The Dhaka Guide (Part 1 of 2)

Typical Dhaka street.

The Red Fort in Old Dhaka

Although I spent the last few months "on the road", there was one place I spent a total of 40 days in. It was Dhaka, capital city of Bangladesh. Not a place typically associated with leisurely travel, you can hardly find travel guides written on this place. It takes a more sophisticated traveler to appreciate the the crowded Dhaka streets but one can't say the doesn't have its own unique charm. One of the best things about Bangladesh is the amazingly friendly, hospitable and quite good-looking people who are usually helpful in getting you around and will even offer to take you around themselves.

40 days was quite a long time to spend here for me, because I'm used to more freedom of movement and being able to head out alone. However it did give me a chance to find out the best places to break the monotony of going to work and hanging out at the hotel, and those tips are summarized below.

Places to Stay

If you don't want the expensive accommodations afforded by 5-star Westin, Radisson or Lake Shore, opt for the newly opened Platinum Suites in the Banani area, a "real" boutique hotel in one of the more central Dhaka areas. Even if you don't stay at Platinum, I wouldn't mind hanging out their rooftop/bar restaurant for a weekend chilldown. Another option is a "real" serviced apartment, Grihokantee in the posher Baridhara area. I keep on saying "real" because when I checked outsome others claiming to be serviced apartments or boutique hotels, the places were far from the usual standard.

Eating
Eating in Dhaka should have been a simpler process since you would imagine really good Indian food around every street corner. However, its still best to make sure that the place you end up in is safe and has been recommended especially if you have a sensitive stomach. There's some international fare in Dhaka, but of course not as good as let's say, Korean food in Manila, or Chinese food in Kuala Lumpur. Its worthwhile to check it all out for variety, like I did since I could barely stand eating all the days in the hotel restaurant.

Since these are the "good" restaurants, expect to spend between 400 - 1,000 Taka per head...will note the cheapest good deal as well as the most expensive:

• Saltz - The lobster is worth ordering. BYOB, as you should do for most dinners in Dhaka.
  
• Thai House - not quite Thai, but good enough for a taste of Southeast Asia.
  
• Le Saigon - not quite Vietnamese either, but interestingly a restaurant for gatherings of the creme de la creme of Dhaka. I once participated in a trivia quiz here, and the crowd was practically Western.
  
• Bamboo Shoot - Not bad Chinese.
  
• Heritage - The Bangladeshis think this place is overrated, by I liked the Indian food here. as the garden setting surroundings.
  
• La Bella - if you're sick of Italian at Prego, this is a good alternative.
  
• Spitfire (Gulshan)
  
• Dhaba (Banani Road 11) - the most authentic Bengali meal I had, situated conveniently across Platinum Suites. The most affordable meal ticket on the list.
  
• Prego (Westin) - the best Italian restaurant in Dhaka, and the most expensive in town!
  

Other recommendations I have yet to try:

• Spaghetti Jazz
• Koreana
  

Shopping
The most well-known handicrafts and traditional clothing store for international travelers is Aarong, and although they do have quite a complete and beautiful collection, there are other places equally good to check out that may turn out to be cheaper than Aarong. I did most of my Christmas gift shopping at Jatra - love the furniture, wood decor, and jute bags; I also love Folk International for the scarves and Sawal Kameez under 1,000 takas.

I also found myself buying a high quality red leather clutch in Oonag. Two places I have yet to visit are the reported site of H&M, La Senza, Zara, Armani, factory overruns...Bongo Bazaar and an un-named one across Dhaka University. Bangladeshi's biggest business is subcontracting for some of the world's biggest fashion retail chains.

To be continued....