Introduction

Saint Martin Island, Bangladesh is one of the most recommended travel destinations. And the reason is not only the Blue Ocean or coral reefs but also its eternal calmness. The island has no motor vehicles and every day after 11 pm the whole island goes under an electrical blackout. That’s why you can feel fell into nature by taking a deep breath from the deep dark sky, deep Blue Ocean, and the silence of the coral beach. Saint Martin is an 8 square km choral island remote from the mainland of Bangladesh & 9 km south from the tip of the Teknaf Peninsula.

The best time to visit Saint Martin Island is the winter since the sea remains calm at that time. From the beginning of November to the end of February usually, passenger ships sail and after March they shut down their operations for the next seven months. But local fishing boats always sail through the sea and many adventure lover backpackers go to the island in the rainy season by these boats to see the sea storms and crazy waves of the Bay of Bengal.

Saint Martin Island Travel Itinerary

How to Go To Saint Martin Island

As you are already said the island is located in the Bay of Bengal totally remote from the mainland of Bangladesh, so to reach there you’ve to take Teknaf to Saint Martin ship service. There are several ship companies like Green Line, Bay Cruise, Keari Sindbad, Kutubdia, etc. You can go to Teknaf from Dhaka, Chittagong, or Cox’s Bazar by bus. It takes around 10 hours from Dhaka, 5 hours from Chittagong & 2 hours from Cox’s Bazar to Teknaf ship terminal. Ships normally sail at 9.30 am & reach to Saint Martin at 12.00 pm. The Greenline is faster than other ships & it reaches within 11 am.

Hotels in Saint Martin Island Bangladesh

Top Things to Do in Saint Martin Island

So, you are now on Saint Martin Island. Now it’s time to make your bucket list for visiting attractive places and doing other activities here. Since this is not a crazy island like Phuket, Pattaya, or Langkawi, hook up types of activities are not available here. But still, you have a lot to see, feel & do here. Now let’s proceed to the bucket list.

Feeling the Mesmerizing Bay of Bengal

The most attractive experience you’ll find every time here is its long sandy beach full of silence. No motor vehicles, no external crowds, disturbances and you’ll find nothing between you and nature. There are many benches to sit & lie under the umbrella. The hourly rate is around 20-25 BDT for taking these benches. I’ll recommend 3 times to lie there. After sunrise, before sunset and at midnight because in these 3 times the beach remains very peaceful.

Cycling in the Beach

Spending only 30-35 taka per hour you can ride a cycle on the beach. Even if you want to roam the whole island by cycle you can do this. It takes around 2 hours to roam the total island. Besides, if you love photography, take a cycle for 4-5 hours and take snaps on different spots of the places. St Martin Island is very safe for tourists. So, you don’t need to be worried about your costly equipment.

Fish Barbecue Party at Night

If you are not a vegetarian and don’t have an allergy to fishes then don’t touch chicken or beef on Saint Martin because sea fishes are really cheap and delicious here. And fish barbecues are really heavenly. So, after the blackout when the whole island becomes dark, launch a fish barbecue party with your team. Normally local people arrange the whole setup if you pay them. And only 1000 BDT is enough for 4-5 persons for a fish barbecue with sauce, paratha, and a bottle of soft drink. You can continue your party the whole night and nobody will bother you.

Visit Chhera Dwip

The best part of this island is the Chera Dwip, a coral riff near the mainland of Saint Martin Island. During ebb, you can go to this island by foot or cycle through the coral. But during the tide, you’ve no other option without the boat. If you want to go by foot you’ve to start immediately after sunrise. It takes around 2 hours on foot and if you take a cycle you can save 30-40 minutes approximately. If you want to go by boat then you’ve to go to the ship terminal where boats and speed boats are available. In a speedboat, it takes a maximum of 15 minutes and in a boat, around 30-45 minutes depends on the boat engine. An 8 person speed boat will take approximately 1800-2000 BDT for up-down and a 30 person boat will take the same charge. If you’re a team try to reserve a speedboat or normal boat. But if you are a solo traveler or you are on a honeymoon trip then you can also ride into a public boat. The best time to visit Chera Dwip is during sunrise or sunset. But you can also go anytime there. But try to avoid 12 pm – 3 pm because you’ve to walk a lot there. And under the heat of the direct sun, it’ll be very tough. That’s why we’ll recommend not to visit Chera Dwip in this amid.

Beach Shopping

On the beach, there are lots of beach shops where you can purchase Burmese products at a very cheap prize. The island is surrounded by Myanmar and local folks bring these products mainly by fishing boats and sell it very cheap. The featured products I can mention are pickles, soaps, cosmetics, handmade ornaments. Besides, fresh dry fishes are very cheap there. Pomfret is the most popular of all fishes and Kalachanda, Shurma, Lakkha, etc are also available for everyone. Price normally fluctuates a lot. That’s why I am not mentioning any price. But don’t purchase dry fishes without a bargain.

Tasting Local Food

Fish is the main food here because the key income source of local people is fishing. That’s why they get it easily. Besides, dry fishes are also very popular. In Saint Martin, a large number of green coconut grows, and almost in every house, more than one coconut trees are available. Agriculture is also a regular profession, but to fulfill the demand of total locality tons of vegetables and other foods are imported from Teknaf mainland. In off-peak, season foods become cheaper as there are no tourists. Even green coconuts are found only by 5-10 Taka in this season. But in peak season green coconuts are sold for 50 takas, normal sea fishes are sold around 170 – 200 taka and Rupchanda fishes are sold for 220-250 taka. Rice, vegetables, pulse, etc. are inclusive of this price in the maximum restaurant. But the restaurants near the ship terminal are comparatively high in price and you’ve to pay for every item. But the taste of the foods and behavior of the restaurant owner is really impressive.

SAINT MARTIN ISLAND ON INSTAGRAM

Conclusion

To watch & experience all items of Saint Martin Island Bangladesh keeps at least 2 nights in your hand. I already said ships normally reach 12 pm & they sail for returning to the mainland at 3.30 pm. So, the first day takes rest, stroll on the beach, eat delicious fishes & at night do the barbecue party. Then 2nd day morning go to Chera Dwip & return before noon. Then spend the rest of the time peacefully & roam on the beach at night. Then after 2nd night the next morning prepare to leave & after lunch gets on the return ship. The returning path is also mesmerizing & you can see the sunset over the bay of Bengal from Naf river keeping Bangladesh on one side & Myanmar is another side. Finally, after reaching to Teknaf ship terminal, you can either go to Cox’s Bazar or you can take your bus for Dhaka.