The flooded trunks
Trees over a green mirror.
DM Rehem — CC BY-SA 4.0 · S M Mahfuzul Islam Rahat — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Faisal Akram from Dhaka, Bangladesh — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Asad Uj Jaman Shuvo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anik Sarker — CC BY-SA 4.0
Ratargul Swamp Forest is a freshwater swamp forest on the Gowain River in Gowainghat, near Sylhet, known as the Sundarbans of Sylhet. It is the second-largest swamp forest in Bangladesh, covering about 1,346 hectares. In the rainy season water floods the trunks, so the trees seem to grow out of a green mirror and a boat becomes the only way in. It was long thought to be the only swamp forest in the country and one of the few of its kind in the world, before others were found. Some 204 hectares were declared an animal sanctuary in 2015. Most of its trees are koroch, and the forest is linked to the Chengir Khal channel and the Gowain River. You ride a small wooden boat pushed by its owner with a long pole, passing between trunks and tangled branches in calm green shade. You may see birds and snakes on the branches, so keep your hands off them. In the dry season the water falls sharply and the place becomes a very different land, so do not compare it with the photos. It is about 14 km in a straight line from Sylhet and 26 km by road. The best season runs from June to October. Flash floods can happen in the rainy season, so check conditions before you go, and wear a life jacket if one is offered.
Trees over a green mirror.
Pushed with a long pole.
Wider views over the forest.
Gowain River, Gowainghat, Sylhet, Bangladesh
In the rainy season, June to October, when water floods the trunks.
Watch for floods and snakes, and follow the boatman's instructions.