120 km long Cox's Bazar sea beach is the longest sea beach in the world.
For Bangladeshi's it doesn't get much better than Cox's Bazar, the country's most popular beach resort. Sort of a Cancun of the east, it's choc-a-bloc with massive cement hotels and gaudy over-development catering largely to the country's elite. As a foreigner it likely won't compare to other beach vacations you may have taken, but it's still interesting to see how the Bangladeshi's live it up. The beach is crowded, especially near the Hotel Motel Zone, a large cluster of more upmarket hotels. Expect lots of attention, and expect to stay fully clothed.
30 km south is Inani Beach, the world's longest and widest with over 100 miles of unbroken sand. Things should be quieter here, but still expect to draw some attention.
Located about 150 km south of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar is connected both by air and road from Dhaka and Chittagong
Non-Stop flights are available from Chittagong and Dhaka on GMG Airlines, United Airways. Flights tend to be daily during the high season (Oct - Apr) but generally drop back to 3-4 flights per week during the Summer and Monsoon (May - Sept).
The main bus terminal is a few kilometers east of the central town area, about a 15 minute / Tk 10 rickshaw ride. Local buses head to Chittagong (Tk 120, 4 hours) and Teknaf (Tk 70, 3 hours).
The private bus companies have offices near Hotel Sea Queen on the main road, and also down in the Hotel Motel Zone.
See Also:
Miles of golden sand, towering cliffs, surfing waves, colorful pagodas, Buddhist temples and tribes, delightful seafood — this is Cox's Bazar, the tourist capital of Bangladesh.
There are also a few very old wooden Buddhist temples at Ramu, a few kilometers from Cox's Bazar, well worth visiting.
A drive to Teknaf, which is the southernmost tip of the mainland of Bangladesh, is a memorable journey. A day trip to either Moheshkhali or Sonadia, the deltaic islands nestled among the gentle waves of the Bay of Bengal, will also be really interesting.
Other attractions for visitors are conch shell market, tribal handicraft, salt and prawn cultivation. - Himchari: It is about 32 km south of Cox's Bazar along the beach, a nice place for a picnic and photo-shooting. The famous "Broken Hills" and waterfalls here are rare sights.
- Inani Beach: It is about 32 km south of Cox's Bazar and just on the beach, with the sea to the west and a background of steep hills to the east. Inani casts a magic spell on those who step into that dreamland. It is only half an hour's drive from Cox's Bazar and an ideal place for sea-bathing and a picnic.
- Maheskhali: An island off the coast of Cox's Bazar. It has an area of 268 square kilometers. Through the centre of the island and along the eastern coast line rises a range of low hills, 300 feet high; but the coast to the west and north is a low-lying treat, fringed by mangrove jungle. In the hills on the coast is built the shrine of Adinath, dedicated to Shiva. By its side on the same hill is a Buddhist Pagoda.
- Ramu: This is a typical Buddhist village, about 16 km from Cox's Bazar, on the main road to Chittagong. There are monasteries, khyangs and pagodas containing images of Buddha in gold, bronze and other metals inlaid with precious stones.
The village has a charm of its own. Weavers ply their trade in open workshops and craftsmen make handmade cigars in their pagoda like houses.
- Sonadia Island: It is about seven kilometers from Cox's Bazar and about nine square kilometer in area. The western side of the island is sandy and different kinds of shells are found on the beach. Off the northern part of the island there are beds of window pane oysters. During winter fisherman set up temporary camps on the island and dry their catches of sea fish.
Eat:
There's a ton of restaurants along Sea Beach Rd and in the Hotel Motel Zone, most serving Bangladeshi standards.
- Jhawban Restaurant and Poushee Restaurant, next door to each other on Hotel Sayeman Rd just south of Sea Beach Rd, serve similarly excellent Bangladeshi food including fried fish, a Cox's Bazar specialty. Both are wildly popular, especially at lunch time - go with the flow. Meals Tk 60-130.
- Mermaid Café, Sea Inn Beach, (in Hotel Motel Zone), 01815 672855 Lunch and dinner until 7PM. Overlooking the beach south of Hotel Media International, this newer cafe is super friendly and laidback and probably the coolest place to hang out in the area. With its natural-ish vibe of wood and bamboo, it hints at the direction that Cox's Bazar coulda shoulda woulda taken way back when. If it were anywhere else it's prices would put it out of business, but here it's taka well spent. It has several sitting areas and hammocks, and a creative menu including crepes and savory pancakes, and seafood-heavy mains like shrimp salad, pastas and fish pizza for Tk 250-400. Delicious fresh juices are around Tk 80 and filter coffee and espresso around Tk 50. The music is occasionally dubious but they're very open to requests.
Sea Stone Café, Sea Inn Beach, ☎ 01914458443. 11am til late. As the only two-storey building on the beach-front, Sea Stone Café offers superb 180 degree views of the Cox’s Bazar beach. Its top deck is the best place in town to watch the sun set over the Bay of Bengal. Quality Western and Asian dishes are on offer, as well as fresh juices, real coffee and herbal teas. Entrées include grilled prawns, calamari and niçoise salad. Home-made pasta, pizza, chicken, beef and seafood dishes are on offer for mains. If you are after fresh prawns, calamari, crab, lobster or fish, this is the place for you. The staff are friendly and although the service can be slow, it doesn’t matter because there’s nowhere else in Cox’s that you will be in a hurry to get to!
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