Beaches in Bangladesh

The country has around six hundred kilometres of Bay of Bengal coast and holds the longest natural sea beach in the world at Cox's Bazar, along with the Sundarbans — the largest mangrove forest on earth, shared with India and home to Bengal tigers. Beach use here is overwhelmingly domestic and the culture around it differs from the western default: most people swim clothed, crowds on holidays are enormous, and modest dress is expected. Rip currents cause frequent drownings and lifeguard cover is concentrated near the towns. The dry season runs November to March; the monsoon and cyclone risk make the rest of the year unsuitable. Saint Martin's Island in the far south is the country's only coral island and is under serious pressure from day-trip traffic. Inani and Himchari south of Cox's Bazar are the quieter sections, with forested hills behind them, and the coast continues south towards Teknaf with progressively fewer people on it.