Cox's Bazar

Bangladesh 's only beach resort is near the Myanmar border in an area where Rohingya refugees have settled to escape persecution in Myanmar . It has a Burmese Buddhist flavour and few amenities to service the visitors attracted by its enormous expanse of shark-free beach. Even modestly clad bathers, especially females, should expect to be gawked at by locals and Bangladeshi holidaymakers. Bangladeshi women who swim (they are a rare breed) do so in a flowing shalwar kameez . South of Cox's Bazar are more secluded beaches where having a swim can still be a private experience rather than a public spectacle. They include Himacheri Beach and Inani Beach . Note that the beaches are not considered entirely safe at night.

At the moment the road from Chittagong to Cox's Bazar is one of the worst in the country and still unfinished, but you can avoid it altogether by making your way from Dhaka to Chittagong, and then doing a short 20 minute flight from there. Alternatively buses go straight from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar, a distance of 370km (230mi).

St Martin Island

This small coral island about 10km (6mi) south-west of the southern tip of the mainland is a tropical cliché, with beaches fringed with coconut palms and bountiful marine life. There''s nothing more strenuous to do here than soak up the rays, but it''s a clean and peaceful place without even a mosquito to disrupt your serenity. It''s possible to walk around the island in a day because it measures only 8 sq km (3 sq mi), shrinking to about 5 sq km (2 sq mi) during high tide. Most of island''s 5500 inhabitants live primarily from fishing, and between October and April fisher people from neighbouring areas bring their catch to the island''s temporary wholesale market. A ferry leaves Teknaf for St Martin every day and takes around 3 hours.

Getting to St. Martin ''s is a three-step program. First you''ll need to fly or bus it down to Cox''s Bazar, and then catch a bus to Teknaf, which is right on the very tip of Bangladesh , sandwiched up against Myanmar . From Teknar, ferries run daily to St. Martin Island . The total distance from Dhaka to the island is 510km (316mi).

Corals of the Saint Martin Island