Bangladesh Photo Tour - full itinerary

Day 1:
Arrival in Dhaka
We will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel in the central part of the city. Nathan runs an optional pre-tour technical workshop from around 3-5pm for those new to travel photography or who feel they would benefit from a refresher course (please confirm your interest). There’s a meet ‘n’ greet with Nathan at the hotel starting at around 6pm, followed by drinks and dinner with the group.

Day 2:
Dhaka — Barisal
At 6am, we prepare to be dropped in the deep end as we visit the largest wholesale vegetable and fish markets of Dhaka at Kawran Bazaar, perhaps one of the most active markets in Asia. The warehouses, street vendors, fish mongers, rickshaws and porters make for a hive of activity and constant photo opportunities in a variety of lighting conditions as the sun rises. Busy intersections and pop -up stalls close to railway tracks add an extra layer of interest if was needed. we have plenty to see and do here for a couple of hours.

Around 8am, we head back to hotel for a well deserved breakfast buffet and an additional hour to shower and pack our bags. Then at around 10 am, we set off on a drive to Barisal, a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh, and one of the oldest municipalities and river ports of the country. After a late lunch at a good service station we plan to use the early evening light in farm fields that should be replete with seasonal yellow mustard seed plants and friendly local farmers. We arrive early in the evening and check in to our hotel.

Day 3:
Barisal
This morning, we take breakfast as early as possible at our hotel then drive for around an hour to our boat, which is waiting in a remote place. From here, we visit some brick factories where we watch the process of making bricks, the country’s primary construction material. After some time meandering down interesting backwaters, we visit saw mills, a floating timber market and some land-based markets where we capture the local people’s daily lives.

Rejoining a bigger river we enjoy a specially prepared lunch with locally purchased fruits, served on the boat. We return to Barisal city in the late afternoon and head back to our hotel for dinner, after which we visit a vibrant bazaar and photograph the night activities including some iron mongers who work late into the evening.

Day 4:
Barisal — Dhaka
Again this morning, we take breakfast as early as possible at our hotel then drive for around an hour to our boat (this time checking out). Today we capture life involving the rice trade in the Ganges Delta, including a floating rice market. We watch local families processing the rice manually at their homes to trade at the market later.

Once again, we enjoy specially prepared cooked local food and locally purchased fruits, served on the boat. We drive back to Dhaka, via the same clean service station, before photographing riverside activities at Mawa Ghats in the late afternoon and arriving at our central hotel early evening.

Day 5:
Dhaka — Chittagong
We set off at 6am this morning and drive to Sadarghat (the native name of the Port of Dhaka). Here we can capture the activities at a busy riverside bazaar and a landing station where we'll have plenty of photographic opportunities. Afterwards, we head to the Dhaka River Port and witness the bustle of passengers rushing to catch the day's first ferry. Next, we visit the shipyards of Dhaka and capture the activities of repairing ships.

Around 9am, we head back to hotel for a well deserved breakfast buffet and an additional hour to shower and pack oour bags. Around 11am, we set off on a five-hour drive to Chittagong, arriving in time to photograph the activities in an industrial area where they make cooking pots and other household goods with aluminium. Early in the evening we check in to our hotel in the city’s centre.

Day 6:
Chittagong — Rangamati
Around 6 am, we photograph the activities in the city’s vibrant fishing port, the main fishing hub of the region. We return to the hotel for breakfast, check out, and drive to Rangamati, arriving around noon, then check in and take a rest. At sunset, we visit a tribal bazaar dominated by the Chakma tribe, the largest tribe in Bangladesh. Among the highlights we can capture here are the women wearing colourful traditional dresses and smoking big bamboo pipes supporting their chins .

Day 7:
Rangamati — Bandarban
We start this morning at 6am, with a scenic boat ride for around an hour on Lake Kaptai where we capture the lake’s natural beauty and fishing activities during sunrise. We then arrive at a packed weekly tribal bazaar, dominated once more by the Chakma tribe, and photograph the activities, including the floating cattle market.

We can visit a tribal handicraft market where we can buy Chakma traditional textiles and photograph the tribal women in their colourful traditional outfits smoking their big bamboo pipes. We return to Rangamati around 10am, take brunch and then drive for around three hours to Bandarban and check in to our boutique hotel.

In the late afternoon, we walk along the Sangu, the country’s most naturally beautiful river, to see the activities of the friendly locals along its banks. Photographic opportunities include tribal people bathing in the river after the day’s work and children playing football and cricket on the banks.

Day 8:
Bandarban
We set out this morning at 8am and spend the morning visiting villages of different tribes to photograph their unique lifestyles, which are different from those of mainstream Bengali people elsewhere in the country. We stop for lunch in a nice new café located in the hills.

Later this afternoon, we visit another tribal village where we arrange for a few local ladies to get fully dressed up in their traditional costumes and jewellery.

Day 9:
Bandarban — Cox's Bazar
We head off again this morning at 8am to visit a weekly tribal bazaar. People from many different tribes come here wearing colourful traditional clothes, especially the Marma tribe, smoking their pipes and cheroots, and the Tonchhonga tribe, which are the main attractions that we capture here.

Around noon, we check out of our hotel and set off on a drive to the famous Cox’s Bazar. Upon arrival, we check into our hotel near the beach. During sunset, we visit a popular beach packed with local tourists enjoying their holidays. Cox's Bazar is home to the world's longest unbroken sandy beach and is the most popular holiday destination for the local people, always busy and full of quirky photo opportunities.

Day 10:
Cox's Bazar
This morning at sunrise we take a packed breakfast and drive to a remote fishing village beach, where we find the signature moon-shaped boats associated with Cox’s Bazar. We photograph the unloading of fish into shoulder baskets as the fishing boats arrive, the dragging of boats out of the water to dry land and the mending of nets, while enjoying a quiet beach in their most authentic environment.

We then visit a local hotel with decent coffee and clean bathrooms, and from midday we have free time at our own hotel.

At sunset, we take a walk down an intriguing road that serves all manner of needs (shops, cafés, hairdressers jewellers, etc) to the biggest fishing community in Bangladesh. As the sun sets and the lights come on, the locals get busy and we have plenty of photo opportunities.

Day 11:
Cox's Bazar — Dhaka
This morning, at sunrise, we head to the main fishing port of Cox’s Bazar and witness the busy activities when all the fishing boats arrive. Most fish are carried in wheel barrows to the next-door dry-fishing yards. This is the largest dry-fishing industry in Bangladesh, where around two thousand yards make dry fish from the raw fish coming to the harbour.

We return to the hotel for late breakfast, check out at 11am and transfer to the airport for our short flight to Dhaka. We arrive in Dhaka at around 2:30pm and transfer to the hotel. On the way, we visit an Aarong outlet, the best place in Bangladesh to buy authentic souvenirs or enjoy their decent café.

Day 12:
Departure from Dhaka
You have the day free at your leisure until our driver transfers to the airport for your flight back home.

We hope you will have had an enjoyable and memorable experience, and look forward to seeing you again on another photographic adventure!