Chor Bijoy Kuakata Patuakhali

Chor Bijoy is a charming island rising in the Bay of Bengal at a distance of about 40 km in the south-east corner of Gangamati forest to the east of Sagarkanya Kuakata. In December 2017, a group of wanderlust explorers discovered this island in Patuakhali district. The island was named 'Char Vijay' or The Victory Island due to its discovery in the month of Vijay. But to local fishermen it is better known as hyre char (fixed fishing boundary). The breathtaking beauty of this uninhabited island and the vast waters of the sea fascinates all travelers. And so the adventure-loving tourists place the char Vijay of camping at the top of the list of preferences.

Char Vijay Dwip of aesthetic beauty, spread over an area of ​​about 5 thousand acres, is 10 km long and 3 km wide. It is home to red crabs, thousands of migratory birds and numerous marine fish in the island's clear waters. Besides, about 2000 mangrove species including Golpata, Chaila, Keora and Sundari trees have been planted around the island. Various changes can be seen in the nature of Char Vijay depending on the season. In monsoon, the island is covered by sea water, but in winter, the island is sandy.

Char Vijay Island is very popular as a temporary abode or dera for marginal fishermen. Fishermen spend two to three months hunting fish here and make and sell dried fish. So the experience of camping at night with fishermen in the midst of sea adversity will undoubtedly give a different feeling. Also, the beautiful view of sunrise and sunset from Char Bijay over the ocean is worth remembering for a lifetime.

Kuakata can be reached from Dhaka by river and road  . With the opening of Padma Bridge, the road from Dhaka to Kuakata can be reached in much less time and easily. Distance from Dhaka to Kuakata is about 294 km. It will take about 6-7 hours to go by bus. From Sayedabad, Abdullahpur, Arambagh or Gabtali bus stand in Dhaka, buses from Sakura Paribahan, Shyamoli, Greenline, Euro Coach, Hanif, TR Travels and many other transport companies go directly to Kuakata. Non-AC bus fare from Dhaka to Kuakata is Tk 750-900 and AC bus fare is Tk 1100-1600.

A launch for Patuakhali departs from Sadarghat every evening and reaches Patuakhali around 7 am. Launch deck rent 400-500 taka, single cabin 1300 taka, double cabin 2400 taka, VIP cabin rent 7000 taka. From Patuakhali Launch Ghat, take an auto to the bus stand and take a local bus to Kuakata. It will take about 2 hours to go, and the bus fare is 150-160 taka.

It takes only one and a half hours to reach Char Vijay by tourist boat from Kuakata. And it takes two hours to go to Char Vijay via Sonakata in Barguna district.

Many people prefer camping on this island. In this case, you can stay camping with fishermen. Besides, there are residential hotels like Youth Inn Hotel, Hotel Graver Inn, Sea View Hotel, Sikdar Resort, Kuakata Grand Hotel, Mangrove Hotel, Tourism Motel, Hotel Beach Haven, Sea Girl etc. in Kuakata.

At Zero Point Kuakata you will find various restaurants including Joy, Hotel Sunrise, Burma Hotel, Ramzan Restaurant, Guest and Baisakhi.

Kuakata Beach , Water Museum, Sonarchar and Fatra Char are notable among the other places of interest in Patuakhali .

Feature Image: Sanju Pramanik