St. Martin's

St. Martins Island

St. Martins Island is the most beautiful Coral Island where you will find live corals. Its only 30 km from Teknaf and you can go there by local motorboat, tourist boats, or sea truck.

This small coral island about 10km (6mi) southwest 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

neighboring areas bring their catch to the island’s temporary wholesale market.

In this Island, you will find the beautiful Coral reef and long Coral beach and lots of coconut trees. The local name of the coconut is Narikel and the original name of this Island is Narikel Jinjira is derived from that. Accommodation in St. Martins Island is

limited, so it is advisable to book accommodation before you plan to go to this Island. Motel Nijhum is one of the best hotels in St. Martins Island. To book in Motel Nijhum, confirm you reservation from Dhaka.

You will hardly get a chance to stay in this hotel if you are a sudden visitor of St. Martins Island. The other good hotels are Prashad Paradise & Sraboni Bilash

Booking of these hotels are also possible from Dhaka. All these three hotels are situated adjacent to

Seashore. From these hotels lobby or veranda, you can enjoy the Sea. There are some other motels and hotels established in St. Martins Island.

Overnight staying in St. Martins Island is really an exotic feeling where you will feel and listen the sound of Sea. If you are lucky enough then you can spend the exotic moonlit night at St. Martins Island. The beauty of Full moon in St. Martins Island cannot be expressed, if you are not there at that time.

Cheera-dwip is a part of St. Martins Island but divided during tides. You can go to Cheera-dwip by walking. About two and a half hours walk from St. Martins Island or you can go there also by local motorboat or tourist boat. In that Island you will find the Corals - living and dead all over the Island. A small bush is there which in the only green part of Cheera-dwip,

enhancing the beauty of this island. People do not live in this Island, so advisable for the tourists to go there early and come back by afternoon.

Nijhum Island

This Island could be the next prime tourist spot after St. Martins Island. It’s a natural beauty of mangrove forests where you will find Dears of specific species and Monkeys.

A huge numbers of migrated birds come in this Island in winter season, enhancing the beauty of this Island. The communication is not excellent but if some one wishes to bear the trouble to go to this Island, he will be enchant to see the beauty of this Island. You can go to this Island either from Dhaka or from Chittagong.

From Chittagong first you will to go Hatia Island by Motor boat or Ship and from there you can go to Nijhum Island by local motor boat. From Dhaka you can go Tomzuddion by launch from Sadarghat launch terminal. From there you can go to Nijhum Island by local motorboat.

Accommodation is very limited for the tourists in this Island. You can take foods from local restaurants but be careful about the quality of foods. If you can take prior permission for forest department then you can stay in forest rest house in Nijhum Island. Another possibility for accommodation is in District Parishod Guest house. If you take the permission from Thana administration (TNO) of Hatia you can also stay in the District Parishod Guest house. For the adventure seekers Nijhum Island could be one of the greatest experience of journey and it will be a memorable enjoyment to stay and pass some days in this isolated Island.

World's Best Coral Island: Saint Martin, Bangladesh

Saint martin's island is situated in the southeast of Bangladesh on The Bay of Bengal. From the main land it is 9-10 km far. It is almost 7 km long including "Chera Dweep". Chera Dweep is another attraction of this island. This a torn part of this island but exclusively beautiful. "Chera" means Torn and "Dweep" means Island

The under water colorful fishes and live corals entertain the tourist in Chera Dweep.

Local name of this island is "Narikel Gingira" means Coconut Island. The whole island is surrounded by thousands of coconut trees. The northern part of the island is the most populated area and all the hotels, motels and restaurants are there in the northern part. The southern part of the island is almost blank.

It has become one of the most popular tourist places in Bangladesh. October to March is considered as tourists season. Tourists are being attracted for its natural beauty. Beauty of Coral Island Black dead corals are all around the island in the beach. When the water level get down then the corals come out and show its beauty. Tourists would be very careful of these dead corals because these beautiful

corals can injure one if s/he steps or jumps into the water carelessly. The coconut trees of this island made the island exclusively beautiful. These coconut trees save the island from cyclones. Chera Dweep is another attraction of this island. If any tourist miss to travel Chera Dweep, his total trip is spoiled. For Underwater scuba diving Chera Dweep is the best.

There a tourist can enjoy colorful fishes, live corals under water. Tortoises are there in the island and lay eggs in the island. To protect those eggs from destruction there is a research center in the middle of the island. Researchers come and stay there during the period when tortoises lay eggs. There is a big fishermen community and they survive through fishing in the deep sea. They have their boats and nets for fishing. They go into the deep sea for 3-5 days. Their colorful boats and their movements attract the tourists. The people of the island are very

hospitable. They are very simple and very well mannered. They are very cordial to the tourists. Most of the Italian restaurants and motels are being operated by the people of the island. They do business during the tourists season. In the island there are different souvenir shop there tourists get souvenirs made of corals and snails. This souvenirs are very beautiful and tourists collect these souvenirs for their friends and hold it as memory of this island. During tourist season there is a kite festival arranged and different types of kite are made and fly in the sky. This kite festival is very colorful and its a traditional festival of Bangladesh. Tourist enjoys the sunrise and the sunset in the island. At the most southern part of the island is the best location to enjoy the sunset.

