The minute we arrived, we were surrounded by ferrymen who were all eager to row us up and down the river in one of the the many Sampan ferries – the small wooden boats, powered and steered by one person. They wait in a cue to pick up passengers. Watching & documenting the daily life at this very busy port has already fascinated us during our visit in 2012 and we were eager to experience it all over again.

Once we settled the price (roughly 150 Taka per hour – excluding tips), the journey took its course. Rush hour in the Dhaka mean that thousands of people have to cross the busy waters of the Buriganga river. It’s said that this is one of the most dangerous waterways on Earth … and most dangerous for the ferrymen.

These men are really talented and fast with their boats; they navigate them like the cycle Rickshaw drivers maneuver their through the chaotic traffic in the city. It’s hard physical work too with temperatures of up to 40° Celsius (and very often the ferrymen are over 70 years old). Very impressive! It’s not a comfortable ride tough, because you have to sit cross-legged on the wooden boat deck, so cramps are a certain factor if you’re not used to sit in such a position (and of course this was the case for us).

Traffic along the Buriganga river is most common and happening at almost any given hour of the day: big boats and small boats filled with all sorts of different goods make their way up or down the river stream, launches (this is what ferries are called in Bangladesh) come and go, cargo-ships that need a repair job are parked along the waterway…all is normal here at Sadarghat port. As you can imagine with all these boats, several movements of these ferrymen are clearly not for the faint-hearted, but somehow it works out most of the times. Still, every day one or two boats capsize. And sometimes people die.

Sadarghat port is an experience itself and a must for every Bangladesh visitor – the daily chaos with all these boats on the river will stay with you for a long time.

The Sampans – the small wooden boats, powered and steered by one oar – are a lifeline in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Over 25.000 people cross the Buriganga river in Dhaka every day…

This ship is stationed in Sadarghat port to get a new paint-job done…

Transporting bricks along the Buriganga river and through Sadarghat port in Dhaka.

The daily chaos at Sadarghat port in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Ferrymen have to push for position in the queue to pick up passengers.

A ferryman taking people across the Buriganga River in his wooden boat.

Arriving “In Style”.

We arrived in Sadarghat Port “in style”: first class travel on the Rocket Steamer “Ostrich”, which is the flagship of the Bangladesh inland water transport authority. If you intend to travel by ferry in Bangladesh, this is a good and reliable source, though there are other companies as well.

Anyway, after leaving the ship, our “first class” travel was over for now. Rain had turned the road into a pool of mud and we were dirty faster than we could walk. An avid Rickshaw driver immediately tried to seduce us into his vehicle, even though he had no idea where we wanted to go and didn’t speak a single word of English – as all the others around him did. Still, thanks to the genius idea of the taking a photo of Dhaka with our iPhone, we were able to specify the direction of our hotel. With some stops and crowd gatherings, the poor Rickshaw puller finally knew our destination: “Hotel Pacific” in Mothijel, a suburb not too far from the harbour.

Hotel & Train Tickets.

The hotel was not an eye catcher at all. It was somehow in a renovating process, but good enough for the time being, with working A/C and running water in the bathroom. Our first night in Dhaka was secured. Phweew. Immediately after checking in, we started to roam the city. Our first destination was to the train station to get our tickets to Chittagong, because we were eager to see the Ship Breaking Yard. As it turned out, this was not an easy task, because upcoming Eid brought many people into the travelling mood to visit their loved ones at home.

But, that didn’t keep us from getting our tickets … plus, the train station was an interesting place to visit anyway. We always like these hubs, where people come and go, because, there’s action happening. And we even had a surreal encounter… While standing in line for the tickets, a local Bangladeshi all over sudden shouted to us “Hello, where you come from?” … We told him that we were from Austria and then he enthusiastic answered: “Ahhh, ich bin auch aus Österreich!” (which means “I’m also from Austria” in German) … We’re fellow countrymen! Where are you from in Austria?” … The conversation went on for about 10 minutes and it turned out, that he worked just around the corner from my office in Vienna. The world can truly be a tiny place! It was sort of funny, because this man was the only “foreigner” we saw during our 4 week journey through Bangladesh.

Exploring the Area & Sadarghat Port.

After we got our train tickets, we looked out for a Rickshaw driver to drive us around a little bit. All of them wanted us as customers but nobody got where we wanted to go … finally one was smart enough to realize that we just wanted to cycle around to explore the area and that we’d give him directions as we go. We spent the entire afternoon with him. We bought him lunch & tea and he was obviously very happy to cycle us around. In Sadarghat we got out for a tour of the harbour with one of the many rowing boats. Luckily we found an English speaking porter who managed to explain to the boatman that we just wanted row up and down the river for an hour or so. This porter hopped on our sightseeing trip as well, as did two other people … We didn’t mind, since the boat was large enough to hold us all. This was definitely a highlight during our entire Bangladesh trip!

