POST-MTP TRIP 2: Bangladesh, Floating Markets & the Sundarbans

So you’ve finished the MTP Summit in Chengdu. You’ve spent a few days surrounded by some of the most travelled people on Earth, you’re already on the right side of the planet, and now you have two choices. Go home like a sensible person, or fly to Bangladesh and spend the next week travelling through one of the most chaotic, colourful and criminally underrated countries in Asia. We’re choosing Bangladesh!

Seven days travelling from the madness of Dhaka into the rivers and mangroves of the south. We’ll meet fishermen working with trained otters, spend TWO NIGHTS aboard a boat in the Sundarbans, visit the Sixty Dome Mosque and get up painfully early to explore the Barishal backwaters and floating markets. Quite a bit to fit into a week, but we’re giving it a go.

This isn’t a polished luxury tour where we spend a week being moved between five-star hotels (although the accommodation is actually pretty good tbh!) and Instagram viewpoints. Bangladesh is noisy, busy, messy and full-on. That’s precisely why I love travel like this. It feels real.

How to join the trip?

You can click HERE, or click the green button below:

TLDR? JUST WANNA BOOK??

The trip runs either October 13–19 or October 25-31 DEPENDING IF IT’S BEFORE OR AFTER THE MTP CHENGDU SUMMIT, starting and finishing in Dhaka.

We start with two nights in Dhaka and a full day exploring the old city. Then we drive south via Narail to meet the otter fishermen, continuing to Mongla to board our Sundarbans boat. We’ll spend two nights aboard, with dawn creek trips, forest trekking and time watching for wildlife.

After that, we head back towards Mongla, visit the Sixty Dome Mosque at Bagerhat and continue to Barishal. An early morning boat trip takes us into the backwaters and to a floating market before we drive back to Dhaka for our final hotel night.

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Join fellow travellers immediately after MTP Chengdu 2027
• Two nights in Dhaka before the overland adventure begins
• Explore Old Dhaka, one of the most intense cities in Asia
• Meet one of the last communities still practising otter-assisted fishing in Narail
• Cross southern Bangladesh by road and river
• Look for Ganges river dolphins on the waterways around Mongla
• Explore Bagerhat’s UNESCO-listed Mosque City
• Visit the extraordinary Sixty Dome Mosque
• Cruise through Barisal’s rural backwaters by country boat
• Meet traditional Jamdani weavers working on pit looms

This trip is only seven days long, but there’s a ridiculous amount packed into it.

DHAKA: WELCOME TO BANGLADESH

Everyone makes their own way to Dhaka for Day 1. International flights aren’t included, so you can use whichever airline, routing or points programme works for you. Once you arrive, our local team will meet you for the group airport transfer and hotel check-in.

We’re keeping arrival day straightforward. Get settled, meet everyone and get some food before we start exploring properly the following morning. Bangladesh is quite capable of keeping us busy without trying to squeeze a full city tour between airport pickups.

Our Dhaka day takes us into the old city by foot and rickshaw. We’ll visit Lalbagh Fort, Shankhari Bazar, Star Mosque and the Armenian Church, then spend time around Sadarghat. There’s a lot happening here, so put the phone away for a bit and have a look around. You can compare country counts with everyone over dinner later.

NARAIL & THE OTTER FISHERMEN

After our two Dhaka nights, we’re heading southwest towards Mongla. Along the way, we’ll stop at a river village around Narail to meet fishermen who work with trained otters. The animals help drive fish towards the nets while the fishermen work from their boats.

This is one of those things that sounds made up the first time someone tells you about it. We’ll have the chance to see how the technique works and learn about it from the people involved. It’s exactly the kind of stop that makes getting out of the capital worthwhile.

Then we continue to Mongla and board our tourist vessel in the evening. Get your bags settled, have dinner aboard and get to know the setup. This is home for the next two nights.

TWO NIGHTS IN THE SUNDARBANS

We’re giving the Sundarbans a proper chunk of the week. After boarding at Mongla, we’ll sleep aboard and wake up for a full day exploring the forest and waterways. Then we spend a second night on the vessel before returning towards Mongla the following morning.

The programme includes heading into narrow creeks by country boat at first light, forest trekking and a watchtower visit. We’ll be looking for deer and birdlife along the way, with the local team handling the route and forest arrangements. Our permit and armed forest guard are included.

And yes, the Sundarbans are famous for Bengal tigers. No, I’m not promising you one! Come for the forest, the boat journeys and the chance to spend a couple of days here, rather than arriving with one animal sighting as your entire reason for visiting.

You should also expect to be offline while we’re inside the forest. The operator advises there’s no network, shops or medical facilities there, so bring what you need and get your messages sent beforehand. Two days without scrolling might do us all some good.

