This seaside town is well-visited every year, and for good reason. In Cox’s Bazar, the beach bum in you will surely delight at the sight of no less than the longest uninterrupted beach in the world. See the beauty of the Bay of Bengal while strolling along Laboni Beach. You can also take a refreshing dip and drive ski boat in Kolatoli Beach. Wherever you go, Instagram-worthy sunsets, sunrises, and panoramas will surely make you happy.
For your stay, you can
choose from a variety of hotels that can fit you whether you’re in a mood for a splurge or traveling on a tight budget. For a taste of local delicacies, be sure to look for some of Cox’s Bazar specialties, mainly fried fish, barbeque and other kinds of seafood.
But aside from these and the long sandy beach that Cox’s Bazar is famous for, many interesting spots are spread around the area as well. Here are some of the attractions that you can visit whenever you’re in town:
If you want a quiet moment away from heaps of tourists in the town proper, a one hour trip to the nearby Inani Beach should be a nice treat. Be relaxed with the sight of corals spread among pristine sand and the sound of the breeze calling out from the sea. Since Inani Beach is 32 km away from Cox’s Bazar, getting there can take 30 minutes to one hour of travel. You can hire a taxi or CNG (small CNG run vehicles for 3-4 persons) from Cox’s Bazar to take you directly to the beach. You will surely enjoy this private ride as the scenery along the way is very wonderful.
However, if you’re up to saving some money, you can ride a bus to Teknaf wherein you should get off at Court Bazar, a small village 2 km before Ukhia. From there, you can take a rickshaw or tempo west to the beach.
Six kilometers away from the Kolatoli Beach awaits the sight of Himchari’s beautiful waterfalls and hilltop overlooking the beach. You can spend your morning or afternoon in Himchari for a wonderful picnic, sunbathing, and nature tripping. From Cox’s Bazar Kalatali stand, this place is only a 15-minute ride by taxi or chandergari (a type of jeep). You can also rent a rickshaw or auto-rickshaw from Cox’s Bazar.
If you are going to Inani Beach, you can tell your driver to drop you by as well to Himchari. Yes, they wouldn’t mind driving you to two spots on the same go. You can roam around Himchari for 30-60 minutes before heading to Inani Beach.
Travel Tip: Hire a auto riksha from the main beach area. It will cost around 450-600tk and they will take you to Inani, stop at Himchori too, and bring you back to your hotel.
Looking for the thrill of a safari? Well, your adventure is just waiting in town. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, the first safari park in Bangladesh, is a must-visit attraction with its evergreen forests and interesting array of flora and fauna. The park is located near Chittaong-Cox’s Bazar highway at a distance of about 50 km north of the Cox’s Bazar tourist city. If you want to go to the safari park you will need to leave after breakfast, so that you can get back in time to enjoy an afternoon on the beach.
Ramu is the perfect place for culture lovers out there. Feed your cultural mind with sights of monasteries, khyangs and pagodas containing images of Buddha in gold, bronze and many other materials. Here, you can also buy handicrafts and homemade cigars which you can take home to your family and friends. Ramu is not very far from the Cox’s bazar town proper being only 15 km away. You can do one to two hours of sightseeing in this charming village. There are two places in Ramu which are especially noteworthy…. one is the 100 feet lying or meditating Buddha and another one is Ramu Rangkut Mandir. 100 feet monument of Buddha is situated outside the main village and it was built recently (2002). But the Ramu Rangkut is very old and situated in the village. If you like history and culture, this place is for you.
Travel Tip: You can hire an auto-riksha from the main beach area and ask them to take you to Ramu and back. He will show you around all the places of interest and will cost around 450-550 taka for the whole thing.
Just off the coast of Cox’s Bazar is a 268 km island which tourists visit a lot – Moheshkhali. This island is known for having some Buddhist temples, pagoda, one large Hindu temple and amazing landscapes featuring hills and mangrove jungles. Near the jetty of Moheshkhali, they make dried fish out of baby sharks – I am not sure whether it’s legal or not, but surely it will be a unique experience for you. Atleast I haven’t seen this anywhere else in Bangladesh. You can get to Moheshkhali by riding a local motorboat called trawler or by speedboat. By trawler, it will take you an hour and a half. By speedboat (recommended), you can reach the island in only 30 minutes. It costs around 70 taka to go to Moheshkhali from Cox’s Bazar. Ask around to know about where the jetty is… it is easy to find. But beware of the tourist traps on the island. Most riksha pullers will offer you a short guided tour covering all the spots at Moheshkhali. But make sure you bargain and know all the details of their offerings, as they may try to squeeze out some extra money in the end. If you have time, you can explore the island on foot too.
If you want a taste of history and culture both at the same time, you may want to visit Aggmeda Khyang – a planned and decorated Buddhist Monastery. It is located near the entrance to the Cox’s Bazar town. It has been designed to sit on a number of large timber columns. It has a big collection of manuscripts, an assembly hall and a prayer chamber.
Exploring the attractions around Cox’s Bazar is generally practical and recommended. If you have extra time, you also would not want to miss the enchanting corals of St. Martin’s Island which is 4 hours away from town.
Related Posts:
