At a Glance: St Martin's is a tropical cliché and the only coral island in Bangladesh, 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 centre 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.

Get in: From Teknaf you can cruise to St Martin's Island with the best and the safest ship Keari Sindbad and reach St Martin's comfortably in 2 or fewer hours. Keari Sindbad cruise journey is a pleasant one as you will see the spectacular views of Teknaf's hill on one side and Mayanmar on the other side while it cruises along the Naf River.
Ferries leave the island around 3pm.Keari Sindbad ferry and you can purchase a round trip ticket; which can same day return or 1-2 days later. Prices are same whenever you return. The return fare on Keari Sindbad start from BDT 550-800 as of September 2014.

See : Sunrise on the east side of the island, and after a lazy day head over to the west side for sunset. Sunset Point is a rocky peninsula on the northwest corner of the island, near Saint Martin's Resort, which exists only at low tide — a popular spot if sunset and low tide coincide.An algae farmer lays his crop out to dry. Village life is slow paced — most work happens in the morning and evening, while midday is reserved for drying fish and rice and selling your coconuts. Or, more likely, sitting in the shade chewing paan.

Sea: Sunrise on the east side of the island, and after a lazy day head over to the west side for sunset. Sunset Point is a rocky peninsula on the northwest corner of the island, near Saint Martin's Resort, which exists only at low tide — a popular spot if sunset and low tide coincide.

Village life is slow paced — most work happens in the morning and evening, while midday is reserved for drying fish and rice and selling your coconuts. Or, more likely, sitting in the shade chewing paan.

There's a Sea Turtle Hatchery on the west side of the island south of Shemana Pereye Resort. It's not officially open to visitors, but it's usually empty and the gate unlocked. If it's the right season there will be several bamboo cages in the sand with eggs buried under them — not much to see, but it's nice to know that good work is being done. This is under the Sea Turtle Conservation Project STURCNET (Sea Turtle Conservation Network).

Eat-Drink-Sleep: 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 St Martin's Resort are the best on the island. 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 500-700, but here you'll be lucky to pay Tk 1000 and be asked for as much as Tk 1500.
Coconuts are the drink of choice (Tk 25), and coconut pushers are to be found along the length of the island, getting slightly less aggressive as you move south.Alcohol may be available at the larger hotels or if you ask discreetly near the port, though there is not even a hint of nightlife.

There are several budget guesthouses along the main road such as Hotel Sea Heart, Bay of Bengal Guesthouse, Coast Guesthouse, Hotel Sadek, Coral Blue Resor,Dream Night Resor,Music Eco Resort ,Blue Marine Resort,Shemana Pereye Resort Ltd,St Martin's Resort,Riyad Guesthouse,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 500-700, but here you'll be lucky to pay Tk 1000 and be asked for as much as Tk 1500.

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.