Sawon D.

Hi, I'm Sawon — welcome to my little corner of the world. I was born and raised in Juri, a small village in Sylhet, in the northeastern corner of Bangladesh. My family and I live in an area blessed with incredible diversity — surrounded by tea gardens, close to two Indigenous communities, the Manipuri and the Khasi (a matrilineal society, where lineage and inheritance pass through the women), and just a short distance from some of the most beautiful natural spots in the country. Hakaluki Haor, one of Bangladesh's largest wetlands, is about 5 km from our home, Madhabkunda Waterfall is around 13 km away, and Sreemangal, the tea capital of Bangladesh, is roughly 2 hours from here. About my family I live in an 11-member joint Hindu family — the kind of household where everyone eats together, everyone's involved in everyone else's lives, and guests genuinely become part of it. Some of my aunties are completely vegetarian, so vegetarian food is always available alongside everything else we cook. Our home is a traditional Bengali village house — we have some newer buildings too, but we prefer to live the traditional way. We're set in a completely rural area, and power cuts are part of daily life here. Please don't expect anything luxurious — we simply treat our guests as we truly are. A little about what we've built Together with the people in our area, we run a small community tourism initiative called Charubala, recognized by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. Guests stay with us in our family home and become part of the community — we share daily activities and local life together, with nothing staged or touristic about it. The spark for all of it started somewhere else entirely — here, on Couchsurfing. This is where I met people who changed how I see the world, and where the very first seeds of what's now grown into this community tourism project were planted. Most of the support, encouragement, and belief in what I'm building has come from this community, and I don't think I'll ever stop being grateful for that. For solo female travelers I want you to feel genuinely safe saying yes to this. You wouldn't be staying with a stranger in an unknown place — you'd be staying inside a real family home, with my aunties and cousin sisters around, in a proper household setting. I'd also encourage you to look through my references and reviews here — they'll tell you far more honestly who I am than I ever could myself. On costs — please read this carefully Your food and accommodation are completely free, for as long as you're with us. That's not a promise I'm making lightly — if you look at my reviews, I think you'll see that's genuinely how I treat the people who stay with me. That said, if you're someone who likes to explore a bit further and get adventurous around the villages, anything beyond food and accommodation — local transport, entrance fees, and similar costs — would be on a shared-cost basis. Similarly, when we visit any of the surrounding communities together (Manipuri, Khasi, or tea-garden families), it's customary to contribute a small token amount afterward — even $5 or $10, whatever feels right to you — as a way of respecting and supporting the people who welcome us into their homes. Before arranging your stay Please send me a copy of your passport or visa in advance, via WhatsApp — this is just a standard part of how I keep things organized and safe for everyone. If any of this speaks to you, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me directly at +8801796876201 or by email at charubalahomestay@gmail.com.