St. Martin's island

St. Martin’s island is a small in the northeastern part of the Bangladesh. It is about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox’s bazar –Teknaf. It is about 8km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar. St. Martin is a tropical cliché and the only coral island in Bangladesh. The local name of the island is “Narical Gingira”, that means ‘Coconut island’ in Bangladesh.

It is a clean and peaceful island in Bangla.

Most of the island’s 7500 inhabitants live primarily from fishing. Every year October and April fisherman from neighboring areas bring their catch to the island’s temporary wholesale market. The other staple crops are rice and coconut. Being very commen in the island, algae is collected, then dries and exported to Myanmar. Most things are concentrated around the far north of the island and the south are mainly farmland and makeshift huts. There is no electricity on the island.

 

St. Martin’s island is a excellent tourist spot. Recently, five shipping liners run daily trips to the island. Tourists are getting to St. Martins island is a three step process. 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 southern tip of Bangladesh, sandwiched up against Myanmar. Teknaf ferries run daily and take around 3 hours. The island is 510km distance from Dhaka. The island surrounding coral reef and the island extension named is Chera Dwip. A small bush is there, whice is the only green part of this island.

Sunrise on the east side of the island and after a lazy day head over to the west side for sunset. Sunset point is a rocky peninsula on the northwest corner of the island near St. Martin’s resort, whice exists only at low tide a nice spot if sunset and low tide coincide.

World longest natural sandy sea beach

Cox’s bazar is a world’s longest natural sandy sea beach. It is about 125km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. It is situated 150km south of Chittagong. Cox’s bazaar is also known by the name ‘Panowa’, the literal translation of which means ‘yellow flower’.the modern Cox’s bazar derives its name from Captain Hiram Cox, who died here in 1799 after he had established a colony of Mogh who sought shelter in British territory after the conquest of Arakan by the Burmese two third of the population of the town are descendants of these refugees. Captain Cox’s established a market and named after him Cox’s bazaar. Miles of golden sands towering cliffs, pagodas, Buddhist temples and tribes, delightful seafood in Cox’s bazar. Although Cox’s bazar is one of the most visiterd tourist spot in Bangladesh, it has yet to become a major international tourist spot, due to lack of publicity.

There are several places of interest near the town which can easily be visited from town center.

Ramu : This is a typical Buddhist village, it is about 10km from Cox’s bazar,on the main road to Chittagong, there are Monasnestices, Khyangs and Pagodas containing images of Buddha in gold, bronze and metals inlaid with precious stones. Ramu is a village with a sizeable Buddhist population. The village is famous for its handicrafts and homemade cigars. One of the most interesting of these temples is on the bank of the Baghkhali river.

 

Maheshkhali : It is a small island ( 268 square km ) off the Cox’s bazar coast. It is about 10km by speedboat to the north west of Cox’s bazar and standing on a hill is the Moheskhali island. The island offers panoramic scenic beauty and is coverd by a range of low hills, about 300 feet high. There is a 165 years old temple known as Adinath temple. With the interesting history of its discovery, it is a most attractive spot especially during the festive month of falgoon (February – March).

 

Sonadia Island : It is a crescent shaped island of only 9 square km. just opposite across Cox’s bazar . this island is a paradise of migratory birds like petrel, geese, ducks, curlew, spine, redshank, lapwing, whim bird and other birds and fowls. The western side of the beach is sandy and different kinds of shells are found on the beach. During winter season  fisherman set up temporary camps on the island and dry their catches of sea fish.

 

Teknaf : It is 80 km south of Cox’s bazar is a pleasure spot on the west bank of Naf river. This also marks the end point of Cox’s bazar beach. A small town, it has arrangements for picnic hunting and boating.

Inani : This is another magnificent place to see. It is about 32 km to the south of Cox’s bazar. Inani is full of stony beach and the calmness and serenity of Inani is mind blowing.   

Sonadia island in Bangladesh

Sonadia is a crescent shaped island off the Cox’s Bazar coast. It is about 7km of Cox’s Bazar and is only 9sq km in area. Its western side is sandy and is rich in different kinds of shells. Off the northern part of the island, there are beds of window pane oysters. During winter season, fisherman set up temporary camps on the island and dry their catches of sea fish. Every winter thousands of fisherman camp there and make large hauls.

The history of human habitation of sonadia island is no more than 100-125 years. The island is divided into two neighborhoods or para east and west neighborhood. All about 2000 people live in sonadia island. Most of the people live in eastern side. Main occupations of the islander are catching fish.

Some people run their livelihood by driving engine boat and vessel and also work as assistance. There is no chance for producing crop here because saline water of sea surrounded the sonadia island. There are two mosque, one primary school, one cyclone center and about 15 deep tube-wells in sonadia island.

The island is also known as a paradise for migratory birds like ducks, sea-gulls, fowls and geese etc. During the winter season migratory birds in swarms are found crowding the beach and pools of the island. Most of the island is full of silvery sand. Somewhere you will find small sand mound, somewhere in the flat shape. Sonadia island is a wildlife paradise, with splendor ahead of you in every corner, proving that now and again there is more to a destination than meets the eye.

Excellent tourist's spots in Bangladesh

Kaptai Lake is one of the best place to travel in Bangladesh. It is a excellent tourist’s spots for the nature lovers. Kaptai lake is an artificial lake in south-eastern point of Bangladesh.Kaptai lake expresses her full beauty in rainy season. If you  visited kaptai lake in winter,you feel the difference of nature yourself.It is situated by Kaptai Upazela in Rangamati District under Chittagong Division. Kaptai lake is a by product of Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli river. It is a consequence of Kaptai leak Hydro-Electric project. Construction of the Kaptai lake was begun in 1956. For construction the Kaptai lake, government came into possession at about 54,000 acres of farmland. All of these lands went under deep water and formed a wonderful water body.

