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Known for its lush greenery and fascinating sites, Bangladesh offers many exciting opportunities to travelers.

The Sundarbans in Bangladesh. USAID Biodiversity and Forestry. CC BY-ND 2.0

Bangladesh is a South Asian country that borders India and Myanmar. Originally referred to as East Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947, Bangladesh eventually gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. Although the country is not on many visitors’ radars, Bangladesh boasts both spectacular natural beauty and a rich culture. Here are seven destinations that travelers should check out when visiting Bangladesh.

1. Sundarbans Mangrove Forest

A Bengal tiger in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangrove. Anindya Majumder. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

If one could only visit only a single attraction in Bangladesh, this would have to be it. The Sundarbans mangrove forest is located where the Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers meet the Bay of Bengal. It is the largest mangrove forest in the world and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The forest is well-known for its variety of flora and fauna, most notably the endangered Bengal tiger. Other animal sightings that travelers can look forward to on their visit include spotted deer, rhesus macaque monkeys and a variety of waterbird species, including egrets and herons.

2. Dhaka

Travelers are likely to spend some time in Dhaka, as it is Bangladesh’s capital, largest city and travel hub. The city is a densely populated metropolis with some of the worst traffic in the world. Beyond the hectic rickshaw-filled streets, there are many exciting activities in the Bangladeshi capital, including watching boats dock at the Sadarghat river port, paying a visit to the Ahsan Manzil palace and museum, and touring the Baitul Mukarram Mosque, one of the largest in the world. Dhaka is also a wonderful place to explore traditional markets and sample Bangladeshi cuisine.

3. Cox’s Bazar Beach

A beach sunset in Bangladesh. Lonely explorer. CC BY 3.0

This is one of Bangladesh’s most beautiful beaches. Stretching over 75 miles, Cox’s Bazar is the longest uninterrupted sea beach in the world. The beach becomes less crowded the farther south one travels down its banks. Off the coast of Cox’s Bazar Beach is Maheshkhali Island, a pilgrimage point for Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists alike. Another nearby location is St. Martin’s Island, the only coral island in Bangladesh. Located at the southernmost tip of the country, St. Martin’s Island provides wonderful swimming and snorkeling opportunities.

4. Panam Nagar

The ghost town of Panam Nagar. Nurul Amin Russel. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Located 18 miles southeast of Dhaka, this town was well known for its textile production and Hindu merchant community. Panam Nagar was destroyed in a fire and the town remains deserted to this day. Although the exact dates and cause of the fire are still unknown, the large number of textiles stored in the town’s buildings could likely have caused it.

5. Paharpur

The Somapura Mahavihara monastery in Paharpur, Bangladesh. Stefan Krasowski. CC BY 2.0

Paharpur is one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh and was added to the list in 1985. Located in the northern part of the country, Paharpur contains the most important archaeological site in Bangladesh, an ancient Buddhist monastery called Somapura Mahavihara. The monastery is the second-largest structure of its kind south of the Himalayas and contains 177 monastic cells with a large shrine located in the middle. The monastery was a center of learning where the practice of Mahayana Buddhism flourished from the seventh to 12th centuries. It was further known for influencing Buddhist architecture in other parts of Asia, including Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple. Paharpur is also one of the best examples of pre-Islamic architecture in Bangladesh.

6. Srimangal

A woman picking tea in Bangladesh. Mariusz Kluzniak. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Srimangal is a small town located in the northeast of Bangladesh. Well known throughout the country for its tea production, a visit to Srimangal makes an excellent opportunity to learn about one of Bangladesh’s largest industries. Travelers can explore some of the 163 tea plantations that dot Srimangal’s hilly landscape and enjoy local brews straight from the source.

7. Bagerhat

The Shait Gumbad Mosque with 77 domes in Bagerhat. Joe Coyle. CC BY-NC 2.0

The Bagerhat district in the southwestern part of Bangladesh is home to the ancient city of Khalifatabad, which was founded by Turkic general Ulugh Khan Jahan in the 15th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city contains excellent examples of an early Islamic architectural style known as Khan-e-Jahan. The site includes 360 buildings such as mosques, public buildings, mausoleums, bridges and more. Unfortunately, the city’s location at sea level makes it vulnerable to rising seas, making cultural preservation a huge priority.

