Water Based Tourism in Bangladesh
River Cruise: Bangladesh is proud of its vast rivers and tributaries, therefore affectionately called "The Land of Rivers" by its people. About 700 rivers including tributaries flow through the country constituting a waterway of total length around 24,140 kilometres (15,000 mi). Most of the country's land is formed through silt brought by the rivers. The major rivers of Bangladesh are Chitra, Dakatia, Dhaleshwari, Ganga, Gorai, Kobadak, Matamuuri, Sangu and Tista. The River Ganga after entering Bangladesh gets called 'Padma'. Every year these rivers enrich the soil and make it more fertile. The best way to see the real beauty of Bangladesh and its rivers is by taking a boat trip on the rivers. A trip from Dhaka to Khulna on board the famous Paddle Steamer through some big and small rivers gives you the opportunity to witness this unique beauty.
Beaches: Bangladesh offers a wide range of tropical beaches. Cox's Bazar is home to the longest natural sandy beach line in the world (120 km unbroken sea beach). It is one of the best destinations to visit a beautiful sunset. Cox's Bazar is only 150 km. away from the commercial hub of Chittagong. Some of the famous tourist beaches are:
• Kolatoli Sea Beach, Cox's Bazar
• Patenga Sea Beach, Cox's Bazar
• Kuakata Sea Beach, Kuakata
Islands: The islands of Bangladesh are scattered along the Bay of Bengal and the river mouth of the Padma. There are more than 30 islands in Bangladesh. Some famous tourist attractions are:
• St. Martin Island
• Chhera Dwip, St. Martin
• Manpura Dwip, Bhola
• Bhola Dwip
• Nijhum Dwip, Noakhali
• Sonadia Dwip, Chittagong.
Bangladesh is a riverain country. So far it has huge prospect to develop water based tourism in this country.