Things took a turn for the worse in Srimongol when several of us were told we'd have to move from our guesthouse to one of their sister properties because "we only thought you were staying a couple of days" which was a complete lie. In fact, they didn't even tell the other couple until the late evening before they were forced to move. I opted to change my train ticket to a bus ticket (no train seats were available for the next day) and I cut my trip short by a day, which wasn't such a horrible thing since Srimongol is pretty much only a 2-3 day kind of place. Anyways, for this reason I would NOT recommend the Greenleaf Eco Guest House. I've already mentioned the bait and switch they did one us for the National Park guide, so they out and out lied twice. The internet turned out to be a 2G card in a computer and it was slower than 1995 dial up. For the final day in town, Adam and I decided to go for a stroll that involved visiting the train station to get a ticket refund and buying bus tickets for different directions. We then headed out to the tea plantations and spent a lovely 3 hours or so just walking about and discussing the state
of world affairs and music. We visited the brand new luxury Sultan Resort which goes for around $120/night. Super nice place with its own golf course. While that wouldn't be a bad deal in the US, the price just seemed outrageous to we frugal bargain travelers. We then went out for some of the famous seven layer tea created by a local tea merchant. Thought it's a closely guarded secret, it appears that the proprietor puts layers of honey between the layers of different teas, with lemon juice being the bottom layer. Quite a creative conconction and only $1 a glass.
Woke up early the next AM and headed to the bus station, where I once again snagged a front row seat (more leg room) and endured a terrifying 4+ hour ride into Dhaka. Best thrill ride ever! We arrrived about a mile away from the Dhaka train station, so I decided rather than pay $6 for a two hour cab ride in choking Dhaka traffic, that I'd just wait two hours at the train station for the 15 minute, 50 cent ride (actually could have been free since no one came around that early to collect tickets). As a traveler, if the timings are right, this is a great cheap and easy way to get to the airport. My hotel immediately sent a van and I was in my smart, a/c, good wifi, quiet room in 10 minutes. Will be a fine place to chill out while awaiting my Saturday flight to Calcutta (which has since been changed from a non-stop to a one-stop that will take an extra two hours above and beyond the original 45 minute scheduled flight time....oh well, still beats riding the 12 hour train). Once I've had a chance to digest Bangladesh to the fullest, I'll recap my experiences and attitudes towards visiting the country.
Traveler's tips: See train info above. Beware the Greenleaf Eco Resort in Srimongol since they'll throw you out if they can work a better deal with others. Beware hanging around the train station in Dhaka for too long. It's a magnet for beggars and if you're white, guess where they'll gravitate? I was besieged for almost two hours and it got very tiresome. One poor guy started licking my leg and the children were particularly obnoxious and demanding. Best bet might be to hang out in a restaurant near the station and only head for the platform 30 minutes before your train is scheduled to leave.
Source: http://bruce3404bangladesh.blogspot.com/2014/03/srimongol-back-to-dhaka.html
Woke up early the next AM and headed to the bus station, where I once again snagged a front row seat (more leg room) and endured a terrifying 4+ hour ride into Dhaka. Best thrill ride ever! We arrrived about a mile away from the Dhaka train station, so I decided rather than pay $6 for a two hour cab ride in choking Dhaka traffic, that I'd just wait two hours at the train station for the 15 minute, 50 cent ride (actually could have been free since no one came around that early to collect tickets). As a traveler, if the timings are right, this is a great cheap and easy way to get to the airport. My hotel immediately sent a van and I was in my smart, a/c, good wifi, quiet room in 10 minutes. Will be a fine place to chill out while awaiting my Saturday flight to Calcutta (which has since been changed from a non-stop to a one-stop that will take an extra two hours above and beyond the original 45 minute scheduled flight time....oh well, still beats riding the 12 hour train). Once I've had a chance to digest Bangladesh to the fullest, I'll recap my experiences and attitudes towards visiting the country.
Traveler's tips: See train info above. Beware the Greenleaf Eco Resort in Srimongol since they'll throw you out if they can work a better deal with others. Beware hanging around the train station in Dhaka for too long. It's a magnet for beggars and if you're white, guess where they'll gravitate? I was besieged for almost two hours and it got very tiresome. One poor guy started licking my leg and the children were particularly obnoxious and demanding. Best bet might be to hang out in a restaurant near the station and only head for the platform 30 minutes before your train is scheduled to leave.
Source: http://bruce3404bangladesh.blogspot.com/2014/03/srimongol-back-to-dhaka.html
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