We wanted to get to know Bangladesh, we did it.
Three weeks, three friends and three ideas… In a free and secret ballot, we finally agreed on Bangladesh, which India and Myanmar put out and had never been visited by any of us before. Goal clear, but how? Alone with the backpack – that was once. With the youth also went the backpack and beyond the fifty you learn a little organization, possibly a pinch of luxury, to appreciate completely different. Although I dare to question Bangladesh individually, that means traveling independently in a similarly spectacular way. The bar is much higher than in India, what am I writing, India is children’s stuff… So we contacted the Lonesome Traveler to book a complete package, our only requirements: authenticity of the day, best accommodations at night, a personable, knowledgeable, good English speaking guide and an end on the beach.
What came out of it: a tour that overwhelmed us all in diversity and impressions. From Dhaka we went by paddle steamer to Morolgonj via Bagerhat to Mongla in the Ganges delta, to Jessore to the Otter fishermen, back to Dhaka, further to Chittagong to the scrapping yards, to the Hill Tracts to Bandarban, to Cox’s Bazar and to the final St. Martin. I’m not going any closer to our travel destinations, others have already made it, in front of me, enough. However, one need is to point out the competent and thoroughly trustworthy performance of the organizer. Everything was well organized, without the feeling of completing a “program” or losing our freedom. There was always an unplanned surprise waiting for us, either way, and there was always time to enjoy it. The accommodations exceeded our expectation even where we had accepted significant drawbacks: we had arranged for St. Martin’s but did not have to, the Lonesome Traveler organized bungalows that could hardly have been better.
The stay on the small island away from the day tourists, the perfect service, the nocturnal campfires let our men’s trip finish perfectly and review everything again. Most impressively, the warmth of the people, Dhaka, the average textile factory which was so different than expected, the scrapping yards in Chittagong, the ethnic groups in the green of the Hill Tracts, the otter fishermen and all the trades and schools waiting for us on the way. Our guide Babu was a real asset and complemented our trio excellently, the driver brought us safely to any destination – a performance that we cannot pay enough due to the prevailing traffic in Bangladesh. The Lonesome Traveler team worked consistently professionally, providing us with a revealing and, above all, authentic journey through an excitingly different country. And we can only agree with their slogan: We love Bangladesh. We hate prejudices. Thanks for a great experience! Thumb up!
Best regards and wishes, Christian, Lutz & Andreas (December 2017)