Arunima Resort Golf Club

This time, I will introduce a resort in Narail(East of Jossore). 

Arunima Resort Golf Club is a hotel which embraces huuuuuuuge land.
They joined JATA travel fair last year and my sister worked for them.
Since then, the owner told me to visit their resort.
After half year later, as my colleague advised me to include to my itinerary, I got chance to visit.

The resort is totally in nature.....so access isn't good instead.
1.5 hour bus ride from Jossore to Lakshipasha Narail which is the nearest station.
Then, take van/bike taxi/auto 20 minutes to river.
Then, take a boat to cross the river.
Then, take van/bike taxi/auto again for 20 minutes more.

picture of river

Arrived!

Isn't it a beautiful place?
A chair is hang from tree, so you can sit and relax.
As I arrived, friendly staffs welcomed me with coconut juice.

In the evening, sky was full of bird.
There are so many that sky seems black.
White birds make some trees white on the other side.



Besides pond, a man was doing fishing.
In a short time, many fished were caught!

It was very quiet place.
You can only hear the sounds of bird and fish jumping.
If you are tired of sounds in Dhaka....it could be a heaven here.
 
For dinner, I had chicken & fish curry and vegetable fry.
Chicken was from their own farm, fish was caught just 2 hours before, and vegetables are from their garden.

Ingredients are good and fresh, and cook was also good!
 
At night, you can sing a song with harmonious and drum.

Any idea what I tried to take?

Firefly.
You can find many at night.
 
In the morning, the path to the restaurant.

Green is vivid, sun is bright :)
Breakfast is typical Bangladeshi style, parta with omelet and vegetable curry.
and fresh juice!

After breakfast, I went to explore the huge ground of the hotel.
 
What I was so excited was........tree house! 
I love climbing up to tree for some reason!
Taking off my shoes, I was climbing.....

Actually nothing prominent was there.
You can just climb up and go down.
But I enjoyed a lot.
 
Next to me enjoying tree house, fish catching started.
3, 4 people held a big net to scoop fishes.

Then, there is a playground for children.

Can you see slide which goes to pond?

Water level was low at that time, but children can slide into pond.

(though I don't want to jump in the pond.....may be eaten by fish)

If you go right time, you can pick up fruits like mango, litchi, and jack fruit.(oh, maybe impossible to "pick" jack fruit)
Cow, horse, and chicken were also seen.(though not for hunt)
Many kinds of vegetables are grown.(This, you can pick up)
 
Self sufficiency rate is very high in this hotel.
I didn't see other guests, but the hotel must have some income from their own farm.
 
So now, I will introduce accommodation.
This is the room I stayed.

Though hot water isn't available, room was comfortable with AC.

 

There are too many types of rooms to introduce here, but cottage is one of the good ones. 

I like inside decoration too.

Besides cottage, it's all nature.

Boat house may be your choice.



*3 of these accomodation is 3,000tk x10%(sevice charge) x15%(VAT).
Please check their webpage in details.

If you want to enjoy your holiday in nature, this is a choice.
Festival is organized occasionally, so please check in advance.
 
＜Arunima Resort Golf Club＞
Address ： Vill- Panipara, P.S.- Naragati, Dist- Narail, Bangladesh
TEL：01711422203
http://arunimaresort.com/

Mongla

Mongla is the entrance of Shundarban.
This is a small town, but let me give some information.
 
At first, "Shundarban honey" is available in Mongla.
Crossing river by boat, there is market and economy hotels.

Picture of riverside

This is one of the honey stores whose name is "Modu(honey in Bengali)".

It seems closed because it was colsed.
A shop owner opened shatter for me.
Then......

Full of honey bottles!!
1kg honey was 600tk. A shop owner scooped honey from this bucket, and

poured into empty bottle.

1kg honey was 600tk. (I got quater)
It is still in my fridge, but doesn't get hard.
Honey is also avaliable at Parjatan Hotel I introduce below for 400tk/kg!
 
<Parjatan Hotel Pashur>

The hotel is very busy and sometimes fully occupied.
AC room wasn't available when I visited.
As I have no AC at home nor office, it's alright.

There is no high ranked hotel in Mongla.
If you seek quality, this hotel must be your choice.
 
＜Parjatan Hotel Pashur＞*****************
TEL : 880-4662-75100
Budget: AC/TW:2,000tk Non-AC/TW:1,200tk
**************************************
<Hotel Bangkok>
Hotel Bangkok.......WHY Bangkok??

Because, hotel owner has been in Bangkok.
This is Twin room.

Bathroom is Bengali style, but kept clearn.

A Japanese girl had been stayed at this hotel, the owner told.
He is very welcoming person.
 
