Sonadia Island of Maheshkhali Upazila of Cox’s Bazar with an area of 9 square kilometers is an ideal place for camping. A canal separates Sonadia Island from Maheshkhali. There are beaches on 3 sides of the island, wetlands full of biodiversity, parabens with small and large canals, sandbars covered with seaweed, and various species of waterfowl. This small island was inhabited only 100 to 125 years ago. Thousands of tourists flock to Sonadia Island every year to witness the wonderful combination of biodiversity.
How to go
To go to Sonadia Island, you have to come to Cox’s Bazar first by your choice of vehicle from anywhere in the country. From Cox’s Bazar Kasturi Ghat or Jetty No. 6, you can get a speedboat to Maheshkhali by speedboat for a fare of Tk 80 per person, it will take 20-25 minutes to reach Maheshkhali. From Maheshkhali Ghat you have to go to Gorakghata Bazaar by rickshaw for 20 to 25 taka and from there, you have to go to Ghativanga. From Gorakghata to Ghatibhanga, a distance of 24 km on CNG, the fare will be 150 to 180 taka.
From Ghativhanga to Sonadia Island, you have to take an engine-powered boat. Sonadia Island is only after crossing the Sonadia Channel by boat from Ghatibhanga. Only one trawler leaves from West Sonadia to Ghatibhanga every day during high tide. And this trawler picks up the passengers and returns after a while, the fare is 25 taka per person.
Please note that there is only one boat per day from Ghativhanga to Sonadia Paschim Para and it operates depending on the time of tide. But this time is around 10 am or so.
From Ghativhanga, you can walk to the eastern part of Sonadia Island, but it is a bit difficult and the eastern part does not yet have accommodation facilities for tourists, so it is better to travel through the western part. If you want, you can go to Sonadia Island by reserving a speedboat directly from Cox’s Bazar. But for that, you have to pay extra money than the actual rent.