Saint Martin Island

Saint Martin is a small coral island, some 10 km (6 miles) off Bangladesh's southern tip. It is a tropical paradise with white sand beaches, turquoise waters and shady palm trees. The sea around Saint Martin Island boasts a colorful marine life, which is excellent for scuba divers and snorkelers. Since the island measures only 8 km² (3 sq miles), it is possible to walk around it in a day or so. During high tide, the island's size shrinks even to only 5 km² (2 sq miles).

Some 5500 people live on Saint Martin Island, most of whom earn a living in the fishing industry. Between October and April, fisher folk from neighboring regions, come to Saint Martin to sell their catch at the island's wholesale market.

Accommodation is available on Saint Martin Island. You can get there by ferry from Teknaf in the south of Bangladesh; a trip that takes about three hours. You can get to Teknaf by bus from Cox's Bazar. Saint Martin Island is 390 km southeast of Dhaka.