Since I've uploaded the pics of Birisiri in my facebook account, I've received lots of praise about the photos and mostly blunt admirations about the beautiful scenic setting. A lot of friends have asked me about the directions to go there, the boarding facilities, the places to visit, etc etc. This post is basically a discussion about the key facts of Birisiri tour and also a reminiscence of those sweet two days that I spent there.
Birisiri is located near the border of Bangladesh and India and almost straight to the north of Dhaka. The border adjoins Netrokona district of Bangladesh with Shillong district of Meghalaya state in India. The calm nature of the place will readily appeal to any city dweller as soon as he sets foot in the place. The place is quite secluded from urban life and the difficulty to reach there has made it hard for people to explore. But in my views that is the greatest asset of this place. Tourist facilities has not yet been developed and the road from Mymensingh to Durgapur is just a bit better than a minefield. As a result the place has escaped the poisonous grip of urbanization and is standing proudly with all her unadulterated beauty.
A common view in Birisiri - Rich green paddy fields spread to the hills in the horizon.
Birisiri is mostly about calm life and Someswari river. The broad river originates in the mountains of Meghalaya and flows into Bangladesh separating Birisiri to the mainland of our country. The river, falling into Brahmaputra, is the main attraction of this place. Anyone going there will fall in love with the crystal clear, pebble bedded, Someswari.
A view of Someswari from Bijoypur hillock, at the Bangladesh-India border.
The best way to go to Birisiri is to take the direct(?) bus from Mohakhali. It's funny that the bus owners have formed a syndicate and there is no variety of buses to choose from. In the Mohakhali Inter city bus terminal, go to the left most wing where they sell tickets to Mymensingh and go along the wing a bit farther. You'll find a couple of services for Susong-Durgapur. Book a ticket with any one of them as every hour one bus with the combined passengers of all the services will start for Birisiri. Due to the bad condition of the roads nightly routes are not allowed so the latest you can board from Dhaka will be probably 1pm at best. The bus journey will not be pleasant for people who are used to ride in Scania or RM2 to go to Chittagong or Benapole. Even it was not pleasant for me where I'm accustomed to ride in public buses in Dhaka city for my daily commute. Yes, I feel very iritated to sit or stand in a bus for 1/2 to 1 hour, jam-packed with people on all sides; but now, imagine such a journey for 6 hours at a strectch. The fare is 150 tk which I would certainly not mind giving 200 if someone offers me a better service. Don't get me wrong, I am not discouraging anyone to go to Birisiri and enjoy the beautiful place as I did. This is just a mere caution of what's coming your way.
I wouldn't encourage someone too much if he wants to take his own car since the condition of your car is surely gonna take a toll after this trip. Also, I think you need to fill your car's gasoline from Mymensingh as I don't think there are any more gas stations after that. If you have a nice strong SUV then you're good to go. Otherwise, private car owners make sure you have a very skilled driver for your journey. One other reason for my aversion against cars is that most of the roads in Durgapur are too narrow for your car and the muddy road will do you no good either. Also, most of the notable spots are across the Someswari river, so you wouldn't be able to travel a lot in your car also. The main advantage of taking a car from my point of view is that you won't need to stay in Durgapur at all. You can stay overnight in Mymensingh and then take your car to Birisiri in the early morning. There is not much to explore so you'll surely be done by 4pm and return to Mymensingh/ Dhaka.
The main hassle in Birisiri is that the only decent place to stay there is the YMCA guest house. People picky about their lavatories will find even this a bit difficult. But at 200 tk per night for a two single-bed room is more than a bargain. Problem is they don't offer early booking because they are virtually unreachable through any cell phone number that they publish. Suppose you've started from Dhaka at 11am like we did. Upon reaching there, if you find the place full with people, your'e simply out of luck. The only refuge then is in some tin-shaded hotels in Durgapur bazar which I know none of the readers will be willing to stay.
YMCA Guest House
Don't be too picky about your food either. One good thing is, everywhere in Susong-Durgapur or in Birisiri, I found mineral water and soft drinks available. Also, if you inquire about restaurants, don't go with the local people's choice. The bus stops at Utrail bazar. YMCA guest house is just to the right of it. This bazar is simply the best place to eat in Durgapur. Don't go to Durgapur bazar as your rickshaw puller will be very much willing to take you there for want of extra fare. Food is absolutely crap at that place. In Utrail bazar, go to the restaurants maintained by tribal people. You'll enjoy their cullinary expertise a lot.
