One day boat trip

If you don't have much time to go far, but want to have fresh air out of Dhaka....
How about one day boat trip?
 
The tour is to drive 1 hour from Dhaka, spend slow time on the boat, visit nearby village and come back.
Good refreshment for weekend.
Let's me share my experience of the boat trip with JABA tours.
 
We started from their office in Banani at 8am.
It is south east of Dhaka city.
After an hour drive(or even less), scenery changed totally.
From congested city to peaceful village.
 
Car pulled over to the side though I didn't find anything there.
But got off the car, there was river and a boat.
JABA tours owns a boat.

 
Very cozy.
Inside the boat, there is a small room with table and chair.

lf you want to lie down or sit in relax way, there is also place.(right side of the picture)

Of course, you can enjoy time on the deck.
Wind feels good!

As boat started, tea and cookies were served.
Tea time on the deck.

I was in Dhaka city just an hour ago, but now on the boat seeing rural scenery!
Dhaka is quite a small city.

There is not much thing to do on the boat, so just seeing scenery.
Children playing besides river, women washing clothes, men taking care of cows....looking people's life from deck.
Children wove their hands, so I wove back.
"ভাল আছো!?(How are you in casual way)"

However, I was too much tired due to lack of sleep on that day.
So I went inside cabin, lay down on the space I mentioned, and went to sleep.
It was short time, but I slept deeply.

Then, I got up when the boat stopped.
I was half asleep, but tour guide told to go for a walk.

We got off boat.
There are square papers all over the ground.
Guide told that the paper will be recycled to box for sweets e.t.c.

 Then, visited Hindu temple and school.

Take a look at village life.

It was a formal village.
For me, it is one of the normal villages, but it seems very interesting for participants from Japan.
But even though I say normal village, it was very refreshing coming to rural area from Dhaka.

Then, we visited saree weaving village.
The sarees were just so beautiful!! 

How do they weave with design?
For my question, they showed design paper.

Can you believe!?
From this paper, the design came like picture below.

Impressive.
I wanted to get one, but it was too expensive.
Hand weaving can be 10,000 tk to 20,000tk, or more.

After visiting those places, came back to boat and had lunch.
Of course, curry.

Not spicy at all.....felt a bit strange after living in Bangladesh more than 2 years.
Maybe good for tourists.

Had lunch and took a rest, then it was already time to get off boat.
Other tourists went to next village for home stay, but I came back after the boat trip.

It was very short trip, but if you want to have fresh air in weekend, you can join the tour.
Ask details to JABA tours.
http://www.jabatour.com/

Asian Tourism Fair, 2014

3rd Asian Tourism Fair is held now in Dhaka at Bangabandhu International Conference Center(BICC).
It starts from September 11th and continues till 13th.

Of course, our Bangladesh Tourism Corporation is attending the fair.
Seems too quiet?
No, it is just before opening hour.

 Stall for Bangladesh Tourism Board which is another government organization.

There are many stalls for travel agencies, hotels, and airlines.
Don't you have any plan for trip?

*For some reason....the man stopped in middle way while I was waiting. So, is in picture.

"Fantasy Kingdom"!
There is a theme park in Ashulia.....I didn't know this.
A bit curious..........

Not only domestic information, but also tourist information for other countries is available.
Malaysia has a huge stall.

They were prepring tea at a counter.

 China!

Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan.
(Stall for Bhutan wasn't ready....will be!)

Cultural program will be held along with the event.

Check details below!

<Programme>
Sep.11th
11:00am: Inaugural Ceremony
12:30pm - 8:00pm: Exhibition open for visitors

Sep.12th
11:00am - 8:00pm: Exhibition open for visitors
3:30pm-6:00pm: Tourism Skills Convention, hosted by ISC tourism
7:00pm-8:00pm: Cultural Performance by Embassy Philippines

Sep.13th
11:00am - 8:00pm: Exhibition open for visitors
5:00pm: Closing Ceremony, followed by Cultural Program

Jamuna Future Park (2)

(belated) Eid Mubarak!

It has been almost a month since I updated blog last time.

In July, I was a bit busy breaking my foot's finger, getting sick....e.t.c.

When I realized, July has gone!

 

By Eid holidays in the end of July, I was almost alright.

I will tell some about Jamuna Future Park during Eid holiday.

I wrote about food court and bowling before, but about amusement park this time.

 

*previous article on Jamuna Future Park is below

Jamuna Future Park (1)
 
On the Eid day, it was colorful with people wearing nice new dresses.

Except food court everything was closed, but people went inside......sat here and there, took picture here and there.......seemed enjoying. 



Entrance fee for this small amusemsnt park is 50tk.

Each ride costs 150tk~400tk.

 

I thought it would never be operated, but it was.

Operated.

This also.



What I found interesting is people around there.
When staff was preparing to operate rides, people stopped and waited for it to start. 

 Then, watching......

Watching......

 

Watching.......... 

 

And, taking pictures.

