Best hotels in Sugandha

Sugandha sits between Laboni and Kolatoli but behaves like neither. The beach entrance is narrower, the hawker density is a fraction of Laboni's, and the accommodation is a mix of mid-sized blocks and small guesthouses rather than a continuous beachfront wall. The sand is the same wide, grey-gold Cox's Bazar beach, but with far less footfall, which shows in how clean it is by mid-afternoon. The trade-off is walking: there is no restaurant strip, the two or three local kitchens close early, and after about nine in the evening the area is genuinely quiet.

The hotels on this list sit close to one another on Sugandha Point Main Road, New Beach Road and Kolatoli Road, with several addresses naming Sugandha Point or Block A outright. That makes the area best for a trip of three nights or more, on a moderate budget, for an early riser who is here for the sea. It is a poor fit for a single night or for anyone planning to be out after ten; couples, solo travellers and photographers get the most from it.

Getting there and around

From the main road, CNGs pass constantly during the day but thin out late. If you are coming back from Kolatoli after ten, expect to pay double and to wait, or take the driver's number when he drops you off in the evening and call him for the return. Budget 50 to 100 taka each way for CNGs to Kolatoli for dinner. A five-minute CNG ride puts you in the middle of Kolatoli's restaurants, and most people make that trip once a day rather than eating in.

When to go

Mornings are the argument for Sugandha. The fishing boats come in along this stretch, the tide leaves a clean sheet of sand, and there are no horses, no photographers and almost no people. Walking north towards Laboni at dawn you will pass net crews hauling in, crabs working the wet sand and kites going up before the heat arrives. It is an early riser's area, and mid-afternoon cleanliness on the sand reflects the lower footfall.