Tacknaf

 Teknaf is the southern-most city on the mainland in Bangladesh, on the narrow strip running along the coast of Myanmar. It's a dusty featureless frontier town - this is remote Bangladesh and it feels like it. Electricity can be scarce, so having a flashlight for the dark evenings is wise.

Get in

• Buses running from Cox's Bazar (Tk 70-120, 2 hours) are crowded and pass through nice scenery as you get closer to Teknaf. If you're trying to head straight to Saint Martins Island and don't want to stay the night in Teknaf, try for a 6AM bus from Cox's Bazar and specify which ferry port you want to get off at - you may make it.

You can take a bus straight from Dhaka to Teknaf. Saudia: Leave at 8.30PM daily (to Dhaka 6:30PM) S. ALAM: leaves Dhaka daily at 10:30PM (to Dhaka 6:15PM)

• The main ferry port is about 5 km north of town on the road to Cox's Bazar. Eagle I leave from here at around 10AM daily.

• Has its own port about 3 km further north from the main port on the same road. Their service is a little more reliable and costs about the same. The ferry leaves at 9:30AM daily (during peak season, or Thursday & Friday only during off peck season), then leaves Saint Martins Island around 3:00PM. Roundtrip tickets to Saint Martins Island run Tk 650 for main deck, 700 for open deck and 750 for bridge deck.

Get around

Auto-rickshaws (babytaxis) can be found near the bus stop. To the main ferry port should costs Tk 50 and to Keari Sindbad's port Tk 70. Cycle-rickshaws may be cheaper but the road north can be steep and you'll end up walking a good deal of the way. Using the Bangla word "Bondor" (port) will yield the best results, but beware that "bandor" means monkey, so choose your vowels carefully.