I bought the Bradt Guide to Bangladesh prior to a recent week-long visit to the country, and was amazed at how well-laid-out, up-to-date and accurate it was.  I was not able, on this occasion, to explore very far, but thanks to the guide I discovered some excellent restaurants and great clothing stores in Dhaka.  I was able to travel a couple of hundred kilometers north of Dhaka, and experienced for myself the guide’s description of the Rajshahi district as ‘a real paradise’ (and a welcome break from the indescribable Dhaka traffic!)

 I learnt about the 120-km Cox’s Bazaar, billed as the world’s longest beach (though it seems there’s actually one twice as long in Brazil).  I read about Sundarban, home to the world’s largest mangrove forest and the endangered Royal Bengal tiger.  I discovered that half the country is under water during the monsoon season.  I found out all about ethnic minorities.

But the Bradt Guide to Bangladesh is so much more than a simple tourist guide.  It has excellent sections on a range of subjects from the country’s history to climate change, living in Bangladesh, and much more. 

Above all, whether you are simply visiting for a short while, or planning to move there, you will find the guide filled with useful information about responsible travel, and how you, as a traveller, can get involved in supporting positive change.  The writers, Mikey Leung and Belinda Meggitt, write with honesty, enthusiasm and insight.  They certainly open your eyes to the fact that Bangladesh is far from ‘the basket case’ it was described as by Henry Kissinger when the country gained its independence in 1971.

And after my short visit, I can confirm unreservedly the authors' description of the Bangladeshi people’s ‘never-ending hospitality and graciousness towards foreign guests.’  If you’d like to see photos of my trip, see here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=300266&id=664241054&l=f7d9e47d15

Based on this single experience, I shall be buying Bradt from now on, rather than Lonely Planet or Rough Guides.