BAGERHAT & ON TO BARISHAL

After our second boat night, we’ll have a morning village walk near Mongla and lunch aboard before continuing by road. Next up is Bagerhat and the Sixty Dome Mosque, part of the UNESCO-listed historic Mosque City. Quite a change from waking up in the mangroves that morning.

Then we carry on to Barishal and check into Grand Park. Four-star hotel, a shower and a proper bed after two nights on the vessel. Enjoy it, folks, because tomorrow’s alarm is around 6am.

BARISHAL: BACKWATERS & FLOATING MARKETS

We’re heading onto the backwaters early, spending the morning exploring the canals by country boat. There’ll be villages, river traffic and a floating market, with the particular market depending on the weekday and local schedule. Our team will confirm which one we visit.

This is the part where we get to see the area from the water instead of through a vehicle window. We’ll have several hours out, with the tour planned for approximately 6am to 11.30am. Get the camera charged the night before, because nobody wants to be hunting for a plug at that hour.

After lunch, we drive back to Dhaka, aiming to arrive around 6pm, traffic permitting. We’ll spend our final night in a hotel there before the trip ends the following day. The return is by road, with both of our boat nights spent in the Sundarbans.

THE FULL 7-DAY ITINERARY

DAY 1 : ARRIVE IN DHAKA

MTP Chengdu finished yesterday, so today everyone makes their own way to Bangladesh.

Flights from Chengdu to Dhaka are not included in the package, giving everybody the flexibility to use whichever airline, routing or points programme works best. Once we arrive, we’ll transfer to the hotel, get checked in and meet the group properly.

Tonight is deliberately relaxed. We’ll head out for a welcome dinner and drinks together, talk rubbish about MTP, compare country counts and get ready for the week ahead.

OVERNIGHT: Dhaka

DAY 2 : DHAKA

Today we get stuck into Dhaka. We’ll explore by foot and rickshaw, visiting Lalbagh Fort, Shankhari Bazar, Star Mosque and the Armenian Church. Then we’ll spend time around Sadarghat, where you can watch the river-port activity.

The order will depend on traffic and local access, because Dhaka has its own ideas about how long things should take. We’ve got the day set aside for the capital rather than trying to squeeze it into a departure morning. Tonight we’re back at our Dhaka hotel before heading south tomorrow.

OVERNIGHT: Dhaka

DAY 3 : Otter Fishermen & On to Mongla

Breakfast, bags in the vehicle, and we’re heading southwest. We’ll stop around Narail to meet the otter fishermen and see how they work with the animals. A fairly unusual thing to have on the programme between leaving the hotel and boarding a boat.

After the visit, we continue to Mongla and join our Sundarbans tourist vessel in the evening. Get settled into your cabin and have dinner aboard. Remember, this section is shared with other tourists, so we’ll have some additional company for the next couple of days.

Overnight: Sundarbans vessel. Breakfast and dinner included.

DAY 4 – A FULL DAY IN THE SUNDARBANS

Early start today, folks. We’ll head into the narrow creeks by country boat at first light, then explore more of the forest with our local team. The programme includes trekking, a watchtower and time looking for deer and birdlife.

Wear shoes you’re happy walking in and bring what you need for the excursions. We’ll follow the team’s instructions and return to our vessel between activities as the programme allows. All meals are included today, and we have another night aboard rather than rushing off towards the next hotel.

Overnight: Sundarbans vessel. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

DAY 5 – ILLAGE WALK, BAGERHAT & BARISHAL

Our final morning aboard starts with a village walk near Mongla. We’ll have lunch on the vessel before continuing by road to Bagerhat and visiting the Sixty Dome Mosque. Forest, village and mosque in one day, with a bit of driving between them.

Afterwards, we continue to Barishal and check into Grand Park. Get cleaned up and enjoy having a hotel room again. Tomorrow starts early, so this probably isn’t the night to sit up telling travel stories until 2am. Although I know what some of you are like.

Overnight: Grand Park, Barishal. Breakfast and lunch included.

DAY 6 – BACKWATERS, FLOATING MARKET & BACK TO DHAKA

Around 6am, we’re off for our Barishal backwater tour. We’ll spend the morning exploring the canal network by country boat and visiting a floating market. The exact market will be confirmed locally, depending on the operating schedule.

We’ll finish the boat tour around 11.30am, have lunch and then start the drive back to Dhaka. We’re aiming to reach the city around 6pm, although traffic gets a vote too. One final hotel night, dinner with whoever’s still got some energy, and time to pack.

Overnight: Dhaka. Breakfast included.

DAY 7 –DHAKA & HOMEWARD BOUND

That’s all, folks. Your departure transfer is included and will be arranged around your international flight. If you’re carrying on elsewhere, this is where you head off on the next bit of your trip.

