Sylhet and Sreemangal: tea hills, shrines and swamp forest

Why go

After the crowds of Dhaka, the northeast feels like a deep breath. The train ride from the capital rolls past rice fields and villages into hills of tea, where pluckers in bright saris work between shade trees. Wildlife, waterfalls and wetlands are close at hand, and the cool winter months are perfect for walking.

Sreemangal

Sreemangal is a small, friendly town surrounded by tea estates. Walk the gardens in the early morning, then visit **Lawachara National Park**, a patch of rainforest where hoolock gibbons, langurs and hornbills live. The railway line through the forest featured in the film Around the World in 80 Days. Do not miss **Nilkantha Tea Cabin**, where tea is poured in coloured layers in one glass.

Further out, **Baikka Beel** is a wetland sanctuary with a watchtower for winter birds, **Madhabpur Lake** sits among tea covered hills, and adventurous walkers can trek to the **Hum Hum** waterfall in Rajkandi forest. The Manipuri and Khasi communities around Kamalganj add handloom weaving and distinct cultures.

Sylhet city

Sylhet is built around faith. The **Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal**, the fourteenth century saint who brought Islam to the region, is the most visited shrine in the country, with its pond of sacred catfish and flocks of pigeons. The hilltop **Shah Paran** shrine is quieter. In the evening, stroll by the **Keane Bridge** and the old clock tower on the Surma River.

The city's long links with Britain show in its smart houses and restaurants, built with money sent home over generations. Many visiting families stay here for weeks around weddings and Eid.

Around Sylhet

The classic outings head north towards the Indian border. **Ratargul Swamp Forest** is explored by small wooden boat through flooded trees, best in the monsoon and just after. **Jaflong** has river beaches and views of the Meghalaya hills, **Bholaganj Sada Pathor** has clear water over white stones, and **Lalakhal** is a turquoise river among tea gardens. **Bisnakandi** is more remote and beautiful after the rains. Further west, **Tanguar Haor** is a vast wetland where you can sleep on a houseboat among migrating birds.

Food

Sylheti cooking is famous for shatkora, a fragrant citrus cooked with beef, and for the huge spreads of curries at canteens such as Panshi and Pach Bhai in Zindabazar. Tea, of course, is everywhere.

Getting there and around

Intercity trains run from Dhaka to Sreemangal and Sylhet, a scenic journey; buy tickets on the official Bangladesh Railway e-ticket site. Domestic flights reach Sylhet in under an hour. Locally, CNG auto rickshaws and hired cars with drivers are the norm, and boats are needed for Ratargul and the haors.

Practical tips

The border areas near Jaflong and Bisnakandi are close to India: stay on the Bangladeshi side and follow local guidance. Rivers rise fast in the monsoon, and some stone quarrying areas can be dusty or closed. Carry cash, as cards are rarely accepted outside hotels.

A suggested plan

Take the morning train from Dhaka to Sreemangal and spend the afternoon among the tea gardens, ending with layered tea at Nilkantha. Give the next morning to Lawachara for gibbons and birds, and the afternoon to Madhabpur Lake or Baikka Beel. Continue to Sylhet by road or train, visit the Shah Jalal shrine in the evening, then spend a full day on a loop north to Ratargul and Jaflong or Lalakhal. If you have one more day, add Bholaganj or an overnight houseboat on Tanguar Haor in season.

Coming home to Sylhet

For diaspora visitors, Sylhet is often the whole point of the trip. Direct flights from abroad land at Osmani International Airport on some routes, and many families split time between the city and their ancestral villages in Sunamganj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj.