Star Holiday

Dhaka, Sunday October 30, 2005

Star Holiday Eid Special

Since the Star Holiday page came out, we have tried our best to introduce new tourist destinations of the country to our readers. Some of the destinations have been discovered by our Holiday team and already been regarded as potential places by tour enthusiasts.
The Eid-ul-Fitr is our biggest festival and you can get some days off your work. For those who prefer to spend their holiday relaxing in a remote place, we are putting forward some suggestions which may help them select the places to go.
The state-owned tourist organization, Parjatan Corporation, does not conduct tours during the Ramadan. But they have some good accommodations in remote areas which you can hire as your base camp. The private tour operators such as Guide Tours Ltd, Bengal Tours Ltd, Galaxy Holiday and Journey Plus offer some Eid-holiday packages. Interested holidaymakers can contact them in advance.
Hiking, trekking, climbing and cycling are the most intimate way of enjoying rural Bangladesh the waving paddy fields, eerily rustling bamboo thickets, impeccably clean villages frilled by tall palm trees, the primitive swamp forests of the Sundarbans, the tropical rainforests of Sylhel and Chittagong Hill Tracts and the dry decidues sal forests of Madhupur. For a nature and solitude lover, some of the reserves of these areas can offer fantastic places to spend some days.
In Rajshahi division, there are some historical and archeological places worthwhile to visit. Our recommended destinations are as follows:

Cox's Bazar: Bangladesh Biman and GMG Airlines operate flight between Dhaka and Cox's Bazar. The country's biggest beach resort is about 390km southeast of Dhaka. It is well connected with the capital by road and express buses. Semi-government and private organisations offer good accommodations for the tourists. Basing yourself in Cox's Bazar, you can visit Dulahazra Safari Park, a wildlife refuge where one can easily see some wild animals and reptiles by walking or driving through the forest road. You can visit the adjacent hilly areas like Lama and Ali Kadam. From Cox's Bazar you can also visit Sonadia and Moheshkhali islands.

Teknaf and St Martin's Island: Some 90km south of Cox's Bazar, Teknaf town is at the southern tip of Teknaf peninsula, offering fantastic scenic beauty. You can spend a day here for trekking and enjoy a beautiful beach before leaving for St
Martin's Island. It is an offshore island lying 25km south of Teknaf and can be reached by ferries or trawlers. The ferries depart from Teknaf and visitors must buy tickets in advance. There are some economy as well as mid-ranged hotels in the island.

Srimongol and adjacent areas: The entire area is covered by tea gardens, small patches of tropical rainforests and pineapple and lemon plantations. Visitor can book rest houses of various agencies to stay overnight. The area is about a five-hour drive from Dhaka.

Sundarbans: The tidal forests of the Sundarbans are considered as the world's largest tract of mangrove forest. It is the home to tigers and spotted deer. Tour operating agencies such as Guide Tours Ltd and Bengal Tours Ltd operates special Eid trips.
For the day-long trips around Dhaka, the holidaymakers can visit Kapasia, Mawa (for boat trip) and Tangail to see some Zaminder Palaces of the 19th century.