Bd Travel Solution: visit cox's bazzar

Where stay in Cox's bazar

Hotel Sea gull [5 star]

[around tk 3,757 - 9,870]

Contact:

+88 0341 62480-491

Hotel Sea Palace [3 star]

[2 category service

at Crown Plaza around tk 3,000-5,000

and at Western Plaza tk 1,600-2,000]

Contact:

+88 0341 63692

+88 0341 63792

Hotel Media International

[around tk 960-3,700]

Contract:

+88 0341 62881-885

+88 01819519719

+88 01711341164

Hotel Silver Shine

Contact:

+88 0341 64893

Midium level hotel

[around tk 3,00-5,000]

Hotel Saiman

Contact: +88 0341 63900

Hotel Panoa

Contact: +88 0341 63282

Hotel Sea Crown

Contact: +88 0341 64474

Hotel Kollol

Contact: +88 0341 64748

Hotel Mishuk

Contact: +88 0341 64320

Hotel Avisar

Contact: +88 0341 63061

Hotel Prashad Paradise

Contact : +88 01711193196

Guest House:

Diamond Guest House

Contact: +88 0341 63642

Sea-Park Guest House

Contact: +88 0341 51078

Uni Resort

Contact: +88 0341 63181

Niloy Bay Resort

Contact: +88 0341 63677

bangladesh travel guide: mermaid eco resort in cox's bazzar [কক্সবাজার' এর মারমেইড ইকো রিসোর্ট]

Cox's bazaar is known for its wide sandy beach which is claimed to be the world's longest natural sandy sea beach. It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. Since the rise and fall of the tide here is not great, it is a good place for sea bathing. It is located 150 km south of Chittagong. Cox’s Bazaar is also known by the name "Panowa", the literal translation of which means "yellow flower". Its other old name was "Palongkee”. It was also a contestant of 7new wonders.
This site describes Cox’s Bazaar in various attractive views. At 1^st we select a resort named mermaid eco resort.

The Mermaid Eco Resort is located beside the Rezu Khal along the Marine Drive about sixteen kilometres from downtown Cox's Bazaar. What sets this resort apart is that it has set a great example by keeping all of its buildings environmentally friendly; the raw materials used to build the resort are mostly bamboo, thatch, mud and wood. This is particularly important in a place like Cox's Bazaar, a place of unbridled natural splendour that we can ill afford to contaminate with urban and industrial wastes.

Bangladesh has a wealth of natural beauty, and it is imperative that we utilise the tourism potential of such sites. In this respect Cox's Bazaar has been streets ahead of the rest, and a recent and glowing landmark on that path is the Mermaid Eco Resort, Cox's Bazaar.

Mermaid Eco-Resort is a sister concern of Mermaid Cafe, Cox's Bazar. The motto of the resort is sustainable living. The individual cottages are built using local materials like mud, wood, bamboo and thatch. Each cottage can host a couple and has an attached toilet. The resort has boats that can be used to explore the lake and visit the beach for a sun bath. The surrounding village is also a beautiful place to discover. The menu has fresh fish and vegetables available in the local bazar prepared in deshi style.

Officially inaugurated in September 2009 and a sister concern of Mermaid Café, the resort accommodates about 70 people at a time and provides facilities that will keep guests immersed in the beauty and splendor of Cox's Bazaar.

Luxury two-storied or even duplex bungalows with wide windows or beautiful lofts carpeted with mats made out of straws or coconut leaves, spacious beds, long verandas facing the blue sea, instantly relaxes your tired urban mind. You just toss your body on the hammock; swing to the rhythm, close your eyes while the sea sings you a lullaby. Your worn out self, willingly gives in to the loveliness around you.

Walks on the beach studded with seashells and pebbles, taking mud baths, riding the country boat, are equal parts pleasure and leisure.

The return to simpler times seems to be the theme of this resort. Contemporary amenities and facilities married with unspoiled nature is what you get at Mermaid Eco Resort in Cox's Bazar. And its owners, the adventurous and romantic duo Bristi and Shohag, with their infectious happy smile and awesome hospitality allow you to tuck away your worries and enjoy nature at its best - untainted and natural.

