Things to do in Cox's Bazar
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Cox's Bazar
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Winter, dry and sunny with calm seas. Everything operates and Saint Martin is open, at peak rates and crowds.
Hot spring shoulder, sea mostly usable, crowds and rates falling, Saint Martin closed.
Late April to May, oppressive heat, storms and the first cyclone window. Mostly avoid.
Monsoon, heavy rain, rough dangerous seas and most water activities suspended. Lowest prices.
Post monsoon shoulder, rains taper and winter light returns at shoulder prices, Saint Martin still closed.
What's on
- Tourism Fair & Beach Carnival 27 September
Around World Tourism Day into early October, stalls, kite festival, lanterns, concerts and surfing at Laboni.
- Winter tourism carnival from 1 November
Winter tourism carnival announced from 1 November in recent planning, check current year dates.
- Saint Martin overnight season December to January
Overnight stays on Saint Martin are permitted in December and January only.
- Victory Day 16 December
Festive national holiday with peak crowds in Cox's Bazar.
- Christmas-New Year hotel programmes Christmas to New Year
Hotels run Christmas and New Year programmes at peak season rates.
- Pohela Boishakh 14 April
Bengali New Year brings local festivity and a domestic surge weekend.
Best things to do in Cox's Bazar
Laboni Point
Walk Kolatoli to Sugandha to Laboni at sunset for the full busy Bangladeshi beach scene in about 2 km.
Inani Beach
Quieter coral strewn beach south of town with clearer water, rock pools at low tide and green hills behind.
Patuartek Beach
Cliff backed cove where locals escape the town beach, with red crabs at low tide and long sunset views.
Himchari National Park
Forested hilltop views back along the whole coastline, with a small waterfall that is best after rain.
Radiant Fish World
Compact live aquarium with a walk through tunnel, foot spa and kids zone, ideal for families or rain.
100-foot reclining Buddha, Ramu
Ramu temple circuit that shows Buddhist Bengal, with the huge reclining Buddha, Rangkut Bihar and Aggmeda Khyang.
Burmese Market
Evening market for Rakhine textiles, thanaka, pickles and spices, bargaining patiently to about half the first price.
Laboni Beach
Dawn sampan landings, fish auctions and dried fish yards, then local surfers working the Laboni break.
Where to stay in Cox's Bazar
Kolatoli / Hotel-Motel Zone, Marine Drive Road
first trip, all-round base
Big resorts in a row by Kolatoli beach, restaurants walkable, airport close and Marine Drive trips start at your door.
Sugandha-Laboni, the town beach strip
budget and buzz
Dense budget and mid range hotels behind Sugandha and Laboni, with markets, restaurants and bus stands walkable.
Marine Drive south, Pechardwip / Reju Khal / Inani
resort stay, quiet
Private or semi private beach, pools and silence, with a 40 to 70 minute drive back to town each time you leave.
Think twice about
- Cox's Bazar old town centre / Bazar Ghata
Congested working town away from the beach with bus terminal chaos, tout pressure and no sea view or evening promenade.
- Laboni Point immediate first block on peak holiday weekends
Shoulder to shoulder crowds, loudspeakers and gridlocked access at Eid and long weekends. Visit for an afternoon, sleep elsewhere.
- Teknaf as a base
Border town with heavy security, thin hotels and a restricted humanitarian camp zone nearby. Drive through by day, do not base there.
- Saint Martin's Island as a whole trip base
Limited generator power, no ATMs, no hospital, one sailing a day in season and none from February to October.
Best restaurants in Cox's Bazar
Palongki
Polished sea facing dining at Inani for grilled coral fish, crab, pomfret and prawns at top local prices.
Coral Station
Modern steak and grilled seafood room on the hotel strip, the town's special occasion choice.
Mermaid Café
Beachside tables for grilled fish and prawns at sunset, where the setting matters as much as the food.
Salt Bistro & Café
Calm modern cafe near the sea for butter garlic prawns, chilli crab, seafood and real coffee.
EFC - A Live Fish Restaurant
Choose a live fish from the tanks and have it fried, curried or grilled, confirming weight and total first.
Into The Blue
Long running strip restaurant for seafood platters, catch of the day and Indian and continental mains.
Poushee Restaurant
The Bengali benchmark for bhorta platters, loitta and pomfret fry, beef kala bhuna and custard pudding.
