How to travel in Sylhet, Bangladesh
After visiting Dhaka for some days it was time to move on to other areas in Bangladesh. I decided to make my way to the city of Sylhet and the surrounding areas. As I heard and read before, the area is famous for its beautiful nature. I hopped on a bus in Dhaka and some hours later I was already in Sylhet.
Sylhet City
I was expecting a quiet town when going to Sylhet but upon arrival I discovered it to be pretty busy still. Well, it is the capital of the region, so all the life around the region is centred there. One of the things that surprised me in Sylhet and in Bangladesh was the number of markets and especially cow markets, which I hadn’t seen before. Live stocks are being sold in the cities, towns and villages to regular people who just buy cows and bring them home where they butcher and cut them into suitable pieces themselves. It is actually a great way since you can be sure that you get really fresh meat.
Since there are not many international tourists in Bangladesh it is more difficult to get around outside of the cities. I managed to score a pretty awesome deal though. I went to search for some tour agencies who could help or organise some kind of a tour for me in the surrounding areas. I literally stumbled upon an agency on the 3rd floor of a business building while searching for another one. Instead of organising an expensive tour for me, the head of the agency called his cousin (Asad) who owned a motorbike. The cousin arrived at the office and we agreed that he will show me around for a couple of days on the back of his bike. The offer was (which I quickly agreed with) that I just pay for the fuel for the motorbike (turned out to be 1800 taka = 18 euros in total) and in the end, I can just give him some tips in the amount what I feel is right. On the same afternoon, he showed me around Sylhet city.
Keane Bridge
Being a notable landmark, the bridge was built in 1936 by the British and it looks pretty fascinating structure wise.
Ali Amjad's Clock
The clock was constructed in 1872 and it is the oldest clock tower in Sylhet.
MAG Osmani Museum
General Muhammad Ataul Gani Osmani was the Commander-In-Chief of Bangladesh Forces during the Bangladesh Liberation War during 1971. The house museum is dedicated to his belongings and has many photos and information on the walls about his life. The building itself has actually been his ancestors’ home but turned into a museum by Bangladesh National Museum.
Hazrat Shahjalal Mazar
This religious site is famous because it is the gravesite for one of the famous Muslim Saints in the region. He was one of the people who came to Bangladesh to sermonize Islam in the 12th century AD.
Syed Jahan Rahmatullah Mazar
The shrine (Mazar) for a saint, who was one of the people who brought Islam into the area.
Tilager Eco Park
Being really close to the city it is still far enough away to have clean, nice and refreshing air. It is a great place to come and have a rest away from the bustling city. It contains dense forest and various types of natural plants and trees (and of course wildlife).
Zila Parishad Park
This park is situated right next to the airport and has a similar vibe to the Tilager Park. It is possible to rent a boat with the boatman for some time to go around on the lake as well.
Around Sylhet. Day 1.
After seeing the sights in Sylhet city, we headed out on the motorbike early in the next morning.
Lala Khal
Lala Khal is a wide river located right next to the Bangladesh-India border. The water flows in from the mountains in India. The borderline is fascinating itself since the Bangladesh side is totally flat and then from out of nowhere tall mountains climb up and this is where India starts. Lala Khal is famous due to its watercolour which is changing from green to blue to murky brown when the rains come in. Besides the clear waters, the river bottom has high-quality sand. The workers dive underwater, fill in the buckets with sand and lift it on the boats. After that, the sand is taken by boats to construction sites where they use it for making concrete. All the gathering is done manually and by physical labour.
We hired a motorised boat for 500 takas (5 euros) and the guy took us for a 1h drive along the river. We went right up to the border point with India. There is only one booth on the riverside for border control so they will most probably stop you if you go too far.
Tamabil 0-point
Tamabil 0 point is a popular border crossing point between Bangladesh and India. Apparently, people come here from both sides just to check it out as well. We met with a group of tourists from the Indian side at the border point and got some photos taken.
Jaflong zero point
Just next to the Tamabil border crossing are Jaflong village and Jaflong Zero Point. A river follows the border for a bit and the base of it is also used for gathering rocks and sand for use as construction materials. We got a boat across the river (300 takas) and walked around the riverbank until a waterfall (Mayabi Waterfall). It is really strange how the borderline follows the riverbank and through the waterfall, so you are basically walking with one foot in India and another foot in Bangladesh.
Around Sylhet. Day 2.
Ratargul Swamp forest
Ratargul Swamp Forest is one of the few freshwater swamp forests in the world. It is located at a really close distance from Sylhet City so it does not take a long time to get there. We hired a paddle boat from Motor Ghat for 400 takas and spent a few hours on the boat. It is a really nice and peaceful place to be and the sight of trees rising straight from the lake is mesmerising. In the middle of the forest is a viewing tower from where you can get better views of the whole forest as well. Besides the serenity, there is also some wildlife going on. For example, we saw a macaque chilling on the trees.
Bisnakandi
Quite a bit further and a long drive away from Sylhet City next to Indian border again is Bisnakandi. The roads to get there are smaller and pretty harsh. Poor road conditions mixed with sitting on the back of a bike for a couple of hours really make your ass hurt. Bisnakandi is basically a stone quarry, similar to Jaflong. A river flows from the mountains in India to Bangladesh and during the monsoon season, the green and lush surroundings combined with crystal clear mountain water make it a remarkable place. Locals from both sides of the border come here to bathe and have a refreshing “swim”. The water level is pretty shallow, so it is not enough for a decent swim though. The Bisnakandi region is another interesting border area. The border runs sig-sag through farmlands, villages and even smaller roads, so border-hopping is really usual around here. Bangladeshi cows are eating Indian grass, some houses are in India, but the graveyard is in Bangladesh territory, the football field is in India but Bengalis are playing etc. There is no fence for the border, but only some stone markers in each couple of hundred metres. We as well, on the bike, were crossing from one side to another constantly.
Being a white tourist was an interesting experience as well. We stopped in a small village to grab some lunch and when having tea and standing on the street people just gathered around and were staring at me. Well, I guess it is a rarity to see a “white” person in these areas.
Big thanks go to my guide and driver, Asad, for the 2 and a half days of sightseeing. Without him, it would have been really complicated to go around. He is also making videos of the Sylhet area, so if you are interested to see more about this region then go check out his Youtube Channel! And if you are reading this and heading to Sylhet, I am sure he would be happy to make a tour for you as well. Just ask me for his contacts!
Sreemangal
After leaving Sylhet City I decided to check out one other place in Sylhet Division. Sreemangal is situated in the southern part of the region and is mainly known for its proximity to Lawachara National Park.
Lawachara National Park
From Sreemangal I hired a CNG for 150 takas one-way to get to the National Park. The park has wide biodiversity and also some villages inside of it. The entrance fee was 1000 takas (10 euros) for a foreigner for a 3h visit. The price included a guide who took me around in the park. The first part of the walk (trek) was in an area where usually tourists do not come to, so it was a liberating feeling to walk in a quiet and lush forest. Throughout the 3 hours, I saw many huge spiders, macaques and even barking deer in the wild nature. And once again, like in almost everywhere in Bangladesh, took loads of selfies with the local visitors.
I have concluded my visit to Sylhet Division in a video as well!
