Ratargul Swamp Forest: An amazing tourist spot

Sylhet is a district where there are many tourist attractions. Ratargul Swamp Forest is one of the most fascinating and amazing places among all the tourist spots in Sylhet. Anyone can get relief from boredom and gather new experience visiting Ratargul Swamp Forest.

I think human life is for moving around and enjoying all the beautiful places in the world. I firmly believe in the assertion that travelling is a part of education. It obviously helps people gather information and a lot of new experiences. The Ratargul Swamp Forest in Sylhet is one such place visiting which people do not only enjoy their time but also gather innumerable new experiences.

There are many small boats to carry the visitors to Ratargul from Sylhet city at daytime. But before getting onto a boat it would be better for you to fix the fair. Normally, they charge depending on hour-basis.  The journey will be more enjoyable if you go there in groups. Also make sure that you take umbrella with you.

This is because in Sylhet it may start raining anytime. There are high-rising watch towers inside the Ratargul forest for visitors to observe the all sides clearly. From the watch towers a visitor can clearly have a look over the affluent vegetation of the forest that includes some rare trees, such as, Hijol, Itali, etc. There are also several species of insects, like leech, snake, etc. Here there will be water all around you. So, boat will be your best partner.

There are some floating or temporary boat markets from where you can buy some essential items like cigarettes, match, biscuits, tea, etc. Hundreds of visitors visit Ratargul everyday to enjoy the beauty of the forest. The swamp forest is the best and largest of its kind in south Asia.

There is another swamp forest in South Asia, which is located in Sri Lanka. There is no house or place for your stay inside the forest so you have to return to the city for passing your night after paying visit to the forest. Over there is a branch river named 'Piar'. Indian border is situated around 60 km away from the forest. Anyone can travel there on any day of the year. I myself, Tipu, Torun and Ismail visited there.

How to go: If you leave from Dhaka, you will have to take a Sylhet-bound bus (Shyamoli, Unique, Ena travels etc) from Kalabagan or Mohakhali. The price for a ticket of non-AC bus is Tk 470. After getting down at Syhet's Kadamtali bus stand, you will have to hire a CNG-run auto rickshaw to go to Ratargul Swamp Forest directly. The CNG will cost about Tk 1,500 for a single trip. Ratargul is about 30 km away from Kodomtali. There are many hotels in Sylhet city, where you can stay.

The writer is Sub-Editor, Countrywide Desk , The Asian Age, Dhaka