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Journey through Bangladesh

From Cox’s Bazaar

Visit Chhera Deep Next Winter

Hasibur Rahman Bilu

IF you're not careful as you're stepping off the boat to set foot on Chhera Deep you might fall into the deep blue water and drown. The water here is very clear. Water which is about five or six feet deep might seem like no more than a foot deep- that's how clear it is. It's hard to describe the beauty of this place; words just don't seem to suffice. No amount of storytelling can describe the actual feeling of being at that place.

It takes an hour to reach Chhera Deep by engine-powered boat from St. Martin's island. Takes even less time by speedboat. But don't forget to take with you some water and light food. The refreshing drink you can get here is coconut juice. There's seafood here, fried crabs as well as biscuits and chips. You have to be used to these kinds of foods though, not everyone is. But it's also true that after you set foot on the island you'll probably forget about food. The sea and the forest will call you and take you to lots of places.

You'll want to wet your body with the waves that crash against the choral island but you should always keep your sandals on when you do so. Most parts of the choral are quite sharp and might cut your feet. One more thing- even though this probably doesn't need to be said, extra warnings don't hurt- do not put the water in your mouth even if it looks crystal clear. That might make you sick.

When you go to Cox's Bazaar you should think of visiting St. Martin's. And when you visit St. Martin's, you should be thinking of visiting Chhera Deep. Remember that even though going to and from St Martin's from Cox's Bazaar takes a day, you shouldn't try to visit both islands in one day. That'll create a rush for coming back and you won't be able to enjoy yourself as much. Stay in St. Martin's one night and the next morning you can go to Chhera Deep. You can head back at three by seatruck, going towards Cox's Bazaar. If there's time, you can spend another day at Cox's Bazaar.