Should you visit your hometown before or after Eid?

Looking to visit your hometown for Eid but not sure if you should? Well, you've come to the right place. We will weigh the pros and cons of visiting your hometown during and after Eid to help you make your mind up.

Pros of visiting during Eid holidays

You'll get to spend the ACTUAL Eid day with loved ones: Eid only comes around twice a year. Sure, it has lost some charm as we grew older but there is still an air of magic about it. It's certainly a very special day to spend with loved ones and it just won't feel the same if we can't spend it ON the actual day. You'll get to make precious memories with your loved ones and there isn't any replacement for that.

A much-needed getaway: Dhaka is synonymous with stress and small getaways are a godsend. Obviously getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city life to a more serene setting would be a nice change in pace and scenery. This will help you reset the mind and come back from the Eid Holidays fresh and rejuvenated.

Pros of visiting after Eid holidays

You'll get some much-needed alone time: Our life has come to a point where we hardly ever have any time to ourselves. Instead of going away to your hometown for the holidays, you can stay back and just get some alone time. Utilize this free time to catch up on movies, books and even your hobbies. A getaway sounds nice but the back-and-forth travelling can spoil some of the zen from it. However, if you choose to stay back and rest, there won't be any external factors interfering with your peace.

You can travel within Dhaka in peace: At this point 'faka Dhaka' is a myth but in all fairness, Dhaka is less busy during the Eid break, so commuting within the city is much more enjoyable. Dhaka is actually quite enchanting but we hardly get to experience any of it due to the chaos. 

Cons of visiting during Eid holidays

Lack of transportations: At the very least, 70 per cent of Dhaka will seek to ditch the city in favour of spending Eid with loved ones back in their hometown which will lead to an inevitable lack in transportation. After all, there are only so many vehicles to carry this many people. Even if you do manage to find tickets, they will most likely cost a fortune. Many people also resort to travelling dangerously i.e., on top of buses, trains, lorries etc, and as adventurous as that sounds, we would highly recommend against that kind of recklessness.

Roads are unsafe: This means that there will be a ridiculous number of vehicles in the roads, making anyone travelling more vulnerable to collisions and other hazards. To those travelling during the Eid holidays, we would urge you to stay safe and keep the respective drivers of your vehicles in check so that they drive safely.

High chances of not being able to return to Dhaka in time: Going back to the first con, the lack of transport extends well beyond the Eid holidays. You just might be able to manage tickets at the cost of an arm and a leg but that too is a long shot. There is a very high possibility of getting stuck in your hometown and not being able to return to Dhaka in time. So, if you have important meetings/exams scheduled right after Eid, it will be a wise idea to celebrate it in Dhaka this time around and visit your hometown a few days after Eid.

Cons of visiting after Eid holidays

You'll have to go through the hassle of applying for a leave: "Why didn't you go during the break?" will be a prevalent question while applying for a leave immediately after Eid. Be it work or school, you will need to go through the hassle of explaining things to your boss/professor while also taking that risk of missing out on tasks and falling behind. On top of that, there are no guarantees of your application being approved.