Saint Martin's Island has become a popular tourist spot. Currently, three shipping liners run daily trips to the island, including Sea-Truck and Keary-Sindbad. Tourists can book their trip either from Chittagong or from Cox's Bazar. The surrounding coral reef of the island has an extension named Chera Dwip.
In the past 5 years St. Martin's visitor population has increased dramatically. While this situation has proven to be lucrative for the islanders, it is causing the natural beauty of the island to deteriorate. Presently there are many efforts being put forth to preserve the several endagered species of turtles that nest on the island, as well as the corals, some of which are found only on Narikel Jinjera. Pieces of the coral reef are being removed in order to be sold to tourists. Nesting turtles are sometimes taken for food, and their hatchlings are often distracted by the twinkling lights along the beach. Species of fish, a few just recently discovered, are being overfished. Every year the fishermen must venture further out to sea to get their catch. Most of them use motorless boats.
At high tide the island is about 3 miles around, and pinched in the middle. The island exists only because of its coral base, so removal of that coral risks erosion of the beaches. St. Martins has lost roughly 25% of its coral reef in the past 7 years.
Get in
Getting to Saint Martins Island is a three-step process. First you'll need to fly or bus it down to Cox's Bazar, and then catch a bus to Teknaf, which is right on the very southern tip of Bangladesh, sandwiched up against Myanmar. From Teknaf, ferries run daily and take around 3 hours. The total distance from Dhaka to the island is 510 km.
Ferries leave the island around 3PM. For the regular Eagle ferries you don't need to prebook, but if you're taking the more reliable Keari Sindbad ferry and you don't have a roundtrip ticket you can book the return leg at the Keari Marzaan restaurant ( just before Saint Martin's Resort, off the main road). The restaurant itself only caters to daytrippers on tours arranged by Keari Tours. The one-way fare is Tk 225. the website address is http://www.tourismkeari.com. you can find all services by Keari here.
Get around
Arriving from the port you'll walk through a strip of basic restaurants and shops, and hit a t-junction. Left will take you to the eastern beaches (the cement ends shortly before the scuba dive center), while a right turn will take you along the main cement 'road' where most of the hotels and guesthouses are, ending at the north-west part of the island.
At one point a left turn leads around the newly built hospital and into the center of the island. It's an interesting walk and eventually leads out to the western beach just north of the Sea Turtle Hatchery, after a couple wrong turns.
Flatbed cycle-rickshaws are the only transport aside from walking. There are no motorized vehicles on the island, not even motorcycles (yay!).
See
* Sunrise on the east side of the island, and after a lazy day head over to the west side for sunset. Sunset Point is a rocky peninsula on the northwest corner of the island, near Saint Martin's Resort, which exists only at low tide — a popular spot if sunset and low tide coincide.
* Village life is slow paced — most work happens in the morning and evening, while midday is reserved for drying fish and rice and selling your coconuts. Or, more likely, sitting in the shade chewing paan.
* There's a Sea Turtle Hatchery on the west side of the island south of Shemana Pereye Resort. It's not officially open to visitors, but it's usually empty and the gate unlocked. If it's the right season there will be several bamboo cages in the sand with eggs buried under them — not much to see, but it's nice to know that good work is being done.
* Stars are amazingly plentiful on a moonless night, due to the lack of electricity on the island.
* Rock Beach (Rocky Beach Area), Dhakinmatha, (Last point of the Island). The southern point of the Island has a millions of years old Rock formed from Coral. The area is popular as Rock Beach and can be visited on foot. A 10-15 minutes track can be explored within the area by taking permission from the local land owners to see wild life including lizard, migratory birds and unique sweet water turtles habitat.
Buy
There are a couple of small shops near the port and along the main road selling very basic necessities, and the odd souvenir t-shirts, hats (Tk 40) and sunglasses.
Sea shells and things made from them are sold by little children around the island, but it's illegal and leads to the depletion of sea life.
Eat
Food is a little more expensive here than on the mainland.
The food shacks that line the road to the port all cook up similar fare: parothas (Tk 5), omelettes (dhim, Tk 10) and vegetable curry (Tk 15) for breakfast, and fish, dal, rice and veggies the rest of the day. Cha is Tk 5.
All of the hotels also have restaurants with basically the same typical Bangladeshi offerings, with higher prices and better quality than those near the port. Chicken is sometimes available but not very tasty, and lobster and crab may be available occasionally at very high prices. The restaurant at Blue Marine Resort and Appayan at Saint Martin's Resort are the best on the island.
The islanders also sell dried fish, which is a bit more expensive but fresher than those available upshore in Cox's Bazaar.
Early morning is the best time to get fresh fish from the fisherman near the market, you can often bring it to your hotel chef and ask him to fry it up the way you like, or some places may do a nice evening barbeque. Some places may even give you kitchen access to cook it yourself if you ask.
Drink
* Coconuts are the drink of choice (Tk 20), and coconut pushers are to be found along the length of the island, getting slightly less aggressive as you move south.
* Alcohol may be available at the larger hotels or if you ask discreetly near the port, though there is not even a hint of nightlife.