We’ve had Dhaka, the otter fishermen, two nights in the Sundarbans, Bagerhat and the Barishal backwaters. A lot to fit into a week, with a few early alarms along the way. Time to head home and work out what to do with all those boat photos.

Breakfast and departure transfer included.

WHAT KIND OF TRIP IS THIS?

This is a proper adventure trip, but it isn’t physically difficult.

There’s no serious hiking, climbing or technical activity. You don’t need to train for it, and you definitely don’t need to be an endurance athlete. What you do need is patience, curiosity and a willingness to deal with long days.

Bangladesh is densely populated and road journeys can be slow. We have a couple of early starts, several long drives and one morning that begins before sunrise if you choose to visit Kawran Bazar.

The accommodation is comfortable where possible, but the overnight launch is a genuine Bangladeshi public river vessel rather than a luxury cruise ship. We have private first-class cabins, but this is still local transport and that’s exactly why I want it in the itinerary.

The Barisal backwaters are also properly rural. Toilets can be basic, restaurants are limited and the whole experience is much more authentic than polished. If you need every day to run with Swiss-clock precision, Bangladesh may break your heart.

If you enjoy proper travel, it’s brilliant.

TRIP DATES, PRICE & WHAT’S INCLUDED

TBC: We’ll be hosting this trip either directly BEFORE, or directly AFTER the MTP Chengdu Conference. Provisionally, now it’s after, where the trip runs from 25–31 October 2027, starting and finishing in Dhaka.

DURATION: 7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS

PRICE: $2,899

• The itinerary includes six nights of accommodation: two initial nights in Dhaka, one night in Khulna, one night in Barisal, one night aboard the river launch in a private first-class cabin and one final hotel night in Dhaka.
• All transport and touring within the itinerary is arranged, including our private road transport, the Karamjal boat trip, the Barisal backwater boat, the Narail otter-fishing visit and our overnight river launch.
• Local guiding, sightseeing and the entrance fees connected with the planned itinerary are also included.
• Breakfast is included through the operator itinerary, with dinner included aboard the overnight launch. We’ll confirm the exact meal arrangements for our two additional Dhaka days when final pricing is locked in.
• International flights to Bangladesh and flights home are not included.
• Bangladesh visa costs where applicable, travel insurance, personal expenses, tips and meals not specifically listed as included are also excluded.

How to join the trip?

You can click HERE, or click the green button below:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I NEED TO BE FIT?

No. There’s no difficult trekking or climbing on this trip. The physical side is straightforward. The challenge is more about the pace. There are early starts, long road journeys, crowded cities and several days when we’re doing a lot.

If you can handle a busy sightseeing trip, you can handle this.

ARE WE REALLY GOING INTO THE SUNDARBANS?

Yes, but I want to describe this accurately. We visit Karamjal, a forest station at the edge of the Sundarbans, travelling there by local boat from the Mongla area.

This is a genuine Sundarbans experience, but it is not the separate three-day deep-forest vessel expedition with sunrise creek safaris and multiple nights inside the forest. I’d rather explain that clearly than pretend a half-day trip is something it isn’t.

WILL WE SEE A BENGAL TIGER?

Almost certainly not, and anybody promising you one on this itinerary is talking nonsense. The Sundarbans are famous for Bengal tigers, but they live across an enormous and difficult mangrove habitat. Our Karamjal visit is about experiencing the mangrove environment, the waterways and the forest edge rather than conducting a serious wildlife expedition.

Anything wild we see is a bonus.

WHAT ARE THE OTTER FISHERMEN?

Around Narail, a small number of fishing families continue a traditional method involving trained smooth-coated otters. The otters swim alongside the boats and help drive fish towards the fishermen’s nets. It’s one of those traditions that sounds completely made up until you actually see it. The fishing visit is arranged in advance through our local team.

IS THE FLOATING MARKET REAL?

Yes. We’re not visiting a decorative tourist market created for photographs. The floating markets around the Barisal backwaters serve local communities, with farmers and traders arriving by traditional wooden boat to buy and sell produce. Which exact market we visit depends on the day of the week and local operating patterns.

ARE WE REALLY GOING INTO THE SUNDARBANS?

Yes. We board a tourist vessel at Mongla and spend two nights aboard, with a full day of forest and creek activities between them. The programme includes country-boat excursions, trekking and a watchtower visit.

Our forest permit and armed guard are included. We’ll follow the local team’s route and instructions while we’re there. The two nights on the vessel are a central part of this trip.

WILL WE SEE A BENGAL TIGER?

We can’t promise a tiger sighting. Come for the mangrove forest, creek trips, walks and the experience of staying aboard the boat. We’ll keep our eyes open for wildlife, but there’s no guaranteed animal appearance on the timetable.

