It was the first day of our Khagrachhari tour, and we visited a few of the places from my to-do list. In most of my tours I visit the main attractions on the very first day. After exploring most of the expected area we were too tired. We didn’t have any lunch, only had a usual heavy breakfast. So we need to eat something for lunch plus dinner. I was aware of the New Zealand Cafe which is located in the New Zealand Para area of the town. I read about the cafe from an article from a leading daily newspaper from Bangladesh. Also I had the paper cut with me. So I decided to explore the cafe. The name of the cafe was New Zealand Cafe. [Not sure if the restaurant still exists or not at the current date. It was in 2010 when we were there]
That cafe is not far from the main town. Just around 15-20 Taka rickshaw fare from the bus terminal. The place is really beautiful. One side is a small mountain, and the other side is a paddy field. That means a flatland, and a mountain are in juxtapose. I have never seen such a place before. Even in the afternoon farmers were working in the paddy fields. Most of them were female farmers.
How they got the naming of the place as ‘New Zealand‘ is very interesting. One day a guy felt like the air of this place seemed like the air of New Zealand. After that people started to call the place as New Zealand para. But interestingly that guy had never visited that country. He just watched a cricket match on TV, and the game was playing on a windy day. So he thought that air and the air on TV were the same. Funny anyway.
The decoration of the restaurant is simple. Few tables and benches under the open air. Few benches under the shades made from straws to give a village-like vibe. It also has a mini kid zone which is really simple, but excellent. After ordering our food in the cafe we explored the area by walking. It was fun to walk around the village path that was in between the paddy fields. The food of the restaurant was as usual. The scenic beauty from the open air sitting area was excellent. We could enjoy the landscapes while eating our food.
They serve food quickly, and while enjoying your meal you could enjoy the beauty. After your meal, take a short walk through the wide meandered path that went through the paddy fields. If you want to visit the place better go in the afternoon, otherwise you might miss the most of the beauty. In the afternoon not only Bangali people but also the tribal people have a hangout in the cafe. We got a discount from the cafe once they understood us as tourists.
New Zealand Cafe,
New Zealand road,
District: Khagrachhari,
Country: Bangladesh.
Written by Lonely Traveler,
For blog alonelytraveler.com
Saturday, 31 July 2010
