Sunset
The sun dropping over the bay.
Mmrsafy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nazmul apu — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kazi Asadullah Al Emran — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mahjuja Islam — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mahjuja Islam — CC BY-SA 4.0
Kuakata is a long strip of sand on the Bay of Bengal in southern Bangladesh, about 18 km long and up to 3 km wide. It is one of the few places in the country where you can watch both sunrise and sunset over the sea. The name is tied to wells: Rakhine settlers are said to have dug wells here in the late 18th century, and «kua» means well. The area still has a Buddhist temple about 100 years old with a statue of the Buddha, and two wells about 200 years old. The sand is flat and broad, stretching far towards the water at low tide, with mangroves and trees along its edges. Fishing boats sit on the horizon, and at sunrise and sunset people gather to watch the sun over the bay. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims mark the Rash Purnima and Maghi Purnima festivals here with holy baths in the sea and traditional fairs. Kuakata is about 224 km in a straight line south of Dhaka, so allow at least one night. Currents can be strong, so swim only where others do and in calm weather.
The sun dropping over the bay.
Trees along the sand's edge.
Flat beach that widens at low tide.
Kalapara, Patuakhali District, Bangladesh
You can watch both sunrise and sunset over the sea from the same beach.
Currents can be strong; swim only in calm weather where others do.