“Visit Bangladesh before tourists come!” reads a poster produced by the National Tourism Organization of Bangladesh. It’s no exaggeration. Few foreigners visit Bangladesh, and few of them are tourists. If you want luxury accommodations and well-worn tourist routes, go elsewhere, but if you’re an adventurous traveler who doesn’t mind a bumpy ride and a lumpy bed while experiencing rich and ancient religious, musical and culinary traditions, Bangladesh is for you.

The old city in the nation’s capital, Dhaka, is a tangle of narrow streets best traversed by foot, pedicab or CNG (a kind of motorized tricycle cab). Scattered within is architecture dating back to the Mughal empire. Star Mosque is a small Mughal-style mosque adorned top-to-bottom by a beautiful mosaic of Japanese and English porcelain. Dhaka’s Shia minority still congregate at the vibrant Hussaini Dalan, the city’s oldest Shia mosque. A tour of the lush grounds of Lalbagh Fort and the relics within its museum contextualizes Mughal rule during the 19th century.

Dhaka’s old city is great for local snacks. Try curries, kabobs and crispy puchka at the Hotel Al-Razzaque restaurant. Desserts like sandesh sweet cheese fudge and mishti doi sweet yogurt are sold in the shop right outside the restaurant doors. If you want to find out just how exciting rice can be, don’t miss Fakruddin’s Kacchi Biryani. For souvenirs check out Aarong.

Bangladesh’s real treasures are outside Dhaka. Kushtia district is a crash course in Bangladeshi music and literature. There you’ll find the estate-turned-museum of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Kushtia is also home to another great musical tradition, one that inspired Tagore himself, Baul Sangeet. The Baul people practice a syncretic religion, the mystic tenets of which they express through folk songs. Tour the shrine to their greatest minstrel, Lalon Shah, and if you’re lucky, visit the rustic home of friendly local Bauls for a vegetarian meal followed by an evening of song and dance.

In the Bangladeshi countryside, the devastating impact of industrial development is painfully clear, but the country is not without natural wonders. In the southern districts of Khulna grows the Sundarbans, the largest coastal mangrove forest on Earth. You could spend weeks exploring the muddy delta that harbors the world’s last Bengal tigers. Typical excursions, however, last only a few days. Kingfishers, herons, monkeys, deer and crocodiles are abundant, and can be seen up close at preserves like the Karamjal Wildlife Center. Stop by an island fishing village to find ornamented makeshift Hindu shrines and shade under the thatched roofs of local homes. Stick around for a delicious meal of giant prawns and fish curry.

Traveling in Bangladesh is challenging. Although independent travel in Dhaka is manageable, access to other regions is limited without d a local guide. We recommend Jatrik Travels for highly professional and customizable tours of Bangladesh.