Panchagarh, Rangpur
A small border town on the Mahananda where, on clear autumn mornings, the snow peaks of Kanchenjunga appear on the northern horizon above tea gardens and river.
Tetulia — named, it is said, after the tamarind (tentul) trees of the area — sits on the Mahananda river, which here forms the border with India. On its bank, on a small rise, stands the old Dak Bungalow, a colonial-era rest house that has become the town’s classic viewpoint.
From mid-October through November, when the monsoon haze has cleared, the snow peaks of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain, can be seen from Tetulia at dawn and sometimes through the morning. The view is never guaranteed — clouds and haze can hide it for days — but on a clear morning it is unforgettable.
Around the town, tea gardens planted on flat land since the late 1990s give Tetulia a landscape found nowhere else in Bangladesh.
Be at the riverside viewpoint before sunrise and watch the northern horizon.
Warm up with tea and pitha in the bazar.
Ride out through the flat-land tea gardens around Tetulia.
Continue north to the country’s northern tip.
Return to Tetulia and watch the stone gatherers on the river as the light fades.
Mid-October to November, at dawn, for Kanchenjunga; tea gardens are green from spring to autumn
About 40 km north of Panchagarh town on the Banglabandha road: around an hour by local bus, CNG or car. Some Dhaka coaches run through to Tetulia.
The town centre and the Dak Bungalow are walkable. For the tea gardens and Banglabandha, hire an easy-bike, CNG or motorbike with driver for a few hours.
