Raas Festival of the Manipuri Tribe in Bangladesh

Enjoy the colorful Raas festival of the Manipuri tribe, see the endless tea plantations, and explore the authentic villages of different tribes outside the tourist trails in Sreemangal. Experience life in the heart of the Ganges Delta, which is entirely based on water, by visiting its floating markets, bazaars, villages, brick kilns, and schools and interacting with the locals. Have an excursion to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest on earth, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to Bengal Tigers and numerous other animals, birds, and river dolphins. Explore some highly photogenic backstreets, bazaars, shipyards, Jamdani and textile weaving in and around Dhaka, and more. Have a unique Bangladesh experience on your holiday.

Raas Lila is part of the traditional story of the Hindu god Krishna, where he stretched a night and danced with the cowherd girls in Brindaban. Raas festival is celebrated in different places in Bangladesh, among which is the celebration of the Manipuri tribal community in Sreemangal, which is extraordinary. They perform a folk dance drama based on the scenes from Raas Lila. Solo and group dancing are combined with singing, chanted recitation, and instrumental accompaniment. They wear colorful traditional tribal clothes during the performance.

In the Raas Festival Tour, we’ll take you to enjoy the colorful Raas festival of the Manipuri tribe in Sreemangal. You will attend all the festival events and see some pre-festival religious rituals and rehearsals, which are not open to the public. Also, visit endless tea plantations where tourists don’t go, see some authentic villages of different tribes, and experience their lifestyle, visit their school, which we support by bringing study materials on our tours. The school kids singing for you in a remote tribal village would be one of the most beautiful things in your life!

You’ll also experience life in the heart of the Ganges Delta in Barisal, the largest river delta in the world, where life is entirely based on water. You’ll visit some floating markets, bazaars, villages, brick factories, and a school and interact with the locals and school children. Also, have an excursion to the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest on earth, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar convention. You’ll get an opportunity to see the Bengal tigers in the wild, river dolphins, clawless otters, saltwater crocodiles, many species of birds, and other wildlife.

You’ll also visit some highly photogenic backstreets, bazaars, shipyards, and river ports in Dhaka, which are full of activities; experience Jamdani weaving, a vividly patterned, sheer cotton fabric, traditionally woven on a handloom by craftspeople and apprentices around Dhaka in handlooms, a UNESCO-declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; and visit Panam Nagar, an abandoned city of wealthy Hindu cotton merchants among others—a highly photogenic tour to experience the life, culture, tradition, and wildlife in Bangladesh.

We run only one tour yearly, and seats are limited to only 12. Secure your place now before they are gone! Book in advance and get an early-bird discount.

• Enjoy the colorful Raas festival of the Manipuri tribe.
• Walk on the trails of beautiful tea plantations where tourists don’t go.
• Visit some authentic villages of 4 different tribes outside the tourist trails.
• Full-day tour of Old Dhaka, including a boat ride on the busy Buriganga River.
• Photograph the activities of the busiest bazaars, backstreets, and river ports of New & Old Dhaka.
• Visit Panam Nagar, an abandoned city of wealthy cotton merchants from the 19th century.
• Visit floating markets, bazaars, schools, and brick factories, and explore numerous rivers and canals by boat in the heart of the Ganges Delta.
• Visit historical sites at Bagerhat, a UNESCO world heritage city from the 15th century, including the Sixty Dome Mosque.
• Spend three full days deep inside the Sundarban on a small houseboat, anchoring in different places each night.
• Visit the wildlife sanctuaries inside the Sundarban.
• Explore creeks and canals inside the Sundarban on a wooden rowing boat for the maximum chance of spotting wildlife in the early morning and evening.
• Walk on a trail inside the Sundarban accompanied by armed forest rangers.
• Enjoy the best and the cleanest beach in Bangladesh deep inside the forest, hardly meeting any other tourists.
• Spot wildlife from an observation tower overlooking an open area where animals come to eat and drink.
• Visit a fishing village to experience the life of the fishermen of the Sundarban.
• Experience the heritage of the Jamdani weaving tradition in Bangladesh, a UNESCO-declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Contact us for the Detailed Itinerary

• 4-12 Pax Gruop: $2,670 US Per Person
• Single Supplement: $260 US

[message type=”info”]$150 US pp Special Discount to book by Jan 15, 2024, for the 2024 departure.[/message]

• All airport transfers in Bangladesh.
• All internal flights.
• All accommodations in hotels and boat cabins as mentioned in the itinerary with complimentary breakfast on a twin sharing basis, with late checkout on the last day until 18.00 H.
• 2 Lunches with locally purchased fruits and snacks, tea, and coffee while at the boat in Barisal on day-3 & 4.
• All meals, drinking water, tea, and coffee while on the boat at Sundarban for three days on day-6, 7, and 8.
• $115 US per person forest permit fee for Sundarban.
• An air-conditioned car, driver, and an English-speaking guide.
• 1st class cabin on a traditional passenger ferry to Barisal/Hularhat on a twin-sharing basis.
• All boat rides.
• All entrance tickets.
• Before departure, take to the Covid-19 testing center in Dhaka to provide the sample and collect the report if necessary.
• All tips except our guide, driver, and boat crew in Sundarban.

• Any food or drinks other than those mentioned above.
• $25 US fee for video camera in Sundarban (if any).
• Any personal item.

Departure Dates	Total Places	Available Places	Early-Bird Discounts
Nov 5-20, 2024	12	8+	$150 US pp Until May 5, 2023 (Ended). $100 US pp Until Nov 5, 2023 (Ended). $50 US pp Until May 5, 2024 (Ended).
Oct 26-Nov 10, 2025	12	8+	$150 US pp Until Apr 28, 2024 (Ended). $100 US pp Until Oct 28, 2024. $50 US pp Until Apr 28, 2025.
Nov 14-29, 2026	12	8+	$150 US pp Until May 14, 2025. $100 US pp Until Nov 14, 2025. $50 US pp Until May 14, 2026.

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