Exotica Sampan

Exotica Sampan is in Kolatoli, Cox's Bazar (Marin Drive Road, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh), close to Cox's Bazar Beach.

Recent rates started around $72 per night, but prices are set live — check the booking page for your exact dates.

Exotica Sampan is a 3-star hotel in Cox's Bazar.

Guests rate it 4 across 1670 reviews. It's a midscale choice for Cox's Bazar.

The town beach is, and the rest is not. You can walk the sand from Laboni through Sugandha to Kolatoli in about 30–40 minutes, roughly 2 km, and all three have hotel clusters set back one to three streets from the water. Beyond that, the hills and the airport perimeter break the grid, so Jhilongja, Nuniar Chor and the railway station are rickshaw distance. Anything on Marine Drive — Himchari at 18 km, Inani at 32 km, Shamlapur at 45 km — needs a vehicle, and there are no pavements along that road.

Only under the current government restrictions, and you must check them before booking anything in Teknaf, 80 km south. Since 2024 visitor numbers to Saint Martin's have been capped, overnight stays limited to certain months, and the island closed to tourists in February, with the Teknaf–Saint Martin's ships running on a season-by-season basis rather than a fixed annual schedule. A travel pass and photo ID are normally required, and departures are early morning from the Naf river jetty. If the season is closed, Moheshkhali — 30 minutes by speedboat from 6 No. Ghat — is the realistic island alternative.

Kolatoli is the best all-round base, with the widest choice of hotels, the shortest airport transfer at 3–4 km, and beach access plus restaurants within walking distance. Laboni suits you if you want the busiest stretch of sand and the Burmese Market on your doorstep, and it tends to run $10–$25 a night cheaper for a similar standard. Sugandha, in between, is the one to pick for seafood stalls at night. If you want quiet rather than convenience, Inani at 32 km or Himchari at 18 km along Marine Drive give you sea and little else, and you will be eating in your hotel.

July and August are the cheapest, with discounts of 40–60% off winter rates because the monsoon brings 700–900 mm of rain in July and a rough, often red-flagged sea. A sea-facing three-star that asks $90 in late December can fall to $25–$35 in mid-monsoon. Ramadan is the other genuine bargain window, quiet across Kolatoli and Inani, though many local restaurants close during daylight and the Eid week immediately afterwards is the most expensive of the year. September is the sweet spot if you want low rates with fewer washouts.

Three nights covers it properly, and four is comfortable. You need one day for the town beaches at Laboni and Sugandha, one for the Marine Drive run to Himchari and Inani, and one for a boat day to Moheshkhali from 6 No. Ghat. Two nights only works if you fly the one-hour Dhaka–CXB route rather than taking the 8–9 hour train. Add a fifth night if you intend to reach Teknaf, 80 km south, or Dulahazara Safari Park, 50 km north in Chakaria.