Vimruli Floating Guava Market

The country south of Barishal grows guava on a large scale in orchards laced with canals, and in the season the trade happens on the water: growers paddle boats loaded with fruit to canal junctions like Vimruli, where buyers' boats gather and the dealing is done boat to boat, with the canal filling into a floating market of dozens of loaded craft under the trees. The season runs from July into September, and the same canals carry floating trade in hog plum and other produce around it. Visitors hire a boat and move through the market among the transactions. It is a working market that has become a photographic destination, which the growers tolerate with good humour.

Highlights

• Boat-to-boat guava dealing - the market held entirely on the water.
• Canals under orchard shade - the waterways through the guava country.
• Dozens of loaded boats - the junction filling on market mornings.
• The paddling growers - fruit brought in from the orchards by canal.

When to go

July to September, in the guava season, and in the morning when the trading happens; outside the season the canals are quiet. Half a day. This is the monsoon, so expect rain.

What to expect

The season is short and in the monsoon, the least comfortable travel period. Tourist boats now crowd the market at peak and get in the way of the trade. There are no facilities. Reaching Jhalakathi from Dhaka takes most of a day.

Nearby

Jhalakathi is south-east; Barishal lies east.