Kutubdia is a low, flat island 15km west of Cox's Bazar, reachable by a slow ferry from Mazherchar Ghat. The island is famous for its wind farm — 13 massive turbines visible from the mainland — and its salt pans. Population is sparse, villages are poor, and tourism is virtually nonexistent. The ferry takes ninety minutes and runs twice daily; miss it and you are stranded overnight in conditions that will test your tolerance. There are no proper hotels — only a couple of basic rest houses charging 15-25 USD for rooms with fans and no hot water. Most visitors are engineers working at the wind farm or aid workers. Kutubdia is not a tourist destination; it is an endurance test disguised as an island. Visit only if you want extreme isolation and are comfortable with serious discomfort.
The island's attractions are minimal. Walk among the windmills, watch salt workers rake evaporation pans, visit the small fishing villages. That is it. No beaches worth swimming at, no restaurants, no infrastructure. Bring your own food and water; the island shops sell biscuits and instant noodles, nothing more. Electricity is unreliable; phones die and stay dead. If you are the type of traveller who enjoys being somewhere almost no one goes, Kutubdia delivers. If you need even basic comforts, you will regret the trip within two hours of arrival. Most people who visit Kutubdia do so once and never return.
Where to stay in Kutubdia
Do not stay overnight on Kutubdia unless the ferry schedule forces you to. The two guesthouses — Kutubdia Rest House and Island View Lodge — charge 18-30 USD for rooms with fans, hard beds, and communal squat toilets. Electricity runs on generators a few hours per evening. No hot water, no WiFi, no restaurant. Bring your own food or eat rice and dried fish curry at a village tea stall. If you must stay, lower your expectations to zero. This is as basic as accommodation gets in Bangladesh.
Things to do in Kutubdia
Start at Kutubdia ferry ghat. Walk north on the main dirt track toward the windmills. The first turbine is about 2km from the ghat. Continue north and east along the track that loops among the turbines. You will pass salt pans, small ponds, and scattered houses. After visiting all 13 turbines, the track curves back south toward the ghat. The full circuit takes two and a half to three hours. Bring water, sunscreen, and stamina; the island is flat but hot and shadeless. Do this walk early morning or late afternoon; midday heat is brutal.
All walking routesGetting there & around Kutubdia
Kutubdia is reached by ferry from Mazherchar Ghat, 15km west of Cox's Bazar town. From Cox's Bazar, hire a CNG to Mazherchar Ghat (400-500 taka, thirty minutes). The ferry to Kutubdia departs at 9am and 3pm daily, costing 80 taka and taking ninety minutes. Return ferries leave Kutubdia at 12:30pm and 5pm. Miss the ferry and you are stranded. On the island, walk or hire a local bicycle (rare and usually broken). No motorised transport exists. Most visitors take the 9am ferry out, spend three to four hours on the island, and return on the 12:30pm ferry.
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