Sreemangal tea country: estates, gibbons and seven-colour tea

Sreemangal is where Dhaka people go when they want green, quiet and a good cup of tea. The town sits in Moulvibazar district, surrounded by rolling estates where neat rows of tea bushes run up and over low hills. It isn't a place of big sights. It's a place to walk, slow down and breathe properly, and two or three days here can feel like a full holiday.

Walking the tea estates

The estates are the heart of Sreemangal. Early morning is the best time, when mist hangs between the shade trees and the light is soft. Many estates have roads and paths you can walk along, but they are working gardens and private property, so stay on the paths and ask before wandering into a section.

If you see tea pickers at work, most of them women from tea-garden communities whose families have lived here for generations, be polite and ask before taking photographs. A smile and a few words go further than a long lens.

The Bangladesh Tea Research Institute is also based in Sreemangal, and its neatly kept grounds are a pleasant stop if you're curious about how tea is grown.

Lawachara National Park and its gibbons

Just outside town, Lawachara National Park is one of the best-known patches of forest in the country. It is home to the western hoolock gibbon, Bangladesh's only ape, and on a good morning you may hear their loud, whooping calls long before you see them high in the canopy. Langurs, macaques and many birds live here too.

• Go early, walk quietly and keep voices low. Animals simply move away from noise.
• Take a local guide. They know the trails and where the gibbons have been seen recently.
• Wear closed shoes and long socks in the wet months, when leeches are common.
• Carry your rubbish out with you, and leave plastic bottles and packets behind in town where you can.

Khasi villages sit within and around the forest, where families grow betel leaf on the trees. These are people's homes, not attractions, so visit only with a guide and ask before taking pictures.

Madhabpur Lake

A short drive away in Kamalganj, Madhabpur Lake lies inside a tea estate, a long, calm stretch of water with tea-covered hills rising on all sides. In season, water lilies cover parts of the surface. Walk up to one of the higher points for the classic view across the lake, and go in the late afternoon for softer light and fewer people.

The famous seven-colour tea

No visit is complete without a glass of the layered 'seven-colour' tea, made famous by Nilkantha Tea Cabin. Each band is a different tea with its own colour and taste, poured so carefully that the layers stay separate in the glass. Sip it slowly from the top, layer by layer, and see which one you like best. Then try a plain cup of local tea, too. After all, this is what the region is known for.

Buy loose tea to take home from a proper shop in town. It makes a far better gift than anything in a box at the station.

Getting there by train from Dhaka

The train is the nicest way to reach Sreemangal. Intercity trains on the Dhaka to Sylhet line stop here, and the ride takes you through paddy fields, villages and, near the end, the first tea gardens. Tickets sell out quickly before weekends and public holidays, so book early. There is also a good road connection if you would rather travel by private car.

For getting around, a hired car or CNG for the day works well, since the main sights are spread out. The months after the rains, when the hills are green and the air is clear, are especially pleasant. Winter is cool and dry, and good for walking. Many visitors combine Sreemangal with Sylhet's hills and rivers in one trip.

Softway Travels can arrange your train or car, stay and local guide. Have a look at our Sreemangal package or, for a longer trip, the Sylhet and Sreemangal package.