Back on land, our Rickshaw driver waited and brought us back to our hotel, from where we continued to find a restaurant. During Ramadan, this can definitely keep you busy for a while because people only start eating after dark. We found some nice looking food stalls near the big mosque covered with curtains so that nobody could see inside. We bought some great food we’ve never eaten before: A grapefruit salad mixed with onions, cumin powder and coriander – one of the most refreshing salads for such a hot climate. It was sooo delicious and we returned there every evening while our stay in Dhaka.

On our stroll back to our hotel we passed Hotel Purbani, which looked a lot better than ours. We had a look at the rooms and immediately made a reservation for the next day. 33 US $ per room with working Wi-Fi convinced us to change places.

With this new hotel, we spend another couple of days in Dhaka…after all, there was much more to be explored!

Some Impressions.

A Rikschaw driver in Old Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Loading a launch at Sadarghat port in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Sadarghat harbour in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Sadarghat harbour in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Sadarghat harbour in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Sadarghat harbour in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Train station in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Sadarghat port in Old Dhaka is the main port for all the launches down into the vast river delta. An important connection is Dhaka to Barisal – further more continuing to Patuakhali. There are several launches everyday to these destinations since this area is very busy with garment factories, brick factories, schools, university and a lot of agricultural trading.

The launches mostly leave from Dhaka in the evening. To get a ticket it’s necessary to first buy a ticket into the harbour area (4 Taka). Once in, best would be to find somebody who speaks a little bit of English; some of the porters do, so this will make things easier for you to find the right launch, to the right destination. Another option to ease things is when somebody (hotel receptionist, etc.) writes down the following sentence in Bangladesh syllables: “I want to travel to (city name) on the (date) with a launch! I would like a cabin please!” I had such a paper from a friend and therefore it was easy and fast to secure a ticket for my desired departure date a few days later. You have to pay a deposit and get a receipt. Remember the name of your launch carefully because basically many look very similar. Just as a side note: I travelled from Dhaka to Patuakhali with the “Sundarban 8” – a very pleasant and comfortable launch.

Costs.

A cabin costs about 900 Taka (approx. 9 €) for a 12-14 hour journey. Sometimes, if you go further down in the delta, it costs a bit more but it also depends on the size and equipment of the launch. Some have air-condition and even a TV in the cabins and the bigger ones also have showers for the guests who book a cabin.

Food.

Food is absolutely no problem on a launch. The chef in the basement prepares a nice meal every day (like chicken curry with rice), so there’s no need to bring food. Bottled water is also available but I’d still suggest to better bring water for the trip. Fruits and various snacks are sold as well just before departure or while on the boat.

Early Check-In.

It’s possible to settle into the cabin already in the morning of the day you travel. This is really great if you have to check out of your hotel or arrive by train or bus and want to continue on the same day. You can lock the cabin and visit the city without to worrying about your luggage.

Rocket Steamer.

Another very smart option is to take the “Rocket Steamer”. It’s a fleet of three or four big river paddle steamer ships. Unfortunately some of them are in bad shape and often go into repair. The biggest and flashiest is the “Ostrich” with first class cabins which have air-condition, TV and a sink. These boats used to carry high-rank personalities during the colonial area and lounging on the first class deck is an experience itself. There you will likely find fellow travellers that speak good English and for sure they will help you to write down some sentences in Bangla syllables like “Where is the bus station” or “Where is the next hotel”. For me, these written notes were very important and made my trip through the country a lot easier.

The “Rocket Steamer” cabin costs 2.200 Taka (approx. 22 €) for 2 people or if you want the cabin for yourself. This boat also docks in Sadarghat and leaves 6 times a week to Morelgonji, stopping on various locations on the way.

Rush hour in the Dhaka mean that thousands of people have to cross the busy waters of the Buriganga river. It’s said that this is one of the most dangerous waterways on Earth … and most dangerous for the ferrymen.

Overnight journey from Dhaka to Hularhat on a first-class cabin of century old Rocket Steamer is a trip you’ll tell your children about.

The deck of the Rocket Steamer already has some years on its hump, yet it still floats through the Sundarbans like when it first set sail.

With the Rocket Steamers white wooden cabins, beds in crispy white sheets and a range of western and local dishes served on fine china, the tranquil paddle steam boat voyage through spectacular rivers leaves a genteel memory in the minds of millions.

The Rocket Steamer is arriving at Hularhat port.

Traffic along the Buriganga river is most common and happening at almost any given hour of the day: big boats and small boats filled with all sorts of different goods make their way up or down the river stream, launches (this is what ferries are called in Bangladesh) come and go, cargo-ships that need a repair job are parked along the waterway…

On deck on our ferry from Dhaka to Galachipa. Very often the launches in Bangladesh are overloaded but luckily this was not the case on our travels (so far).

Several ferries in Bangladesh sink yearly due to either overloading or simply because the boats are not maintained very well.

Sadarghata harbour in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Counting the many ferries at Sadarghat port in Dhaka is almost impossible.

The port in Galachipa is small, yet busy day in day out.

Loading a ferry at Galachipa port in Bangladesh.