China Clay Hills

Bangladesh


The cool turquoise waters beside the China Clay Hills (really little more than low mounds) make for an extremely photogenic spot, and a lovely place for a tree-shaded picnic, though the main reason to venture this far north is for the journey itself. Take a tranquil three-hour rowboat trip up the Someswari River, or else a bone-rattling, but fun two-hour rickshaw ride, crossing the river on a small wooden ferry before passing through a number of remote villages en route.

English-speaking staff at Birisiri’s YMCA or YWCA can help arrange either a boat or a rickshaw to the China Clay Hills. Expect to pay around Tk 800 for a rowboat (three hours one way) or Tk 1600 for a motorboat (one hour one way). Note that boats can’t take you all the way to the China Clay Hills because the site isn’t beside the river. They will likely drop you at Ranikhong, from where you’ll have to walk or pick up a rickshaw for about a 15-minute ride. Hiring a rickshaw for the day from Birisiri costs around Tk 500.