Hi all
Thinking about spending a few weeks in Bangladesh. I've been to India loads of times and am very comfortable traveling anywhere in the country by myself. I love India, it's my favourite country. Is Bangladesh similar to India in terms of hotels, trains, people, getting from A to B etc?
Is English reasonably widespread as it is in India?
How does Bangladesh compare to India?
Cheers Matt
I think some experienced travelers will reply this thread. But I can assure you that if you Like India you must Like Bangladesh. You can read some recent threads about Bangladesh travel in this forum.
Hoping your safe arrival.
1) hotels are much of a muchness - you can get all forms of ratings from basic guest houses (comfortable but nothing special), right through to the Raddison /Hilton chains. You will generally pay for what you get.
2) Trains are much better in terms of getting bookings made. It's so much easier to get a ticket, you can look at the booking screens at the railways when you buy your ticket. Be sure to get the best class of seat that you can it's not expensive by western pricing and you can get some magnificent tea from the people who bring it to you in a ceramic cup and saucer.
3) people are more friendly, generally less touts and scams (that's not to say that there's none).
There's a variety of transport available, but sometimes, knowing how to get from one location to the next, can require the assistance of a local or a good travel agency.
I've been there twice and want to go back again soon, it's well worth the effort to get around and visit.
#3 is fairly spot on there, will add a few points. In general, it is even crazier than in India in terms of crowds, pollution, litter, traffic, poverty, etc, etc, and the sights really don't compare, but since there is such a tiny tourism industry there, you generally get a good reception from the people, which makes it an interesting place to travel. I remember meeting Banderban's city mayor just cos he wanted to welcome me to his town, never happened elsewhere!
There's always someone as hotels, restaurants, bus/train stations who can at least get by in english. However, rickshaw drivers, shop keepers, etc, generally speak nothing, so learning at least some numbers in Bengali will help you to no end.
Try and stick with the 'luxury' bus companies, really they're not expensive at all for getting between the major cities, and a world away from the absolute mayhem of local bus stations. Although, you'll have to takel ocal buses to get to Banderban and such places. Good luck!
Thanks all, sounds good.
Does anyone know with the new rules about Indian re-entry, can I enter Bangladesh from India and cross back into India after a few weeks to fly home?
It's just flights to India seem to be hundreds of Euros cheaper than to Bangladesh.
We flew from UK to India, entered BD by road, then back to India, on to Nepal and back to India again. When we applied for visa for India in UK we sent an itinarary with it, stating that we wanted to enter India 3 times. This was duly noted on our visa and we had no problems. We didn't really stick to the plan but nobody seemed to care! That was last December, hope that helps!
To add to the good info you have had already, I'm sure if you love India you will love Bangladesh. There are very much fewer historical sights, the chief joy of Bangladesh is the countryside and above all the people. I still feel totally overwhelmed by the friendliness and helpfulness I encounter every day.
Transport is amazingly easy, in that wherever you want to go there will always be a bus or cng. Bus depots are usually numerous and confusing in big cities but just ask, you will get lots of help. I often feel like a precious parcel being carefully passed from bus to cng by helpful people who usually bargain the price down for me or even insist on paying it. I would say hotel standards can be a little below what is available in India. Don't just rely on the guidebook, but ask local people , as I stayed in several new places that had juts opened. new usually means good, s upkeep can often be a problem
If there is a train , take it. As Zoltan says, they are very comfortable. I found second class fine.But do book ahead, as seats and especially berths can be in short supply.
English is less widely and less fluently spoken than in India, but usually any good english speakers in town will find you, because they want to have a chat.
Frequent hartals are causing some disruption to transport at present, so you may want to factor in a little extra time into your itinerary (trains are unaffected)
Have a fabulous time
Getting train tickets if not booked well in advance not always a problem. Three times we were unable to get tickets at the ticket window so we went to the Station master who after a little persuasion sorted us out. This happened in Chittagong,Dhaka and Parbatipur. No we weren't playing the system just our travelling didnt allow us to get to the stations much in advance.
Also don't forget launches for getting around they are even more fun than trains. In Bangladesh it was the first time we had travelled in a ferry with an onboard cobbler!