Bangladesh Research Tour - full itinerary

Day 1:
Arrival in Dhaka
Welcome to Bangladesh! We will collect you from the airport and transfer you to our hotel in the city’s Uttara area. At 6pm, there will be a meet-and-greet with Nathan and the group, followed by a tour briefing and drinks.

Day 2:
Dhaka — Barisal
We have an early breakfast this morning, then check out of our hotel at around 7am. We visit some interesting backstreets and bazaars in both New and Old Dhaka, where photo opportunities abound, including Kawran Bazar (the largest wholesale vegetable market of Dhaka), Tejgaon Railway Station, Chawk Bazar (a wholesale market for street vendors) and Swarighat, a busy port on the Buriganga river.

In the afternoon, 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. We arrive early in the evening and check in to our hotel.

Day 3:
Barisal
This morning we enjoy breakfast at our hotel then drive for around an hour to our boat, which is waiting in a remote place. From here, we visit a floating timber market and some land-based bazaars where we capture the local people’s daily lives. We also visit a brick kiln where we watch the process of making bricks, the country’s primary construction material.

We enjoy a takeaway lunch with cooked local food or 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.

Day 4:
Barisal — Dhaka
This morning, we check out of the hotel around 8am and enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant before driving for an hour to our boat. 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.

We also visit a school, take a look at the education system of Bangladesh, and interact with the children and teachers. Once again, we enjoy a takeaway lunch with cooked local food or locally purchased fruits, served on the boat. We drive back to Dhaka, arriving 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 photo opportunities. Afterwards, we visit the Dhaka River Port and witness the bustle of passengers rushing to catch the day's first ferry.

We return to the hotel for breakfast and check out. Next we visit the shipyards of Dhaka and capture the activities of repairing ships. Around noon, we set off on a six-hour drive to Chittagong, stopping en route as and when opportunities present themselves. We arrive in the evening and check in to our hotel in the city’s centre.

Day 6:
Chittagong
We start our day at 9am and photograph the activities in an industrial area where they make cooking pots and other household goods with aluminum. Afterwards, we visit a mosque featuring interesting architectural features, then return to our hotel for lunch and a rest.

We resume our activities at 3:30pm and take a boat ride until sunset on the Karnaphuli River near Chittagong Port, the main seaport in Bangladesh. Here we can capture life on the river full of cargo ships which are the main economic lifeline of Bangladesh. We return to the hotel in the evening.

Day 7:
Chittagong — Bandarban
We start this morning at 6:30am and photograph the activities in the vibrant fishing port of Chittagong, the main fishing hub of the region. We return to the hotel for breakfast, check out, and set off on our 2-3 hour drive to Bandarban. We arrive at Bandarban in the afternoon, check in to our hotel, and take a rest.

At sunset, we walk along the Sangu, the country’s most naturally beautiful river, to see the activities along its banks. Photo opportunities include tribal people bathing in the river after the day’s work and children playing football on the banks.

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 churuts, and the Tonchhonga tribe, which are the main attractions that we capture here. Around noon, we set off on a drive to the famous Cox’s Bazar. Upon arrival, we checked into our hotel near the beach and take a well-deserved rest.

During sunset, we visit a popular beach packed with local tourists enjoying their holidays. Cox's Bazar is the world's longest unbroken sandy beach and the most popular holiday destination for locals. It is always busy with local people and full of photo opportunities.

Day 10:
Cox's Bazar
This morning at sunrise, we capture the activities at one of the city’s beaches. Then, we return to the hotel for breakfast before driving for an hour to a remote beach. Here, we find the signature moon-shaped boats of Cox’s Bazar. We can photograph the activities when the fishing boats arrive and enjoy a quiet beach without too many tourists.

Afterwards, we visit a local bazaar and photograph the activities, before returning to the hotel to rest for the afternoon. At sunset, we head to the dry-fishing yards - the largest dry-fishing industry in Bangladesh, where around two thousand yards make dry fish from the raw fish coming to the harbour, and send them everywhere in the country.

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 fish-loaded boats arrive. We return to the hotel for breakfast, check out at 11am and transfer to the airport for our short flight to Dhaka. We arrive in Dhaka 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 to take home.

Day 12:
Dhaka — Sonargaon — Dhaka
After breakfast, we drive for around two hours to Sonargon, the old capital of eastern Bengal. Here we visit the medieval period Goaldi Mosque, Folk-arts and Crafts Museum, and Panam Nagar - an abandoned city of wealthy Hindu cotton merchants dating from the early 19th century. We also visit the tomb of an independent Sultan of Bengal from the 15th century. After lunch, we take a boat trip on the Meghna river and visit a Char (sandbank island) to experience the traditional life of the farmers. We then drive back to Dhaka, arriving early evening for our farewell dinner with the group..

Day 13:
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!