Bangladesh travel guides

Most nationalities need a visa arranged before travelling, applied for at a Bangladeshi mission or through the online portal. A limited visa on arrival is available at Dhaka airport for certain nationalities and purposes, but it is discretionary and should not be relied on for a leisure trip. You will need a passport valid for six months, proof of onward travel, hotel bookings and often evidence of sufficient funds. Apply well ahead, as processing can be slow.

November to February is by far the best window, with dry, mild weather and comfortable temperatures around 25°C. This is also prime time for Sundarbans boat trips, when visibility is good and the rivers are calm. March to May brings intense pre-monsoon heat and humidity, and June to October is the monsoon, when heavy rain and widespread flooding make overland travel difficult and some areas inaccessible.

Bangladesh is broadly safe for visitors and foreigners are usually met with warmth and curiosity rather than hostility. Check your government's current travel advisory before booking, as political demonstrations and strikes can flare up and are worth avoiding, and parts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts have travel restrictions requiring permits. Road traffic is the most realistic everyday danger. Women travellers should dress conservatively and can expect a lot of attention.

The Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) is the currency, and Bangladesh remains a heavily cash-based economy. Cards work in Dhaka's international hotels, larger restaurants and supermarkets but almost nowhere else, so carry cash for transport, markets, rural guesthouses and boat trips. ATMs are common in cities but unreliable in rural areas. Bangladesh is one of the cheapest countries in Asia, with meals and local transport costing very little.

The Sundarbans can only be visited on an organised boat tour with a licensed operator and an armed forest guard, as independent travel into the reserve is not permitted. Most trips are two to four nights, departing from Khulna or Mongla, roughly six to eight hours from Dhaka by road or overnight launch. Tiger sightings are genuinely rare given the dense mangrove, so go for the deer, crocodiles, dolphins, birdlife and the extraordinary landscape rather than expecting big cats.

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