Home to a 75-mile stretch of sandy beach (the world’s longest), Bangladesh’s best-known holiday resort area is an 11-hour drive from Dhaka (or you can fly here in a bit over an hour). Bustling, festive, sprawling and slightly chaotic, Cox´s Bazar caters to Bangladeshi families, student groups, and honeymooners rather than international tourism à la Bali or Phuket, so don´t expect anything too fancy. It´s all about locals enjoying things like pony rides, kite flying, and eating in seafood restaurants. The beach itself is broad and dramatic, with long tidal flats and rolling Bay of Bengal surf. Among nearby excursions are tropical- and evergreen-forested Himchari National Park, just under seven square miles and famous for its elephants, tigers, and Himchari Waterfall; Maheshkhali Island, known for its mangrove forests, salt fields, and temples such as the 203-year-old Hindu Adinath; the 3½-square mile Dulhazra Safari Park, home to at least 4,000 animals of 165 species, including lions, Bengal tigers, crocodiles, and bears; and the ancient farming town of Ramu, celebrated for its markets and handicrafts as well as a several Buddhist temples; Rangkut Buddhist monastery (the country´s oldest, dating back to the 3rd century BCE); and a reclining, 13-foot-high bronze statue of Buddha. The best time to visit is from November to March, when the weather is pleasant, with cool breezes and minimal rainfall.
Read more in my post An Introduction to Bangladesh and 6 of Its Top Destinations.
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