Day Trip From Dhaka To A Village Market

It was an early winter morning in Dhaka, Bangladesh when my friend came over to pick us up from our hotel to visit Purbachal, the rural countryside of Bangladesh. The entire country was blanketed with a misty fog which made us feel like we were driving through a fairytale that morning.

Early Morning Road Trip

We drove about an hour away from Dhaka to visit a bustling outdoor market filled with a variety of fresh foods and vegetables. The most admiring quality of Purbachal is its feel of rural authenticity. I can only hope that it isn’t threatened by the rapidly expanding urbanization of the overpopulated capital city in the next few years. The scenic views on both sides of the highway were picturesque, to say the least, and I am sure that in a few years this will merely be a piece of history, so we made sure to stop frequently and take pictures to capture those moments.

Early winter morning, we were heading to a village market.

One of the best ways to witness everyday life in a country is to visit a local market.

Meeting Friendly People

There is no doubt that you can see the difference between a megacity and the countryside in rural Bangladesh but the same could be said about the people, most of whom are friendly, beaming with positivity and optimism. Most will stare longer than usual because they know that you do not belong there. It was so early in the morning that local roadside food stands were prepping to open for the day.

dhaka, bangladesh — Friendly People in Bangladesh

Breakfast at Road Side Restaurant

We were quite hungry and finally gained the confidence to try our luck in one of the local outdoor food stands. The safest thing for us to try without making our stomach turn in circles was a Parata and Omelette (Bangladeshi Style). The breakfast was delicious as we concentrated on the taste of a well-cooked and authentic dish rather than focusing on my surroundings. It is important for me as a traveler to block out the thoughts of hygiene, atmosphere, and environment especially when it comes to visiting the local hole in the wall restaurants because sometimes those end up being some of the best places I have ever eaten.

purbachal, dhaka — Breakfast at one of those roadside restaurants

After Breakfast Visit a Local Open Air Market

After breakfast, we started heading towards a local outdoor market (bazaar). It was still so early that food vendors were still setting up for the day. There was much to see while preparations were underway. We saw plenty of fresh-looking vegetables, mostly from neighboring villages, fruits, sun-dried fish, meats and other essentials in the market.

bangladesh market — The open-air market in Bangladesh

Livestock Market

This was the place to go for fresh foods as well as live chickens and ducks. The livestock is undoubtedly raised wild (cage-free). The market is also next to the famous Shitalakshya River, so a variety of fresh catch out of the river were popular items for shoppers. By the late morning and afternoon, this market tends to get extremely busy with shoppers pouring in from the big city especially during the weekend. We were lucky to avoid the commotion by visiting in the early hours.

purbachal market, dhaka — livestock market in the bazaar.

Local fish is sold in the market

wet market in dhaka — Wet market in a village market of Dhaka

Fresh Vegetable Market

Afterward, we bought some typical local vegetables and a variety of fresh fish from the market so that we can go back to cook these items for lunch.

Having a Drink At The Market

The Sun was already beating over our heads while we continued to walk through the market and felt the need to stop for some drinks. There is nothing in the world that could beat the refreshing taste of freshly cut coconut water.

Returned Back Home for Cooking

After a few hours of exploring, we started heading back towards our friend’s house to start the cooking. I felt a little like Anthony Bourdain of CNN or Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel, picking fresh groceries from the local market and home cooking exotic foods.

bangladesh food — Hilsha fish one of the most favorite in Bangladesh

Lobstar with coconut milk and Indian curry!

What A Great Experience

What a great experience and one that I will never forget. I will post a few pictures from our trip so you can get a glimpse of the beautiful countryside amongst the bustling city of Dhaka.It was a short day trip away from Dhaka, but the memory will last for a lifetime.

Where Did I Stay In Dhaka, Bangladesh

Hotel Orchard Suites, Rd No 13A, Banani, Dhaka

Hotel Orchard Suites is conveniently located in the diplomatic area of Banani in Dhaka. Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is just 30 minutes drive away. I really liked the lifesaver airport transfers which were complimentary and was very helpful to me.

My Opinion and Last Word

Have you been to Dhaka, Bangladesh? Any cool tips to share?

I loved being to this country down under and want to go back again. Hope my story have motivated you to visit.

Please leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you to improve my knowledge.

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