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Meet the People of Bengal Rivers – 8 day
$1010 tour starting at
Meet the People of Bengal Rivers is a great opportunity to experience life, culture, and nature, besides the famous tourist places, within seven days. This trip will bring you in contact with people, chaos, the bazaar, markets, rivers, char, and nature. You will be surfing through a deeper part of Old Dhaka, Sonargaon, traditional Jamdani saree weaving, an overnight launch journey to Barisal, fabulous Backwater and floating markets, the typical pottery industry, unique otter fishing in Narail, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bagerhat, and the traditional and old lost wax method in a brass artisan’s village in Dhamrai.
This is a special trip to understand how strong bondings between the river and people. You will daily visit a river and meet the people living on the shore. They have interesting stories and characteristics to share with the world. Geography and the effects of climate change are very much visible in life here. Questing is whether will they gain adaptability to the consequences or lose the battle!
Rivers are the lifelines of the land of rivers. A huge percentage of the population directly depends on them for their livelihood. The rivers also incredibly influence the lifestyle, culture and emotional outlook of the people of Bangladesh. Countless tales and tragedies are associated with the river.
Bangladesh takes pride in its rivers as one of the largest networks in the world. The country is crisscrossed by a total of about 700 rivers, including tributaries and distributaries. The total length of the rivers of Bangladesh is about 24,140 kilometers consisting of tiny hilly streams, winding seasonal creeks, muddy canals, and a number of truly magnificent rivers and their tributaries and distributaries. Predominantly, four major river systems can be located in Bangladesh: (a) the Jamuna – Brahmaputra, (b) the Padma – Ganges, (c) the Meghna – Surma, and (d) the Chittagong region river system.
The people of Bangladesh entwine their joys and sorrows with the ever-changing moods and motions of their rivers. Rivers in Bangladesh change their color and look every season. That’s why the rivers of Bangladesh occupy an important place in the creation of all legendary literature of the land.
- Tour Price
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$
1010
price starts from
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Group Size Per-person price in USD Or in BDT 1 PAX $2,200.00 220,000.00 2 PAX $1,430.00 143,000.00 4 PAX $1,138.00 113,800.00 6 PAX $1,010.00 101,000.00 S.S $209.00 20,900.00 1.2% to 2.5% charges will be applicable while paying by credit card. Please contact us for your customized tour plan and costs
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Destination
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Departure
Dhaka -
Departure Time
Approximately 8:30 AM or according to your arrival flight time. -
Dress Code
Casual. Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat and warm jacket. -
Included
AC vehicle with experienced chauffeur for sightseeing and transfersAccommodation in twin sharing basis as per itineraryAll air, bus, train and launch tickets as per itineraryAll entrance fees and local permitsAll Museum TicketsAll rickshaw/ cycle / boat / local transportsBottled water, soft drinks and seasonal fruits during the sightseeingExpert English-Speaking GuideLunchTrip as per itineraryTypical Souvenir -
Not Included
Any activity not mentioned in the itinerary.DinnerGratuitiesLocal guide/ escort/ experts/ academicsPersonal expenses
From Our Gallery
Some relevant Images of this trip
Last but not least! Impressions are much more, some pictures may help you to have a rough idea of what you will be expecting to experience and see.
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Day 1: Dhaka arrival, pickup from the airport and transfer to the hotel.
Upon arrival at Dhaka airport, you will be received by your guide & driver and transferred to the hotel. Depending on the remaining time of the day, we will offer you some activities around. Overnight stay at a three/four-star hotel in Dhaka.
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Day 2: Excursion to first capital; Sonargaon Cruise on Meghna River & primitive life of rural Char Village.
