Joy Bangla! A country filled with natural wonders and gracious hospitable hosts, Bangladesh is an emerging destination for travellers and tourists alike

From beaches, a coral island and rolling majestic hills to tea plantations, river islands and the mangrove forests of Sundarbans, you get it all in Bangladesh. Today on the ‘backpacker circuit’, this country is just getting noticed. You will not come across more than 10 foreigners while travelling here, one of the best reasons to go now, than later.

After a few days in Dhaka and Chittagong, I decided to head towards Cox’s Bazaar, which was buzzing with Bangladesh’s elite and the middle class. Its pristine beaches teemed with activity. Inani Beach, a part of the country’s claim to fame, is the world longest and broadest beach fringed with evergreen and semi-green tropical rain forests, making it a photo-worthy landscape.

Cox’s Bazaar is also the gateway to Bangladesh’s only Coral Island, St Martin. The Island lies 8 km west to the north-west coast of Myanmar; one can see shadowy stupas in the distance. St Martin was a perfect emerald green location to catch up on my reading, take a long walk and watch laid-back locals going about their day-to-day activities. I lived it up for a few days at an eco-friendly guesthouse, listening to the changing melodies of the ocean, chatter of crickets at night and the sweetest sounds of a lone flute playing. Nothing to disturb you, not even the flicker of electricity. What more could one want?

After a few days soaking in the salty sea air, it was time to exercise the lazying muscles. I decided to head to Bandarban to do some hiking and to take in the sights of the ‘Hill Tract’ area. It’s one of the remotest, least populated areas in Bangladesh. Home to the highest peak in Bangladesh, this area is perfect to soak in the green. It was a wonderful experience to hike in these friendly parts. I was asked many questions and invited to participate in their conversations. Curiosity reciprocated on both sides. There are 11 different ethnic tribes in these hills. Predominantly Buddhist, these folks are consciously protecting their habitat and keeping their local culture alive. If you are there on a weekend, don’t forget to buy a few souvenirs at the local market.

After a few days in the hills, it was time to head towards the deltas. The jewel in the crown is no doubt the ‘beautiful forest’ of Sundarbans, which is named after the ‘Sundari’ tree found in abundance here. The Ganges, on its journey from the Himalayan peaks to the Bay of Bengal, creates the largest delta network in the world-land and water weaving mysterious tales and exciting landscapes.Many a times it seems like the country floats here!

Meandering creeks, majestic rivers, estuaries and streams create a complex interwoven network of water bodies, mudflats and salt tolerating forests. The region is ever in transition, the landscape changing with every monsoon. All these factors contribute in making this region home to 39 species of mammals, 315 bird species along with 53 reptiles and 120 species of fishes. We saw the Gangetic Dolphin caper in the waters alongside fishermen plying their nets. The Irrawaddy Dolphins are tougher to spot.

The Sundarbans, home to 400 elusive Royal Bengal tigers was declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Sixty two per cent of these mangrove forests lie within the Bangladesh borders and the rest in India. While tourists want to see the tiger, the locals fear them. I personally washoping not to see the tiger, for then I would not have an excuse to come back again.

Remember your science lesson - that roots come out of the soil to breathe because of salinity in water. Well, you can see and feel them on your walk through the marshes. Some areas include canopy jungles that covered the Gangetic plains in yester years. Today, like many other forestlands in the world, this delicate eco-system also is in danger from our ever-increasing footprint. But efforts are being made to nurture back the receding forests.

Do put Bangladesh on your travel to-do list. Introduce yourself to a country filled with natural wonders, gracious hospitable hosts and experience an emerging destination for travelers and tourists alike. The local tourism board has adopted a very apt slogan, ‘Visit Bangladesh Before Tourists Come’.