Dhaka Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh.
Contents |
Understand
Many Bangladeshis only understand limited English such as basic affirmatives, negatives, and some numbers. Learning some basic Bengali ahead of your trip will prove very useful. Two centuries of British colonisation lead people to identify most foreigners as either British or American, and to view them with curiosity. The first question you will probably be asked is "What is your country ?" (Desh kothay? in Bangla). If hawkers or rickshaw wallahs are overzealous, "Amar dorkar nay" or "Lagbey nah" mean "No thanks." If you don't wish to give money to the beggars and other unfortunates, "Amar bangti nay" means "I have no change".
In general, people are friendly to foreigners. As with many other South Asian countries, dress conservatively, or in the local dress. The latter will make one more accessible to local hearts and minds. Most Bangladeshis are religious but secular points of view are not uncommon, and the general population is religiously liberal.
The weather is tropical - hot and very humid during the monsoon season (April through August) and drier and cooler in the winter (October through March). Visitors from colder countries might want to visit in the winter as winter temperatures are around 20C and humidity is low (around 60-70%). Beware of buying food from the streets or streetside cafes and shops as health and hygiene standards are not topnotch. However, there are good restaurants in many parts of the city including Gulshan, Banani, Uttara, Dhanmondi, and other neighbourhoods.
Get in
British Airways has direct flights from London to Zia International Airport (in Dhaka) and to the airport in Sylhet (North-East). Thai Airways flies to Dhaka from Bangkok. Most major Asian airlines have direct flights to Dhaka and often to Sylhet and Chittagong (South-East) as well. If you are already in India, you may consider bus service from Kolkata to Dhaka or renting out a car to cross the border at one of several points, including, but not limited to, Benapole, Darshona, Hili and Shonamoshjid. The roads from and to Myanmar (Burma) are usually not in the best of shapes, but these lead tourists into Chittagong area, close to the sea beach and hills.
Get around
Use Rickshaw’s, CNG (also called baby taxi's or green taxi's), taxi's or busses.
Baby green 3-wheeler taxis might cost about 10 taka/kilometer, black taxis add 20% and yellow aircon taxies add 35%. Unlike the rickshaws most have meters. Buses are great too. 'Bevco' and 'Premium' have aircon. Rickshaw drivers will usually try to overcharge but 2-3 taka/minute is about the accepted rate. 2 taka is the standard "bokshish" for beggars (If you give too much you will get swamped in a crowd, but occasionally if you feel generous you can safely make someone's week by giving them 50 taka or so from a moving rickshaw). Rickshaw pullers, taxi drivers etc. often have limited local knowledge, but will always SAY that they know where somewhere is and take you round the whole city searching whilst the meter ticks. If they try to rip you off seriously, just give the right fare confidently and walk away.
See
There is the stunning Parliament Building, designed by Louis Khan, numerous bookshops, and art galleries around the city, Ramna Park, Lal Bagh Fort and museum, Old Dhaka, the Shahid Minar memorial, the Shattarghat port, Ahsan Manjil, the National Museum, Bangabandhu Memorial, the Mukti Juddha Museum, National Poets' Graveyard, Suhrawardy Uddyaa, National Leader Mausoleum, Banga-Bhaban, Shadhinota Stambha, the Arts & Crafts Institute, Curzon Hall, Old High Court and 1857 Memorial, the National Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, Baldha Garden, Sitara Mosque, Baitul Mukarram Mosque, Hindu and Christian churches and temples, New Market, Boshundhara City Mall, countless other bustling bazaars and shops, and many other places to visit.
Ahsan Manjil, the pink palace, has a 2 taka entrance fee and a small exhibition about the history of the palace and a garden. Star Mosque (Sitara Mosque) is a small mosque dating back three hundred years, inlaid with mosaic and tiles. Shisu Mela is the children playground in Shyamoli.
Do
Nightlife: There is a party network between the different expat clubs (Dutch Club, Canadian Club, Scandinavian Club, International Club, American Club, etc.) and some Bangladeshi clubs (Heritage, Privilege, etc.). These clubs usually require membership to enter, or have a member sign you in. Alcohol is not easily available except at the international clubs and the Duty Free Shop.
Buy
As a female traveller, it's a good idea to buy a salwar kameez - a nice and comfortable three piece outfit with a knee length tunic (kameez), pants (salwar) and a matching scarf. You can buy a cotton salwar kameez for 400 taka from a market place or 800-1500 taka from a shop. Silk is more expensive.
- Aarong [1] is a well known store and it has several outlets around Dhaka. It is owned by BRAC (a large NGO) and sells products such as handicrafts and clothing. It is a bit more expensive though.
- Aranya is another good store with beautiful crafts. It's located in Banani area, 60 Kemal Ataturk Avenue.
To find the correct price of things in the local markets, look at the prices in the western-style fixed price shops and deduct 10%. Usually I dont bargain too hard but it is good to have a guide.
Eat
There are quite a few restaurants in Dhaka, best ones are in and around Gulshan.
Most local things are very cheap, some imported things can be a bit expensive. Imported chocolate is especially expensive and nasty because it gets melted and resolidified daily in the tropical heat. Local sweets (misti/mishti) are excellent.
Meals can be had from 50 taka (70 c) upwards and REALLY good meals in clean-enough places from 100 taka upwards.
For an extensive list of restaurants in Dhaka, please visit http://www.imhungrybd.com/ .
Drink
You cannot buy alcohol in Dhaka. Only in the international clubs and the Duty Free Shop
Sleep
There are 6 hotels in Dhaka which are branches of international chains, however 3 of them are currently under construction. The Sheraton and the Pan Pacific Sonargaon have been running for over a decade now, and were, for the longest time, considered the top hotels in the city. A few months ago, the Radisson opened just outside the diplomatic enclave of Dhaka, arguably the best hotel in the city. Currently uder construction are the Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, and Westin.
Apart from these giants, there are a number of high caliber hotels in the diplomatic area, with the best probably being Hotel Sarina in Banani.
Mid range
Splurge
Stay safe
Religion
The majority of Bangladeshis are Muslim though there are also Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist minorities.
Contact
Get out
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