Destinations in Bangladesh – the southwest. About fishermen, animal-trainers, philosophers and a giant delta.

Locals know Kuakata as Shagor Kannya which means Daughter of the Sea. Kuakata was first and foremost one thing: undiscovered land. Since the journey has become relatively easy (the many ferries have been replaced by bridges), this is over and especially on weekends (Fri & Sat) or school holidays the place is – in the truest sense of the word – haunted by busloads full of pleasure seekers. Therefore: when we talk about the perfection and undiscovered beauty of Kuakata, we mean the area around Kuakata – by no means the horrible town itself – which now embodies the very opposite. During the week or in the off-season you can use Kuakata as a base camp for trips into the surrounding area and this consists of a combination of natural beauty, lonely beaches and settlements, the sea and mangrove forest. It gives the feeling of immeasurable freedom and peace and offers a foretaste of the Sundarbans. To the Kuakata album and here To the Tengragiri and Shuvo Sondha album

• Traveling by Rocket – with the paddlewheel steamer from the beginning of the 20th century to Hularhat, then further with a chartered vehicle.
• Hinterland – you can explore the hinterland with a small motorbike. Lonely (fishing) villages such as Chapli Bazar and markets, small streets, with no real traffic.
• Gongamati Reserve Forest – an evergreen mangrove forest at the end of the beach to the west.
• Tengragiri Wildlife Sanctuary – about 40 km² of protected vegetation: rain tree, apple mangrove, manchinel tree, sundari and fish cats. Nice day trip!
• Shuvo Sondha Beach – not far from Tengragiri Wildlife Sanctuary. Almost sundarbans! There is (almost) nobody there!
• Dhulaswar Sea Beach – idyllic hinterland, with a few small fishing villages. Nature, rich in feathered friends. Tourists? Wrong!
• Rangaballi Island – with a cutter to the Offshore island was created by erosion and sedimentation. Mangrove forest, fishermen, settlements, kids. Nice day trip!
• Kuakata Beach – heading east! Go, go, go and leave the dreadful Kuakata behind. It’s getting lonelier and more beautiful. Length: 30 km.

The largest delta in the world is also home to the largest mangrove forest and is a natural barrier of up to 80 km against regular cyclones from the south. The labyrinth of waterways covers an area of 38,500 km² of which are 8,500 km² of World Natural Heritage. A widespread ecosystem that is difficult to access. The land here in the delta region is constantly being reformed by the force of tides and natural forces, and is constantly changing. Here you will find impenetrable mangrove forests, marshes and mighty jungle which is the retreat of the Bengal tiger, one of 42 different mammal species.
On cruise in Sundarbans and a crocodile while sunbathing on our YouTube channel
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• Traveling by Rocket – with the paddlewheel steamer from the beginning of the 20th century to Morrelganj, then further with a chartered vehicle.
• Sundarbans-Tour – three-day trip with its own charter boat or as a participant in a group tour.

Bagerhat was founded as Kalifatabad during the reign of the last sultan of the Tughluq Dynasty, Nasir Uddin Mahmud Shah. Military leader Khan Jahan Ali took the region, islamized it, and became a regional and independent ruler of Kalifatabad until his death in 1459. He built mosques, palaces, roads and bridges, which linked his city to the Sultanate of Bengal at the edge of the mangrove forest. Because of these numerous Islamic monuments “as an excellent example of an architectural ensemble that illustrates a significant stage in human history” Bagerhat has been world cultural heritage since 1985. Forbes lists the city as one of the fifteen major, submerged cities in the world. To the album

• Shat Gombuj Masjid – the largest structure, the Sixty-Dome-Mosque actually has 60 columns and 80 domes?! The wrong name is based on a historical mistranslation.
• Singair Masjid – on the opposite side of the Sixty-Dome-Mosque is the small mosque with a large dome.
• Tomb complex of Khan Jahan Ali – the small complex consists of a small mosque and the tomb, on a small pond. Avoid pilgrimage on 24th or 25th October!
• Noi Gombuz Masjid – on the west bank of the pond, the Nine-Dome-Mosque is the ideal destination for a walk from the tomb complex.
• Zinda Pir Masjid – these one can be easily found during the walk too. A small square mosque with a groundplan of just 6 x 6 meters and a dome.
• Bibi Begni Masjid – who was Bibi Begni? Concubine? Mistress? Was the mosque built over her grave? Questions upon questions, but very idyllic location.
• Chunakhola Masjid – another beautiful single-dome mosque in the style of Khan Jahan Ali architecture.
• Ronobijoypur Masjid – with the largest single dome of that time, is located across the street from the tomb complex of Khan Jahan Ali.