Sleep
There are several budget guesthouses along the main road such as Hotel Sea Heart, Bay of Bengal Guesthouse, Coast Guesthouse, Hotel Sadek, Oceanview and Coral Reef Guesthouse, all similarly dark and characterless with dank attached bathrooms and no running water. Anywhere else these rooms would cost around Tk 500-700, but here you'll be lucky to pay Tk 1000 and be asked for as much as Tk 1500.
Most evenings will be candle-lit since there's no electricity on the island, but a few of the more expensive hotels have generators.
* There's a government resthouse signed only in Bengali on the main road next to Bay of Bengal Guesthouse. Rooms are a little larger and cleaner than the surrounding guesthouses and have mosquito nets. It's not possible to prebook rooms and, even if they're available, whether you can stay will depend on the mood of the man on duty. Rooms ~Tk 600.
* Blue Marine Resort, (on the northeast corner of the island, visible from the port),. The most upmarket option on the island, this place is set to lead the way in tacky, environmentally unfriendly Cox's Bazar-style development (though thankfully still on a smaller scale). It's impeccably clean with a blue and white Miami sailboat feel and crisp white sheets. Attached baths are clean and have cold running water, laundry and room service are available, and there's a generator. There's also a good restaurant here selling the usual, plus lobster and crab at a premium, when available. The beach is visible from the front and the back of each room on the upper floors, and both the sunrise and sunset can be enjoyed from the private veranda attached to the rooms. They've also got a couple of cottages (Tk 2000) on the remote southern point of the island with kitchens. Tk 2000-3000.
* Shemana Pereye Resort Ltd., (on the west side of the island, walk south from Abakash Parjaton). Budget-minders may want to splurge a little and stay at this super friendly and relaxed place with a nice garden environment, set just back from the beach in a quiet area yet still close enough to the village. It's not signed in English, but as you walk south look for a sign in Bangla next to a bamboo gate — if you reach the Sea Turtle Hatchery you've gone too far. They've also got a decent restaurant serving the usual fish and chicken. Tk 1400/1600/1800 for brick/wooden/bamboo rooms.
* Saint Martin's Resort, (at the end of the main road, on the north-western corner of the island), ☎ +880 01819 490129. checkout: 2PM. Also known as Hotel Nijhum, it's run by the government owned Abakash Parjatan. Rooms are cleanish, staff are friendly, and it's very popular with Bangladeshi families on holiday. The beach in front of here is the most popular on the island, and where the day-trippers from Cox's Bazar hang out around during the middle of the day. It has running cold water, some sit and some squat toilets, and a generator running in the evening. Appayan restaurant is attached and good. Tk 1500-2000.
* Riyad Guesthouse, (on the northwest corner of the island), Probably the best pick of the budget guesthouses. Basic facilities but clean with friendly owners and a relaxing location. Tk 1500-3000.
* Coral Blue Resort (Eco Resort in St.Martin Island), Last tip of the Island, Dakhinmatha (Adjacent to Cheradwip). checkin: 01:00pm; checkout: 12:00pm. Probably the best view of St. martin & Cheradwip can be get here. It is the last point of the Island, where it is connected to Cheradwip by tide. It is on 24 acres land with a natural lake with millions of migratory birds habitat.This is the only tent resort in Eco friendly environment with modern sanitation facilities and solar power (back up generator is there).A good restaurant is within the resort area to serve fresh fish grill and BBQ besides regular meals. Tk. 2000/2500.
* Coral Blue Resort (St. Martin's only Eco Resort), Cheradwip area (ast tip of the Island on souther side). checkin: 02:00pm; checkout: 12:00pm. Probably the best view of the Island and Cheradwip's can be get here. The Resort is on 24 acres of land, based on Eco friendly concept. 10 Tent rooms with proper sanitation and solar power make it unique. A in house restaurant to BBQ or Grill fresh fish besides regular meal is available. Run by professional stuffs and quality of food and service is expected. The resort has water sports and beach activities facilities. Besides its scenic beauty of the sea, the resort has a sweet water lake inside the premises where you can see millions of migratory birds. TK. 1500/2000.
Respect
The island has seen a massive increase in tourism (mostly Bangladeshis) over the last few years, and the fragile ecosystem on the island is not well equipped to handle it. Do what you can to encourage eco-friendly practices, and definitely don't litter the island. It's also a good idea to avoid eating fish at every meal on an island where overfishing is a major problem and sea life is rapidly vanishing.
If you come across sea turtles or their eggs, keep a reasonable distance and don't disturb these fascinating but fragile creatures.
Westerners should be alert to the modest lifestyle of the islanders, especially women. It is not a good idea to swim in public places in western bathing suits, and modest dress is appropriate for both women and men.
Contact
There are no landlines, but cell phones work well, due to a few very imposing cell phone towers dotted around the island. GrameenPhone and Aktel are the service providers.There is no internet on the island, the nearest is in Cox's Bazaar.
Get out
As tempting as it may be to cross into Myanmar, it is highly illegal and very unlikely that you could arrange a boat from here anyhow. Simply enjoy the views of the coast during the boat journey, and if you're intent on going, head up to Dhaka, get a visa, and fly from there.
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