Ratargul Swamp Forest: best time to visit and today's weather
forest · Gowainghat, Sylhet
Updated: Monday, 7 September 2026
Long thought to be Bangladesh's only freshwater swamp forest, Ratargul lies about 26 km north of Sylhet on the Goain river in Gowainghat, reached by boat along the Chengir Khal. Some 3,325 acres of wetland (504 acres a wildlife sanctuary) of koroch, hijal and other water-loving trees stand under 20–30 ft of water for four to seven months each monsoon, when visitors are paddled by dinghy between the trunks under a closed green canopy. Kingfishers, herons and egrets, water monitors, monkeys and snakes live in it, and cotton pygmy geese arrive in winter.
Best time to visit
July, August, September, October
July to October: the monsoon puts the forest under 20–30 ft of water so every boat lane is open and the trunks rise straight out of clear, deep water; by September–October the rain eases but the water is still high — the best light for photographs.
Weather caution
Hill runoff from Meghalaya can flood Gowainghat within hours (flash floods hit the upazila on 19–20 May 2025); on days of heavy rain the current in the khal strengthens, so skip the boat or at least wear the life jacket the boatmen give you. Snakes rest on low branches in the monsoon. From December to May the water drops so far that most of the forest cannot be entered by boat.
Tomorrow in Ratargul Swamp Forest
7-day forecast for Ratargul Swamp Forest
| Day | Weather | High / Low | Rain chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 7 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 33° / 25° | 100% |
| Tuesday 8 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 33° / 25° | 100% |
| Wednesday 9 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 33° / 25° | 92% |
| Thursday 10 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 34° / 25° | 77% |
| Friday 11 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 34° / 26° | 76% |
| Saturday 12 | ⛈ Thunderstorm | 31° / 25° | 86% |
| Sunday 13 | 🌦 Light drizzle | 35° / 26° | 72% |
Highlights
- Dinghy ride between the submerged koroch and hijal trunks
- View over the whole flooded forest from the watch tower
- Kingfishers, herons and egrets; water monitors in the roots
- Cotton pygmy geese and other winter visitors
- The Chengir Khal boat approach from Motorghat
Getting there from Dhaka
Dhaka to Sylhet by bus, train or air, then a CNG or car from Amberkhana to Motorghat in Gowainghat (45–60 minutes, about 26 km). From the ghat it is a further 20–30 minutes by wooden dinghy (Tk 500–1,200) or engine trawler (about Tk 1,500 round trip) into the forest.
Typical weather at Ratargul Swamp Forest, month by month
| Months | High / Low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23.9° / 10.8° | 9 mm | 2 |
| February | 26° / 12.6° | 34 mm | 5 |
| March | 30° / 16.7° | 151 mm | 10 |
| April | 30.8° / 20.4° | 373 mm | 20 |
| May | 31.2° / 22.6° | 578 mm | 19 |
| June | 30.6° / 24.5° | 1196 mm | 28 |
| July | 32.3° / 25.5° | 727 mm | 30 |
| August | 31.6° / 25.4° | 646 mm | 28 |
| September | 32.5° / 25.1° | 353 mm | 21 |
| October | 30.4° / 22° | 320 mm | 16 |
| November | 29.4° / 16.7° | 18 mm | 1 |
| December | 26° / 13.3° | 8 mm | 1 |
Nearby destinations
Sylhet climate: the whole year · Gowainghat upazila weather → · All destinations
About this forecast
Ratargul Swamp Forest is a forest in Gowainghat, Sylhet District, at 25.012, 91.923. The forecast on this page is computed for the nearest weather-model point (Gowainghat) and refreshed daily.