Bangladesh has been called the last country in Asia waiting to be discovered as a tourist destination. But few people realize the largest mangrove forest in the world is found here  along with the greatest concentration of tigers remaining on earth.

The Sundarban forest, stretching inland 80 km from the Bay of Bengal and covering nearly 6,000 sq. km, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to mangroves, this enormous tract of wilderness contains some of the last remaining stands of the mighty jungles that once covered the Ganges River plain. An estimated 400 Royal Bengal tigers, 80,000 spotted deer, 40,000 rhesus monkeys, 20,000 wild boar, 260 species of birds as well as giant estuarine crocodiles, monitor lizards, pythons, otters and Ganges River dolphins make up this treasure trove of biodiversity.

Students on this trip will cruise the myriad connected channels of the mangroves on a comfortable live aboard boat while exploring more intricate waterways and small streams by country boat. There will be exciting excursions ashore for jungle walks along tiger trails through forests, savannah lands and along miles of pristine beaches. During these hikes armed forest guards will lead the group to ensure everyone’s safety.

After 4 nights sleeping aboard our vessel and searching for tigers and crocodiles in the river channels of the world’s largest alluvial delta, we will return to Dhaka on a morning flight and transfer (4-hrs) by bus to a completely different realm in the northeast of the country. Here, lovely tea plantations and tropical evergreen forest will offer a dramatic contrast to the coastal delta. Students will try their hands at picking tea, riding rickshaws through the countryside and meeting villagers working their rice fields with water buffalo.

We will have a full day to explore Lawahhara National Park where we may spot the elusive leopard and the endangered Hoolock gibbon swinging through the treetops. Capped langurs, hanging parrots, jungle fowl, bee-eaters and other animals are also found here.

Bangladesh may be a small, poor and overpopulated country in most of the world’s eyes, but students on this trip will discover a land rich in beauty with a wealth of wildlife and experience the heartfelt warmth of people they will not soon forget.