The bungalows are equipped with modern hygienic western toilets and verandas overlooking the sea, the lake or the lush green hill range. The villas also have the same facilities but are topped up with a better view and a private sitting space.

The Mermaid Café in Cox's Bazaar was merely the prelude to the wonderful story that you unravel at the Mermaid Eco Resort. If you are looking for a quiet time out with just a good read for company, this all-out deshi resort should be on top of your picks.

Guests can choose from a range of Standard Bungalows (Tk 2500/night), Deluxe Bungalows (Tk.3000/night), Premium Deluxe Bungalows (Tk 3500/night), Supreme Deluxe Bungalows (Tk 4000/night) and Villas (Tk 5000/night).

The resort also facilitates its guests with a well-kept Crafts Shop, Restaurant, Movie Nights, Herbal Spa, boat rides, Car/Motorbike/Bicycle rentals, Laundry Service, wave surfing facilities and a Tour Desk. There are also special tours, which take the tourists to a nearby sand dune island where special security is arranged for a comfortable and fun sea bathing experience.

Further inquiry: call 01841416464,
e-mail reservation@mermaidecoresort.com,
website: www.mermaidecoresort.com

nearer tourist spot: Laboni Beach, Enani beach, Himchari, Buddhist temple, Barmish market.

nearer attractive town: Ramu, Dulahazra safari park, Aggmeda Khyang

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Labels: BANGLADESH, CHITTAGONG, COX'S BAZZAR, HOTEL, TRAVEL

Wednesday, October 14, 2011

Safari park: Splendour of the safari

Khaled Yasin Rashid visits Bangladesh’s only safari park and revels in the company of its marvellous inhabitants but finds that without the government’s immediate attention, the park may be faced with a daunting chance of survival

Located 107 km south of the Cox’s Bazar- Chittagong highway is Bangladesh’s only safari park, occupying 900 hectares of natural tropical evergreen woodlands.

The park, previously known as the Dulahazara Safari Park has been re-christened as the Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park Dulahazara.

The safari park is an hour’s drive away from the Cox’s Bazar town. If travelling in a small group, catching a micro-bus, maxi or a four-wheel-drive with seating arrangements on the roof from Cox’s Bazar will cost 20 to 40 taka a head, which is a cheap and efficient way to get there.

The land area was a 60.7 hectare Deer Breeding Centre which was established in 1965; in 2001 the park was officially opened on an extended area. Technically, the eco-tourism site is not actually a safari park but a zoo in which the animals are kept in enclosures resembling their natural habitats but the park is still worth a visit.

Last year the establishment had a total of four lakh visitors with the peak months being October and April. The entry fee is Tk 12. Since it is a large area, a bus service worth Tk 300 per person is available to take visitors to every enclosure in the park within a few hours. The bus ride is not worth it and the best course of action would be to make a day of it and visit every nook and cranny of the park on foot.

Large animals inhabit large enclosures mimicking their natural environment. The most impressive pens in the park would have to be the areas where the sambar deers and the hippos are housed. The three hippos at the park are kept in a near perfect habitat in which they can actually hide from onlookers. Spotting the hippos is difficult but the best time to spot them is early in the morning or right before sunset. The park opens at 8:00am and closes at 6:00pm and once inside, visitors can stay till nightfall.

Catching a glimpse of a hippo is difficult but a Sambar deer is nearly impossible. The deer species is a very shy breed, its cage comprises of a woodland area descending down to a splendid shallow lake. Mohammed Mozamel and his family have visited the park on numerous occasions but have seen the elusive beast just once. ‘My family and I just got a glance of it once; the deer just inquisitively poked its head out of the woodlands before retreating back into its stronghold.’

However not all the animals are kept in wide-open spaces. The park has a decent number of primates; such as the rare ‘Slow Loris’ and a solid collection of birds such as kites, eagles, emus, owls, turkeys, peacocks and hornbills which are held captive in cages. A telling factor about the park is that the animals seem healthy and active.

The emus approach visitors, the hornbills seem absolutely intrigued by onlookers and there is even a stork which spreads its wings, puts one foot in front of the other and poses whenever a camera is pointed in its direction. Since it is a natural area, there is even a wild troop of macaque monkeys living in the premises.

