Moheshkhali Island

A captivating island that is situated 12 kilometers north of the headquarters of the well-known Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh, in the Bay of Bengal, like it is there for improve your journey through Cox’s Bazar or provide you with a way out of the typical Cox’s Bazar. Here I break down everything about the island to assist travel enthusiast like you. The island is only mountainous island that my country has and that iconic fact is enough to attract tourists. Being hilly island, Moheshkhali is really captivating but the island is no less in tradition and history. The island gives shelter to more than 3.5 lakh people and maximum are Involved in salt, betel leaf, and shrimp cultivation. Hang on with me, I will elaborate everything about the mountainous Moheshkhali Island.

How it looks

The 362.2 km² island is bounded to the north by Matarbari Island, to the south by Sonadia, to the west by the open sea, and to the east by the mainland. The coast on the east is surrounded by the dominant mangrove tree Heritiera fomes, which is flooded during high tide. The interior of the island east part is dotted with hills, but the hills are not that large. The locals cultivate betel leaves in the lower areas of these hills. The open sea has entered the western part of the island through canals, and people use this advantage to cultivate salt on this side.

How to go Moheshkhali Island

As the island is the part of Cox’s Bazar District and Cox’s Bazar is well connected from other cities, so there will be no concern about reaching Cox’s Bazar. From there you need to go 6 number jetty ghat of Cox’s Bazar to catch speed boat or motor boat. It takes 15 to 20 minutes by speed boat, and 50 to 65 minutes by motorboat to get to the island.

In recent times, an another way has been developed to take tourist to the island with pleasant. It’s kind of houseboat method service where they provide cruising tour of Bay of Bengal from Cox’s Bazar to Moheshkhali Island. They also offer lunch and spare some time tourist to explore the island. Their office is located on the ground floor of Hotel Oasis, Sugandha Point, Cox’s Bazar.

For creating memories

There is no doubt about the scenic beauties of Moheshkhali Island but it offers more for travelers to create lifelong memories. Notable tourist spots of Moheshkali Island include the Shooting Bridge, Adinath Temple, Golden Temple, Jhauban, and Shutkipalli.

Shooting bridge

The shooting bridge is 1.5 km long and is adjacent to the Adinath Jetty. The bridge is named Shooting Bridge because shooting has been done on it several times. Many people has been here just for the shooting bridge. On both sides of the bridge, you can see sundori trees, which increase the beauty of the bridge many times. At high tide, the forest take on a unique appearance.

Adinath Temple

A little further along the bridge, you will see the Adinath Temple, which is one of the pilgrimage sites for the followers of the Sanatan religion in Bangladesh. The temple is located 280 feet above sea level, kind of nestled in the hill. If you climb more, you will see a Buddhist temple from which you can enjoy the view of the Bay of Bengal flowing through the mangrove banks from one side and the small and big mountains on the other side.

Golden Temple

The Golden Temple, also known as the King and Queen’s Temple, is one of the temples on this island, after Adinath Temple. The Rakhine community on the island is home to this shrine. The locals claim that the gold statue of the king that is housed in the temple is real. Sadly, visitors are not permitted to enter the temple at this time but who knows the the future. But there are many shops in front of the temple where you can find various handmade products made by the locals, including shawls, clothes, etc.

Jhauban

Maheshkhali’s Jhauban, which allows you to blend in with nature, is one of its soothig natural beauty. The wind blowing through the trees by the sea will give you a different feeling. On the way to Jhauban, you will see Babudighi, the only freshwater lake in Maheshkhali.

other thing

There are also tales of betel growing in the Maheshkhali hills. Shutki, which is produced in the Gorakghata Shutkipalli region and exported throughout Bangladesh, is another well-known item.

To visit those spots, rent auto rickshaw or Cng type vehicles but be careful because sometimes a few bad drivers want to deceive you for more money.

About accommodation

Tourists are like to explore the island in a day and showing no intention of staying there and with lot of fancy hotels, Cox’s bazar is nearby. For all of these reasons, there is no dedicate hotels in the island for tourists. But if you don’t want to leave this scenic place, I can suggest something useful. Sonadia Island which is located on the south side of the island where a few resorts organization offer tourists to stay overnight by camping and they ensure safety. Almost every year tourists like to camp here and the island also famous for this activity.

Frequently asked questions

1. Which do I prefer Saint Martin or Moheshkhali island?
It depends on my travel craving, both are unique islands of my nation and both incredibly attractive. To hunt those beauty of nature you should change you tag from tourist to traveler.

2. How much does it cost to get to Moheshkhali Island from Cox’s Bazaar?
Rickshaw fee from Cox’s bazar to 6 number jetty ghat is 50 BDT
Jetty ghat entry fee 20 BDT
Speed boat fee 120 BDT/ Motor boat fee 50 BDT
Tour rickshaw fee is 250-350 BDT in the island
Tour Cng fee is 400-600 BDT in the island

Note: fee’s is a changeble fact.

3. How did the island get its name Maheshkhali?

I really don’t know but it kinds of relate to Hindu deity Shiva whose other name is “Mahesh” . Some believe the name came from a famous Buddhist monk, Sen Maheshwar.

4. How many hills does the island have?
First of all, Are you going to buy the mountain? whatever, I have no idea how many hills there are.