Geography & Climate
Geography
Primarily flatland alluvial topography: In plain
English, this means it’s as flat as pancake and criss-crossed with
braided rivers. The one exception is the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where
rolling hills gently climb away from the inland coast right up to the
border with Northeast India and Myanmar. While in the flatlands,
exploring by river is best, but when in the hills its best to get your
boots on. Forest cover is minimal except in the Sunderbans, where
multi-day boat tours allow visitors a taste of calm of respite from the
intense nature of Bangladeshi cities.
Climate
Although
the Bangladeshis name six seasons over their landscape, these are more
easily grouped into three seasons: the monsoon, the winter and the
summer. The steamy monsoon season (June to September) is perhaps the
prettiest and most romantic of the three seasons but also the least
predictable for travel for its occasional bouts of torrential downpour
that bring life to an absolute standstill for brief periods. The winter
(October to early March) is the best time to travel for those more
accustomed to temperate climates and there is little chance of having a
rain day but the monsoon’s moody clouds and spectacular lightning
storms remain backstage. Finally, the hot season (late March to June)
is best avoided if possible, although delicious fruit (succulent
lychees, abundant mangoes and perfumed pineapples) tend to hit the
markets during May and June.
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