Well its been a while since my
last blog, apologies for the delay. But the wait would be worth it. its none
other than Saint Martin island this time. Also known as Daruchini Dwip. Which
is discovered at the boarder line of Bangladesh, and going there takes a quite
bit of energy so juice yourself up. Have you ever been conflicted over
mountains and oceans, which attracted you more, then welcome to the squad. But
no matter what it’s an amazing piece of heaven in the middle of Bay of Bengal.
Note one thing, if you feel sea sick easily then you might want to reconsider
this, but hey as always, no fun in easy. So, lets dive in.
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| Starting Deck at Teknaf, This is the jetty from where the ship starts. |
First of all you need to get to
the Teknaf, the southernmost point in mainland Bangladesh. Now if you are
traveling from Khulna or the southwest region of the country, then you need to
go to the Dhaka first. Its like the hub city for traveling to any part of the
country. From there you can choose different types of coach services ranging
from 800-1600taka or more based on the coach type. It would take 9-10hours to
reach Teknaf from Dhaka. That’s 20 hour journey from Khulna Already.
Reaching Teknaf awaits the main
part, only commutes available to reach Saint Martin island is the Ships. There are
total 5 Ships, 6 to be Specific. 5
th one is for Greenline Paribahan
only. The passenger of the Greenline Coach Service get to board that Specific
Cruise. The other ships are KEARI SINDBAD, LCT KAJOL, FARHAN, Cruise & Dine
& BAY CRUISE. Here point to be noted, Bay Cruise is the most expensive and
exclusive one. You need to be very careful about booking tickets as there are
lots of syndicates and Blacker present there. No matter what you do, don’t purchase
tickets by collecting number from google and pay over bkash. Its not authorized
and same time unofficial. Why go through the hassle if you can just simply buy
tickets upon arrival from the ship’s ticket counter. There are plenty of
tickets available always even if some online agency tells you there are no more
tickets. You can purchase return ticket also along with it which is a ideal
process.
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| Open Deck of M.V Farhan, One of the largest ship of the fleet |
The ticket price ranges from 350 –
800taka based on main deck, lounge or open deck. If you ask for my suggestion,
go for the open deck. The scenic beauty, mountains, blues, seagulls cannot be enjoyed
by sitting in VIP Lounge. And hey, it’s also cheaper.
It’s a three-hour journey from
Teknaf to Saint Martin’s island. And the journey is so mesmerizing that you wouldn’t
even notice how time went by. Bangladesh-Myanmar border will tell you that most
of the amazing hills and mountains is on the other side. But the journey is so
breathtaking as nothing is more soothing than seeing mountains and oceans
altogether. Yes, the sun will shine right above your head but that’s just a
minimal sacrifice in order to enjoy such beauty. You will also notice Burmese
Fishermen’s activities to make a living. So many little things will be there to
make this ride a beautiful masterpiece.
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| L.C.T KAJOL, another ship of the fleet, paving its way towards the island |
Enjoyed the
journey? time to anchor into the coral island. If you pay attention you can see
from a distance it’s a very tiny piece greens in the middle of the sea. But as soon
you approach, you will realize that this is what you came here for.
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| See past the ship, and you will see a piece of green among the blues |
Now time to
make landing, note that there are around 4 to 5 thousand people or travelers
getting off from the ship at the same deck at a single time. So, you should not
by any means hurry it. wait for the people to get off from the ship then slowly
descend from the ship. At this situation it might be seem as, Oh God why did I come
here. There are so many people and it’s so noisy. But upon crossing the deck. The
wind will slowly start to blow you away. You will start to feel that its
magnificent, and all the other words will fail to explain the beauty of it.
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| St. Martin Island Jetty, Don't rush too much for getting off the ships. |
Check in into a
hotel that you previously booked or you can easily find one as there are plenty
of hotels, resort & cottages in the island. If you go little bit further
you will find some amazing resorts that are situated by the beach. Don’t forget
to find a resort that directly connects with the beach area. It’s very
important.
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| Sea-fish waiting for you |
As its already
lunch time, find a hotel to eat. There are numerous sea fish available but don’t
fall for it, bargain the price. Don’t just settle with the price they told. There
are other food items available also but as you are on an island going for the
fish might just be the best idea. They are delicious to be honest. They only
cook the fishes after you order them so choose whatever fish you like most.
