Traveling through a country full of surprises
The veil of fog cannot fade the hundreds of shades of the mangrove forest into a greenish whole. Deep in the delta region of Bangladesh, the colors are intense, each leaf has its own green. Over this mangrove area is a braided network of rivers, streams and waterways. All connected to one large network of more than eight thousand kilometers of river.
In this impenetrable nature of Sundarban National Park, it is hard to imagine that Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Yet this nature reserve is also one of the most densely populated in the world: four hundred Bengal tigers form the world's largest tiger population here. However, the luck of encountering one is reserved for few.
Hidden behind India, the country is full of surprises, but above all 'full of rivers': more than seven hundred flow through Bangladesh. Even the capital Dhaka can be explored by boat. Floating on the Buriganga River, life on the waterfront, where children fish, women wash and men repair their boats, pass travelers by. Moreover, the passengers escape the hectic traffic. Although they also have to share the river with fishing boats, cargo ships and ferries. For those who want to jump into the deep end in Dhaka, a rickshaw ride is definitely worth it. The bicycle taxi makes its way from the Ahsan Manzil (pink palace) to the Shankaria Bazar where the flowery Hindu Street with its many colorful shops invites you to stop for a while. But to really catch your breath, you'll have to leave the capital.
A few days cycling between the tea plantations around Sylhet in the north. History can be found in Bagerhat, named after the many mosques from the fifteenth century that are now on the Unesco heritage list. At Kuakata, miles of deserted beach await hikers. And with sturdy shoes, the Chittagong Hills also become accessible. A unique piece of mountain area in otherwise flat Bangladesh. The region is undiscovered, a small winding river is the only one that has found its way to this region.
