5 Things to do in Dhaka; Backpacking in Bangladesh
Traveling in Bangladesh was my first real adventure on my way to every country in the world. I didn’t know what to expect but there were both a lot of things to do in Dhaka and even more things to do in Bangladesh in general. We had our hotel in Dhaka sorted so now it was time to do some sightseeing.
Despite being on a super tight budget, Bangladesh is one of the cheapest countries in the world to visit, so I could at least afford to backpack in Bangladesh. Thankfully! So check out the things to do in Dhaka from my experience:
Table of contents
Sadarghat Waterfront
First off was a trip to the waterfront, Sadarghat, on the banks of the river Buriganga. This place is an eyeopener for sure! Crowded with ferries, boats, paddle steamers, fisherman’s boats and dhabas all hiving with business and commotion.
If you make it to Dhaka I recommend making your way to the waterfront. From here you can hitch a ride on one of the boats and ride around the river. Sure it’s filthy but you get a real feel of the old city this way. And for half the price of a can of coke you can’t go too wrong.
Baitul Mukarram Mosque
After getting covered in the dirtiest water this side of the India we thought we’d continue our trek through Dhaka, next up was the countries largest Mosque.
For me, this is what traveling is all about; I’m not ashamed to admit, being a caucasian lad from a small town in Ireland I wasn’t exactly clued up on the world’s religions, However, in the 3 or 4 years I have been traveling I have been exposed to Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, Ba’haism and Judaism. And now I feel more than comfortable holding a conversation about any of these religions, at least superficially.
So, this was my first direct exposure to Islam and the people in the Mosque were overwhelmingly happy to see us there. The 10th largest mosque in the world no less! A really positive experience and one I will never forget.
Ahsan Manzil Museum
Raj-era British building that used to be home to the ‘Nawab’ of Dhaka. Famous for it’s pink colour, the building is now a museum.
Tickets: Tk 600
Saturday to Wednesday from 10.30 to 17.30. Fridays 14.30 to 19.30.
Lalbagh Fort
Dating back to 1678 and the Prince Mohammad Azam (son of the former Mughal Emperor), the Mosque has been the scene of countless battles. Now it’s a monument to the colourful history.
10am to 5pm daily
Tickets: 300TK
Sonargaon Day Trip
30km from Dhaka, Sonargaon is one of the oldest capitals of Bengal. The ruins of Panam Nagar are spectacular. Tally up a day trip to Sonargon with a visit to Hajiganj, just 10km more.
TOP-TIP: You can book a day trip to Sonargon, with no risk of being scammed, with these guys!
My time backpacking in Dhaka
Things were about to get a lot more interesting for me when traveling around Dhaka. We met a guy in the mall who basically adopted us as his foreign friends, before we knew it we were playing cricket and having dinner in the slums.
Rahul and Azim really took care of us, let us into their homes, showed us around the city. What a cracking experience. With their help we devised a plan to get to India, we were going to take the steamboat down the river Buriganga to Khulna, just off the bay of Bengal. From there we can make our way to India. And after an evening of cricket, local food and a night with the family, we went in search of tickets to this rocket steamer from Dhaka to Kulna.
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