Take some rest or
you may not, because the ocean is calling. It’s just so irresistible to ignore
the call to dive into the sea. But be careful, you need to follow some precautions
in order to do that. Don’t forget to check the red flags which means that
particular area should be avoided. Also watch for the coral as its sharp and
you could easily cut yourself.
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| St. Martin Island |
Try to avoid
islands north beach as it is the most messy and dirty area (Please don’t pollute
the beach by throwing plastics and Polybags). Also the beach area
you will notice first upon landing on the island. As you progress deep into the
island you will find west beach and east side of the beach more peaceful and
relaxing. Which is also less noisy and crowded.
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| West Beach, Also the Largest Collection of Corals You Can See During Low Tide. |
You could just sit at the beach
area and stare at the blue ocean for so long and wonder the water is actually
blue here. Wait for the sun to be set, you shouldn’t miss that. After finishing
the dinner, don’t miss the late-night walks at the beach. Its safe. And if its
full-moon then voila. You have just got the golden ticket. Beach at the full
moon is so eloquently beautiful. You better not get to sleep as this is once in
a lifetime experience. Also, on our visit it was a cloudy weather. So, we got
to enjoy rain and more dynamic weather while on the island. May be luck favored
us with a few extra surprises.
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| Clouds + Corals + Greens = Magnificent |
Heading onto
the next day, wake up early. The beach is only 8 square kilometers, and if you
love cycling then it’s just your lucky day. There are plenty of shops from
where you can rent bicycle to roam around the beach.
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| Bicycle Shop from Where Bicycle Can be Rented Based on Hour Basis |
If you’re on the island
and haven’t heard about Chera Dwip. Which is a small adjoining island separated
by the high tide. You need to start cycling at very early in the morning,
otherwise it would be tough to get back from there before high tide hits. Fun fact
in the morning during the low tide, you cycle through or walk to the Chera Dwip,
but as the day progresses when its high tide, the island is being separated. I have
had the luck to experience both of the situations.
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| Road to Chera Dwip During Low Tide |
Let me share a
short story, so we were cycling across the beach, obviously we started late as
we all were sleeping. So, while crossing the joint and entering into the Chera Dwip
I can clearly remember the path were dried up, but in the middle of that the
water started to flow in. I told myself lets visit Chera Dwip tomorrow. On my
way back I got so confused about which was the actual way as half of my cycle
was already below the water within a few minutes of difference, it was scary
and adventurous at the same time. It got me so pumped up. But I was able to
find my way back at the main beach hopefully. Whether or not, it was an interesting
experience.
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| Adjoining point of Chera Dwip and Main Island |
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| Chera Dwip, St. Martin Island. |
If you intend
to visit Chera Dwip the cycling is the best way, but considering don’t have the
stamina
for that, you can walk by there
if you start it early. There are also boats which can take you to the adjoining
island from the jetty. Which I don’t consider the best option. But that’s another
story and um gonna cover them in some other blog. But no matter what you will
enjoy your time at the island.
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| Just a Regular Afternoon at The Island |
Coconut beach
or also known as Narikel jinjira is where you will found a lot of coconut tree.
Their crisp sound will soothe your soul. One more thing don’t forget to try
green coconut while you’re at it. you will find more than enough juice to fill
yourself up in a single container.
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| Limited Edition Crab?? |
You can try different types of crab there if
its your thing. And also try the fish BBQ which is by the way amazing but again
do your sheer amount of bargaining before placing orders. One thing is for
sure. You will never run out of options to opt out for different types of fish
each time. You can also camp there as the beach is very safe and will be a wonderful
experience.
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| When You Wake Up-to this, Life Seems like So Beautiful |
You can just
walk around the beach and will never get bored of. There is one place at the middle
of the island from where you can see both side of the beach at the same time. That
particular area is known as Golachipa.
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| St. Martin Island |
While you’re at the island, try to cover
as much as possible. Or you will regret it not doing so. The people are so
friendly and helping, it will make you feel more like home. Every part of the
island will feel like pieces of puzzle fitting into a giant storyboard. And there
are so many stuff to do which make me feel like going there again and again.
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| Sometime Caption Fails interpret the Beauty |
Thank you if
you have made it this far. If you want to know more about the commutes, and how
to’s then feel free to comment below. I will be more than happy to cover them.
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| A Bicycle Ride Across the Beach is Worth More Than Anything |
