Bring along enough shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste,
sunscreen, mosquito spray, etc, to last the first few months. It's not easy to
buy any of these things locally, so you need enough to last until you've learnt
your way around. Ladies, it may be worth bringing enough moisturiser for the
duration - not easy to come by here (though the humidity means you won't need too
much).
To avoid losing your precious stash of biscuits and sweets to
the omnipresent creepy-crawlies, bring plenty of sealable food bags. A small
Tupperware tub can be really handy too.
If anything you bring requires batteries, either bring enough
for the duration or invest in a battery recharger and rechargeable batteries to
avoid the leaky local offerings. And if anything requires special batteries, eg:
your camera, make sure you have spares. You need a normal two-pin adapter for the
sockets.
One for the ladies: you can't buy tampons out here at all. Or
knickers (easily). Bring a good stash.
Make sure you have plenty to do for recreation. It is a good
idea to bring plenty of books. If you're in to art, bring some materials. Think
about what kind of hobbies you may enjoy in your free time and what you might
need to do them. Volunteers who plan to stay a really long time may find a laptop
useful. It gives you a bit more freedom in your work, but also allows you to play
DVDs, music, games, etc.
An MP3 player will enable you to bring all your CDs without
bringing all your CDs.
Bring a torch - essential for the frequent power cuts.
You can buy expensive water filters aimed at travellers. You
won't need them: the kitchen has a great filter.
Taking malaria tablets is a personal choice, but my advice is
not to bother. This region has had no cases of malaria for years, and the side
effects of the tablets can be rather disagreeable. It is worth bringing some in
case you go elsewhere though, eg: Chittagong or India.
Things don't dry easily at all here because of the humidity.
That includes long hair. So although it's definitely not an essential, this is
one trip where you have a good reason to bring a hairdryer!
You won't need a sleeping bag unless you plan to travel
around a lot in winter (and even then you are unlikely to really need it).
Spending money
You won't need a great deal of spending money - living in
Bangladesh is very cheap. But make sure you have access to enough to take
yourself off on trips or treat yourself to some shopping, meals out, etc.
Dollars are the best hard currency to bring, and we can keep
them safe for you while you're here.
Travellers cheques are safer than cash, but can also be a
nuisance to change (volunteer tip: try American Express in Dhaka - they changed
travellers cheques much more efficiently than anywhere else we tried).
Switch cards don't work out here.
Credit cards work only very rarely, though they can normally
be used at the handful of ATMs in Dhaka when you need to get extra cash. Visa is
generally easier to use, and for MasterCard we suggest Standard Chartered
next to Rifle Square in Dhaka
Do make sure you have access to enough money, as it is
not quite as simple here as it may be at home.
Visas
Once we have accepted your application, we will send you
an invitation letter which you can use to get your visa. Please refer thoroughly
to the guidelines from your country's Bangladesh High Commission
(
www.mofa.gov.bd). It is important
to include all the correct documents and all supporting information.
Allow plenty of time to apply for your visa, but it is
best not to do it too early - visas are usually valid from date of issue instead
of from the date you say you will arrive in Bangladesh. If possible, it is
advisable to go to the embassy in person.
It may be worth considering booking your return flight
from a neighbouring country, eg, India, in case you have any issue obtaining a
visa for the full length of time that you plan to be in Bangladesh. For long stays we still suggest applying for a tourist visa, even if it may not cover all the time you require. This is because it is generally extremely difficult for you (and expensive for us) to obtain a NGO working visa, and it is quite easy to nip across the border to India and renew your visa when the time comes.
Please note: it is not possible to get a visa at the
airport in Bangladesh. You must use the invitation letter plus all other
applicable documents as advised by your local Bangladesh High Commission to
obtain an official visa in your passport before you fly.
Vaccinations
Please visit your local travel health centre to obtain
the latest advice about what vaccinations and precautions are necessary. You will
need to allow at least 6 weeks prior to your trip. Malaria is not however a risk in BRIF's area, so unless you intend travelling to malarial areas during your stay you will not require anti-malaria tablets.
Insurance
Please ensure that you arrange medical insurance before
you travel. We also recommend that you take out a travel insurance policy to
cover airfare, belongings, etc.
Language
Although your work will be in English, non-Bangla
speakers are usually able to get much more out of a long-term placement if they
learn some basic Bangla. It is certainly not a prerequisite for your stay with
us, but is our recommendation to help you gain a bit more independence and to
settle in, as most of the local population speak no English. But don't worry - we
fully understand that learning Bangla can be very difficult, and we will always
do our best to help.
It is worth picking up a Bangla/Bengali language book
before you travel: the internet is a good place to find them if your local
bookshop does not stock any. We can also help you to find someone who can give
you some lessons whilst you are here.