Now about travelling. One painful experience is that the rickshaw-pullers and boatmen tend to ask a high price from the tourists. In our journey, we crossed the river by boat and then contracted a rickshaw to show us the whole place for 200 tk. We also met some rickshaw-pullers who'd ask 500 tk if you hire them from the other end of the river, so be careful. You can opt to roam about in boats also. They will also ask something around 200 tk so it's upto you. My inclination to rickshaw is because it's a hassle to stop the boat at every nook and corner and then you'd have to walk on foot a lot. But we could easily do it with our rickshaw. We stopped wherever and whenver we liked to take pictures or for a cup of tea.
View of Gopalpur Hill from the top of Ranikhong Christian Convent
One other must see in Birisiri is the blue lake amidst colored hillocks. Local people call it Lal Pathor-Nil pani (Red rocks-Blue water). Nearby, there's a small monument of the Hazong tribe. Apart from that, you can visit the Christian convent and school at Ranikhong and the BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) guarding Bangladesh-India border at Bijoypur. I don't feel like talking much about them as I want to leave some exploring for the potential travelers. I guess you can take an idea from the photos.
Red Rocks-Blue Water, the best site in Birisiri
What attracted me hugely to the place was the miles long green paddy fields and gentle breeze blowing over them. The beauty of the scene is simply ineffable. The calmness of life had a great impact upon me. All the hardship of travel and lodging gets vanished instantly when the beauty of the place sinks into you. I guess you'll also feel that the beauty of the place should remain unaltered, without the touch of tour entrepreneurs and travel agencies. Let Birisiri and Someswari stay as they are, without the touch of urbanization, unaltered in their glory.
Birisiri is located near the border of Bangladesh and India and almost straight to the north of Dhaka. The border adjoins Netrokona district of Bangladesh with Shillong district of Meghalaya state in India. The calm nature of the place will readily appeal to any city dweller as soon as he sets foot in the place. The place is quite secluded from urban life and the difficulty to reach there has made it hard for people to explore. But in my views that is the greatest asset of this place. Tourist facilities has not yet been developed and the road from Mymensingh to Durgapur is just a bit better than a minefield. As a result the place has escaped the poisonous grip of urbanization and is standing proudly with all her unadulterated beauty.
A common view in Birisiri - Rich green paddy fields spread to the hills in the horizon.
A view of Someswari from Bijoypur hillock, at the Bangladesh-India border.I wouldn't encourage someone too much if he wants to take his own car since the condition of your car is surely gonna take a toll after this trip. Also, I think you need to fill your car's gasoline from Mymensingh as I don't think there are any more gas stations after that. If you have a nice strong SUV then you're good to go. Otherwise, private car owners make sure you have a very skilled driver for your journey. One other reason for my aversion against cars is that most of the roads in Durgapur are too narrow for your car and the muddy road will do you no good either. Also, most of the notable spots are across the Someswari river, so you wouldn't be able to travel a lot in your car also. The main advantage of taking a car from my point of view is that you won't need to stay in Durgapur at all. You can stay overnight in Mymensingh and then take your car to Birisiri in the early morning. There is not much to explore so you'll surely be done by 4pm and return to Mymensingh/ Dhaka.
The main hassle in Birisiri is that the only decent place to stay there is the YMCA guest house. People picky about their lavatories will find even this a bit difficult. But at 200 tk per night for a two single-bed room is more than a bargain. Problem is they don't offer early booking because they are virtually unreachable through any cell phone number that they publish. Suppose you've started from Dhaka at 11am like we did. Upon reaching there, if you find the place full with people, your'e simply out of luck. The only refuge then is in some tin-shaded hotels in Durgapur bazar which I know none of the readers will be willing to stay.
YMCA Guest HouseNow about travelling. One painful experience is that the rickshaw-pullers and boatmen tend to ask a high price from the tourists. In our journey, we crossed the river by boat and then contracted a rickshaw to show us the whole place for 200 tk. We also met some rickshaw-pullers who'd ask 500 tk if you hire them from the other end of the river, so be careful. You can opt to roam about in boats also. They will also ask something around 200 tk so it's upto you. My inclination to rickshaw is because it's a hassle to stop the boat at every nook and corner and then you'd have to walk on foot a lot. But we could easily do it with our rickshaw. We stopped wherever and whenver we liked to take pictures or for a cup of tea.
View of Gopalpur Hill from the top of Ranikhong Christian Convent
Red Rocks-Blue Water, the best site in Birisiri
