Winter Destinations

Normally, November to February is preferred for travelling in our country. During this period, many people choose to travel to various hotspots and enjoy the cooler winter days. Lets have a look at different locations that you can visit this winter and have a great time.

Sonargaon

Sonargaon, the ancient capital of Bengal, is about 29 kilometres from Dhaka. Panam Nagar, Goladia Mosque, Sultan Giasuddin’s monument, Panchapir and shrine of Shah Aila are the main attractions of Sonargaon. You can also see weapons and items of everyday use of ancient civilizations at the Lokshilpa Museum there.
You can hire a private car, or travel by bus from Gulistan, Shahbag or Motijheel to Sonargaon.
             
Comilla 

Comilla district is famous for its natural beauty and historical places. Some remnants of ancient civilization are visible at Shalbon Bihar and its surroundings. Mainamati Museum is a special attraction where you will see ancient weapons, bronze pots, gold and silver coins, and more than 150 Buddhist statues collected from different temples.
Other places of interest are the World War II cemetery at Comilla Cantonment, 5-6 km from Shalbon Bihar, Bangladesh Rural Development Academy (BARD) at Kotbari.
Comilla is also famous for ‘roshmalai’, a delicious milk-based sweet, and the local cotton cloth called ‘khadi’.
You can easily reach Comilla by train. Bus services are also available from Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and other districts. Many hotels are available for overnight stay.
Mahasthangarh 

Mahasthangarh, located about 14 km from Bogra town on the west bank of Korotoa river, is one of the major tourist destinations in northern Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest archaeological sites in the country built in the 3rd century BC. 
You can see Govinda Vita Temple, Mankalir Kunda, Porshuram Palace, Jiat Kunda among other tourist spots. Ancient architectures are quite prominent and omnipresent all over the place. At the Mahasthangarh Museum, you can see ancient pictogram-like carvings of various Hindu gods made in terracotta, gold ornaments and gold coins. You must also taste the local Bogra yoghurt, which is really delicious.
 You can go to Bogra by bus or train. Motel of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, and budget and four star hotels are also available.

The Sundarbans

The Sundarbans, world’s largest mangrove forest, is a very charming place to visit during winter. Spanning over 6,000 square kilometres, the Sundarbans is the habitat of world famous Royal Bengal Tiger, spotted deer, crocodiles, otters, monkeys and birds of various species. 
Since the forest can be risky in places, you have to choose the right spots to visit inside the huge patch of greenery. The major tourist spots include Karamjal, Kotka, Kochikhali, Hiron Point and Mandarbaria. Also, Dublar Char is a nice island of the Sundarbans. Herds of spotted deer often dawdle there. There is a forest range at Karamjal. It is a breeding place for deer as well. If you are lucky, you may also get the opportunity to see a Royal Bengal Tiger. If you miss it, of course you can see the footprints of our national animal.
If you want to visit the whole of the Sundarbans, you should take help of an experienced tourist guide. If you go  there in a group and stay 2/3 days, you can spend a whole day at Karamjal to enjoy the overview of the Sundarbans. You have to take permission from the Forest Department for this. You can also  talk to local fishermen, wood-cutters and honey collectors who work in and around the forest areas.
You can easily get buses to Khulna from Motijheel, Arambagh, Shyamoli, Kalyanpur and Gabtoli.  Bus services to Khulna, Bagerhat and Mongla are also available from Syedabad Bus Terminal. You have to go Mongla at first. Then you have to reserve a small launch or  engine boat to enter the forest area. Various travel agencies also offer boat cruises to the Sundarbans. Hotels are available in Khulna city. You can also stay at Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation motel at Mongla. 

The writer is a travel and tourism analyst.

Winter Destinations

Normally, November to February is preferred for travelling in our country. During this period, many people choose to travel to various hotspots and enjoy the cooler winter days. Lets have a look at different locations that you can visit this winter and have a great time. Sonargaon Sonargaon, the ancient capital of Bengal, is about 29 kilometres from Dhaka. Panam Nagar, Goladia Mosque, Sultan Giasuddins monument, Panchapir and shrine of Shah Aila are the main attractions of Sonargaon. You can also see weapons and items of everyday use of ancient civilizations at the Lokshilpa Museum there. You can hire a private car, or travel by bus from Gulistan, Shahbag or Motijheel to Sonargaon. Comilla Comilla district is famous for its natural beauty and historical places. Some remnants of ancient civilization are visible at Shalbon Bihar and its surroundings. Mainamati Museum is a special attraction where you will see ancient weapons, bronze pots, gold and silver coins, and more than 150 Buddhist statues collected from different temples. Other places of interest are the World War II cemetery at Comilla Cantonment, 5-6 km from Shalbon Bihar, Bangladesh Rural Development Academy (BARD) at Kotbari. Comilla is also famous for roshmalai, a delicious milk-based sweet, and the local cotton cloth called khadi. You can easily reach Comilla by train. Bus services are also available from Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and other districts. Many hotels are available for overnight stay. Mahasthangarh Mahasthangarh, located about 14 km from Bogra town on the west bank of Korotoa river, is one of the major tourist destinations in northern Bangladesh. It is one of the oldest archaeological sites in the country built in the 3rd century BC. You can see Govinda Vita Temple, Mankalir Kunda, Porshuram Palace, Jiat Kunda among other tourist spots. Ancient architectures are quite prominent and omnipresent all over the place. At the Mahasthangarh Museum, you can see ancient pictogram-like carvings of various Hindu gods made in terracotta, gold ornaments and gold coins. You must also taste the local Bogra yoghurt, which is really delicious. You can go to Bogra by bus or train. Motel of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, and budget and four star hotels are also available. The Sundarbans The Sundarbans, worlds largest mangrove forest, is a very charming place to visit during winter. Spanning over 6,000 square kilometres, the Sundarbans is the habitat of world famous Royal Bengal Tiger, spotted deer, crocodiles, otters, monkeys and birds of various species. Since the forest can be risky in places, you have to choose the right spots to visit inside the huge patch of greenery. The major tourist spots include Karamjal, Kotka, Kochikhali, Hiron Point and Mandarbaria. Also, Dublar Char is a nice island of the Sundarbans. Herds of spotted deer often dawdle there. There is a forest range at Karamjal. It is a breeding place for deer as well. If you are lucky, you may also get the opportunity to see a Royal Bengal Tiger. If you miss it, of course you can see the footprints of our national animal. If you want to visit the whole of the Sundarbans, you should take help of an experienced tourist guide. If you go there in a group and stay 2/3 days, you can spend a whole day at Karamjal to enjoy the overview of the Sundarbans. You have to take permission from the Forest Department for this. You can also talk to local fishermen, wood-cutters and honey collectors who work in and around the forest areas. You can easily get buses to Khulna from Motijheel, Arambagh, Shyamoli, Kalyanpur and Gabtoli. Bus services to Khulna, Bagerhat and Mongla are also available from Syedabad Bus Terminal. You have to go Mongla at first. Then you have to reserve a small launch or engine boat to enter the forest area. Various travel agencies also offer boat cruises to the Sundarbans. Hotels are available in Khulna city. You can also stay at Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation motel at Mongla. The writer is a travel and tourism analyst.