phooljari786

So I am going to Bangladesh for the first time in a few months with my husband. What can I expect there? What are some good sights to see and where is the best shopping? I will be in Dhaka to be precise. My husband says he'll stay inside having tea and gupping rather than sight see as he has lived there most his life..As for India,we shall go there as well as my hubs has some relatives there..
What are the top sightseeing places in India besides Taj Mahal and Mysore Palace? Are buses reliable and how far is Aagrah from Calcutta? Also another obvious question: where to shop for nice clothes/accessories without breaking the bank? I am also hoping to buy a few gifts for some friends. Shall I do that in Bangladesh or India? I want to get them jewelery and kurtis. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Punjabee in USA

Places to see in India depends on how many days you have available. Calcutta to Agra is pretty far and could take you upwards of 24 hours by train. I would not recommend a bus. The other option is to fly.

If you are going to Agra, you might want to travel to Delhi & Rajasthan (Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaislamer).

If you are going down south to Mysore, you should plan a trip to Kerala. The beaches there are heavenly.

Mumbai/Goa are also great places to see.

Delhi is great for shopping but you need to go there with a local, else you will be fleeced. You can end up paying a whole lot more for an item, if they think you are a tourist. You can check the Delhi thread for some shopping ideas.

New Delhi Shopping

phooljari786

Thanks for your help and sorry for the late reply. Very busy with work and deadlines. Anyways, the hubby and I won't be in India for more than four to five days, possibly even fewer. I know India is big and you need about 2 weeks to see all the awesome sites but I would like to see a few key places and ofcourse shop..As for BD, I'll just have to research myself unless someone can give me tips. Thanks again! P.S.-we shall go in November

Punjabee in USA

Try to do the Golden triangle - Delhi/Agra/Jaipur. If you plan your trip out, you should be able to see the must see places in 4-5 days.

Enjoy !!

Sara516

shopping wise, if ure interested in clothe.s..try getting some nice sarees from Bangladesh... lots of variety and better quality than in Pakistan.

phooljari786

Thanks Sara! Thats what my Mom said too

Deeba1234

If ur going to Dhaka, for shopping check out the Bashundhara City mall, apparently the biggest mall in S.Asia, 12th largest in the world, they have a cinema and other stuff as well as all the shops. Loads of choice for sarees, also there's a place called Newmarket which is like the polar opposite of Bashundhara (no aircon or foodmarket, infact no roof in parts lol) but where loads of locals go to get their clothes made or buy readymade, buy jewellery, pirate dvds etc.

Don't buy from places like Aarong in Gulshan, the prices are severely inflated for foreigners and the stuff isn't unlike what u'd get in other places for a fraction of the price. Check out the Skyscraper City website for more info on shopping and general sightseeing info, they have a whole section on Bangladesh, where to shop, places to eat etc. If u have time u could go down to Cox's Bazaar (the longest sandy beach in the world), not much in the way of nightlife or entertaining but amazing in terms of natural beauty or the Sundurbans (dunno what state it is in tho after that cyclone) if u've ever wanted to see some bengal tigers. I think u can do this from the Indian side of the border as well.

You mentioned Calcutta, this is the absolute best place to buy sarees, some of my relatives actually fly there just to buy them lol, it is very poor and not much to see but for pure choice of sarees u can't get better.

Also, u mentioned buses in India, my parents hired a car and driver for some ridiculously low rate, he took them wherever they wanted to go and in that intense heat they didn't have to deal with all the hassle of waiting for the buses (or my Mum getting constantly gawped at by pervs). They did the Golden Triangle thing that Punjabee in USA mentioned and absolutely loved it, the Taj Mahal looks amazing at sunrise, my Mum said she had never seen anything so beautiful

Arleitter

My friends have already told abt India.

I have been to Dhaka on a couple of occassions.My request is that do not act strange in Dhaka.It may land you in some sort of troubles.Do not take out your wallet or money in public.As for any tourist,do use bottled water.Till last year strikes were common(I mean Hartals...all shops,Hotels would get closed down)

At places like Chittagong, Sylhet,Khulna,Cox Bazar,Feni pls have some extra care.


You need not worry much in Bangla Land............. I was just urging you to be some extra cautious.Thats all..........

Wishing you an excellent memorable Journey........

You can get Buses to Dhaka from Kolkatta.......... I am just suggesting............

Deeba1234

There's a new train service that goes from Dhaka to Calcutta as well, just looked up the info and couldn't believe how cheap it is, $8 for a non aircon seat, $12 aircon seat, $20 sleeper. Apparently, the service is pretty reliable as well. Cheapest railfares I think I've ever seen..

Arleitter

^Maitreyi express

phooljari786

Thanks everyone so far!I will keep these handy tips in mind for sure..Can't wait to go now that I have firsthand and expert advice.