Bangladesh is a very cheap country to travel if you're prepared to travel on a budget; in fact there's often no choice but to get by on budget food, accommodation and travel. It's possible to average US$4 a day if you go 2nd class on trains, travel on local buses, stay in the cheapest of hotels with shared bathroom and no air-con and eat at the very cheapest restaurants. If you want to escape nerve-shattering buses and reduce your risk of stomach bugs, US$10-15 a day will get you a decent hotel room with its own bathroom, a couple of good meals a day and first-class train travel. If you want to spend big, it's possible, but there isn't a huge range of top-end accommodation or restaurants outside Dhaka.

Cash and travellers cheques in US dollars are preferred by banks to British pounds. Outside Dhaka and Chittagong you'll have problems changing pounds. Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, guesthouses and restaurants in Dhaka and Chittagong, but virtually nowhere else. Amex users can get a cash advance with their card.

A tip, or baksheesh , seems to be demanded in almost every exchange, and is an essential part of the Islamic social order of being compassionate to those less fortunate than oneself. In restaurants, Bangladeshis almost never tip, but waiters may expect a 5% tip in Dhaka restaurants, especially those frequented by foreigners. Most transactions require bargaining, which is considered a normal part of life in Bangladesh. A rule of thumb is to offer about half the original price and work up. It's worth remembering that a few extra taka are likely to help your bargaining adversary more than they'll hurt you.

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