Chittagong, officially Chattogram (Chittagonian: চাটগাঁ Chāṭgān, Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম Choṭṭogrām), is the main international seaport and second largest city in Bangladesh, on the Bay of Bengal. The city is the headquarters of many Bangladeshi companies, including the Chittagong Stock Exchange. According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, Chittagong is one of the ten fastest-growing cities in the world.
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Chittagong (Chittagonian: চাটগাঁ Chāṭgān, pronounced SAHT-gahn, Bengali: চট্টগ্রাম Choṭṭogrām, pronounced CHAWT-toh-grahm) is one of the great port cities of Asia. It flourished on the Maritime Silk Road and was the eastern terminus of the Grand Trunk Road. It was visited by famous medieval explorers like the Venetians Niccolo de Conti and Caeser Frederick; the Arab traveller Ibn Battuta; and the Chinese admiral Zheng He. The Portuguese, Mughals and British controlled the port in successive periods until the 20th century.
Getting around in Chittagong is always an adventure. Traffic is, by and large, horribly congested and many drivers will think nothing of quoting ten times the going price to a tourist. Agree on prices before setting off. Transport in Chittagong is similar to that of the country's capital Dhaka. There are various bus systems with different routes, taxis, and smaller 'CNG' taxis which are basically tricycle-structured motor vehicles. Also, traditional manual rickshaws are very common. Walking is also a possibility as the town isn't too confusing, but keep an eye out as the streets can be very busy, especially around Station Rd and Jubilee Rd.
1 BNS Issa Khan, New Mooring, Chittagong, ☏ +1 880-31-740391, +1 880-31-714971. Largest naval base of the Bangladeshi Navy. Before the Bangladesh Liberation War, as PNS Bakhtiar, the base was awarded the National Standard by the President of Pakistan. (updated Aug 2019) 2 Chittagong Buddhist Monastery, Nandan Kanan. It is considered as one of the holy places of Buddhists in Bangladesh. There are Kesdhatu of Gautama Buddha, Ashtadhatu statue, Bodhimandap, Chintamani Library, Buddhist Hostel, Dhammavansh Institute, Medical Center, etc. There is a library called Echarao Chintamani Library which contains various rare manuscripts.
There are a few amusement parks and public parks in Chittagong: 1 Batali Hill (Zilapi Hill), Tigerpass (about 1 km from the center of the city). The tallest hill in the city of Chittagong is about 280 feet high. From its summit, the Bay of Bengal and large parts of Chittagong city can be clearly seen. During World War II, anti-aircraft guns were placed on top of the hill. Many years ago there was a lighthouse on the hill to guide ships sailing on distant seas. It is a good place to see the city from above. (updated May 2023) Go fishing for Anabas, Cat fish, Ruhi, Tilapia etc. 2 Agrabad Deba, Agrabad. Artificial lake in Agrabad, Chittagong.
The people of Chittagong love oily and spicy food. This can be a problem for foreigners and lead to upset stomachs. If you are a foreigner you should consider sticking with better restaurants and eating in large hotels. Never eat green salad which comes with your meal as you will not know if it has been washed in sanitized water. Just a handful of restaurants in town use sanitized water to wash salad and this is a recipe for explosive diarrhea. One oddity in Bangladesh is that restaurants advertise themselves as, for example, "Zaman Hotel and Restaurant" but do not operate a hotel. Where you eat at one of these establishments you can tease them by demanding a room.
The teahouses and coffee houses in Chittagong are mostly large, heavily standardized chains. The most common location for various kind of tea is Dalla, besides Agrabad Access Rd. The most common coffee house is Rio Coffee, found in multiple locations across the city, most notably around Naval Avenue Rd. Alcoholic beverages are available at five-star hotels in Chittagong as well as a number of private clubs. Four hotels in Chittagong have bar license; Radisson Blu Chittagong Bay View, Hotel Agrabad, Silmoon Hotel, Saint Martin Hotel Limited and The Peninsula Chittagong. While all the hotels are expensive for drinks.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Chittagong typically sees ~30°C daytime highs and 31 rainy days.
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