For centuries, families in Goalbari along the Chitra-Afra river junction have bred and trained smooth-coated otters to assist in nocturnal fishing expeditions. Attached to light leashes, the otters dive beneath river weeds to herd shoals of fish straight into the fisherman's submerged triangular net. This extraordinary practice is now preserved by only a handful of traditional households in the region. Arrange with a local boatman through town contacts beforehand to accompany an evening fishing run quietly from a separate boat.
- Best time
- October to February
- Give it
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- No official fee; hiring a local country boat and tipping the fishing family roughly ৳500–1,000
How to get to Goalbari Otter Fishing
Located in Goalbari village, Kolora union, roughly 6 km south-west of Narail town. A hired auto-rickshaw takes about 20 minutes from Rupganj.
Narail town is about 138 km from Dhaka, around 2.5 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Narail guide.
Fishing takes place after dusk or in early dawn; maintain a respectful distance so as not to startle the working animals.
More to see in Narail
Photo: Reaid Hossain, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons S. M. Sultan Memorial Complex এস এম সুলতান স্মৃতি সংগ্রহশালা
The riverside studio, grave and art gallery of painter S. M. Sultan, showcasing his large-scale canvases and preserved living quarters.
- Best time
- November to March
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Entry roughly ৳20 for locals, ৳100 for foreign visitors; rickshaw from Rupganj about ৳25–35
Photo: Jubair1985, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Shishu Swarga শিশুস্বর্গ
An art academy and sixty-foot double-decker boat studio founded by S. M. Sultan to teach painting and nature studies to village children.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- About an hour
- Cost
- Entry free; rickshaw from town centre roughly ৳25–40
Photo: Md. Shazidul, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Chitra Riverfront চিত্রা নদীর ঘাট
The wide river bends in Narail town near Victoria Bridge, renowned for the annual autumn S. M. Sultan memorial boat races.
- Best time
- September to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free to visit; hiring a country boat for an hour costs about ৳150–250
Nihar Ranjan Gupta's Ancestral House নীহাররঞ্জন গুপ্তের পৈতৃক বাড়ি
The secluded colonial estate in Itna village of novelist Nihar Ranjan Gupta, creator of the famous Bengali sleuth Kiriti Roy.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Entry free; return auto-rickshaw hire roughly ৳250–350