Rubber Forest is not just a forest to look over, it’s a popular place now a days for tracking, wondering, picnic center and so on. While exploring Mymensingh, there are some extra-ordinary places to pay a visit. Rubber forest/garden of Santoshpur in fulbaria Upazila is one of those. Fulbaria rubber forest and processing industries is one of the renowned places in this district. ORB Team recently visited that place while exploring the heritage of Mymensingh.
It belongs to an area of 106 acres which make this place look like a massive forest. Besides rubber garden there is a significant number of monkeys being found in a place inside the forest. Where you will also find a small forest office. Local people call this as Bandar office (বান্দর অফিস/বানর অফিস) which is very funny indeed. Nearby the office you may discover monkeys wondering around in a particular area with pride & dignity, as it seems like you just entered into their territory. It would be wise not exchanging any food with them, people may suggest you to buy them some peanuts. Once you buy for them, certainly they will be obedient for you and may follow your go.
Rubber Processing Zone:
One and half kilometer from Monkey zone, a traveler will find an industry of Rubber processing which is very near to the link road, connecting the forest with main road. It’s named after “Bangladesh Forest Development Corporation, Rubber processing factory”. Here a traveler can observe the whole methods of rubber processing. However, if someone is interested to observe the methods from the very beginning of collecting raw rubber from the trees, then we would rather suggest to stay in nearby places of forest for one or two days. But, it would be so tough to stay nearby places beside the forest as there is no residential hotel or boarding to stay overnight.
There are a significant number of Buses available from Mohakhali bus stand moving towards Mymensingh. If you want to go Fulbaria Upazila, then you may ride on a Bus name “Alam Asia”. It will drop you at fulbaria bus stop. From fulbaria bus stop, you may ride on a CNG auto rickshaw moving towards Keshorgonj bazar. At Keshorgonj bazar, there are some auto-rickshaws available moving toward Bali ghat (বালি ঘাঁট). You may take a walk from balighat to the forest. Another option is to hire an auto rickshaw from Keshorgonj to the rubber garden.
Mymensingh city is located about 120 km (75 mi) north of Dhaka which is the capital of the country. There is no airport in Mymensingh. Dhaka airport is approximately 110 km (4.00 hours drive) from Mymensingh by bus. There are several bus services from Dhaka to Mymensingh. Buses leave from the Mohakhali bus stand (10 km south of Dhaka Airport) in Dhaka to the Mashkanda bus stand in Mymensingh. You can get on any of the following buses from the Mohakhali bus stand in Dhaka, which will cost around Tk. 350 ($4):
1. Shoukhin
2. Ena
3. SEPL
There are several train services from Dhaka to Mymensingh. It takes almost 3 hours to reach Mymensingh from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. You can get on from the Dhaka Airport or you could go to the main train station-Komlapur Rail Station.
The main bus terminal is Mahstandar bus station, 3km from the Station Rd Circle. Between 6am and 6pm you can get a bus to a zillion places including Tangail (Tk 80, 2½ hours), Madhupur (Tk 40, 45 minutes), Dhaka (Tk 80, 4½ hours) and Bogra (Tk 140, 4½ hours).
The bus stand for Haluaghat and other destinations on the other side of the Brahmaputra River is, logically, at the bridge. Buses to Haluaghat (Tk 45, 1½ hours) leave regularly between 8am and 7pm.
Every day from the capital Dhaka to Mymensingh, a total of 7 mail trains comes in till 11:00 am. Four of the seven are intercity express train, others are local. These trains come to Mymensingh through to Tongi-gaffargaon from Dhaka. 3 out of 4 go to Tarakandi and 1 go to Dhaka-mohanganj. Per day 3 local train arrives at Mymensingh from Dhaka. 1 in 3 of the local trains come to Mymensingh via Bhairab-Kisorganj-gauripur, the other two comes Mymensingh via gaffargaon.
1. Hotel Hera
Address: 36/B S. K. Moharaja Road
Phone: +8801711167880, +8801714414212
24 hours internet facility at the lobbey of the Hotel Hera. Internet is absolutely free for the people staying at the hotel.
2. Hotel Amir International
Address:Palika Shopping Centre, 46 Station Rd Mymensingh
Phone: 01711167948, 09151500
3. Hotel Mustafiz International
Address: 6/B Gangadas Guha Rd, Mymensingh
Phone: 09163870
4. Nirala Rest House
Address: 67 Chotto Bazar Mymensingh
Phone: 091 67384
You may enjoy the sight seeing all around the forest. Besides, you may enjoy the whole methods of rubber processing .
Nearby the forest there’s almost no options for food facilities. So a traveler should find somewhere to eat nearby Fulabaria Bus Stop.
Questions, issues or concerns? I'd love to help you!