Kaptai lake surrounds whole Rangamati District. It is 220 square km long and its average depth is 100ft (30m) and highest depth is 495 feet (151m). Kaptai lake is a container of natural beauty and resources. Fish produced in the lake meets local requirement and is also supplied to Dhaka and other parts of the country. The average annual production of fish is more than 9,000 tons.

The spellbinding beauty of kaptai lake surely attracts you. Boat riding in kaptai lake is the main attraction of kaptai lake tour. Lake water is fresh and crystal clear. Virgin lake with stiff hill will magnetize you by its beauty. It will be a memorable journey for your entire life. Scenic surrounding of kaptai lake and a both riding on the lake will heal the distress of your city life. This memory of boating up in laptai lake and the combine majestic beauty of kaptai lake and stiff hill will give you future happiness.

Largest waterfall in Bangladesh

Madhakunda is the largest waterfall in Bangladesh. It is about 200 ft high waterfall.

Madabkunda situated in the northeast area in Bangladesh. It is about 350 km distance from Dhaka city. It is in the Barlekha thana in Moulvibazar district, Sylhet division about 5 km from Kakhinbage railway station. Madhabkunda waterfall is one of the most attractive and charming tourist spots in Bangladesh. Every day lots of tourists and picnic parties come to Madhabkunda for their enjoyment. Fall of million tons of water from 200ft. Big bolder of stones and the black stones with green leafy tress and the sound of waterfall is giving a shape of care in Madhabkunda.

Small Golden Mosque

Chhota Sona Mosque or Small Golden Mosque derives its name from the gilding that once graced the surface of the fifteen domes of this mosque. An inscription ascribes Wali Muhammad as the builder and it was erected during the reign of Sultan Husain Shah.Chhota sona mosque is situated about 3km due south of Kotwali Darwaza and half a km to the southeast of the Tahkhana complex in the Firuzpur Quarters of Gaur-Lakhnauti, the capital of the Sultanate Bengle.

It is a simple rectangular structure its exterior measuring 21.2m and its interior

12.2m. In addition to four corner towers, there are two additional projecting buttressed towers that frame the back of the central mihrab. This brick structure is embellished with Rajmahal black stone facing on the exterior and this transition between materials is visible at the point where the domes begin. The mosque divided into three north – south aisles by two rows of stone pillars , four in each row. A wide central nave has cut the aisles into two equal halves, each half showing six equal square units of 3.5m a side. The interior of the mosque has therefore a total of fifteen units, of which the three rectangular units are covered with chauchala vaults and each of the remaining twelve square units by an inverted tumbler-shaped dome. The upper corners in between the arches of the units are filled with corbelled brick pendentives to make up the transitional phase for the domes. Northwest side of the mosque there is a royal gallery forming an floor that is still standing, albeit in a dilapidated condition. It was approached from the northwest corner of the mosque through a stepped platform connected with a doorway. The gallery a mihrab in front.

Stone carving, brick setting, terracotta gilding and glazed tiles were used in decorating the building, and of them the first one plays the dominant role. All fifteen domes and vaults over the roof, as witnessed by Creighton and Cunningham, were gilded, but no traces of gilding now remain. The spandrels of arches and the spaces above the frames have always been dotted with rosettes, an attractive form of desing, but all carved differently.

Kuakata sea beach Daughter of sea

Kuakata a scenic sea beach on the south of Bangladesh. Kuakata , locally known as Sagar Kanna ( Daughter of sea). . Situated in Latachaoli union under Kalapara police station of Patuakhali district is about 30 km in length and 6km in breadth. It is 70 km from patuakhali district headquarters and 320 km from Dhaka. To the east there lies the dense woods named as Gangamati and to the west it stretched upto the border of the Sunderbans. This is the only sea beach from where one can enjoy the charming sight of both the sunrise and the sunset scenes. At Kuakata excellent combination of the picturesque natural beauty , sandy beach , blue sky , huge expanse of water of the bay and evergreen forest in really eye-catching.

The name of Kuakata originated from the word kua, which means a well dug for drinking water.well dug on the sea shore by the early Rakhine settlers in quest of collection drinking water, who landed on Kuakata coast after explled from Arakan by Moughals. Afterwards , it has become a tradition of digging Kua-Well in the neighourhood of Rakhaine homestead for collaection water for drinking purpose and general use. The beach is 10km long and 2km wide.

 

Kuakata one of the sandy beach slopses into the Bay of Bangle. The long and wide beach at Kuakata has a typical natural setting. Kuakata  beach has gentle slopes into the Bay of Bangle and bathing there is as pleasnt as is walking or diving. This is truly a virgin beach a sanctuary for migratory winter birds , rows of coconut trees, boats of many different kinds and their colourful sails, sandy beach of blue Bay, a feast for the eye, and surfing waves everything here touches every visitor’s heart.

Many people visiting Kuakata find interest in the Buddhist temples located at nearby places such as Keranipara, Misripara, and Amkholapara, while many others find the place interesting because of the unique customs and traditions of the Rakhain community. Kuakata is also a place of pilgrimage of Hindus and Buddhists communities. Innumerable devotees arrive here at the festival of Rash Purnima and Maghi Purnima. A major ritul on these occasions is dipping in the holy waters of Kuakata. Visitors also enjoy the traditional fairs organized to mark these celebrations.