Bangladesh

The national language is Bengali (Bangla) and is spoken everywhere. It's an Indo-Aryan language derived from Prakit, Pali and Sanskrit and written in its own script. Many Bangladeshis only understand limited English such as basic affirmatives, negatives, and some numbers. Learning a few Bengali words ahead of your trip will prove very useful. Two centuries of British colonisation lead people to identify most foreigners as either British or American, and to view them with curiosity. The first question you will probably be asked is "What is your country?" (Desh kothay? in Bangla). If hawkers or rickshaw-wallahs are over-zealous, "Amar dorkar nai" or "Lagbey nah" mean "No thanks." If you don't wish to give money to beggars and other unfortunates, "maaf koro" means "pardon me" or you can apply a tricky concept saying "Amar bangthi poisha nai", meaning "I have no change".

Bangladesh is a fish lover's paradise. Traditionally most of the country lives off of the once bountiful river fish, especially the officially designated "national fish" hilsa, though sea fish are now working their way north. Sometimes incredibly boney, it's often served whole, and sometimes deboned and made into a curry. Mutton is also popular, as in most Muslim countries, as is decidedly meatless chicken. Rice is almost always the companion to any of these. Mixed vegetable curries are plentiful - potato, eggplant, squash and tomatoes are the staple ingredients. Cucumber is enormously popular and often served with onions as a little side salad. Dal is available at pretty much anytime of the day and accompanies most meals, though it doesn't compare to its cousin in India — expect a salty dal-flavored water with a few lentils hanging out in the bottom of the bowl. Boiled eggs (dhim) are a popular snack (Tk 3-5), and fresh fruit is abundant, such as bananas (Tk 2/ea), apples (chinese, Tk 80-100/kg), oranges, grapes, pomegranates and papayas. Fast food restaurants and bakeries serving burgers, spring rolls, vegetable patties and just about anything else you can throw in a deep fryer are dotted around most cities. Most things will run around Tk 10/each. Most Bangladeshis eat with their right hand as in neighboring countries - play with your food a little first to form it into a mouth-sized ball then, using your four fingers as a makeshift scoop, pick it up and launch it into your mouth with your thumb - takes some practice, but don't pretend you aren't loving it. Never use your left hand to bring food to your mouth, though it's ok to use it for bringing a glass to your mouth or to serve food from a common dish with a spoon. Every restaurant will have a handwashing station (sometimes just a pitcher if they don't have running water), and you should use it before and after the meal. It doesn't matter a whole lot if you don't get it all exactly right, but know that the entire restaurant is watching and waiting to see if you do. Table sharing is acceptable and even expected in most establishments, with the exception of nicer city restaurants. Many places have separate curtained-off booths for women and families, a nice reprieve from prying eyes.

Nightlife is Bangladesh in nearly non-existent. Being a Muslim country, alcohol is frowned upon and found mostly in the international clubs and pricier restaurants in Dhaka and in some restaurants in tourist centers like Cox's Bazar. In Teknaf and on Saint Martins Island you may stumble upon the occasional beer smuggled in from Myanmar. Some of the nicest hotels in the cities have fully equipped bars with exaggerated prices to match. Coffee is -- like the rest of the world, a perennial middle-class 'Adda' (gossip) accompaniment in this city. A favourite haunt for coffee-lovers (those with a 'Starbucks' bent) is 'Coffeeworld', Dhaka branch addresses (about seven so far) given here, Dhaka Coffeeworld joints. Most coffee aficionados here rate their 'Caramel Macchiato' better than the plain Starbucks variety and cheaper to boot (about US$2)! Fruit juice is plentiful, varied and delicious, though be wary of watered down or icy drinks and dirty blenders. Sugarcane juice is widely available during the hot season. Coconuts are popular in the southeast tourists spots like Cox's Bazar and Saint Martins Island.

What will it cost?

• 2 liter bottled water: Tk 20
• Chai: Tk 3
• Newspaper: Tk 7
• Candy bar: Tk 15
• Coke/Pepsi: Tk 15
• Pair of readymade pants: ~Tk 100
• Solitude: out of stock

Bangladesh is one of the largest ready-made garment manufacturers in the world, exporting clothing for famous brands such as Nike, Adidas and Levis. Though these products are usually not meant for sale in the local markets, they can be found in abundance in famous shopping areas such as Banga Bazaar and Dhaka College. In most stores prices are not fixed. and can be lowered quite considerably. If bargaining is not your strong point ask a local in the vicinity politely what they think you should pay. Aarong is one of the largest and most popular handicraft and clothing outlets with stores in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet and Khulna. It's a great place for souvenirs or to pick up a stylish kurta or salwar kameez at fixed prices. Women can find a cotton salwar kameez for around Tk 400 in a market or Tk 800-1500 in a shop. Silk is more expensive. ATM's can be found in some of the larger cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. HSBC and Standard Chartered both have networks accepting debit cards with the Visa or Mastercard logos. There is an ATM machine in the Dhaka airport.