The outer suburbs of Dhaka are a large semi-rural and industrial area in the north and east of the Bangladeshi capital. Uttara, in the north, is home to the major entry point for most visitors to the country, Shahjalal International Airport. In the east, urbanisation has not occurred due to the frequent flooding that happens on a yearly basis. The thanas (districts) here are still defined as part of the Dhaka Metropolitan Area, as their western edges are now the site of new suburbs and developments.

Buy

• 1 Jamuna Future Park, ☏ +880 389-4558003. South Asia's largest shopping mall by floor space. Opened in 2013 after much delay, but many of the stores remain empty making it a less than worthwhile shopping experience.  

Sleep

Splurge

• 1 Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Airport Road, Cantonment (15 miles from downtown, immediately outside the diplomatic enclave close to airport), ☏ +880 2 9834555, reservations.dhaka@radisson.com. Huge luxurious hotel sprawling over seven acres of manicured grounds and gardens with water features. All rooms are clean and contemporary. The hotel is almost a resort as it has a large outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, spa and a golf course. It hosts Bangla parties at weekends, which go on until late and which can be very loud and heard in rooms. Prices range from $255-900.