St Martin's is a tropical cliché and the only coral island
in Bangladesh, with beaches fringed with coconut palms and laid-back locals.
It's a clean and peaceful place with nothing more strenuous to do than soak up
the rays — even mosquitoes are a rarity. There's a naval base near the centre
of the island, and the USA looked into setting up one of their own a few years
back. The island was devastated by a cyclone in 1991 but has fully recovered,
and was untouched by the 2004 tsunami.
It is possible to walk around St Martin's in a day since it
measures only 8 km², shrinking to about 5 km² during high tide. Most
of the island's 7000 inhabitants live primarily from fishing, and between
October and April fishermen from neighbouring areas bring their catch to the
island's temporary wholesale market. Rice and coconuts are the other staple
crops, and algae is collected and dried from the sea rocks and sold for
consumption to Myanmar.
Most things are concentrated around the far north of the
island, with the centre and south being mostly farmland and makeshift huts.
There is no electricity on the island, though the larger hotels run generators
in the evenings for a few hours.
November to February is the main tourist season with the
best weather, though keep an eye on the forecast, as the occasional cyclone can
strike during this time.
From Teknaf you can cruise to St Martin's Island with the
best and the safest ship Keari Sindbad and reach St Martin's comfortably in 2
or fewer hours. Keari Sindbad cruise journey is a pleasant one as you will see
the spectacular views of Teknaf's hill on one side and Mayanmar on the other
side while it cruises along the Naf River.
Ferries leave the island around 3pm.Keari Sindbad ferry and
you can purchase a round trip ticket; which can same day return or 1-2 days
later. Prices are same whenever you return. The return fare on Keari Sindbad
start from BDT 550-800 as of September 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment