The Khulna and Barisal region of Bangladesh is known for its mesmerizing network of rivers, barge travel and the stretching mangrove forests and islands. For most travellers, the star of the attraction in this region is the Sundarbans for the chance – albeit slim – to see the illustrious Bengal Tiger in its natural habitat. But there are other things to do in Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and the Sundarbans that make it worth adding to your Bangladesh itinerary.
- About Barisal and Khulna
- Best time to visit?
- How long do you need?
- Barisal
Things to do in Barisal - Khulna
Things to do in Khulna - Mongla
Things to do in Mongla - Sundarbans
Things to do in Sundarbans - Getting there
- Getting around
- Do you need a guide?
- Accommodation
About Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and Sundarbans in Bangladesh
This region of Bangladesh is all about the rivers.
Admittedly, it is more off the beaten track than Dhaka and somewhat more so than the bougee tourist town of Cox’s Bazar.
But it is so worth visiting!
A huge amount of life and culture in Bangladesh revolves around the rivers and the life that the riverine labyrinth sustains.
Yet due to the challenges of navigating away from what is deemed mainstream tourism in Bangladesh, it is more challenging to get to.
But in travel it is usually the challenges of the journey that reap the greatest rewards.
The Barisal and Khulna region of Bangladesh is somewhere that as a traveller, feels a real privilege to get the chance to visit.
How long do you need to visit Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and the Sundarbans?
Khulna is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong.
While Barisal and Mongla are smaller river port towns that service the barges and ferries coming in droves up through the Sundarbans from the Bay of Bengal.
There isn’t a huge number of touristic sites in each of the destinations. But allow a couple of days in each place to take in the bustle of the rural river life.
You can either take a multi-day tour on a boat to the Sundarbans. Or you can take a day tour from Mongla.
We did the day trip option from Mongla and spent another day exploring the small river towns and villages of the surrounding area.
What is the best time of year to visit Bangladesh?
The best time to visit Bangladesh is generally from in the dry season from October to March.
This is a cooler time of year, and the drier season in Bangladesh, while the weather is comfortable for sightseeing and exploring.
Like much of South Asia, Bangladesh – and Sundarbans – has three main seasons. But they aren’t the same as the seasons of the north and southern hemispheres.
Rather, Bangladesh has a dry season, a hot summer and a wet, monsoon season.
- Dry Season (October to March): This is technically the winter season in Bangladesh. But it is a dry time of year with warm sunny days and cool night.
- Transition Season (March to April): This is a shoulder season between the dry ‘winter’ months and the hot summer.
- Summer (March to May): This is the hottest time of year in Bangladesh with high temperatures in May.
- Monsoon Season (June to September): The monsoon rains are heavy during these months while the temperature is hot and muggy.
The best time to visit Bangladesh is during the dry season from October to March.
- Read about getting Dengue Fever in India after travel during the monsoon season.
About Barisal
Barisal is the quintessential riverine experience in Bangladesh. Albeit it is more of an off the beaten track destination within the country.
But isn’t most of travel in Bangladesh?
That is all part of its allure.
The small city of Barisal is a busy port. You can catch ferries to and from Dhaka to Barisal.
It makes a good jumping point to start the journey further south to the Sundarbans region.
Things to do in Barisal – Visiting Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and Sundarbans
Most of the things to do in Barisal are more about getting there and other river-based adventures.
But there are a couple of stunning, historic mosques from the post-Mughal era.
- Barisal Floating Market: This was a highlight for us! Board a boat and take a river trip to see the amazing floating fruit and vegetable market.
- Floating Timber Market: See the incredible sawmills set up on floating pontoons with boats too-ing and fro-ing delivering wood to be milled.
- Durga Sagar: Again, you can take a boat ride on this large pond, adorned with blooming lotus flowers.
- Karapur Mia Bari Masjid: This three-domed, post-Mughal Mosque is locally considered to be built during 18th century. It is stunning in colour and architecture!
We arrived on the early morning ferry from Dhaka and checked in to our hotel before taking a boat trip to see the floating market.
Gavin headed out in the afternoon to see the brightly coloured Karapur Mia Bari Masjid. Which on description I absolutely wish I had seen too!
About Khulna
The city of Khulna is the capital of the south-western province of Bangladesh. Once a prominent trading hub due to its proximity to rivers, the city has witnessed the rise and fall of empires.
It is often – and was historically – a jumping point for arriving and travelling to Kolkata in India.
Khulna also has the next largest railway station for direct trains to Dhaka.
So, you can take an overnight ferry south from Dhaka to Barisal and then take a train back from Khulna to Dhaka.
Things to do in Khulna – Visiting Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and Sundarbans
The city of Khulna itself has a few museums, parks and a mausoleum.
Though in nearby(ish) Bagherat is the most famous claim to Khulna – the historic 60-Domed Masjid.
- Sixty Dome Mosque: A stunning piece of Islamic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bagerhat.
- Rupsha River: Take a boat ride on the Rupsha River, a distributary of the Ganges.
- Shiva Temple Complex: A historic Hindu temple near the city.
- Jamuna Bridge: With a length of 4.8 kilometres, it is the second longest bridge of Bangladesh.