Our guide will come to pick you up at 8:00 AM and leave Dhaka for Sonargaon, on the way we shall take our first stop in Nawapara Jamdani village. This is where the magic fingers are at weaving traditional Jamdani sari, which is an incredible artwork. Due to available cheaper commercial fabrics, pose a threat to these skilled weaver’s traditional livelihood. Continue drive to the old capital of Bengal – Sonargaon; Panam Nagar, beautiful Sadarbari, well-maintained Folk-Art Museum are well worth visiting. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. Continue driving to Buiddyer Bazar. Here we take a country boat for a couple of hour's cruises on the Meghna (One of the Major rivers in Bangladesh, came from India) River for a couple of hours. This river trip will include an interesting walk to explore the primitive Char village life. Char is a temporary sandy shifting island, formed by river erosion and sedimentation. There are thousands of chars in Bangladesh up from the northern part to the south coast. This char can disappear by flooding, high tide, strong river currents, or any natural disaster or so… Life in the char is very limited; access to the medical care centers and education is very tough, impossible in some areas.
Will return to Dhaka in the late afternoon. Overnight stay at a three/four-star hotel in Dhaka.
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Day 3: Full Day Sightseeing to Old Dhaka, meeting people, life and culture experience and overnight launch journey to Barisal.
This is an elaborate trip to Old Dhaka; Old Dhaka is a place where you can spend a couple of days walking on the street, taking pictures, meeting incredibly friendly people, and exploring heritage sites and culture. Our guide will come to pick you up with a reserved vehicle from your designated or our nominated place by 8 a.m. This tour takes you to the heart of Dhaka. Our guide will lead you to some of its treasures. Places to visit; Sadarghat (Riverfront), shipbuilding yard, Armenian Church, Pink Palace, Star Mosque, Dhakeswari Temple, Lalbagh Fort, National Parliament Building (from Outside), Curzon Hall and a local garments factory. Walk through Shankharia & Tanti Bazar (Hindu Street), Bicycle Street. A Rickshaw ride is an option instead of walking. We would offer you a short cruise on the Burigonga River by country boat, which is an incredible experience, love or hate. Our vehicle will drive us from place to place and we will walk around the mentioned and some interesting residential areas of old town to explore local life. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant (simple but clean, we bring our entire western guest, and never had any issues). You will be transferred to the Sadarghat River terminal again to avail either a Paddle steamer (Rocket) or a modern launch for an overnight journey to Barishal. Check out from the hotel and bring all your belongings along in the car before you start the Old Dhaka trip. Overnight onboard.
Departure and arrival information: Usually Rocket (paddle Steamer leaves Sadarghat at 6 PM (Sharp) and the other launches leave between 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Experience the beautiful & calm cruise and travel life on board which is very interesting and you are welcome to walk around and take pictures. In normal situations (of weather and tide) the Paddle steamer arrives In Barishal between 4 AM and 5:30 AM and the regular Launch between 3 AM to 6 AM (time may vary due to unavoidable circumstances). While traveling without a guide, please ask any of the crew on board to be sure about your approximate arrival time. Traditional Bangla food is served at the dining area of the respective boat, and they require pre-orders to get the food on time.
[NB: we always try our best to get A/C cabin(s) in the paddle steamer, which is mostly reserved for government high officials and has a very limited slot for public sale/tourists. In the situation of A/C cabin(s) unavailable, we would recommend availing of a VIP cabin(s) on a regular Modern ship which is cozy. Regular ships are modern with quite a variety of cabins with and without A/C. Among all, the VIP cabins always offer the best facilities, including a big bed for two Adults, a European bathroom, a private balcony, and some seating spaces. The paddle steamer travels even a few stations farther till Morrelgonj, please be aware and disembark on time to avoid any additional inconvenience].
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Day 4: Full day Back Water Trip by local boat- endless impression about the nature and rural life
Upon arrival your accompanying guide/local guide will arrange a local transport for a short distance transferred to Hotel/ restaurant. We would request you to leave the hotel after refreshment/quick available breakfast for Back water trip.
We will drive (40Km) to Banaripara by reserved transport. Here we embark on a country boat for life experiencing back water trip. Exploring life, people and their daily activities, watching along the shore from the boat is charming. We will get off in some interesting village marketplaces and Schools in rural areas. There are some weekly floating vegetables, fruits, and timber markets on our route. Spectacular to see how the manual labors load and unload all the giants’ logs just by hands. The cruise is for 5/6 hours but the impression is endless. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant or you may take late lunch/ early dinner after returning at the town, which is even better option. In this case you should bring some fruits and dry food items on the boat for the day, there will be plenty of bottled drinking water and tea on the boat, we always try even some unknown delicious fruits from the village/markets. Drive back to Barisal same way by reserved car for overnight stay at a hotel.
