One of Asia’s mega cities is often overlooked by British tourists but there is lots to do here. According to population data, there are 34 mega cities in the world. These are cities where populations exceed 10 million residents. Many of these mega cities are in Asia, with a number of them in China and India. However, there is one with a whopping population of 23.9 million people that many Brits aren’t aware of. But it might just be one of the most fascinating places you could visit.
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh, located east of India. In terms of the biggest cities in the world (by population), Dhaka lands at number 12 behind Delhi in India and Chongqing in China. While Dhaka is home to a massive number of residents, it also attracts a small number of international tourists every year, not as many as you might expect from such a large, bustling place. In fact, Bangladesh isn’t even in the top 100 most visited countries in the world.
One of the top attractions for tourists in Dhaka is Ahsan Manzil, a palace located in the Kumartoli area beside Buriganga River full of interesting history that now operates as a museum. There is also Lalbag Fort which was the site of the first battle for independence against the British Empire in 1857.
Other top-rated attractions include the Sadarghat river port, where tourists go early in the morning to take photos. Additionally, there are temples and markets to visit in this city that will give you a real feel for the culture and daily life in this place.
Users of sites like Tripadvisor and Reddit have shared their thoughts and experiences when it comes to Dhaka. One person wrote: “Paradise it ain’t but it’s pretty fascinating as it’s so raw so a good hotel, place to stay is important.”
Hwever, Dhaka is not for the faint of heart. The crowds, traffic and noise here will be an issue for anyone who gets easily overwhlemed. But if you are willin to get past that, then it can be an interesting expeirence.
Sharing their expeirence of Dhaka, one Reddit user wrote: “The traffic in Dhaka was the worst I had ever experienced. No matter what time you are in the traffic there is always a traffic jam. From the airport to my hotel (in Banani) the traffic was doable but when I decided to go to old Dhaka the traffic got crazy. Sometimes the traffic was just stuck and I would sit in a TukTuk between busses and the exhaust gasses.”
They added: “Visiting Dhaka is a raw experience, there is hardly any tourism and you can have a good look into local life in the city. However visiting Dhaka is also more complex and more expensive. Since there is barely any tourism there are no hostels.”
While Dhaka falls near the top ten when it comes to the world’s largest mega cities, it is dwarfed by other metropolitan areas in Asia. The world’s most populous mega city, according to multiple sources, is Bengaluru in India.
This is followed by Bangkok in Thailand in second place. Bangkok is a familiar place for many tourists, especially backpackers who travel around this region of Southeast Asia.
The other top ten mega cities in the world are Beijing in China, Bogota in Colombia, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Cairo in Egypt, Changsha in China, Chengdu in China, Chennai in India and Chongqing in China.