Tourists Season and Off Season October to March is tourists season. Winter is the rushing time for tourists. Then every facilities are available there for tourists. A tourist can enjoy the most of having foods and the best facilities for accommodation. But the total island is full of tourists. Sometimes this rush dissatisfy the tourists who like calm places. Tourists who don't like crowed can go to the southern part of the island. Chera Dweep is at the most south of this island. In Chera Dweep nobody lives. In the tourist season the sea waters are like crystal and very clear. Though

winter is dry season tourists can't get the green feel of the island. But tourists always miss the green beauty of Saint Martin's island during rainy season. June to September is the time then the island flourish its green beauty. And this time the island

remains empty. Yes it is true that at that moment tourists will not get the best facilities for accommodation. But my experience says that the Green Island is totally a different thing. Foods & Accommodation In the tourists season every hotels, motels and restaurants provides the exclusive service. There

are approximately 10 big hotels can accommodate large number of tourists. Those hotels have very good room decoration, dining facilities, bath facilities, room service, etc. Especially one thing to mention that all the big hotels have a very good beach view. In the hotels good quality foods are served as per requirements. And in the island there are many Italian Restaurants. During tourists season variety of foods are available there. Bar-B-Q, Fish Grill, Prawn, Kebab, Chicken, Wine, Bear, Vodka, etc. are available.

St. Martin's Island

St. Martin's Island is a small island in the northeast part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknad peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of Myanmar at the mouth of the Naf River. The local name of the island is "Narical Gingira", also spelled "Narikel Janjina/Jinjera", translated from Bangla, meaning 'Coconut Island'.

St. Martin's Island has become a popular tourist spot. Currently, three shipping liners run daily trips to the island, including Sea-Truck and Keary-Sindbad. Tourists can book their trip either from Chittagong or from Cox's Bazar. The surrounding coral reef of the island has an extension named Chera Dwip.

In the past 5 years St. Martin's visitor population has increased dramatically. While this situation has proven to be lucrative for the islanders, it is causing the natural beauty of the island to deteriorate. Presently there are many efforts being put forth to preserve the several endagered species of turtles that nest on the island, as well as the corals, some of which are found only on Narikel Jinjera. Pieces of the coral reef are being removed in order to be sold to tourists. Nesting turtles are sometimes taken for food, and their hatchlings are often distracted by the twinkling lights along the beach. Species of fish, a few just recently discovered, are being overfished. Every year the fishermen must venture further out to sea to get their catch. Most of them use motorless boats.

At high tide the island is about 3 miles around, and pinched in the middle. The island exists only because of its coral base, so removal of that coral risks erosion of the beaches. St. Martins has lost roughly 25% of its coral reef in the past 7 years.

Exploring St Martin’s Island Off the Bangladesh Coast

The small coral island of St Martin’s, is located near Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, and a ferry service from Teknaf to the island, and is available daily. The island can be explored in a day, as at low tide the island measures approximately eight square kilometers and at high tide the island reduces in size, to about five square kilometers. But don’t let the size of the island deter you from exploring its beauty and hidden secrets.

The island has close to 5,500 islanders that stay on St Martin’s Island and make a living from fishing and tourism. The island has become quite popular and there are a few luxury ocean liners that include St Martin’s Island in their routes. The white beaches are popular amongst travelers, and they are beautifully lined with tall coconut trees and crystal clear waters that creep onto the sand.

The marine life around the island is unique and very diverse, and at present, the most protected inhabitants of the island, are the sea turtles that swim up onto the western coast of the island, to nest. This part of the island is not very populated and domesticated animals and human egg hunters do not pose a problem to them. In previous years, the adult turtles were also targeted, but authorities soon took note of the falling numbers and have gone to great lengths to establish safe and secure beaches for the female turtles. So far, olive ridley turtles and green turtles have successfully been recorded, but the rare nests of the leatherback and hawksbills turtles are a cause of concern.

St Martin’s Island is perfect for visitors who are truly interested in escaping the holds of a modern world. Do not expect to find taxis, tarred roads or electricity here. Lodges are dependant on generators, as the island is all about sun, sea and palm trees. During the day, the island comes alive with water and beach sports, with beach parties and bonfires lighting up the evening skies. For the use of a phone or a reminder of what a television set looks like, visitors can pop down to the Coast Guard station.

Turist Spost Beaches

St. Martin Island

Forty-eight kilometers from Teknaf, St. Martin's is the country's only coral island and an unspoilt paradise. Named Narikel Jinjira (Coconut Island) by the locals, the dumbbell shaped St.Martin's has an area of only 8 sq. km. which reduces to about 5 sq. km. and in places from 1-4 meters during high tide.

The Cox's Bazar Holiday Complex of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation on the island is an shore tourist resort having comfortable accommodation, catering, sightseeing and other facilities.

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).