 

I didn't have enough energy to get on rides......
But if you have wondered whether these are operated or not.....these are.
Let's try.

Travel Bangladesh with Mother & Sister -Dhaka-

It was in the end of April that my mother and sister visited me in Bangladesh.
From the end of April to the beginning of May, there is a long holiday called "Golden Week" in Japan.
So, let me start stories of our trip.
 
On the first day, I went to the airport to pick up them.
I booked "summer Palace Hotel", and requested a car.
 
After waiting for a while, my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Oh, hello. Have you arrived? Passed custom?"
"Well.....arrived, but in Chittagong."
 
Chittagong is south part of Bangladesh.
What's wrong.
 
In deed, a plane couldn't land because of weather in Dhaka, and landed in Chittagong instead.
However, my sister and mother couldn't catch announce.
Though they prepared to get out from the plane, no one seemed preparing.
Then, they realized something was wrong.
Yes, something was apparently wrong!!
 
・・・・・・・・・
 
Anyway, they could arrive at Dhaka in the day.
They were too tired to have heartfelt greetings with me..
We hurried to the hotel.
 
Summer Palace Hotel is in Baridhara.
Regardless late night, welcome drink was served as we arrived.
Papaya juice was nice....
 
This is the room.

Clean and well maintained.
However, extra bed was too soft....
 
This is bathroom.
Crab?

 

Yes, crab.....for some reasons.

 

Breakfast is buffet.

vegetables, meat, curry and egg.......
I ordered "normal omelet" which of course includes chili.
My mother and sister were surprised chili is used even to omelet!
But it is already too normal to mention for me...
I was happy for fresh juice.

So now on, they explore some parts of Bangladesh.
Continued.

Summer Palace Hotel
Address:35, Suhrawardy Avenue, Baridhara, Dhaka-1212
TEL:+880-2-8816722,9892007
Budget: $90～

Narayaganj

I have been planning to visit Narayaganji for almost a year.......and finally visited last weekend.
Why didn't I?
I think I had been lazy.

Narayaganji is about 30km south from Dhaka, famous for garment industry.
I looked for tourist attractions since it is decent distance for a day trip from Dhaka.
My colleague lives there, so he told me that he would show me around and invited his house as well.

I took bus from Glistan in the morning.
It took about an hour to get Chashara, the center of Narayaganj.
Bus ride should be around 30 minutes, but local bus I took went slooooow.
If you don't like bus, train is also one choice.

These days it is hot.
We met up(one another colleague joined) and at first went to his home.
His wife prepared snacks at 11am.
Coming from outside, water melon, pickles, orange, pineapple with fresh mango juice were perfect.

Doesn't it look pretty?
Playing with his kids, taking pictures....and then, start for Narayaganj excursion!

The first place we have visited is "Hajiganj Fort".
Once the place was bank of river, and the fort was built against pirate during Mughal era.

Inside is now playground for boys.
The remain of building in the left side of above picture was watchtower.

 Remain of stairs.......training for solders was given here, too.

 The holes on the wall.

What is interesting is 1hole has 3 holes outside.
Difficult to explain, if you look into a hole you will see 3. 

There was a big mango tree.

 

Can you see a boy on the tree? It is very high!
I would love to climb up....but didn't bother to say it. 

It was very peaceful place.
Isn't it pretty kids picking up mango and playing cricket in the ruin?

Then, we moved to river side.
The small port is Hajiganj port.

 You will find traditional Bangladeshi boat as well as engine boat.

 The purpose crossing river is to see this mosque.

It is quite a big mosque.
Wash my hands and feet, went up stairs.

Footprint of Prophet is preserved in this mosque.

On the way back, we had "Bakorkani" which is originally famous in Old Dhaka.
Light and crispy, easy snack.
It is only available in Dhaka and surrounding area.

this is salty

 



this one is sweet.

On the way back, we took the traditional boat.

My colleague told me to cover my hair.....

"woman who was married goes back to her father's home by a boat"

This is a kind of typical scenery in Bangladesh.



Do I look like Bangladeshi?

Lunch was at the restaurant on the boat.

 It was owned by Bangaldesh Tourism corporation, but now private operates.

He ordered Bangladeshi food for me, but somehow it came out Chinese style....
But anyway, it was good.

This is "Bhorta".
Paste of boiled vegetable and dried fish cooked with spices.

Potato is typical for Bhorta, but I had eggplant and cilantro leaf.
It was first time for me.

Our lunch was nearly 4 p.m.
After finishing lunch at 4p.m, I got on the way....but then another colleague with us invited to his home.

We were full including him, but he offered tea, fruit, cookies....
He, his wife, son and daughter welcomed.

I uploaded some pictures of food because I want to show how Bengali people treat guest.
You really can not leave Bengali's home without having tea.
Not only tea, but in all the ways, their hospitality for guest is incredible!

It was whole day programme.
I was very tired indeed, but good weekend.
If you feel like to go somewhere outside of Dhaka, Narayaganj is one choice though it is better if you have any friend there!