Bangladesh’s most famous natural wonder (above and top), the world´s largest tidal forest – nearly 4,000 square miles and shared with India – on on the Bay of Bengal is the largest mangrove ecosystem on Earth, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that´s a maze of muddy creeks, saltwater channels, islands, and dense greenery where land and water constantly shift. Around five to seven by road from Dhaka to the towns of Khulna or Mongla, followed by a boat ride, the Sundarbans are also the legendary home of the Royal Bengal tiger, though admittedly sightings are rare; visitors are more likely to see spotted deer, macaques, crocodiles, monitor lizards, otters, kingfishers, and amazing birdlife. Travel here is usually by launch or river cruiser, sleeping aboard simple but atmospheric boats while drifting through silent waterways at dawn and dusk. The appeal is less “big game safari” than immersion in one of the world’s most distinctive landscapes. It feels remote, elemental, and primeval—an experience of tides, mist, birdsong, and forests that seem to breathe.
Read more in my post An Introduction to Bangladesh and 6 of Its Top Destinations.
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