Bangladesh has the longest uninterrupted beach strip in the world, 125km or 77 miles of soft sand in Cox’s Bazar. Find out about Cox’s Bazar beach, Cox’s Bazar hotel and getting around Cox’s Bazar.
One of the brochures I picked up at Dhaka airport had Cox’s Bazar written on it and a beach in the background. We were intrigued – are there beaches in Bangladesh?? The answer is: yes, there are!
We had not been to the beach since our quick dip in Jaffna and wanted to experience beach life in Bangladesh.
How to Get from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar
Apart from the flight option, there are two ways to reach Cox’s Bazar: bus or train.
There are no direct trains to Cox’s Bazar but you can surely take a train from Dhaka to Chittagong and from Chittagong, take a 4-5hrs bus to Cox’s Bazar (Chittagong is about 150km/95 miles from Cox’s Bazar).
We went from Mongla to Dhaka to Chittagong to Cox Bazar by bus and I highly discourage this itinerary. It took a bit less than 24 hours to do the entire journey on unmaintained roads.
We left Mongla in the early morning. We took a quick boat to cross the river (3 Taka per person) and hopped on the bus to Dhaka (350 Taka per person – USD $4.50). We got to Dhaka safely in the late afternoon. From Dhaka to Chittagong (450 Taka per person – USD $5.80), we encountered heavy traffic which led to an arrival at 2am in Chittagong. We then had to hire a rickshaw (80 Taka – USD $1) to take us to the bus station to Cox’s Bazar (250 Taka person – USD $3.25). We saw the sun rise during the bumpy journey and got to Cox Bazar around 6am.
- Dhaka Bus Station, Bangladesh
How to Get Around Cox’s Bazar
The best way to travel along Cox’s Bazar is by hiring a rickshaw who will take you to further beaches. Otherwise, you can easily walk around the small town.
- Sandbags on the beach in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Where to Stay in Cox’s Bazar: Cox’s Bazar Hotels & Accommodations
To change it up a bit in Bangladesh, we did not have a hotel name for our arrival so we relied on our rickshaw driver to recommend us one. We stayed in a small hostel a street behind Motel Road but we would not recommend this place to anyone. Though the room was decent, the bathroom was filled with cockroaches. We slept with the lights on at night so they would not come out. Unfortunately, we lost the name of this hotel.
Most decent Cox’s Bazar hotels and accommodations are located on Motel Road and New Beach Road. If we were to do this again, this is where we would go:
Hotel Mishuk: For USD $22 for a double room, you get a modern, clean setting, free WiFi in public areas and breakfast included.
White Orchid: More expensive than we’d usually go for, but for USD $30 the White Oorchid offers air-conditionned rooms with flat screen tvs, private bathrooms with amenities and a balcony. Breakfast is also included. WiFi in public areas
As always, you can always call ahead and ask for their pricing in the local currency. More often than not, the price per room will be cheaper than what is listed online.
- New resorts & hotels in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar
Things to do in Cox’s Bazar
Beach, beach, beach! But don’t expect to tan (your body) or put on a bikini. This is still a primarily Muslim country so people bathe with their clothes on and sit on lounge chairs all dressed. Rent a lounge chair for 30 Taka (USD $0.30) per hour and relax comfortably with your clothes on at the beach.
- Lounge Chairs for Rent in Cox’s Bazar
Locals like to play games on the beach, J even joined a soccer competition!
We decided to visit another beach along the coast: Inani beach. For 500 Taka roundtrip (USD $6.50), we hired a nice rickshaw driver who took us to the beach and spent some time with us. Inani beach is quite different from Cox. There are not as many people, no lounge chairs, no sellers. A couple of local kids walked along the beach with us. They helped me find shells, played ball with J and our rickshaw driver, who also acted as a translator. One of the kids showed us how he digs for sand crabs with his bare hands. They made our trip to Inani Beach and Cox’s Bazar more memorable.
- At Inani Beach in Cox’s Bazar
- Digging for crabs, Inani Beach, Cox Bazar, Bangladesh
- Our rickshaw driver holding a crab holding his sunglasses, Inani Beach, Bangladesh
- Fishing Boats, Inani Beach, Bangladesh
How To Get Away – From Cox’s Bazar to Chittagong
Next stop: Chittagong, second biggest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka. Looking forward to see the contrasts and similarities with Dhaka and possibly visit one of the universities. The way to Chittagong from Cox’s Bazar is to take a 5hr bus from Motel Road.
We did not swim once in Cox’s Bazar, just got our feet wet. But, we really enjoyed the peaceful side of it in contrast with Dhaka and Mongla, where people constantly surrounded us. The atmosphere was quiet and calm in Cox’s Bazar, it felt like we could slow down and enjoy. It was soothing.
Additional reading about Cox’s Bazar: Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar: A paradise being lost?
View more travel tips to visit Bangladesh.
Did you go to Cox’s Bazar? How did you spend your day at the beach? Share your travel experience with us! We love to hear from you.
Happy Travels !!xx
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