Why one driver for the whole trip
It is usually cheaper than separate arrangements, but that is not the main reason. The main reason is that by day three, the driver knows how your group works — when you actually leave in the morning, how long you take at a stop, whether the children need a break.
That accumulated knowledge is what turns a workable trip into a smooth one. It cannot be transferred to a new driver in each city.
Planning realistic days
The most common mistake in Bangladeshi itineraries is treating highway distances like European ones. Roads pass through towns, traffic mixes freely and average speeds are far lower than the map implies.
As a working rule: 250 to 300 km is a full driving day on main highways. Anything beyond that is a long day and should be planned as such. Rural and hill roads are considerably slower again.
Where the driver stays and eats
On overnight trips, the driver needs accommodation and meals. The standard arrangement is either an allowance built into your quote, or you cover their costs directly.
Many hotels have driver accommodation, which is simplest. If yours does not, the driver will arrange something locally — this is routine and not something you need to manage, but the cost belongs somewhere and it should be agreed in the quote rather than discussed at the end.
On a full day out, it is customary to cover the driver's lunch. Most people simply pay when the group stops to eat.
Getting the most from the arrangement
- Share tomorrow's plan tonight
- It lets the driver think about routes, fuel and timing rather than improvising at 7am.
- Be honest about your start time
- If you say 6am and mean 7:30, everyone loses an hour of the best light. Say 7:30.
- Ask for advice
- Drivers know which approach is passable, where the parking is, and which stop actually has decent food. Most will not volunteer it unless asked.
- Give notice for big changes
- Adding a 200 km detour is usually possible, but not at ten minutes' notice on the day.
Etiquette that makes a difference
A few small things go a long way. Sit in the back if you are two or more — the front seat is the driver's working space. Let them know when you will be an hour rather than twenty minutes. Do not ask them to speed to make up time you lost.
Tipping is not expected and is not built into the price. Your Sarothi is paid properly by us, so nothing is owed at the end of a trip and nothing is expected.
Language
Drivers' English varies. Some are entirely comfortable; others manage the practical vocabulary of the job and no more. In the Sylhet region, Sylheti is widely spoken alongside standard Bangla and many drivers are used to working with British Bangladeshi families whose Bangla is conversational rather than fluent.
If English is essential — for a corporate visitor, for instance — say so at booking rather than hoping. It genuinely affects who we assign.
Seasons and road conditions
October to March is the reliable season: comfortable temperatures and predictable roads. The monsoon between June and September is the most beautiful time in the north-east and the least predictable for rural travel.
If you are travelling in the monsoon and your itinerary includes rural Sylhet, Sunamganj or the haor country, book a Executive 4x4. It is not an upgrade in that season; it is the correct vehicle.
