Saint Martins Island
St Martin's Island is in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh about 10 km south-west of the southern tip of the mainland.
St Martin's is a tropical ferial and the only coral island in Bangladesh, with beaches fringed with coconut palms and laid-back locals. It's a clean and peaceful place with nothing more strenuous to do than soak up the rays,even mosquitoes are a rarity. There's a naval base near the kernel of the island, and the USA looked into setting up one of their own a few years back. The island was devastated by a cyclone in 1991 but has fully recovered, and was untouched by the 2004 tsunami.
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| at moonlight night |
It is possible to walk around St Martin's in a day since it measures only 8 km², shrinking to about 5 km² during high tide. Most of the island's 7000 inhabitants live primarily from fishing, and between October and April fishermen from this areas bring their catch to the island's temporary wholesale market. Rice and coconuts are the other staple crops, and algae is collected and dried from the sea rocks and sold for consumption to Myanmar.
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| at sun rise |
Most things are concentrated around the far north of the island, with the centre and south being mostly farmland and makeshift huts. There is no electricity on the island, though the larger hotels run generators in the evenings for a few hours.
November to February is the main tourist season with the best weather, though keep an eye on the forecast, as the occasional cyclone can strike during this time.
From Teknaf you can cruise to St Martin's Island with the best and the safest ship Keari Sindbad (http://kearitourism.com/only-ticket-rate-of-keari-sindbad/)reach St Martin's comfortably in 2 or fewer hours. Keari Sindbad cruise journey is a pleasant one as you will see the spectacular views of Teknaf's hill on one side and Mayanmar on the other side while it cruises along the Naf River.
KEARI SINDBAD ONLINE BOOKING LINK:
(http://kearitourism.com/only-ticket-rate-of-keari-sindbad/
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| keari sindbad ship |
LINK:http://www.labibabilash.com/sidebar_left.html
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| L.C.T Kutubdia ship |
For Keari Sindbad ticket booking dial 01727 266077
By Bus
Getting to Saint Martins Island by bus is a two-step process. First you'll need to travel to Teknaf which is the Southern most district of Bangladesh on the very southern tip, sandwiched up against Myanmar. One can come to Teknaf by bus from Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. Dhaka to Teknaf bus fare is around BDT 900 non-A/C and BDT 1400-1700 A/C as of January, 2012. There are several bus services which depart from Fakirapool, Dhaka to Teknaf. Maximum bus starts at night and the journey is near about 10-11 hours. From Teknaf, mid-level ships run daily and take around 2-2.30 hours named Kutubdia, Keari Sindbad, Eagle-1. The fare starts from BDT 450 to BDT 2500 as of September, 2012. All the ships and cruises stars journey from Teknaf to Saint Martin around 9AM-9.30AM and return journey starts from Saint Martin to around 3PM. The important thing is, during the off-season (May-August/September)these ships do not provide services because off bad weather. The peak season is September-April. The total distance from Dhaka to the island is 510 km
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| HANIF ENTERPRISE |
DHAKA OFFICES
- PANTHOPATH: 0173-402670
- ARAMBAGH: 01713-402671
- SAYADABAD: 01713-402673
By Plane
By plane you have to reach firstly in Cox's Bazar from Dhaka/Chittagong (Inter-country) by Biman Bangladesh Airlines or with Private Airlines such as Regent Airlines, United Airways, Best Air etc. The fare from Dhaka-Cox's Bazar is around BDT 3000-4500 as of December, 2011. Cox's Bazar airport is the closest airport to Teknaf.
After reaching Cox's Bazar by Plane, from Cox's Bazar there are several ways to travel to Teknaf. There are private cars for rental services and cost approximately BDT 100-150. There are public buses which start from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf and cost BDT 60-80. Another way would be a group rental of a mid-level micro bus or jeep to travel to Teknaf which may cost less and be a safer journey.
Get around
Arriving from the port you'll walk through a strip of basic restaurants and shops, and hit a T-junction. Left will take you to the eastern beaches (the cement ends shortly before the scuba dive centre), while a right turn will take you along the main cement 'road' where most of the hotels and guesthouses are, ending at the north-west part of the island.
At one point a left turn leads around the newly built hospital and into the centre of the island. It's an interesting walk and eventually leads out to the western beach just north of the Sea Turtle Hatchery, after a couple wrong turns.
Flatbed cycle-rickshaws are the only transport aside from walking. There are no motorized vehicles on the island, not even motorcycles.
"Narikel Zinjira Restaurant" is simply the best of the best. We have all heard about "A room with a view" but at Narikel Zinjira Restaurant they say "Dine with a view". The restaurant is located right at the front of the pier. Coming down from the pier you will find the restaurant on the first right side. They specialize in Sea food as well as Bangla, Indian and Chinese. Bar-B-Que is one of the special features they have for late afternoon. They offer buffet as well for large groups (Advanced booking). They have opened this restaurant with the mission to provide quality food for the tourists who visits the island. It has sitting arrangement for more than 200 guests at a time making Narikel Jinjira one of the biggest restaurant. Here they want to give you the taste, environment as well as keeping in mind your health. The food is delicious and the interior is sure to catch your eyes. A trained set of people are waiting to welcome you to "Narikel Zinjira Restaurant".
The islanders also sell dried fish, which is a bit more expensive but fresher than those available upshore in Cox's Bazaar.
Early morning is the best time to get fresh fish from the fisherman near the market, you can often bring it to your hotel chef and ask him to fry it up the way you like, or some places may do a nice evening bar-b-que. Some places may even give you kitchen access to cook it yourself if you ask
Sleep
Blue Marine Resort, (on the northeast corner of the island, visible from the port '''01727 266077'''). The most upmarket option on the island, this place is set to lead the way in tacky, environmentally unfriendly Cox's Bazar-style development (though thankfully still on a smaller scale). It's impeccably clean with a blue and white Miami sailboat feel and crisp white sheets. Attached baths are clean and have cold running water, laundry and room service are available, and there's a generator. There's also a good restaurant here selling the usual, plus lobster and crab at a premium, when available. The beach is visible from the front and the back of each room on the upper floors, and both the sunrise and sunset can be enjoyed from the private veranda attached to the rooms. They've also got a couple of cottages (Tk 2000) on the remote southern point of the island with kitchens. Tk 2000-3000.
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| BLU MARINE RESORT |
Coral Blue Resort (Eco Resort in St.Martin Island),http://www.tourtobangladesh.com/Coral-Blue-Resort.php Last tip of the Island, Dakhinmatha (Adjacent to Cheradwip), ☎ 09612000000, 8801713190007, [2]. checkin: 01:00pm; checkout: 12:00pm.Probably has the best view of St. Martins & Cheradwip. It is the last point of the island, where it is connected to Cheradwip by tide, on 24 acres with a natural lake that serves as a habitat for millions of migratory birds. This is the only tent resort with brick cottage and dormitories in an eco friendly environment with modern sanitation facilities and solar power (with a back up generator). A good restaurant within the resort area serves fresh fish grill and BBQ besides regular meals. Tk. 2000 to 5000.etc
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| Saint Martins Coral Island Bangladesh |
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