Chalan Beel, Natore
Photo: রহিম সৈকত · CC BY-SA 4.0

Natore District · Rajshahi Division · চলনবিল

Chalan Beel travel guide

The country's biggest beel; a vast sheet of water in the monsoon, birds in winter.

🗓️ Best time to visitAugust–October (monsoon); December–January (birds)
⏱ How long it takesHalf a day
💰 Estimated costBoat ride ৳300–600 per hour

At a glance

Area
About 368 sq km in the monsoon (more by some estimates)
Districts
Natore, Pabna, Sirajganj
Beel
Made up of many smaller beels and rivers
Museum
Chalan Beel Museum, Khubjipur (Gurudaspur)

History and details

Chalan Beel is Bangladesh's largest beel — really a huge wetland formed by many beels, canals and rivers (the Atrai, Gumani, Baral and others). In the monsoon it spreads like a sea, and in the dry season the water falls away to reveal fields of boro rice and mustard.

Chalan Beel was once a huge store of native fish, snails, birds and water plants; silting, road building and over-harvesting have shrunk its area and wildlife a lot. The Bonpara–Hatikumrul highway runs through the middle of the beel, creating a superb view in the monsoon.

The 'Chalan Beel Museum', founded in 1978 by local teacher Abdul Hamid at Khubjipur, Gurudaspur, keeps the belongings of wetland people, fishing gear and old artefacts.

Things to do

  • Take a boat into the beel in the monsoon
  • Stop beside the highway to photograph the water (safely)
  • See the Chalan Beel Museum
  • See the birds in winter

How to get to Chalan Beel

In Singra upazila; beside the Natore–Bogura highway.

Natore is about 220 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 4.5–5 hours.

  • 🚌 By bus: Rajshahi/Natore-bound buses from Gabtoli, fare ৳550–700.
  • 🚆 By train: Rajshahi-bound trains to Natore station, fare ৳300–900.

Where to stay

The district town has basic and mid-range hotels (roughly ৳800–2,500). Government circuit houses and dak bungalows can be used with permission.

What to eat

Natore's kachagolla (the most famous)

Good to know

  • Stop beside the highway in the Singra area to enjoy the view
  • If you see birds being hunted in winter, tell the authorities

More to see nearby

  • Singra upazila (centre of the beel)
  • Chalan Beel Museum, Gurudaspur
  • Uttara Ganabhaban (20 km)

More places to visit in Natore district

Location on the map