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Day 5: Charming Pottery village and UNESCO World heritage Sites
After breakfast from your hotel, drive to a nearby village to visit a beautiful Old mosque and then continue driving for about an hour to a scenic village and visit a local village known for its pottery production and a brink field or join the villagers in taking a refreshing dip in the river. Continue scenic drive towards the city of mosque and mausoleums. Bagerhat has the highest number of Muslim architects after Dhaka city. Explore the UNESCO heritage site of Sixty domed mosque, the mausoleum of Khan Jahan Ali and a few other important Islamic architectures. Lunch will be offered at a local restaurant in Bagerhat. Continue drive to Khulna for an overnight stay at a hotel.
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Day 6: Experiencing unique otter fishing and late afternoon flight to Dhaka
Leave the hotel after breakfast for Nararil by reserved vehicle to experience unique otter fishing. Some Hindu communities of these areas have been using trained otters for fishing at night in Sundarban area for several thousands of years. We invite you to meet some of the last remaining generations involved in this traditional way of fishing. Enjoy a freshly prepared lunch with a Hindu fisherman family, which was never an issue to be worried about stomach upset. Otherwise, we can drive to Jeshore for a little bit late lunch at a local restaurant. Drive to Jessore airport to avail the afternoon flight to Dhaka. Upon arrival in Dhaka, you will be transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay.
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Day 7: Past Glory, Present Development – trip to pottery and bras artisan villages
Leave Dhaka at 7:30 AM for Manikganj, located about 70 km from Dhaka. Drive all the way to Baliati Palace Museum. A twenty-minute walk through the picturesque landscape brings you to some of the abandoned Hindu palaces in the nearby village, this walk lets you dip into the local’s life for insightful pictures of the rural and peaceful village life. On the way stop at the Eshore Chandra High School, the first certified high school in East Bengal. Continue drive to Dhamrai for famous brass artisans and pottery village excursion. During the Bengali month of Ashar (June-July) the colorful Hindu festival ‘Ratha Jatra’ takes place here. The large ‘Rath’, similar to a Roman chariot, can be seen throughout the year. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant on the way. The tour will continue to Nayarhat, where you will leave the vehicle and take a short boat journey to Kakran. Here most villagers are engaged in the pottery trade.
After returning to the vehicle, we will head back towards Dhaka. If we are allowed by the time and traffic situation, we may stop at the beautiful Jahangir Nagar University campus, famous for the flocks of migratory birds visiting the many lakes in winter. This tour returns to Dhaka in the late afternoon. Overnight stay at a three/four-star hotel in Dhaka.
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Day 8: you will be transferred to the airport by reserved car according to your flight time
Tour Location
New Dhaka, old Dhaka, Sonargaon, Jamdani Saree weaving, rural char village, Barisha, Narail Otter Fishing, Brass artisan and pottery village in Dhamrai.
Bram Pieters | Netherlands
The ultimate Bangla experience!
Feb 2016 • Family
In February (2016) my uncle and I went on a 9 day trip to Bangladesh, and looking back at it I seriously can’t imagine visiting Bangladesh with someone other than Jewel as a guide. His sense of humour combined with his knowledge about Bangladesh (which is just not imaginable) and his ability to adapt his program to the travelers liking makes Jewel in my point of view ‘the perfect guide’ for literally every possible trip to Bangladesh. He is a very generous person, speaks English fluently, very enthusiastic about what he is doing and all of that while taking very good care of you. I seriously believe that Jewel is the only one being able to give you the ‘ultimate Bangla experience’!
Bram Pieters, Netherlands
Ememem88 | Portsmouth, UK
Above and beyond
Jan 2017 • Couples
Due to the fantastic reviews on here, I emailed Jewel to arrange an itinerary for our visit to Bangladesh. Our absolute priority was to visit the Sundarbans which he kindly arranged for us through an associated company.
