Maheshkhali Island & Adinath Temple
Bangladesh's only hilly island, a short speedboat ride from Cox's Bazar, crowned by the hilltop Adinath Temple.
Maheshkhali is a hilly island just across the channel from Cox's Bazar, reached by a short speedboat ride past mangroves and fishing trawlers. It is known for salt pans, sweet betel-leaf plantations, dried-fish yards and a mixed Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Rakhine population.
The main sight is the Adinath Temple on Mainak hill near Gorakghata, a Shiva shrine whose hilltop setting gives wide views over the island and the channel. A Buddhist pagoda and a Rakhine para lie nearby. Every year in the month of Falgun a large fair is held at the foot of the hill, drawing devotees from all over Bangladesh.
How to go
From Cox's Bazar's 6 No. Jetty (Kasturi Ghat) take a speedboat (≈15-20 min, 80-100 BDT) or a slower boat to Gorakghata, then an auto-rickshaw to the temple (≈15 min, 30-50 BDT).
Where to stay
Usually a day trip from Cox's Bazar; Maheshkhali has only a few basic hotels (800-1,500 BDT).
