A visit to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh from 13 to 20 December 2017 with my travel buddy ... It is winter time there and the weather is cooling and pleasant between 17ºC to 24ºC. The sight-seeing attractions are mostly on historical grounds.
Because of the dry weather, the streets are dusty and dirty. There are 20 million inhabitants in Dhaka with 700,000 rickshaws and 5,500 tuk-tuks (3-wheel auto rickshaws) ferrying people from one point to another swiftly – but not that comfortably and obviously lacking in safety. Traffic there is congested, chaotic and very noisy. They like to honk to provide warning to other road users.
Contrary to our perception, it is quite safe there: we have been walking around for almost a week, even in the evening. Bangladeshis are very hardworking people and they are very busy and focus with the activities that support their hard lives. Taking public transport (such as buses, tuk-tuks, and rickshaws) is difficult due to communication problem as most of them do not speak English.
As for eating out, we only patronize restaurants that have many customers. To avoid having diarrhea, we used the tried-and-tested recipe: eating the briyani chicken rice that comes with a hard-boiled egg every day – costing Taka 120 or RM6 equivalent a plate.
Contrary to our perception, it is quite safe there: we have been walking around for almost a week, even in the evening. Bangladeshis are very hardworking people and they are very busy and focus with the activities that support their hard lives. Taking public transport (such as buses, tuk-tuks, and rickshaws) is difficult due to communication problem as most of them do not speak English.
As for eating out, we only patronize restaurants that have many customers. To avoid having diarrhea, we used the tried-and-tested recipe: eating the briyani chicken rice that comes with a hard-boiled egg every day – costing Taka 120 or RM6 equivalent a plate.
For serious travelers, you may consider visiting Bangladesh, but not recommended for the casual tourists.
Do CLICK HERE to view photos courtesy of yours truly, KC Leong. All photos are taken by smartphone.
Dhakeshwari Temple ... Built in the 12th century, this Sena-style Hindu temple is considered Bangladesh's National Temple.
Old Panam City in Sonargaon ... It is an ancient historical city in Bangladesh
Bashundhara City Shopping Mall .. the modern and leading shopping mall in Dhaka
Rickshaws and tuk-tuks waiting outside a shopping mall, leaving only one lane for traffic. The traffic is chaotic and noisy -- they honk a lot.
Posted by KC Leong
