Decided to change from SGD to USD instead of directly to BDT (Bangladeshi taka ৳)
Expenses
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Flight plan:
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Flight Cost: SGD341.92
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Day 1, 23 Dec 17
On flight TR514
Everyone rushing to alight
Shahjalal International Airport (DAC)
Visa on Arrival was USD $51. I was told it is possible to get visa done in Singapore at approximately SGD$37.
Changed USD $100 for ৳8340 at the airport, and bought a traveller SIM card at ৳400. 10 days temp SIM with 2GB data and 1GB for Facebook.
First night at Golpata Bed & Breakfast, Dhaka (6km / 20min taxi ride, ৳1000, from Airport, but took way much longer due to road closure)
Common kitchen
The mixed dorm
View from the window
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Day 2, 24 Dec 17
This is how Golpata Bed & Breakfast's building looks like
Road works
Having tea "char"
3 different transport: Trishaw, CNG and car
Goaldi Mosque - গোয়ালদি মসজিদ
Panam City পানাম নগরী
Old buildings
Corridor
Rusty fence
Tea time
Lunch at Highway Inn
Cardboard collection
Very near to India border
- Ship-breaking yard
http://www.deshghuri.com/bangladesh-tour/2-days-trip/bangladesh-ship-breaking-yard-tour/
Liferafts
Cut-up ship
Propeller gone
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO)
360
Crab
Sunset
Kids playing
Market for items salvaged from the ships
Jam everywhere
Night time
Flyover
Street snacks
All deep-fried
Fruits
Provisions
Street stalls
Busy street
Street market place
CNG ride
Night stay at Golden Inn
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Day 3, 25 Dec 17
Homeless
Chittagong Railway Station Old Terminal চট্টগ্রাম রেলওয়েস্টেশন প্রাচীন টার্মিনাল
Inside the railway station
At the platform
Trying to board the train
Good catch
Fishery port
Boats
Market place
Dried fishes
Workers transporting the goods
Unloading
Full of locks
Chittagong Court Building চট্টগ্রাম কোর্ট বিল্ডিং
Playing a game in the park
Chittagong War cemetery
Shops selling items salvaged from the ships
All kinds of items
Lifeboats
Inside the lifboats
Sunset
Public toilet
Night time
Bad traffic
Bus station, but I didn't manage to get the bus ticket that I needed
Got my ticket at the main office of S.R. Travels
An overnight Bus journey to Bogra (192km / 5hrs)
Map from Google
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Day 4, 26 Dec 17
Reach Bogra (S.R Travel's office) very early in the morning (5.40am) and had breakfast at local restaurant. Met a pair of father and son.
Round-about at Bir Srestho Square
Took a CNG North towards the Mahasthan Bus Stop area
Jiyat Kunda (The well of life)
As the sun rose, it started to get warmer
We walked along the walls
Fenced up
I was too early to visit Mahasthangarh Museum মহাস্থানগড়, the first sign of early civilization in Bengal of 4th - 6th century
Cow
Vasu Bihar ভাসু বিহার
360
Took a CNG to the village
visited a local home
Watched the local kids play cricket
Didn't managed to explore the Somapura Mahavihara সোমপুর মহাবিহার (locally called paharpur) and Kusumba Mosque কুসুম্বা শাহী মসজিদ , took a direct local bus (৳120) towards Rajshahi instead.
Bhadra Mor ভদ্রা মোড় at a roundabout
Cows on the railway track
Rajshahi Railway Station রাজশাহী রেলওয়ে স্টেশন
A.H.M Kamruzzaman Memorial Chattor
Busy street
Green
Room for ৳600
Sunset
The Padma River separates Rajshahi, Bangladesh from India (similar to Mekong River separating Vientiane, Laos and Thailand). Image from GoogleMaps
Street stalls
Puppies cuddling together for warmth
Rajshahi at night
#meow
Night market
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Day 5, 27 Dec 17
Rajshahi College রাজশাহী কলেজ
Start early in the morning and explore Phutia Temple Complex পুঠিয়া রাজবাড়ী,
Puthia Rajbari Complex পুঠিয়া রাজবাড়ী
Gobinda Temple
A round trip from Rajshahi to Phutia and back to train station cost me a whopping 1,000 because I did not have small change and the driver just drove off with my note.
Lunch at Rajshahi Railway Station রাজশাহী রেলওয়ে স্টেশন
Briyani
Catch the train at 2PM. Although the "Arani Railway Station" is nearer to Putia, the train to Khulna does not stop here. You will still need to go to Rajshahi Railway Station to take the train
Crossing Arani Rail Bridge আড়ানী রেল সেতু
Ishwardi Bypass Railway Station ঈশ্বরদী বাইপাস রেলওয়ে স্টেশন
peddlers selling stuffs
Peddler on the train
Power station
Crossing the Hardinge Bridge, Pakshi হার্ডিঞ্জ ব্রি
A farm?