From its beautiful beaches to a fascinating history, Bangladesh makes a wonderful destination for travelers ready to visit a less-discovered piece of South Asia.

For travelers who enjoy a good book or like to study the teachings of ancient thinkers, experiencing the places where those writers and philosophers lived (or died) is often at the top of their bucket lists. Here are five places to visit if you love philosophy, literature or both.

1. Davy Byrne’s Pub, Dublin, Ireland

The exterior of Davy Byrne’s pub in Dublin. Flickr. John Logue. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

The Irish capital has always been a popular European destination for visitors. Some come to Dublin to take in its historic architecture, while others go on journeys to trace their Irish ancestry. Some literature enthusiasts come for the city’s connection to James Joyce, the famed Irish author best known for his 1922 modernist novel “Ulysses.” The novel follows the story of Leopold Bloom as he wanders the streets of Dublin in a manner reminiscent of Odysseus’ journey in Homer’s “Odyssey.” In Chapter 8 of the novel, Bloom visits Davy Byrne’s pub for a Gorgonzola sandwich and some Burgundy before returning to his travels through Dublin. While Bloom is a character of fiction, the pub is not, and is still operating to this day. According to the pub’s website, Joyce frequently visited and was close to the pub’s founder, Davy Byrne. Joyce fans still stop by the pub while traveling through Dublin, enjoying a sandwich and some wine during their own Irish odyssey.

2. The Tomb of Karl Marx, London, England

The headstone of Karl Marx’s grave in Highgate Cemetery, which reads “Workers of all lands unite.” Flickr. Daniele Nicolucci. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Cemeteries aren’t usually at the top of travelers’ bucket lists, especially of those visiting London. Yet, Highgate Cemetery in north London is visited by philosophy lovers for being the resting place of one notable 19th-century thinker— Karl Marx, the controversial German philosopher best known for writing “The Communist Manifesto” and “Das Kapital.” Almost 140 years after his death, his grave is sought out by fans of his work and of the school of thought that he inspired. However, the tomb of Karl Marx is also targeted by those who disagree with his philosophy, often being subject to acts of vandalism.

3. Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, Indianapolis, United States

The entrance to the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis. Flickr. Martin Kalfatovic. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

American novelist and satirist Kurt Vonnegut is known for his darkly humorous yet oddly lighthearted stories filled with eccentric characters representative of post-World War II America. Vonnegut, who was born and raised in Indianapolis, often referenced his home state in his novels. The Rosewaters, a fictitious American political family at the center of Vonnegut’s 1965 novel “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater,” are even from Indiana. Fitting for a Midwesterner at heart, the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is located in Indianapolis and is dedicated to his life and works. Vonnegut fans can sit in front of a model of the typewriter he used to write his stories with, look at pictures of his life and family, and even read his numerous rejection letters from editors.

4. Plato Academy Digital Museum, Athens, Greece

The Athens skyline. Unsplash. Evan Wise.

For those with a passion for classical history, ancient epics and philosophy, there’s no city with a connection to all three like the Greek capital of Athens. The city is considered the birthplace of many philosophical schools of thought and traditions, and was home to some of humanity’s most important thinkers. Yet one museum, dedicated to the philosopher Plato, is making ancient teachings accessible for a 21st-century audience. The Plato Academy Digital Museum was built in 2015 on the ancient grounds of Plato’s academy in Athens, and features interactive installations where visitors can learn about the teachings of Plato and his role in shaping Western philosophy. One can even take a quiz to see if they have what it takes to be a student of Plato.

5. Konigsberg Cathedral, Kaliningrad, Russia

Konigsberg Cathedral, where Immanuel Kant is buried. Flickr. Anita. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Located in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, this Gothic cathedral looms over the surrounding city, a reminder of the region’s Prussian history. It is also the resting place of German philosopher Immanuel Kant, best known for his contributions to the fields of ethics, aesthetics and metaphysics, who was born in the city when it was still part of the kingdom of Prussia. Much of Kaliningrad, which was called Konigsberg when it was part of Prussia, was destroyed during Allied air raids in World War II. The cathedral was also heavily damaged during the war, before reconstruction efforts began in the early 1990s. Kant was buried inside the cathedral after his death in 1804, and now rests in a mausoleum located to the side of the building.