One-day trip to Sreemangal
Sreemangal is called the city of tea. Wherever you look, you can see only tea gardens. Sreemangal has the maximum number of tea gardens in Bangladesh. This small town Sreemangal can be a perfect option for a day trip. Today I am going to share with you the details of where to visit Sreemangal in one day, where to stay at a low cost, and also give you some tips and tricks about the budget-friendly tour.
Best time to go to Sreemangal-
Someone thinks the ideal time to visit Sreemangal is winter. Many people choose the rainy season to see the real beauty of green tea estate. But the beauty of each place in Sreemangal is vary from place to place. If you want to visit all the places in one day then in my opinion, early winter and mid-monsoon are the best timing to travel to Sreemangal. During the rainy season, the tea leaves look dull and the environment remains damp. So You can visit Sreemangal anytime from the beginning of October to January.
How to go to Sreemangal?
There are two ways to reach Sreemangal- bus and train
If you go by bus, you can get buses from Chittagong Road, Sayedabad, Kalabagan to Shyamoli, Ena, Hanif Enterprise, etc. in Dhaka. The fare is – 570 taka per person
If you want to go to Sreemangal by train, you have to take any Sylhet going train like Jayantika/Upavan, Parabat, Kalni, Surma, etc. Fare-Tk 240 (Shovon chair) Dhaka to Sreemangal Train Schedule
If you want to go by train, you have to book tickets online/offline 4-5 days in advance. I think the train journey is relatively comfortable, relaxing, and affordable. But if you choose the night journey by Upaban/Jayantika train, it will drop you at Sreemangal station between 1 am to 2 am. So you have to spend the night at the station till 5 am.
We returned to Dhaka by Hanif bus. I wouldn’t say I liked the bus service that much. But if you don’t want to wait at night for the train, you can back to Dhaka by bus.
It takes 4-5 hours to reach Sreemangal from Dhaka (Bus/Train).
Where will you stay in Sreemangal?
There are numerous hotels and resorts in Sreemangal. Hotel Grand Sultan, Sreemangal Inn Resort, Hotel Merina, Tea Heaven Resort, Balishira Resort, Novem Eco Resort, etc The minimum budget for these cottages is Tk. 2000-3000. You can book the resort in advance. List of very low-budget hotels in Sreemangal
Where to eat in Sreemangal?
Near of Sreemangal bus stand, you will find Pach bhai restaurant. Also, there are some food hotels nearby. A little further away is Pansi Restaurant (on the opposite side of Sreemangal Corporation). It will take 15 minutes to reach Pansi restaurant from the station on foot. You can take a rickshaw also, the fare is 20-30 Tk. Pansi’s food and environment are better than other restaurants. They prepare breakfast from 5 am. Khichuri 60 Tk, Bread 10 Tk, Curry 20 Tk, Tea 15 Tk.
CNG/Jeep/Auto Rickshaw Cost for Sreemangal Tour-
If there is a group of 3-4 people, you can hire a CNG for the whole day, the rent will be Tk 1200-1500. It is better not to hire an auto-rickshaw as the auto is battery-operated.
If you are 7-8 people or more, it is best to hire a Mahendra car/Jeep. The rent will be 1800-2000 taka.
You can contact Md. Faruk for CNG ride. He is so humble and friendly. Contact NO- 01717648525
****Rates may vary slightly depending on the season and situation.
Sreemangal Travel Places for One Day Trip-
1) Baikka Bill
2) Madhabpur Lake
3) Boddhovumi 71 Memorial Park
4) Nurjahan tea garden
5) lawachara National Park
6)Khasia Village
7) Sitesh Babu’s Zoo
8) Lalpahar (Red Hill)
9) Neelkanth Tea Cabin
10) Monipuri Village
11)Humhum Waterfall.(best time to visit in Monsoon)
Baikka Beel-
If the sky remains clear and without fog, you can visit Baikka Beel first. You can enjoy a fresh morning with the view and there are a lot of guest birds will congratulating you. Ticket price – 20 taka. After entering inside, you will see a forest in front of you. In winter, the entire forest loses its leaves. There is a watch tower ahead along the forest road. The best view of Baikka Beel you can feel from the top of the watch tower.
Madhabpur Lake-
After seeing the baikka beel, come to Madhavpur Lake. Madhavpur Tea Gardens surround the lake. The water of the lake is clear and blooms lots of colorful water lilies. The entrance ticket fee is Tk. 20. The students get discounts always. There is a large parking space at the main gate of the lake. After walking 10 minutes from the parking spot, you can see the lake. On the left side of the lake, there is a muddy road to go up. You can go there to see the lake from the top. You will see an amazing view of the lake from the top.