Deer and birdlife are part of what we’ll be looking for during the programme. Anything we see will depend on the day and the conditions. That’s how wildlife trips work, folks.

WHAT IS THE BOAT ACCOMMODATION LIKE?

Kinda nice by Bangladesh standards. Mostly twin cabins aboard a Sundarbans tourist vessel, with a crew, cook and forest guard. We’ll sleep aboard for two nights, and all meals during that vessel section are included. Bring what you need for those days, because there aren’t shops inside the forest.

Expect to be offline too. Get any important messages sent before boarding and make sure your devices are charged. Then enjoy having a fairly convincing excuse for not answering emails.

IS THE CHENGDU TO DHAKA FLIGHT INCLUDED?

No. Everyone is responsible for getting themselves from Chengdu to Dhaka.

The Bangladesh package begins in Dhaka. This gives everyone flexibility with airlines, points, routes and travel plans after MTP.

WHAT ABOUT BANGLADESH VISAS?

Super easy these days, and online. Of course, Visa requirements depend on your nationality and the rules in force in 2027. We’ll confirm the requirements for everyone who books and guide the group through what needs to be done before departure.

Because the trip is more than a year away, I’m not going to pretend that today’s rules are guaranteed to be identical in October 2027.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

Bangladesh is a conservative country and we visit active mosques, a Hindu temple and other religious sites. Lightweight clothing that covers shoulders and knees is the easiest option.

You’ll also remove your shoes at several religious sites, so footwear that can be taken on and off easily will make life considerably less annoying. October is still warm and humid, and late showers are possible, so bring a lightweight waterproof layer too.

DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?

Yes. Travel insurance is mandatory for the trip.

Make sure your policy covers Bangladesh and the normal activities involved in the itinerary rather than buying the cheapest possible policy five minutes before boarding your flight.

WHO AM I?

My name is Johnny Ward, the first Irish person to visit every country. And recently the first person to complete the Ultimate Explorer’s Grand Slam (every country, 7 summits, both poles). I’ve down a few other things like rowed unsupported across the Atlantic, I created a yearly ultra marathon in the Eye of the Sahara in Mauritania, and a yearly ultra cycle from Ashgabat to the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan.

I’m a full-time professional blogger who runs a lot of group trips (so no excuse for the endless spelling mistakes I make, sorry!) and I’m most happy when I’m running those group trips with like minded people to weird places, from the connections I made doing my 10 year ‘every country’ quest!

I’ve taken thousands of people on group trips to some of the weirdest places on earth – from South Sudan to Niue. And now Luis and I are going to try to focus more on helping MTP have more options to go with friends to far flung destinations. So here we are!

I should also probably add, I’m not your usual ‘tour company’ or ‘tour guide’. I do this because I love it! It’s my passion. So expect a bit of chaos, a lot of laughs, a healthy dose of unpredictability and a trip to tell your grandkids about.

I will be guiding the Pakistan overland to China, via the Karakoram Highway before the MTP conference. Josh, my co-founder at MuditaAdventures.com will be guiding this tour, along with our local team too of course. This is Josh at me in Nepal recently:

HOW THIS TRIP CONNECTS WITH MTP CHENGDU 2027

This Bangladesh trip is one of our MTP Chengdu Summit adventures in October 2027.

If the trip is AFTER the conference, everyone joining will make their own way from Chengdu to Dhaka on 25 October. That flight isn’t included, so you’re free to use whatever airline or routing works best.

We meet in Dhaka that evening, have dinner and drinks together and begin properly the following morning. This is also one of the shorter MTP extensions. So if you want to add a real adventure after Chengdu but can’t disappear into Tibet for eleven days or spend another nine days riding horses through Mongolia, Bangladesh is a pretty perfect option.

You still get a completely different country, some genuinely obscure travel experiences and a serious adventure, but you’re finished by 31 October.

OTHER MTP CHENGDU 2027 TRIPS WITH ME

PRE-MTP TRIP 1: Pakistan to China Overland (via Karakoram Highway and Khunjerab Pass)

PRE-MTP TRIP 2: Kazakhstan + Kyrgyzstan Overland

PRE-MTP TRIP 3: Mini-trip: Guilin + Yangshou

• MTP SUMMIT, CHENGDU 2027

POST-MTP TRIP 1: China to Tibet to Nepal overland (via Everest Base Camp)

POST-MTP TRIP 2: Bangladesh and the Sundarbans

POST-MTP TRIP 3: Staying with the Mongolian Reindeer Tribes

POST-MTP TRIP 4: Mini-trip: Chengdu + Chongqing

POST-MTP TRIP 5: Mini-trip: Shangri-La + Tiger Leaping Gorge