'''Saint Martins Island''' is in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh and lies about 10km south-west of the southern tip of the mainland.
Saint Martins is a tropical cliche and the only coral island in the country, with beaches fringed with coconut palms and laid-back locals. It's a clean and peaceful place with nothing more strenuous to do than soak up the rays — even mosquitoes are a rarity. There's a naval base near the center of the island, and the USA looked into setting up one of their own a few years back. The island was devastated by a cyclone in 1991 but has fully recovered, and was untouched by the 2004 tsunami.
It is possible to walk around Saint Martins in a day since it measures only 8 km<sup>2</sup>, shrinking to about 5 km<sup>2</sup> during high tide. Most of the island's 7000 inhabitants live primarily from fishing, and between October and April fishermen from neighboring areas bring their catch to the island's temporary wholesale market. Rice and coconuts are the other staple crops, and algae is collected and dried from the sea rocks and sold for consumption to Myanmar.
Most things are concentrated around the far north of the island, with the center and south being mostly farmland and makeshift huts. There is no electricity on the island, though the larger hotels run generators in the evenings for a few hours.
November to February is the main tourist season with the best weather, though keep an eye on the forecast, as the occasional cyclone can strike during this time.
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 (+88 '''01727 266077''', 0181 6820971, ''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.
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!).
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.
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.
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 50-70, but here you'll be lucky to pay Tk 100 and be asked for as much as Tk 500.
Most evenings will be candle-lit since there's no electricity on the island, but a few of the more expensive hotels have generators.
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.
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.
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.