Reach at Khulna at 8.30PM
Train track (Map from Google Map)
Stayed at the Hotel Royal International (৳2,175). As I run out of taka, I had to change my USD to taka at the hotel at a horrible rate (US$100 to ৳7500)
View from the room
Dinner (৳135)
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Day 6, 28 Dec 17
Breakfast at hotel
Morning view
Tiger
Prawn/shrimp
Puppies
Took a local bus to Bagarhat
Barakapura Park বারাকপূর পার্ক
Singair Mosque সিঙ্গাইর মসজিদ
Mosque of Bagarhat
Shaat Gombuj Mosque (Sixty Dome Mosque) ষাট গম্বুজ মসজিদ
Interior
Shatgombuj Mosque Pond - Ghora Dighi ( ঘোড়া দিঘী )
Khan Jahan Ali's Tomb খানজাহান আলী সমাধি
Selling snacks
Nine Dome Mosque
Taking a local bus which crossed the river at Bekutia Ferry Ghat towards Barishal
Barishal Launch Ghat
Boarding the "Launch"
Waiting for departure
Took the Surovi 8 Launch. I arrived about 5pm to reserve my space and the boat only depart around 9pm
No more cabin, so I slept on the deck with the locals. 200taka
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Day 7, 29 Dec 17
Arrived in Dhaka at about 6.40am
Dhaka Launch Ghat
Stayed at Airbnb, Hosted by Swapan
https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/19376730
Breakfast
Bangladesh Supreme Court বাংলাদেশ সুপ্রিম কোর্ট
Bangladesh National Museum বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় জাদুঘর
Dhaka Shishu Park ঢাকা শিশু পার্ক
শিখা চিরন্তন - Eternal Flame
Museum of Independence
The Mausoleum of Three Leaders জাতীয় তিন নেতার মাজার
Curzon Hall কার্জন হল
Central Shaheed Minar কেন্দ্রীয় শহীদ মিনার
Dhakeshwari Mandir ঢাকেশ্বরী মন্দির
Themed resturant
Lalbagh Fort লালবাগ কেল্লা/ Tomb of Pori Bibi পরী বিবির মাজার
Khan Mohammad Mosque খান মোহাম্মদ মসজিদ
Chawkbazar Shahi Jame Mosque চকবাজার শাহী জামে মসজিদ
Kartalab Khan's Masjid করতলব খানের মসজিদ
Star Mosque - Tara Masjid তাঁরা মসজিদ
Armenian Church আর্মেনিয়ান চার্চ
Babu Bazar Bridge বাবু বাজার ব্রিজ
Rocket Steamer
Interior
Deck
Pink Palace - Ahsan Manzil আহসান মঞ্জিল
Buses
View from rooftop
360
City Building নগর ভবন in the background
It was a Friday and I did not manage to visit many places. Fatigue also limited me to explore further.
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Day 8, 30 Dec 17
Breafastk
Revisit the Museum of Independence স্বাধীনতা জাদুঘর
Eternal Flame শিখা চিরন্তন
Bashundhara City Shopping Complex বসুন্ধরা সিটি শপিং কমপ্লেক্স
Mausoleum of President Ziaur Rahman রাষ্ট্রপতি জিয়াউর রহমানের সমাধি
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মজিবুর রহমান নভোথিয়েটার
F25 - BNS Bangabandhu (বানৌজা বঙ্গবন্ধু) Frigate
Jamuna Amusement Park যমুনা বিনোদন পার্ক
Jamuna Future Park যমুনা ফিউচার পার্ক
Fast food meal
Night snack
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Day 9, 31 Dec 17
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Drinking water dispenser with cups
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Did not manage to visit:
- Mahasthangarh (Bogar)
- Sompur Mahavihara সোমপুর মহাবিহার
- Liberation War Museum মুক্তিযুদ্ধ যাদুঘর
- Kamalapur Railway Station কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশন
- City Centre সিটি সেন্টার (tallest building at 171m)
- City Building নগর ভবন (Dhaka City Corporation Building)
- Dhaka New Market ঢাকা নিউ মার্কেট
- National Martyr's Monument জাতীয় স্মৃতিসৌধ
- Physics Department Of Govt. B.M. Collage (Barishal)
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Final thoughts
- Get visa done in Singapore
- Be careful, while there are nice people, there are also people out to take advantage.
- Transport is expensive
- Have small change ready at all times
- Take note of opening hours and their break time for visiting places.
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More pictures:
- Bangladesh (23 - 28 Dec 2017)
- Dhaka (29 - 31 Dec 2017)
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