Holiday in Chittagong

What makes Chittagong special as a destination?

Chittagong (officially Chattogram) is the second largest city in Bangladesh and the country's main port. The city is picturesque, nestled between green hills and the Bay of Bengal, and has a vibrant trading history that dates back to Arab, Portuguese, and British seafarers. Chittagong is the economic heart of Bangladesh, processing over 90% of the country's foreign trade. Foy's Lake is an artificial lake from the colonial era, surrounded by wooded hills and an amusement park: a popular recreational area for the city's residents. The Ethnological Museum is the only one of its kind in Bangladesh and documents the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Chittagong Hill Tracts, east of the city, are one of the most diverse regions in South Asia: hilly bamboo landscapes, Buddhist monasteries of the Chakma, Marma, and Tripura, and the stunning Kaptai Lake — the largest artificial lake in Bangladesh, created by the Kaptai Dam in 1962. Patenga Beach at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River into the Bay of Bengal is Chittagong's most popular beach: wide sand, shrimp stalls, and sunsets over the sea. Nearby is the Chittagong shipbreaking yard, where giant ocean liners are manually dismantled — an impressive, albeit controversial spectacle. The Shah Amanat Bridge and the historic British colonial buildings along the Karnaphuli River shape the city's skyline. The Zia Memorial Museum in the Old Circuit House is dedicated to the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.