Ratargul Swamp Forest

Local food to try

Haor and river fish
Ratargul Swamp Forest
Small freshwater fish cooked as curry or bhorta, the everyday food of the villages around the forest.
Tea and snacks at the ghat
Ratargul Swamp Forest
Tea, biscuits and fried snacks at the stalls by the boat ghat.

Where to eat

Stalls at the boat ghat
Ratargul
Tea and light snacks only; there is little choice for a full meal, so eat in Sylhet before or after.
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Sylhet city restaurants
Zindabazar, Sylhet
Rice with bhortas, fish and satkora beef in the city’s long-running local restaurants.
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Where to stay

Sylhet city hotels
Sylhet city
Ratargul is a half-day trip from the city; there is nowhere to stay at the forest itself.
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History

Ratargul is one of the few freshwater swamp forests left in Bangladesh. For several months of the rainy season the trees stand in water, their trunks submerged and their crowns meeting overhead, and the only way through is by small wooden boat along the channels. It lies in Gowainghat, close to the Gowain river, and is protected by the Forest Department.

The forest is made of trees that can live with their roots underwater for months, such as koroch and hijal, and in the green half-light it can feel far from anywhere. Birds, monkeys and, yes, snakes live here; the forest is home to wildlife that has few such places left in the country.

People sometimes call it the "Amazon of Bangladesh". It is much smaller than that, but gliding silently between half-drowned trees is a rare experience. In the dry winter months the water falls and much of the forest floor is exposed, so the season you go matters a great deal.

Tour plans

A morning in Ratargul

Half a day

Step 1: Early — drive to the ghat
Leave Sylhet early by CNG or car; mornings are cooler and the forest is quieter.
Step 2: At the ghat — hire a boat
Agree the fare and how long you will be out, and put on life jackets.
Step 3: Into the forest
Spend one to two hours gliding between the trees; ask the boatman to stop at the watchtower if it is open.
Step 4: Midday — back to Sylhet
Return for lunch in the city, leaving the afternoon free for the shrines or Keane Bridge.

Plan your visit

Best time to visit

June to October, when the forest stands in water. In winter the water drops and the boats cannot go far in.

How to get there

About an hour by CNG or car from Sylhet city to the boat ghat at Motorghat. Hire a small boat there to go into the forest.

Getting around

Inside the forest there are no paths in the wet season: small wooden boats, rowed by local boatmen, take you along the channels between the trees. Larger engine boats cannot go in, which is what keeps it quiet.

Travel tips

Wear the life jacket if one is offered, and keep children seated — the boats are small and tip easily.
Keep your hands out of the branches. Snakes rest in the trees; do not grab or shake them.
Be quiet. The forest is at its best when you can hear the birds, and loud music disturbs wildlife and other visitors.
Bring a hat or umbrella for sun and rain, and a dry bag for your phone.
Take nothing in that you will not bring out: no plastic bottles or wrappers in the water.
Agree the boat fare and route before you set off; ask whether the watchtower is part of the trip.