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| Dhakeshwari Temple in Old Dhaka (12th century). Dhakeshwari means "Goddess of Dhaka" |
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| Lalbagh Fort, (17th century) Mughal Fort stands before the Buriganga River in Dhaka |
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| Ashan Manzil- most beautiful Pink Palace built in 1836 in Old Dhaka |
Visa fee for Malaysians visiting Bangladesh as tourists - Rm41 (US$10) if applying from home country or US$51 on arrival at Dhaka airport, allow 3 working days for visa processing at the Bangladesh High Commission, Kuala Lumpur
Day 1 (Wednesday 13 Dec 2017)
Kuala Lumpur > Dhaka - Air Asia flight AK 71 departing Kuala Lumpur at 21.10pm arriving Dhaka 12.05am
Air Asia flight landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Dhaka Airport after mid-night. Hazy but a cool weather at 17c greeted our arrivals !
Boarding an airport bus from the tarmac to Terminal 2 arrival hall - 5 to 10 minutes wait ! What if there is a drizzle or rain on that night so bring along a small umbrella with you if you are traveling during the wet season !
Arriving in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport - Terminal 2 for immigration clearance, luggage collection, money exchange (banks at airport offer better rates of exchange than hotels or money changes in Dhaka city), car or taxi hire etc. Banks at the airport accept Malaysian Ringgit for exchange to local currency !
After Immigration clearance, we were asked to walk towards Terminal 2 Exit for our hotel car pick up
My first 3 nights stay in Hotel 71 (Room 1703), Kaizuddin Tower in old Dhaka city (US$48 for a twin bed room)
Day 2 - Thursday 14th Dec 2017
Free hotel buffet breakfasts at Hotel 71, 19th floor - our first taste of Bengali food !
Lunch in a local restaurant opposite the Lalbagh Fort - 660 taka(Rm34) for a plate of fried rice & stir fried mixed vegetables for 2
Dinner in a local restaurant near Hotel 71 - 466 taka(Rm24) for a plate of fried noodles & round bread plus a bottle of mineral water for 2
Good morning to Old Dhaka City as viewed from the 19th Floor dining room; misty or hazy in the early morning most of the times !
For our 1st day in Dhaka, KC and myself signed up a traditional rickshaw tour in Old Dhaka covering major touristy & historical sites passing many markets, shops, narrow streets - both of us paid 2,000 Taka (Rm100 for 2) for this English speaking rickshaw man recommended by Hotel 71 !
Our fun ride on a rickshaw (09.00>17.00) passing through the maze of narrow laneways, markets, petty traders, bazars, shops, main roads of old Dhaka giving us the opportunities of seeing the daily life of locals in a heavily populated city of 18 millions ! Traffic here is chaotic, noisy, dusty so be prepared to endure a rough & bumpy ride ! Dhaka currently has 700,000 rickshaws on the roads, an economical and efficient form of public transport for the local people ! Go for it if you are in Dhaka !
1) Rickshaw tour - University of Dhaka & Curzon Hall (1904)
2) Rickshaw tour - Central Shaheed Minar, a symbol of Bengali nationalism
3) Rickshaw tour - Memory Eternal for the liberation of War Martyrs of the University of Dhaka
4) Rickshaw tour - Memory Eternal (War Memorial) in Dhaka
5) Rickshaw tour - Bangladesh National Museum, Dhaka
6) Rickshaw tour - Dhakeshwari Jatiya Mandiri (Dhakeshwari Temple), national temple of Bangladesh, built in the 12th century, tipping 50taka
7) Rickshaw tour - Lalbagh Fort, Old Dhaka, built in 1678 by Prince Mohammad Azam, son of Moghul emperor Aurangazeb
8) Rickshaw tour - Darul Quran Library, Old Dhaka
9) Rickshaw tour - Sitara Mosque (Star Mosque), built in the early 18th century
10) Rickshaw tour - Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection, Old Dhaka, built in 1781 by Armenian missionaries, tipping 100 Taka
11) Rickshaw tour - Sham Bazar Fruit wholesale market
12) Rickshaw tour - Pink Palace, old Dhaka; built in 1836 during the British Raj era
13) Rickshaw tour - Sadarghat River Front
14) Rickshaw tour - Buriganga River, Old Dhaka
15) Sham Bazar - Old Dhaka
16) Rickshaw tour - Kamalapur Railway Station
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