Saint Martins – Coconut Island
Saint Martins is the only coral island in Bangladesh, with beaches fringed with coconut palms, seashells and laid-back locals. The island is a tropical cliché. It’s a clean, calm and cool place for soak up the rays.
Location: Approximately 9 km south of the tip of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. It is the southernmost part of Bangladesh located in the Bay of Bengal. It is around 8 km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar at the mouth of the Naf River. The total distance from Dhaka to St Martin is around 510 km.
Area: 8 sq. km but it reduces to around 5 sq. km during high tide.
Tourist Season: November to February
Original Name: “Narikel Jinjira” (Coconut Island) – The local name of the COCONUT is NARIKEL and the original name of this Island is Narikel Jinjira is derived from that.
Features:
- Beautiful Coral Reef
- Long Coral Beach
- Lots of Coconut Trees
- Peaceful Environment
- Bountiful Marine Life
- Deep Blue Water
- Sandy Beach
How to Reach?
To reach Saint Martins Island is just three-step process.
- Fly or bus and get down to Cox’s Bazar (400 km from Dhaka).
- Catch a bus to Teknaf.
- From Teknaf, ferries run daily and take around 3 hours.
Ferries leave the island about 3 pm. Now, three shipping liners run daily trips to St. Martins. They are Sea-Truck, Kutubdia and Keary-Sindbad. For the regular Eagle ferries you need not to pre-book. However, for more reliable Keari Sindbad ferry and if you have not a roundtrip ticket you can book the return ticket at the Keari Marzaan restaurant. The restaurant only services to day-trippers on tours arranged by Keari Tours. The one-way fare is Tk 225.
For Contact:
Keari Marzaan Restaurant
Before Saint Martin’s Resort, off the main road.
+88 01727 266077, +88 0181 6820971
Riyad Guesthouse
Phone: +880 018 1856 255
Hotel Prince
Ph: +88-017-11276250
Awareness:
- Avoid eating fish at every meal on the island as over-fishing rapidly vanishing sea life.
- Keep a sound distance from sea turtles and their eggs. Don’t disturb those fascinating but fragile creatures.
- Avoid western bathing suits both man and woman.
Displeasure:
- No Land phone
- No Motorized Vehicle
- No Night Club
- No Internet Facilities
- Very Limited Alcohol
Moheshkhali Island – Jewel of Cox’s Bazar
Moheshkhali is a jewel among the attractions of Cox’s Bazar. The island is famous for its beauty and tranquility. Numerous eager rickshaw pullers patiently wait for the arrival of tourist, and offer them an exclusive tour of the island.
Area: 268 sq. km
Attraction:
- Breathtaking Mangrove Forest
- Spectacular Hilly Areas ( around 300 ft. high)
- Salt Fields
- Striking Landscapes
- Picturesque & Peaceful Beaches
- Colorful Buddhist Temple & Pagoda
- Shrimp
- Battle Leaf
- Simple Island Lifestyle
- Rakhain villages
Place of Interest:
Adinath Temple: Located on the top of the Mainak Hill on Moheshkhali. The Shrine of Adinath is dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva, who is worshipped as Adinath. The place is famous for the annual fair held in the month of Phalgun according to the Bengali Calendar. The fair is taken place at the foot of the Mainak Hill and lasts 13 days. Thousands of Hindus participate here from all over Bangladesh.
Get in: Waterway: You can reach the Moheshkhali by trawler (local motorboat) or by speedboat. By trawler, it is one hour and half an hour journey whereas speedboat takes just half an hour to reach the Island.
By Road: Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam Bridge connects the island to the mainland. So, you can easily reach their by road.
Note: Traveling to Moheshkhali by waterway is advisable, as it is a super way to catch valuable memories on film and add extra adventure to exploration of Bangladesh.
Sonadia Island – Home of Turtles
Sonadia is a small crescent shaped island. The western part of this island is sandy and different types of shells are found on the beach. Visitors can see the apparently endless beds filled with windowpane oysters. The land is a tranquil haven for fishermen as well as its small local community.
Area: 9 sq. km
Location: 7-km north-west of Cox’s Bazar.
Attraction:
• The sight of game birds migrating Sonadia Island in huge numbers through the winter seasons.
• Turtle nests.
• Various bird species (More than 52 bird species including resident and migratory)
• Wildlife
• Live fishing and fishermen lifestyle
• Shrimp Farm