A zookeeper explains how the family of miscreants is a thorn in the side of park staff. ‘The macaques form a tight group, they snarl and charge the emus, driving them away from their food and then they help themselves and finish all the food we give to the birds. Keepers have to enter the emu enclosure on a regular basis just to chase them away.’

The park even offers free elephant rides. Although free, going from one end of the line to the other during peak hours is the price to pay. The elephant pair used for the rides is highly accustomed to interacting with people. Although the male elephant is quite skittish, the female will allow visitors to pet and feed her.

In addition, the safari park has a high number of highly active Asiatic black bears but the park’s real success story is the Asiatic lion. The Asiatic lion is a subspecies of lions exclusive to the Gir Forest of Gujrat, India. It is one of the most endangered big cats in the world and as of 2005, there are only 359 individuals surviving in the wild. In India, captive breeding of the lion is a rarity. Indian zoo officials have been thwarted in their efforts to get the species to breed on a regular basis but at Dulahazara, it has been a different story.

A top forest officer in charge of running the park who chose anonymity, comments on the success of the Asiatic lion. ‘Since opening, there has been 15 to 20 animal deaths mainly related to old age complications. We get about two to three births a year, this is not a facility where we push animals to breed, we let the animals be and if they choose to mate it is completely up to them.’ ‘We currently have five lions, of which three are cubs. The lion pair has bred regularly, the oldest cub is a year old, the youngest is three months old and the one in between is seven months of age. We keep the lions and tigers in small enclosures because the big cats are the main attraction for tourists. The safari park was meant to be a real safari experience.’

After climbing a short flight of stairs, the two tigers and the five lions can be viewed in adjacent pens from a raised platform allowing a view from above.

‘The plan was that by 2008, all the enclosures would be removed, the whole area would be shared by all the animals.

‘The walkways would be taken off and the animals would only be viewed from the safety of a bus. But unfortunately, it has been a year past the deadline; the park management has had a string of setbacks and as our budget was cancelled last year, we barely had the resources to keep our existing animals healthy and alive.’

‘We have a new budget now and the plan is to get the park fully operational within the next two years, create a large bird house and bring in more animals from Africa. Some of the animals which have already been domesticated like the wild cow are allowed to roam about the compound freely,’

of its range. The pair is very healthy and their accommodation is also worthy.

It also has swamp deers, spotted deers, fishing cats, wild dogs, a clouded leopard which is nearly extinct in Bangladesh, a rare python, turtles and a large population of Marsh and Esturian crocodiles.

The park has a 12 foot tall boardwalk which starts from the black bear pens and goes through the woods and ends above the sambar enclosure. There is also a 10-storey tall watch tower, from the top of which visitors can get a 360 degree view for as far as the eye can see. But due to problems with management, the structures are in a dire state.

A walk on the boardwalk is not for the faint of heart. Many sections do not have a railing on one side, in some parts the railing is absent on both sides and every step on the rickety structure is a gut-wrencher. The viewing platform of the watch tower is nauseatingly filthy.

All the problems began with the departure of the park’s former director, Dr Tapan Kumar Dey. Another forest officer who chose to remain anonymous has nothing but fond memories of the director. ‘He was a man with a real passion for wildlife, it was not fake and he truly cared for the welfare of all the animals under his charge.’

‘After he left, we have found it difficult to get our bearings right. Without proper funding, great ideas like the boardwalk are going to waste. There are very few people in the country who are as well informed about wildlife as he is. If he was present today I would gladly claim that 80 per cent of the park would have been fully operational by now,’ he adds.

With a new budget and a set goal to get everything ready in two years time, park officials are looking for a brighter future. Even now the safari park would be a good visit, mainly because the animals are lively and in good spirits unlike Dhaka’s Mirpur Zoo.

There are also other attractions at the park. Advertised as an ecotourism resort, there are a total of eight water reservoirs and two artificial lakes which attract large numbers of different bird species. It is a haven for bird watchers who come from far and wide for a leisurely trek through the woods.

Bangladesh’s only safari park is not a safari yet but if all goes well, the establishment will be ready soon. It is a fantastic resort to develop and at present it is still worth a visit for a feel of the great outdoors.

photo by Zubayer Abedin

source: NEW AGE

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Labels: BANGLADESH, CHITTAGONG, COX'S BAZZAR, SAFARI PARK

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