Cox's Bazar
Cox’s Bazar is a town on the southeast coast of Bangladesh. It’s known for its very long, sandy seabeach, stretching from Sea Beach in the north to Kolatoli Beach in the south. Aggameda Khyang monastery is home to bronze statues and centuries-old Buddhist manuscripts. South of town, the tropical rainforest of Himchari National Park has waterfalls and many birds. North sea turtles breed on nearby Sonadia Island.
Area: 23.4 km²
District: Cox's Bazar District
The name Cox's Bazar originated from the name of a British East India Company officer, Captain Hiram Cox, who was appointed as the Superintendent of Palonki (today's Cox's Bazar) outpost. He succeeded Warren Hastings, who became the Governor of Bengal following the British East India Company Act in 1773. Cox embarked upon the task of rehabilitation and settlement of the Arakanese refugees in the area.[5] He rehabilitated many refugees in the area, but died in 1799 before finishing his work. To commemorate him, a market was established and named after him, called Cox's Bazar. Cox's Bazar was first established in 1854 and became a municipality in 1869.
Cox's Bazar is located 150 km (93 mi) south of the divisional headquarter city of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar town has an area of 6.85 km2 (2.64 sq mi), and is bounded by Bakkhali River on the north and East, Bay of Bengal in the West, and Jhilwanj Union in the south.
The beach in Cox's Bazar has a gentle slope and with an unbroken length of 155 km (96 mi) it is often termed the "longest natural unbroken sea beach" in the world.
Cox's Bazar lies on a coastal plain in the southeastern corner of Bangladesh. From above, the plain appears to bulge out into the Bay of Bengal. Along the shore is an extensive area of beach and dunes. Most of the city is built on a floodplain that is lower in elevation than the dunes, making it more susceptible to flooding due to cyclones and storm surges. The Cox's Bazar coastal plain was formed after the sea reached its present level around 6,500 years ago, with the area of the current floodplain originally forming a sediment sink that has since been gradually filled in by the Bakkhali river as well as smaller streams coming down from the hills.
The climate of Bangladesh is mostly determined by its location in the tropical monsoon region: high temperature, heavy rainfall, and generally excessive humidity, with distinct seasonal variations.[16] The climate of Cox's Bazar is mostly similar to the rest of the country. It is further characterised by the location in the coastal area. The annual average temperature in Cox's Bazar is a maximum of 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) and a minimum of 16.1 °C (61.0 °F). The average amount of rainfall is 3,524 mm (138.7 in).
With more than 100km (62.5 miles) of sand, Cox's Bazar has the world's longest uninterrupted natural beach.
Since this long coastal line by the Bay of Bengal has rarely been explored, many feel it has the potential to rival other beach holidays destinations in the region like Pattaya in Thailand or Galle in Sri Lanka.
This tropical paradise is key to the Bangladeshi government's new plans to put the country on the international tourist map. It hopes to earn more than $5bn (£3.17bn) from tourism in the next 10 years by attracting more domestic and foreign visitors.
Why Cox's Bazar is a Great Tourist Attraction?
Cox's Bazar is famous for its long natural sandy sea beach. I have been to Cox's Bazar in all seasons and many times over the last 20 years or so. And I would love to share my practical experience with you! Even 20 years ago Cox's Bazar was relatively a small town. There were lots of hotels, motels and guest houses for tourists' accommodations and restaurants for having a variety of great food still there at around that time. But, over the years Cox's Bazar has been transformed into a busy tourist city. It has more international visitors now than ever. The availability of more recreational facilities is attracting more tourists every year.
Cox's Bazar has the world's largest unbroken sea beach which stretches more than 120 km. The entire beach is a stretch of golden sandy sea beach which is reachable by motorbike. The beach gets busy from November to early March. If you want to avoid the herd of both domestic and international tourists, then the best time to take a trip there would be between April and September, preferrably April and June.
Today, it boasts of luxurious five-star and three-star hotels some of which are international chain hotels. There are numerous budget-friendly modern hotels, motels and guest houses at cheaper prices. The variety of accommodation options and a wide array of restaurants available today has made it a perfect base to explore magnificent beaches and other natural beauty in and around Cox's Bazar.
Communication was not that good even a decade ago, but today it is very well-connected by air and road link with the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka and the port city Chittagong. There are high-class direct bus/coach services to and from Dhaka and Chittagong. Going by bus or coach will allow you to explore the stunning landscapes of Bangladesh.
So what Cox's Bazar has got to offer? Simply everything if I have to answer in one sentence. The 120 km long golden sand beach is reachable by motorbike and that is something that attracts tens of thousands of tourists from home and abroad.
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There are several beaches along this 120 km stretch of golden sea beach in Cox's Bazar. The entire beach is is named differently at different places, such as:
Laboni Beach ( the most crowded and festive beach because it is closer to the city centre)
Sughandha Beach (within Cox's Bazar city)
Himchari Beach (10 km south of Cox's Bazar city)
Inani Beach (30 km south of the city)
Technaf Beach (more than 70 km south of Cox's Bazar city)
Laboni Beach is the busiest beach as it is closer to most of the hotels, restaurants and other facilities in the city. There is a big market just around the entrance of the beach with hundreds of stalls, selling a wide array of products, including handmade clothes and crafts, pearls, jewelleries and more. There are lots of fine restaurants that are serving delicious seafood and local Bangladeshi dishes.
Himchari is famous for not only the beautiful beach but also for the hills that run alongside the beach. There are some small but wonderful waterfalls in Himchari. This is a nice place for having a picnic and for photo-shooting. There are many restaurants around serving delicious seafood as well as other local Bangladeshi dishes. Prices are cheap too. You can enjoy exploring small caves and climbing up the hills when you visit Himchari. There is a natural park too that is worth visiting.
Inani Beach is my most favourite sea beach in Cox's Bazar. The beach is wide, clean and quiet and the water is blue. It is the best honeymoon destination in Cox's Bazar. If you want some more privacy, quietness and romantic environment this is the best beach for you. Inani Beach is an ideal place for sea-bathing and a picnic. There are eco-cottages not far away the beach if you love eco-tourism. There are many modern hotels on Inani Beach, including 5 Star and budget friendly hotels.
The wide sandy stunning beach in the backdrop of high hills covered by lush green forests offers an enchanting scene that will fill your heart and mind with absolute joy and delight. You may even come across elephants and other animals in the hills.
I have been to all these beaches many times. The entire beach is considerably wide and flat with gentle slope towards the shore. It has been sandwiched between a long stretch of low-lying hills and cliffs and the wavy water of the Bay of Bengal that touches the entire beach throughout its 120 km.
Of course, swimming in the clean, shark-free and wavy water is one of the top attractions, you have ample of options to enjoy. The more you get to the south, the more the water becomes blue. As you go further down south of the city, you will come across many beautiful small canals that empty into the Bay of Bengal. Watching the sun set is another favourite activity. Strolling through the Burmese markets is fun too. Talking to local people is a great way to meet and get to know local people. Bangladeshis are extremely friendly, helpful and peace-loving people.
Driving along the Marine Drive which stretches throughout the 120 km long sandy sea beach is one of the most exciting ways to explore Cox's Bazar. You can drive down south of the city to Himchari beach and further down to Inani beach. These two are the most visited beaches outside Cox's Bazar city area.
There are lots of wonderful tourist attractions near the city, but I have only talked about the beach in Cox's Bazar. If you love exploring beaches, eating and trying new things, I promise Cox's Bazar will not disappoint you.
Thanks for Reading
Composed by Jewel Anwar
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