$1000 Luxury Seafront Hotel Bangladesh 🇧🇩

A short flight from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar, and the most expensive room Harry has stayed in for the bundle: a penthouse at the Sayeman Resort with a piano in it, 360-degree views over the beach, and a private hot tub, sauna and steam room he keeps discovering one at a time.

Two things beyond the room. Cox’s Bazar itself is not what he expected — he assumed a village and found a busy city with quad bikes, jet skis and horses working the sand. And it is where he finally eats seafood in Bangladesh, which given the country’s coastline he notes he should have done sooner.

Key moments

• [00:33] The wrong terminal at Dhaka, and new ones being built.
• [01:14] Cox’s Bazar’s billing as the longest beach in the world, which he says he has now been told about twenty times.
• [01:45] A small aircraft for the domestic leg.
• [03:20] A welcome at the hotel with drums and a piano.
• [05:03] The room, which has its own piano.
• [06:11] 360-degree views, and the beach running about 130 kilometres.
• [07:18] A private hot tub, turned on by calling reception.
• [07:48] A private sauna — and a steam room he had earlier assumed was just a shower.
• [09:33] From the roof: Cox’s Bazar is a proper city, bustling, and not the quiet village he had in mind.
• [10:13] Quad bikes on the sand, which he rates well above the usual rental machines.
• [11:14] Local fishing boats with a distinctive curved shape.
• [12:24] An infinity pool over the beach, plus a kids’ pool and poolside dining.
• [12:54] The gym is empty — everyone is at the pool — which he takes personally on their behalf.
• [14:33] Dinner: battered fried fish and spicy beef to start.
• [15:37] The fish is Bombay duck, caught the same day, and comes out as something close to fish and chips.
• [16:40] Dried fish, the pungent market staple. He is honest that it isn’t for him and suspects it’s meant as an ingredient rather than a dish.
• [17:44] Prawn curry in a creamy coconut sauce — his first seafood in the country, and the best thing on the table.
• [18:18] Breakfast, including a Sri Lankan corner doing kottu that takes him straight back to Colombo.
• [19:19] The Bengali breakfast options are heavy — closer to brunch — which he notes is the local habit.
• [22:14] And spicy. His summary: spice for breakfast, spice for lunch, spice for dinner.

Extracted pages

• Place: Cox’s Bazar
• Country: Bangladesh