Boddhovumi 71 Memorial Park-
On the way to Nurjahan tea estate, You can see this Boddhovumi 71. This small park has been built to preserve the memory of the martyrs of the liberation war. Its location is next to the BGB Sector Headquarters of Bangladesh. Inside the park is a sculpture, named Mrityunjoy 71. Stop your Jeep/CNG/Car, and visit this memorable place for a while.
Noorjahan Tea Estate –
Noorjahan Tea Estate is the largest and most beautiful tea garden in Sreemangal. The area is full of rows of green tea trees on the hill. However, the tea trees look dull in winter. The real beauty of the tea garden is seen in monsoon. With the touch of rain, the entire Sreemangal comes alive with green leaves.
Lawachora National Park –
The most attractive place in Sreemangal is Lawachara National Park. This park is reserved for different kinds of animals, birds, and wild animals. You can observe animals very closely from here. A railway line passes through this park, where the famous Humayun Ahmed’s movie “Amar Ache Jol” was shot. The entry ticket price – is 50 taka, and for students – 20 taka (must need a student ID card). There are different types of trekking routes inside the forest, if you take a guide you can trek up to Khasia Palli. Guide cost- 400-600 Tk.
Visiting Schedule for tourists- 9 AM to 5 PM. Lawachara National Park, Sreemangal- Travel guide
Sitesh Babu’s Zoo –
If you love animals, you can spend some time at Sitesh Babu’s Zoo. It is basically a rehabilitation and treatment center for wild animals and birds. If any animal is injured or sick in lawachara and its surroundings, they are brought here for treatment. Later, when they recover, they go back to their original place. This zoo originally belonged to Sitesh Babu’s father. Entry fee- 20 Tk
Visiting Schedule- 9 AM-12:30 PM- Break then – 2 PM-5:30 PM
Lalpahar (Red Hill)-
This place in Sreemangal is a little different. Red hills on one side, rows of green tea leaves on the other side. Tea is also grown in these red hills, but not in winter. So the true fact is that you can see red hills in the winter season. Two temples will be visible after a 30-minute walk along the hill. This place is relatively high. If you want, you can trek to the temple with a guide. The cost of the guide is Tk 50-100. It is forbidden to go to Lalpahar after the evening.
Neelkontho Tea Cabin-
After visiting Lalpahar, then straight go to Neelkontho Tea Cabin. Seven-layer tea is very popular here. Definitely don’t forget to taste it.
Monipuri Polli (Monipuri Village) –
It is a tribal area. Neelkontho tea cabin road is the way to go to Monipuri Para. After a short distance, you will see various shops. In these shops, Monipuri people sell their handwoven products. Saree, three pieces, sheet, shawl, tops, Shirt, and other items. Since the Monipuri people weave by hand and then sell it, the price is much lower.
Also, there are Sreemangal Corporation, Sreemangal Multipurpose Hall, and Sreemangal Shaheed Minar. You will see these places on the way to Pansi Hotel from the train station!
Cautions and Tips-
1) If you go by train, book the arrival and departure tickets together at least 4-5 days in advance. Book Train Ticket Online
2) Night train Upaban/Jayanthika Express will drop you at the Sreemangal station at midnight. So be mentally prepared. But you can spend one night in a low-budget hotel. Cheapest hotel in Sreemangal
3) If there is too much fog in the morning, don’t go to Baikka beel (Baikka Lake). Because you will not be able to see the view of Baikka Bill in the fog. You can visit here in the last.
4) Before renting a CNG/Mahendra car/easy bike, negotiate with them first. Better not to rent an easy bike. It is a battery-operated rickshaw. So when the battery runs out, you will be in trouble.
5) There is a discount for students on tickets for each travel spot. So keep the student ID card with you.
6) Must visit all the spots before evening.
7) Sreemangal is very cold in winter so take the necessary clothes.
8) If you want to explore the Lawachara forest, you can take a guide. There are many wild and harmful animals in the forest, so do not go inside the forest alone by curiosity.
9)Do not disturb the animals inside the forest.
10) If you start the journey with hired CNG before 8 am, you can visit all the places in one day.
11) If you want to return to Dhaka from Sreemangal by night bus, you can book the ticket from the counter in advance.
How to travel in a budget-friendly way?
1) Create a group of 4/8/10 people first because you need to hire CNG/Jeep to visit Sreemangal. The more members you add, the lower the cost.
2) Travel by train. Bus tickets are twice as much as train tickets, so go for a train journey to save money.
3) If the budget is very low, you can come to Sreemangal by the mail train. Sylhet-going Surma mail train leaves Kamalapur railway station at around 10 pm and reaches Sreemangal at 5 am. What is the mail train? Is it safe to travel by mail train?
4) bargain first before hiring the CNG/Jeep/Chander car.
5) If you want to stay in Sreemangal at night, you can avoid the expensive cottages and resorts, there are some hotels in the city! Cheapest hotel in Sreemangal
Happy traveling
