Far from madding crowd on Pahela Baishakh

Pahela Baishakh is around the corner and ardent travellers see this as an excellent occasion to spread their wings for an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

This is the time to organise groups, explore exotic tourist spots, learn about the rites and rituals of indigenous people, venture out in the wild, soak in history at archaeological sites, and more.

If you are looking for a new and unusual travel destination to celebrate the first day of the Bangla calendar, here is a list:

Rangamati: Travelling along the winding roads of the three hill districts -- Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari - you will catch sight of the indigenous communities preparing for the Baishabi festival.

The Tripuras call the festival 'Baishuk' while the Marmas term it 'Shangraing' and the Chakmas celebrate the occasion as 'Biju'. The word Baishabi has been coined combining the first letters of the three terms.

According to our Rangamati correspondent, the three-day Baishabi celebrations begin on 12 April amid much fanfare and festivity.

Nowadays, quite a number of tourists from Dhaka, Chittagong, and from the rest of the country join the festival, especially to experience ‘Jolkeli’, a water festival.

Kaptai is a perfect destination in Rangamati to experience ‘Jolkeli’ from close quarters.

Every village of Chittagong Hill Tracts turns into a hub of celebrations on the occasion. Besides the water festival, traditional sports are another attraction for tourists.

Bandarban: A large number of tourists visit this picturesque hill town every day to enjoy the beauty of nature at its best.

If you are visiting Bandarban during Pahela Baishakh, don’t forget to make plans to visit the Rajbari compound when the 'Shangraing' festival takes off there in all flamboyance.

At scenic Neelachal and Neelgiri, you will be entranced as the sun plays hide-and-seek with the clouds.

But for a stint of adventurous trekking, Remakry Nafakhum, and Amiakhum falls, Keokradong’s peak, Boga Lake and such places are a must.

Kuakata: The 'Shangraing' festival of Rakhine people takes place at Kuakata, the coastal area of Patuakhali, Barisal.

According to our Kolapara correspondent, the ethnic community of the area also celebrates the festival with a display of rites and revelry.

Sonargaon: An avid learner of history can make a day trip to Sonargaon near Dhaka city, a perfect destination for this Pahela Baishakh.

It was the seat of the medieval Muslim rulers and governors of eastern Bengal.

Sonargaon is about 29 kilometres from Dhaka, located on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Narayanganj district.

A month-long folk arts festival and fair goes on during the month of Baishakh.

Panam Nagar, the Folk Arts and Crafts Museum, and the Royal Palace are some of the most fascinating tourist spots here.

Dinajpur: Up north, you can spend a pleasant day without wandering too far from the city at Shopnopuri.

Shopnopuri is a manmade amusement park merely eight kilometres from Dinajpur. The park has facilities for tourists of all ages like a children’s corner and boating facilities.

Along with Shopnopuri, Dinajpur has some other tourist attractions like the ancient temple Kantaji Mandir, the Nayabad Mosque, where you can take in the history of Bengal.

Bogra: Bogra’s Mahasthangarh is one of the famous tourist attractions of the country and another place worth visiting for those with a penchant for history. This is one of the earliest urban archaeological sites so far discovered in Bangladesh.