Top 5 Dhaka Attractions

City: Dhaka
State: Dhaka Division
Country: Bangladesh

The 11th largest city in the world, Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh, and the former seat of power for both the Mughal empire and the British. Also known as the 'Rickshaw capital of the world', Dhaka is the center of political, economic, and cultural life in Bangladesh, and with its long history, has many attractions, both traditional and modern.

Here are the Top 5 Tourist Attractions to visit in Dhaka, all of which hold important cultural or historical significance. All these are permanent locations which can be visited and viewed at any time throughout the year.


1. Ahsan Manzil

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Located along the Buriganga River, the Ahsan Manzil was official residential palace of the Dhaka Nawab Family. Famous for its pink stonework, and its huge dome which can be seen from miles around, the building is one of the most significant architectural monuments of Bangladesh. It has since been converted into a museum, with 23 galleries in 31 rooms showcasing the lifestyle of the nawabs, including portraits, furniture, household items, and a beautiful garden.



2. Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban / National Parliament House

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The Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban / National Parliament House is the official meeting place of the Parliament of Bangladesh in Dhaka city. Designed by architect Louis Kahn, the complex is among the world's largest, spanning 800,000m², and has been described as among the 20th century's most significant buildings. The visually striking, geometric buildings aren't open to public, but the grounds surrounding them are open for public use, which include Crescent Lake and Chandrima Uddan park.



3. Lalbagh Fort

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Built in 1678 AD, Lalbagh Fort, also known as Fort Aurangabad, is an incomplete 17th century Mughal fort complex in south-west Dhaka, comprising 3 buildings, the Diwan-I-Aam palace, Mohammed Mirdha’s Mosque, and the tomb of Pari-Bibi. The site saw many battles, amongst them skirmishes during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It has since been converted into a museum, with the Diwan-I-Aam palace housing a small but excellent collection of Mughal miniature paintings, carpets, calligraphy, coins, and weapons.



4. Liberation War Museum

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The Liberation War Museum in Dhaka commemorates the battles that led to Bangladesh obtaining its independence. The large collection of over 10,000 artifacts, including photographs, documents, weapons, and more, housed in 6 galleries, showcases the struggles of the freedom fighters during the 9 month Liberation War of 1971. Housed in a beautiful whitewashed colonial-era building, several of the exhibits are rather graphic, depicting the plight of war.



5. Sadarghat Boat Terminal

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Among the largest river ports in Bangladesh and throughout the world, the Sadarghat Boat Terminal on the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka is a dynamic place buzzing with constant activity. While not the most tourist friendly location (it's crowded and polluted in most parts), it is the buzzing heart of the city, filled with life, and a boat ride out to the calmer waters is among the more popular activities.





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Dhaka Street Food


Dhaka Street Food is part of the Bengali cuisine in Bangladesh. Noted for its subtle, yet sometimes fiery flavours, Bengali cuisine has an emphasis on ingredients such as fish, lentils, and rice. Besides a large influence from West Indian cuisine and South Indian cuisine, Dhaka Street Food in Bangladesh is also heavily influenced by British cuisine, Chinese cuisine, and Turkish cuisine.

Food in Dhaka can be found along the streets in pushcarts, in kiosks, in small cafes, in mid-range restaurants, and fine-dining establishments. Street side stalls and kiosks are plentiful, but not particularly hygienic, and should be avoided in general. The cuisine of Bangladesh / Bengali cuisine features freshwater fish and agricultural ingredients prominently. Common ingredients used in many Dhaka dishes include beef, chicken, fish, mutton, goat, rice, wheat, prawns, shrimp, crab, lentils, onions, celery, mustard, tomatoes, ginger, bitter gourd, eggplant / aubergine, potatoes, spices, milk and more.

Bengali cuisine is also noted for its use of unique cooking tools, such as the boti, a curved blade attached to a platform, operated by foot. A typical meal of Dhaka Street Food is usually a one-dish affair, though the traditional method of serving dishes in Bangladesh is multiple courses, served one at a time in order, which is still practised in traditional ceremonies or when eating with family.


