[DHAKA] Budget and Itinerary

SUNDAY: 22 February 2015

Embassy of Bangladesh (Single Entry Visa) - 2,900.00

PHP2,900.00

Tiger Airways (Singapore - Dhaka) - 198.00

SGD198.00

CNG (Airport - Gulshan) - 300.00

Rickshaw (Gulshan - Golpata Eco Tours) - 400.00

Golpata Bread & Breakfast (Basic Single/3 Nights) - 4,800.00

BDT5,500.00

[DHAKA] Somewhat Pink, Somehow Scented

The highlight of the day was Ahsan Manzil. Once the European inspired residence of one of the most influential families in the region, the interior of the palace has been converted into a museum while the parks outside are maintained and serve as a popular hangout spot for locals. With the very active Buriganga River in front, you’d think that the place would somehow stink, but this isn't the case. The ambiance of the place is somehow scented with an air of history and pride for this young nation.

[DHAKA] The Old and the New

I said bring me to Dhaka, NOT Manila. What? Oh, we’re here. Ah, okay, I see lots of Bangladeshi now. But what’s with the eerie resemblance, seriously? Congested roads! Sidewalk vendors! Suicidal tricycle drivers! Sari-Sari stores! Gated establishments! It’s as if I never left home. There is just this feeling of familiarity, yet also that feeling of weirdness. The people dress differently, though. All the travelogues I’ve read have been right so far. Dhaka is colorful. Dhaka is chaotic. Welcome to Bangladesh!

[VISA] Bangladesh (Single Entry)

Among South Asian nations, only Bangladesh and Pakistan would require a trip to the embassy if you are planning to get a tourist visa. What most people do is include an obligatory stop in Calcutta, through which Philippine passport holders could enter India with visa-on-arrival, then stay a few days while waiting for their passports to be released by the Embassy of Bangladesh there. The process is well-documented online, but not everyone has that luxury of a Calcutta stopover.