The fish life is not all guns and roses in the area around Narail. Their nemesis number 1 the man (represented by the river fisherman) cultivates here a very disagreeable alliance with another, for the fish also not more pleasant contemporaries. We talk about Lutrogale Perspicillata, the smooth-coated otter. The fishermen breed them and with patience grow them to excellent accomplices of the fishermen. The otters drive the fish into the nets of their human friends, against reward. But there is a shadow on this drama…
The otter-fishermen on our YouTube channel
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Jessore itself is not a pearl, but no more or less “attractive” than any other… The advantage of the city would undoubtedly be that everything would be within walking distance, if there were anything apart from a few small and ordinary mosques. But a visit to the restored Chanchra Siva Temple and the Jora Siva Temple and the remains of the Raghunath Bigrah Temple – all on the southern outskirts of Jessore – is recommended. But there is the rural surroundings of Jessore and that’s indeed worth a few trips!
At the shrine of Fakir Lalon Shah on our YouTube channel
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• Chanchra Siva Temple – Monohor Ray was built in 1696. After a long period of siege now completely restored, south, just outside the city.
• Jora Siva Temple – about 4 km east of the Siva Temple. The twin temples were built at the behest of the Maharaja Protapaditto at the beginning of the 17th century.
• Raghunath Bigrah Temple – 500 meters from the Jora Siva Temple are the ruins of the decaying 17th century temple.
• Ramakrishna Ashrama & Ramakrishna Mission – the Ashrama was founded in 1936. The mission center includes elementary schools, dormitory, library and pharmacy.
• Floating bridge Rajgonj – in their own initiative, they spanned the Jhanpa Baor and is always worth a walk.
• Michael Madhusudan Dutta Memorial House – MMD (1824-1873) was one of the greatest poets and dramatists of Bengali literature. Very nice estate!
• Mirzanogor Hammamkhana – the bath house is the last building of the former residence of Faujdar Mirza Safsi Khan. Idyllic about 40 km south of Jessore.
• Ficus bengalensis – about 10 km from Kaliganj grows the largest Bengal fig of Asia (it is said). The Bengali fig is about 35 meters high and has about 1,500 aerial-brace-roots.
• Lodge of Rabindranath Thakur – older spelling “Tagore”. Very close to Kushtia. The Bengali poet is generally referred to as Goethe of Asia.
• Naldanga Temple Complex – built in 1656, pure idyll! 5 temples (Kali, Lakshmi, Ganesh, Siva and Vishnu consecrated) in use, 2 others (Gopala and Rama) are in ruins.
• Shrine of Fakir Lalon Shah – without direct religious background in Cheouria, about 2 km from Kushtia. For people of all faiths and for hiking musicians.
• Dhulgram Temple Complex – over time, the Bhairab River took all the temples except one dedicated to Raghunath. But this one is worth it!
• Bhatnagar Temple Complex – the 11 reconstructed God Shiva-sanctified temples are a feast for the eyes! Grouped and arranged in a geometric pattern.

Faridpur is a district in the heart of Bangladesh, with a district capital of the same name (approximately 150,000 inhabitants), which is located on the banks of the Padma. The former Fatehabad was named after the Sufi saint Shah Sheikh Fariduddin from the 12th century. About 2 million people live in the district. Faridpur City and the district are known for the jute cultivation and trade and the presence of above-average number of aristocratic families. Many of the (once) rulers - during the British Empire and the Pakistan era - are from here and it’s also home to some of the most prominent politicians and cultural activists in Bangladesh.
Jute season at Faridpur on our YouTube channel
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• Jagodbondhu Sree Angon – a Hindu monastery complex and pilgrimage site, well known far beyond the national borders, in Faridpur/Goalchamot.
• District Judge Court – in Faridpur. A judicial building built under British rule in 1885/6 – an example of architecture in the time of the British Raj.
• Lodge of Jasim Uddin – also known as the poet for the people, is located in Ambikaapur (about 2 km from Faridpur) in the same terrain:
• SOS Arsenic – one of the very few NGOs mentioned. Their goal is to help with one of the biggest environmental catastrophes of the last century.
• Moyez Manzil Palace – a domicile of the landlords of Chanpur in the old, colonial quarter of Kamlapur in Faridpur.
• Durga Temple Batikamari (Goda Raibari) – the remains of a great Hindu temple complex in the jungle of nowhere at Bhanga/Batikamari. Indiana Jones says hello!
• Mathurapur Deul – the unofficial landmark of Faridpur is a unique remnant of the Bara-Bhuiyan period (16th century). Great!
• Baisrashi Babu Bari Palace – residence and a good example of the insanity of war and violence are the ruins marked by decay.
• Majlis Awlia Masjid – a treasure! Also known as Pathrail Masjid. This mosque was built between 1393 and 1410 under Sultan Azam Shah.

Barishal is located on the north bank of the Bay of Bengal in the south of Bangladesh and has a very pleasant city center, the largest inland port in Bangladesh, universities, a cadet school, pharmaceutical industry, textile industry and the inland shipping center. The city goes back to an old port on the Kirtankhola River. The surrounding area is also known as the Venice of Bengal because of the many rivers and is home to floating gardens and the largest guavas plantations. A visit to the area (especially at the end of the rainy season) is very worthwhile. A boat tour through the tangle of canals and rivers, orchards and vegetable gardens, markets and settlements...
In the Baitul Aman Jame Mosque, at the Venice of the East and coconuts and puja in Vimruli on our YouTube channel
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• Oxford Mission Epiphany Church – a visit is actually a must be if it weren‘t for the locked gates! You can find out more here!
• Launch Ghat – the ferry terminal is always worth a long walk and also represents something like the promenade along the Kirtankhola River.
• St. Peter's Church – is small but an eye-catcher and that due to its superb location away from the noise of the big city under shady palm and betel nut trees and its colonial-looking architecture!
• Bell Islamia Hostel – opened on December 22nd, 1895 and, as the name suggests, is a kind of student dormitory and that to this day, although hardly anything has changed inside. Charming!
• Baitul Aman Jame Mosque – also Guthia Mosque. Quite a few believe the most beautiful mosque in the country. Is on the way to Banaripara.
• Miah Bari Mosque – old! 10 km west of Barisal (near Karapur). In terms of decoration and environment one of the most beautiful in the country. Small but nice!
• Banaripara – a nice village, with a nice harbor on the river Sandha. After a walk the best starting point for a boat trip.
• Vimruli – offers the probably most famous market, a floating market with guava trade directly from the boat (seasonal, between 11 am and 2 pm).
• Swarupkathi, Boichakata, Uzirpur and Harta – walks here are worthwhile during a full-day boat trip.