Note that the Sixty Dome Mosque – also known as the Shait-Gumbuz Masjid – is in Bagherat, around 45 minutes from Khulna.
It is the largest mosque in Bangladesh from the Bengal Sultanate period (1352–1576).
About Mongla
Mongla is a small river-port town and the last town before the Sundarbans.
Things to do in Mongla – Visiting Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and Sundarbans
The environment in Mongla itself is bleak. This part of the country has historically been ravaged by floods and the villages are stilted shanty towns clinging to the riverbanks.
But in lieu of taking a multi-day river cruise to the Sundarbans, Mongla is a good low-key option to take day trips instead.
- St Paul’s Catholic Church: This is a somewhat unique sight in majority Muslim Bangladesh. It is a newly built church with touches of Buddhist artwork and mosque architecture!
- Tomb of Khan Jahan Ali: This mausoleum is a notable historical and religious site housing the remains of the influential figure Khan Jahan Ali.
- Khan Jahan Ali’s Tank: The tank near the tomb is notable for the crocodiles that reside there, believed to be descendants of the two crocodiles Khan Jahan Ali was said to have ridden.
About Sundarbans
The Sundarbans is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and Bangladesh.
It is the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, located in the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in the Bay of Bengal, with a significant portion in Bangladesh.
It covers an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometres (3,860 square miles)!
The area of the Sundarbans in both India and Bangladesh is an important biodiversity hotspot.
The unique ecosystem of the Sundarbans supports a large population of the Bengal Tiger which has adapted to an almost amphibious lifestyle.
But it is also home to a variety of animals, plants and bird species.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see any of the famed Bengal Tigers when we visited. Though I recommend the Sundarbans as a unique part of Bangladesh to experience.
Things to do in Sundarbans – Visiting Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and Sundarbans
The main things to do in Sundarbans are to travel by boat (again) up through the mangrove forests for the chance to see tigers, wild animals, and birds.
- Hiron Point: This is one of the protected sanctuary islands you can go ashore and walk through the trails to a watchtower above the mangrove forest.
- Tinkona Island: A small island sanctuary destination within the Sundarbans.
- Dublachor Sea Beach: This is last large riverport village at the edge of the Sundarbans. It is amazing to see the huge barges coming in and out of the Bay of Bengal.
We went ashore at Hiron Point – also known as Nilkamol – and went for a wander around. There are a few vendors selling popcorn (for people) and deer food (to feed the deer).
Note that the facilities on the island are pretty basic. (Read: very basic).
But overall, we rated the experience of visiting the Sundarbans as one of the best things to do in Barisal and Bangladesh!
It is a unique – and certainly off the beaten track – travel experience.
Getting around in the south-west of Bangladesh
Once you arrive in Barisal or Khulna as your stepping off point to visit Mongla and the Sundarbans, the best options for transport are by river, CNG or taxi.
There are lots of small river taxis lined up at the edge of the main river ports. Or you can book a day tour through your hotel.
Booking a tour for things to do in Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and the Sundarbans in Bangladesh
We booked our ferry tickets and tour to the Sundarbans through owner and tour guide, Ontu at Trip2Bangladesh.
Ontu is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history and culture of Bangladesh and South Asia.
- Trip2Bangladesh
Mohammad Saimoon Islam (Ontu)
+880 1784 399339
mahmud.bangladesh@gmail.com
We would definitely recommend you contact him to book travel in Barisal and Bangladesh.
Where to stay in Barisal, Khulna, Mongla and Sundarbans, Bangladesh
The cost of accommodation in Bangladesh came as a surprise to us.
I’m not going to pretend we found budget accommodation and roughed our way around the country.
Because we didn’t.
But cost-wise it wasn’t what we expected.
In the cities – Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet – there are 5-star type accommodation. Though it is trickier to find reviews that sound anywhere worth staying in for budget accommodation!
- In Barisal we stayed at Hotel Grand Park.
- In Mongla we stayed at Hotel Pashur.
Both accommodations were very different.
Hotel Grand Park in Barisal is modern and luxurious.
Hotel Pashur in Mongla was very dated though it did feel more like we were travelling in remote Bangladesh!
These are the other places we stayed during our travel in Bangladesh:
- Dhaka: Hotel 71
- Dhaka: Hotel Tropical Daisy
- Cox’s Bazar: Laguna Beach Hotel
- Chittagong: Well Park Residence Boutique Hotel
- Sreemangal: Green Leaf Guest House
- Sylhet: Hotel Mira Garden
- Dhaka: Hotel 71
- Narsingdi: Taabu Ekduaria Village Homestay
Do read the reviews on booking sites and use Google Maps to check out accommodation and locations before you book.
Read more about travel in Bangladesh and South Asia
- Train Travel In India: A Complete Guide.
- Things To Do In Dhaka.
- Crossing The Wagah Border From India To Pakistan.
- Pakistan: Complete Guide To Travel In Pakistan.
- Money In India: Using ATM’s.
- Food To Try In India.
- Tips For Travelling In India.
- Packing List For Travel In India.
More about travel planning for Bangladesh and beyond
These are the companies we use and can recommend for planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. It is easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere online.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Make sure you have insurance before further contemplating things to do in Barisal and Khulna, Bangladesh!