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Beef Bhuna is a popular dish amongst the Muslim community of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It's made by stewing chunks of beef in a spice mixture of onions, ginger, garlic, salt, powdered cumin, powedered corainder, powdered turmeric, powdered cardamom, pepper, chili, tomatoes, lemon juice, tamarind juice, cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and garnished with coriander leaves. It's considered a wet curry dish, often served with rice or bread.

Beef Bhuna 01

Beef Bhuna 02

Beer isn't common here, and the available beers tend to be light. Beer Hunter is a pale golden lager, with a slight zesty citrus taste and a light, white foam head. Inoffensive but terribly light, also, the brand looks like they copied it off a more famous Australian beer brand commonly drunk in the United Kingdom... namely, Foster's Beer.

Beer Hunter

The Chapati in Bangladesh is similar to those served in Singapore, or in India. It's normally eaten as a staple, along with other dishes, in particular, dry curry or wet curry.

Chapati

The incredibly sinful, decadent, yet addictive Dhal Butter Fry is made with yellow lentils, tomatoes, onions, powdered cumin, butter, ginger, powdered turmeric, salt, and garlic, then garnised with coriander leaves. Super unhealthy, but so tasty I couldn't stop eating it!

Dhal Butter Fry 01

Dhal Butter Fry 02

The Fried Rohu Fish features a freshwater fish known as Rohu, a firm, white flesh fish, with many small bones, which is commonly found in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This dish is made with fillets of rohu fish, ginger, onions, powdered turmeric, powdered cumin, powdered coriander, chili, cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, pepper, salt, rice flour, lemon juice, and garlic.

Fried Rohu Fish 01

Fried Rohu Fish 02

A sour Mango Pickle, served as part of a set meal here. It's made with green / unripe mangoes, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds, and mustard oil.

Mango Pickle

The Yoghurt Plain from Bangladesh is served as part of a meal, just like in Singapore or in India. It's almost like a condiment here, paired with each mouthful of food.

Yoghurt Plain

A typical Vegetable Bhaji here may feature a variety of different vegetables, though common ones such as potatoes, carrots, celery, cauliflower, and / or onions are normally used. The vegetables are cooked in a spice mixture of bay leaves, garlic, powdered cumin, mustard seeds, chili, curry powder, and garnished with cilantro leaves. It's considered a dry curry dish, eaten along with rice or bread.

Vegetable Bhaji

The Thosai is Bangladesh is similar to those served in both Singapore and India, the difference is the other side dishes it's paired with. For a Thosai Chicken Masala set meal, the large, crisp Thosai is served with chunks of chicken masala, chana masala, mango pickle, yoghurt plain, and a coconut chutney.

Thosai Chicken Masala 01

Thosai Chicken Masala 02

Payesh is a popular Bengali dessert, similar to the Rice Kheer served in North India, or the Pal Payasam served in South India. It's made with boiled rice, milk, and sugar, flavoured with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios, and / or almonds. The difference is that Payesh is creamier but less sweet than either Kheer or Payasam. In Dhaka and throughout Bangladesh, this is considered an auspicious food, usually associated with birthday celebrations.

Payesh 01

Payesh 02

The Hospose Khichuri is a gourmet delicacy, usually reserved for religious ceremonies, or served on rainy days. Known in India as Khichdi, it's made with short grain rice, lentils / mung beans, ghee / clarified butter, onions, garlic, powdered turmeric, powdered cumin, cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, ginger, salt, and lot of chili. Tender, boneless chunks of chicken, beef, or mutton are stuffed within, and it's served with vegetables (eggplant / aubergine, cucumbers, celery) on the side. Hospose Khichuri has a dry texture, a prominent savoury taste with some sweetness, and a lingering spicy burn.

