The longest natural stretch of beach on the planet curves its way along the coastline of Bangladesh on the Bay of Bengal over 120 kilometres of glistening yellow sands and rolling ocean waves, making Cox's Bazar one of the most-coveted tourist spots in the country. From the region’s northern edges at the mouth of the Bakkhali River, to the southern sands at Kolatoli, it covers the gamut of rolling surf, beachcombing, rugged coastal dunes, Buddhist temples, and paradisal islands, not to mention a collection of some of the best hotels and restaurants in the region.
Start by quizzing your Cox's Bazar tour guide about the best beaches around town, ranging from the boulder-peppered stretch at Laboni, where crowds settle in to watch the pink glow of the Indian sun dip behind the horizon, to the wild and rustic Inani Beach, where the green hills of southern Bangladesh enclose visitors in an enclave of majestic ocean beauty. And once travellers are done enjoying the wealth of fresh seafood eateries that pepper the coast, there can head out to watch the Himchori falls crashing over the cliffs, or to see the undulating hills of Teknaf, culminating with an exploration of the Buddhist influence in the region, at the Aggmeda Khyang and the village of Ramu.