Jhaubon Restaurant
Classic Bengali house for ten kinds of bhorta with loitta fry and pomfret, rice and dal.
Outdoor things to do in Cox's Bazar
Marine Drive, Cox's Bazar
Open jeep day from Kolatoli past Himchari and Inani to Patuartek, with sea on one side and hills on the other.
Surfing Bangladesh
Beginner surf lessons and board hire on a warm forgiving beach break with an instructor in the water.
Darianagar Parasailing Point
Parasailing from a quieter beach south of town, worth choosing for operators with proper checks and equipment.
Saint Martin's Island
Bangladesh's only coral island for cycling, west beach swimming and Chhera Dwip, best as a December overnight.
Maheshkhali Island
Speedboat half day to Adinath Temple, Buddhist temples, Shooting Bridge, salt fields and dried fish yards.
Cox Kayaking
Gentle kayaking on mangrove fringed Reju Khal creek near Inani, best early or late in the dry season.
Kolatoli Beach
Low tide cycling, led horse rides and beach bikes on hard sand, with the total price agreed before you start.
Best hotels in Cox's Bazar
Sayeman Beach Resort
Flagship sea facing resort with direct beach access, infinity pool, spa and the town's most praised buffet breakfast.
Ramada by Wyndham Cox's Bazar Kolatoli Beach
International chain tower on Kolatoli with sea view rooms, pool, spa and 24 hour dining.
Long Beach Hotel
Reliable upper mid hotel with two restaurants, pool and gym, pricing below Sayeman on many deals.
Best Western Heritage
Clean modern chain hotel with pool, gym and praised breakfast at a mid range price.
Hotel Sea Crown
Well reviewed local mid range hotel steps from the beach, noted for its restaurant and free breakfast.
Neeshorgo Hotel & Resort
Greener slightly removed resort feel near Kolatoli with buffet breakfast, a sound family mid range base.
Hotel Grand Pacific
Serviceable pool equipped budget mid option in Kolatoli for touring trips where the room is just a bed.
Green Nature Resort & Suites
Pool equipped budget mid option in Kolatoli from the low end of the mid range band.
Is Cox's Bazar expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BDT 4,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BDT 9,000 a person |
| Splurge | BDT 27,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Saint Martin's Island: weeks ahead
- Sayeman Beach Resort: a few days ahead
- Ramada by Wyndham Cox's Bazar Kolatoli Beach: a few days ahead
- Mermaid Beach Resort: weeks ahead
- Sea Pearl Beach Resort & Spa: a few days ahead
- Palongki: a few days ahead
- Coral Station: a few days ahead
- Saint Martin ship tickets with QR Travel Pass sell out weeks ahead in December and January, with a 2,000 visitor daily cap.
- Book Kolatoli rooms 3 to 6 weeks ahead for Eid, Victory Day week, Christmas to New Year and three day holiday weekends.
- Book winter weekend flights from Dhaka early as domestic holiday demand is intense.
Is Cox's Bazar safe?
- Swim only at lifeguarded Kolatoli, Sugandha and Laboni inside flagged zones and lifeguard hours. Tourist Police 01320-222222, emergency 999.
- At unguarded Inani and Patuartek stay waist deep at most, never alone and never after dark.
- Evening walks belong on the lit Kolatoli to Laboni promenade as stretches of beach are dark after sunset.
- Watch for petty theft in Laboni and Sugandha crowds, use the hotel safe and carry a cross body bag.
Cox's Bazar travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Beach photographers who shoot first and charge later. Agree photo count and total price before the first shot.
- Mid ride renegotiation on horses, jet skis, beach bikes and speedboats. State total, duration, distance and return first.
- Jade, pearls and sandalwood at the Burmese Market are priced as treasure and made as costume. Buy textiles and food instead.
- Unlicensed Saint Martin agents offering Teknaf or Inani departures or paper tickets without a QR Travel Pass.
- Himchari waterfall as a standalone trip in dry season, and Radiant Fish World at peak holiday noon.
Getting around Cox's Bazar: public transport and more
- Agree every tomtom and CNG fare before moving and carry small notes.
- Pathao and Uber cars and bikes operate in Cox's Bazar and remove negotiation where coverage allows.
- Hire a vehicle for the day for Marine Drive rather than going point to point.
- Flights from Dhaka take about an hour, the direct train about 8 to 9 hours and AC buses 8 to 10 hours.
Who Cox's Bazar suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Cox's Bazar your trip
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