We met up in Dhaka to discuss other potential trips that could be arranged. We were very grateful he took the time to talk to us in person, and the discussion was extremely useful.
Through him, we also booked a day boat excursion in Banaripara which was extremely interesting and insightful into village life along the rivers. The Sundarbans tour was also excellent.
We were extremely grateful for all the advice and help that Jewel gave us in terms of helping us plan an itinerary. He certainly went above and beyond in terms of organising contacts and phoning us to ensure we had reached our various destinations. He is obviously passionate about his job and what his country has to offer.
We normally travel very independently, but Bangladesh can be a tricky country to navigate without insider help. I would not hesitate in recommending Jewel as a first port of contact if you are visiting Bangladesh.
Thank you, Jewel, for a wonderful trip. It is only a shame we did not see more of you.
Emma & Connor
koiruli | Helsinki
Friendly, helpful, informative guidance
Dec 2018 • Couples
We exchanged messages with Jewel Mostafizur Rahman at Royal Bengal Tours. We needed some help in booking boat tickets in Dhaka, before we arrived there.
Jewel responded kindly and got us the boat tickets. We paid him via bKash and added a little commission for his services.
Jewel also volunteered some good information to help our plan our trip better, without ever asking for any compensation for it. His messages really made a difference and helped us to do our trip without problems.
We are impressed with the open and friendly way he helped us, and his replies to all our questions proved well thought-out and knowledgeable.
Travelling in Bangladesh is interesting, but some planning and local knowledge is needed. We highly recommend Jewel and Royal Bengal Tours to anyone. And should we return to Bangladesh at some point, we know who we will ask to be our guide.
lair12 Cary, North Carolina
Fabulous Bangladesh vacation
Dec 2019
It is hard to figure out where to start with the wonderful experience we had with Royal Bengal Tours during our week in Bangladesh. Other than a disastrous overnight boat tour which was not their fault, the entire experience was just incredible. The sites, the people and the things to see and do were so above and beyond our initial low expectations for a Bangladesh vacation. Obviously, if you are going to Bangladesh you have seen much of the world first. I’ve been to 102 countries and my wife has been to almost 80 before making it to Bangladesh. That said, this trip was possibly a top five for us for all our traveling. Going to a country where there is so little general tourism creates opportunities and experiences that you just won’t find in most parts of the world. Royal Bengal tour’s work with me to put together a comprehensive package that exposed us to the things we were interested in. Jewel is the man who runs the show and he was extremely communicative with me during the whole planning process. He arranged for our guide, Mithu, to take us to the highlights I was looking forward to and to places I never knew existed. Be prepared to be followed by crowds of both kids and adults hoping to talk with you, have your picture taken with them, and just being enamored by seeing foreigners. Highlights would certainly include a visit outside of Barisal to a gypsy encampment where people were amazingly hospitable to total strangers. We experienced this same environment during a morning the next day to a floating market that provided amazing photo opportunities with the early morning mist. I would also recommend a day trip or an overnight trip to Chittagong where you can have your guide rent a boat as you meander through the world-famous shipbreaking yards that are so unique and fascinating to see. I had hoped that an overnight on the Rocket would be a highlight and memorable experience, but after doing this I would not recommend it to anyone. Is a disaster waiting to happen that can ruin a number of days of your trip. So, ignore the pretty pictures from the Internet and a nostalgic perspective that some put on this trip. Go by train, plane or automobile to avoid this unmitigated disaster. But with that mess behind us, Mithu did a great job getting us back on track with the tour modification that actually was far superior to what we were going to of seen if we had done the very short tourist tour of the Sundabars. Clearly, it was the guidance and support of Jewel and Mithu that made this trip as fabulous as it was.
Christophe
A unique experience
I booked 10 Days with Royal Bengal Tours and everything was so organized from the hotel booking to all places I visited. Rocky was my tour guide and he was friendly and knowledgable. Overall I would recommend 100% Royal Bengal Tours for your travel to Bangladesh. It is a beautiful country and Royal Bengal Tours will give you a truly unique and tailored experience.