Bangladesh

Dhaka is one of the densest cities on earth. Nothing prepares you

Bangladesh is roughly the size of England and Wales with more than twice the population of the entire United Kingdom, which makes it one of the most densely populated countries on earth. Dhaka in particular is an experience that no amount of reading prepares you for: rickshaws, noise and human density at a scale that is genuinely disorienting for the first day or two.

It is also almost untouched by tourism, which means very few other foreign visitors and a level of curiosity and hospitality that can be overwhelming in a different way. Expect to be asked for selfies, invited to tea, and generally treated as a novelty rather than a customer.

The country sits on the largest river delta in the world. The Sundarbans, shared with India, is the biggest mangrove forest anywhere and holds a population of Bengal tigers. Srimangal has tea estates. Cox Bazar claims the longest natural sea beach on the planet at 120 kilometres. And a boat journey on the Rocket paddle steamer or a local launch is the proper way to see the delta.

Annual events and festivals

• Pohela Boishakh (14 Apr) — Bengali new year. Dhaka Mangal Shobhajatra procession is UNESCO listed.
• Eid al-Fitr (varies) — the largest holiday. Millions leave Dhaka for home villages in an enormous exodus.
• Eid al-Adha (varies) — the second Eid, with animal sacrifice and several days of holiday.
• Durga Puja (Sep-Oct) — the main Hindu festival, significant for the country Hindu minority.
• Language Martyrs Day (21 Feb) — commemorates those killed in 1952 defending Bengali. Now UNESCO International Mother Language Day.
• Independence Day (26 Mar) — marks the 1971 declaration.
• Victory Day (16 Dec) — marks the end of the Liberation War.
• Pohela Falgun (Feb) — the first day of spring, marked with yellow saris and flowers.
• Nabanna (Nov) — a harvest festival with new rice.
• Bishwa Ijtema (Jan-Feb) — one of the largest Muslim gatherings in the world after the Hajj, near Dhaka.