Hospose Khichuri 01

Hospose Khichuri 02

Hospose Khichuri 03

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Comfortable, Classy Hotel

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Visited: Aug-2015
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $190 per person.
- $190 Accomodation 2D1N
- $0 Room Service


Nearby Attractions: Ahsan Manzil, Jatiyo Smriti Soudho / National Martyrs' Memorial, Mausoleum Of National Leaders, Lalbagh Fort / Fort Aurangabad, Baldha Garden, National Botanical Gardens, Liberation War Museum, Ramna Green, Dhaka Zoo, Charukola Institute / Institute of Arts And Crafts, Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban / National Parliament House, Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, Bangladesh National Museum, Sadarghat Boat Terminal, Armenian Church Of The Holy Resurrection, Baitul Mukarram Mosque, Dhakeshwari Jatiya Mandir / Dhakeshwari Temple, Dhammarajika Bouddha Maha Vihar / Kamalapur Buddhist Monastery, Holy Rosary Church, Sitara Mosque / Star Mosque, 1857 Memorial, Central Shaheed Minar


Hotel Facilities: Business Centre, Free Wi-Fi, Conference Rooms, Gymnasium, Swimming Pool, Laundry Service, 2 Restaurants (Cozy Sizzler Restaurant, Cozy Lounge), 1 Spa (LBS Spa), Gift Shop, Sauna, Steam Room, Cable TV, Doctor On Call, Dentist On Call, Hairdressing & Beauty Salon, Currency Exchange Service, Airport Transfer Service


Hotel Activities: Work Out, Internet Surfing, Swimming, Meetings, Shopping, Massage, Sauna, Steam Bath, Spa, Hair Cut / Styling






Introduction
Located about 30 - 60 minutes drive away from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Long Beach Suites is situated within the affluent Gulshan area. The 5-star Long Beach Suites naturally fits in well here, with its comfortable, classy ambience, and efficient, personalised service. It's also a short driving distance to many nearby attractions and modern conveniences.


Ambience
Ambience at Long Beach Suites is modern elegant, with some touches of luxurious class. Black marble walls and bright spotlights greet you at the clean, minimalist lobby, the well polished surfaces gleam softly in the light. Signages to rooms are clear, but the elevator doesn't indicate which floor the facilities are on. The rooftop offers a fantastic view of the surrounding area. However, the top most level has some slight leaking problems when it rains.


Room
Rooms at Long Beach Suites are medium sized, quite decent. I stayed at the Deluxe Room, which featured a queen size bed, a small working desk and wardrobe, and bathroom with a standing shower and toilet bidet. The room is comfortable and clean, though I hate the old looking fabric of the arm chairs. There isn't much of a view on the 7th floor. The television has cable, with a decent selection of channels.


Food
Food at Long Beach Suites is mostly served at the Cozy Sizzler Restaurant, and generally, the cuisine is largely western style, with some local Bengali dishes. I find the Western dishes to be somewhat underwhelming, below average in taste and texture. The Bengali dishes fared much better in taste, and are pretty good. In particular, I find their desserts and pastries to be above average. The Cozy Lounge in the lobby is open 24 hours daily, and serves decent pastries, cakes, desserts, and drinks.


Service
Service at Long Beach Suites befits a classy 5-star hotel. Staff are friendly, polite, efficient, and attentive. Requests are met promptly. Staff can even recommend nearby shopping, dining, or attraction options, and will provide you with a list! During the conference we had here, I found staff helpful in setting up the audio / visual equipment, and they even stood by in case we needed further assistance. I appreciate that they also asked for feedback later.


Facilities & Activities
As a primarily business hotel, the facilities and activities at Long Beach Suites are catered to executives. These include a basic gymnasium, swimming pool, business centre, and a spa. As Long Beach Suites is located relatively near several shopping malls and attractions, commuting to these places is convenient.

Dhaka Shops

Some examples of the shops in Dhaka, whether along the streets or within the shopping malls.

Some notable ones include:
Artisti, an international ready-made clothing brand, founded in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1992
Mughal Mahal, a casual eatery which serves local Bengali cuisine
Sadakalo, a lifestyle brand that retails clothing, accessories, and house hold items, solely in monochrome (black and white) colours
West Rang, also known as Rang, a fashion and lifestyle store founded in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1994, that retails items in bright, vivid colours







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Dhaka Shopping Malls

Snapshots of some of the shopping malls and markets in Dhaka.


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Jumuna Future Park

Ka-244 Pragati Sharani / Pragati Avenue
Kuril
Baridhara
Dhaka 1229
Bangladesh

12pm - 9pm Thu - Tue, Closed Wed











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