Article

 by Minoli de Soysa

Escape From Dhaka

Take A Boat Trip 

When the noise, dirt, pollution, traffic and beggars get too much for you, escape for a day or two or even four on the most pleasant transport available in this country of rivers - a boat.

Several companies offer trips on the river ranging from one-day cruises on the Buriganga or the Shitalakhya to four-day expeditions to the Sunderbans.

We chose to take a Guide Tours boat on a full day river cruise. If you have 12 or people or more, you can hire the whole boat and have a party.

We started at 9.30 am, driving one and a half hours eastwards to Demra Ghat where a large, modern boat with a covered deck waited.

Then there was a relaxing meander up the river, past green paddy fields, smoking brick factories, circling eagles and noisy, crumbling boats dredging gray sand. No, it is never possible to escape completely!

Still, the breeze was cool and most of the journey was soothing. One hour later we arrived at Murapara to visit an old Zaminar’s house, now serving as a college. Badly maintained, it was still possible to see the past grandeur in its elaborately carved pillars and intricate woodwork.

Then it was back to the boat and a good Bengali rice and curry lunch. Those who want a bit extra can bring something to spice up the fare but on the whole, the food was good. It would be an idea to take some drinks (alcohol included) and water.

We continued northwards for another hour before turning back. On the way, we stopped at Noapara village to see some traditional Jamdani weavers making saris with threads of gold and silver. Some were young children whose nimble fingers are no doubt an advantage. They worked in a hot, cramped room for 14 hours a day.

The saris are not cheap but hard bargaining can bring the price down several hundred taka.

We arrived back at Demra Ghat by 5.30, after some exciting glimpses of leaping dolphins and in another hour and a half, we were right back into the horror that is Dhaka.

It cost Tk 18,000 to hire the boat for a day. Individual tickets for the same trip cost Tk 1,800. The Guide Tours does several other tours combining city sightseeing with river cruises, an evening river cruise with dinner, excursion to a pottery village, overnight village home-stay trip and a Sunderbans expedition.

A popular cruise company used by many expatriates, Contic offers the day trip on an elegant wooden boat, the Fleche D’Or, on the Buriganga. The journey takes you past peaceful scenery and the magnificent Pink Palace into the chaos of the bustling river life in old Dhaka.

There are boats of all shapes and sizes carrying everything from bricks to cattle and of course, people. You see crews repairing boats, bathing and cooking. For some, this is their permanent home, adorned with flowerpots. There are picnic boats, with colourfully dressed women holding black umbrellas and blaring music.

Contic is rather more expensive than the Guide Tours and the food on the one-day trip leaves a lot to be desired, so take along what you can.

Contic also has a larger 6-cabin boat with orange sails, a roof platform and a teak deck complete with lounging bed, used for longer voyages. An overnight trip takes you to the place where the three rivers meet in a vast delta while in four days, you can explore the Sunderbans.

Again, Contic is expensive with the Sunderbans trip costing $500 per person. This includes return flights to Jessore and the road journey to Khulna. The food, a mixture of eastern and western, is much better than on the day trip.

If you are a normal-size person, tackling the minute bathrooms can pose quite a challenge, especially when bathing. (Try and take this trip with 10 clean friends; communing at close quarters with people who do not bathe for four days can be ugly).

For the claustrophobic, the tiny cabins may be daunting but keep the window open and you can see the water at eye level. Better yet, you can sleep on deck if you do not mind sharing it with some of the crew.

The chances of actually seeing a tiger are virtually non-existent but there are plenty birds, cool water and calming scenery to make the journey worthwhile.

Other tour operators include Bengal Tours, Unique Tours and Travels and the government-owned Parjatan.

Contact The Guide Tours on 988683 and Contic on 8814823.