<Hotel Bangkok>**********************************
Address : Main road, Mongla, Bagerhat(is this address…??)
TEL : 01711-397531
Budget : SIN/150tk-250tk  TW/250tk-500tk
************************************************
 
<Hotel Singapore>
Next is Hotel Singapore.

Close to the port, pink pink building.
But.......WHY Singapore???
Because beacuse......."Singapore is developed".
Can it be a reason to name a hotel???

Room is something similar with Hotel Bangkok, but may enough for budget traveler?

<Hotel Singapore>***********************
Address : #1 Paka jeti  road, Mongla, Bagerhat
TEL : 01950-131788/01920-282371
Budget : SIN/200tk～  TW/300tk～
***************************************
 
<Hotel Amin Internatinal>  
A bit higher ranked hotel(compared with former 2) was opened in 2013. 

 

This is Single room.

Quite new.

 

The rank of this hotel is between Parjatan Motel and former 2 hotels.
If your budget is 500-1000tk, it's your choice.
All 3 hotels are in walking distance.

<Hotel Amin Internatinal>***********
Address : Main road, Mongla, Bagerhat
TEL : 04658-73110/01725-819453
Budget : SIN/500tk～ TW/800tk～ 
********************************

Bagerhat

After a long time, I have been out of Dhaka city.
This time, I visited Bagerhat and Jossore.
 
The biggest purpose of this trip is visiting Bagerhat, called "Mosque City".
Access from Dhaka isn't really good, but I flu to Jossore where the nearest airport is.
Then, took bus from Jossore to Bagerhat.

This is AC bus to Kurna(200tk).
It was easy because it directly goes from the airport.

It took 2.5 hours from Jossore to Kurna.
I was half asleep on the car, and hit my head to window time to time.
I must look funny.

To Bagerhat, I needed to change bus in Kurna.
Taking local bus one hour, I finally got to Bagerhat.
It seems a long way, but it was still around noon when I arrived.

"Mosque City" Bargerhat, Worrier KhanJahan Ali built is now registered as UNESCO world heritage site.
Though most of mosque has gone, still many are spread in the village.

At first, I have visited "Kodla Math" which is located 10 km away from main area.
Since there is no public transportation, I had to reserve "auto"(electric 3 wheeler).
It costs 300tk.

Passing villages,

 Then, the Kodla Math appeared.

Standing in quiet peaceful place, it was beautiful.
A driver kindly took a picture of me.....

 

Thank you.....
But why is the picture so inclined??
(My camera even has a function to show horizontal line...)

Walking around and taking picture, it was already lunch time.
As the driver invited me to lunch at his home, I went.

Fried egg.
They prepared fried egg which was the best I had in Bangladesh!!
Then, he showed his house and his cow's house.

I didn't know cow's house has mosquito net.
Then, I realized it was almost 3 o'clock.I only saw a mosque!

I hurried to another mosques.
There is no sign, but people show the way as you said "mosque, mosque".

Walking into villages with cows,

"Bibi Begni Mosjid" appeared.

You will find description.

Zoom.

Walking more into villages,

One more mosque.

Mosque itself is beautiful, but I enjoyed more walking around villages which is like labyrinth.

However, one weird thing in this area.
Every kids I saw said "Give me pen".
I asked why, and kids said
"to study"
"because I lost"
Good quality pen is available for 5tk in Bangladesh.
So, I told them to ask their parents 5tk for pen.....but really all the kids asked pen.
More than 10 kids for sure.
Possibly foreign organization distributed pen to kids before.
This mosque city is lovely, but the "pen kids" surprised me....

Story back to the mosque city.
I haven't introduced the biggest mosque in Bagerhat, "Saith Gumbad Masjid".
Entrance fee is 200tk for foreigner.

This is a pond next to the mosque.

Sun was getting down, then mosque was more beautiful.
However, light came from wrong side when I tried to take picture.
Morning may be better in terms of light.

The last place I visited was Khan Jahan Ali Mazar.
Next to Mazar, there is a pond a crocodile lives.
It is said that Khan Jahan Ali came with crocodile.

People wash their hand and feet.....but don't worry, crocodile won't eat you.
Since it is believed feeding crocodile brings good luck, people sometimes give chicken or goat.
Once crocodile eat, he doesn't eat for a week.
So don't worry.
But unfortunately, I didn't get chance to see crocodile.

Another mosque is near the Mazzar though I couldn't take good picture because it was getting dark.
It is a small city, but half day wasn't enough since I walked around slowly, talked with village people.
Visiting this hot season wasn't the best idea....so I recommend to go a bit cooler season.