwater dolphins. You can also explore the boat itself. There is just as much to see on board, with its many passengers and vendors, as there is in the surrounding landscape. In the afternoon you can have lunch in the ‘dining room’, a long dining table that invites you to be included in a film about life in the roaring twenties. On arrival in Barisal you will be transferred to the hotel.

Day 8 Overnight cruise

After breakfast we cycle to the Banaripara district. Here you will board a boat to explore the backwaters, a labyrinth of canals, rivers, many villages and floating markets. A place full of life! It is somewhat similar to the Kerala backwaters in South India, but without tourists! During your boat trip you will make a stop in a floating tea house for a cup of tea. You will be out and about all morning, discovering new places all the time. After the boat trip we will explore the old town of Barisal with the bright red Oxford Church and several local street food spots. In the evening you will board a ship for the overnight cruise to Dhaka.

Day 9 Sonargaon

Early in the morning you will arrive in Dhaka and transferred to your hotel. Then we’ll drive to the ancient capital Sonargaon and explore the ancient capital by bicycle. The city still has some fantastic and monumental buildings, including the former royal palace. It is not difficult to see the ancient wealth of this city through the dilapidated buildings. At the end of the afternoon you will return to Dhaka where you will spend your last evening in Bangladesh.

Day 10 Departure

You will be taken to the airport for the flight home.