Parasailing can be a great escape-away this Eid vacation, writes Muhammad Towhid

The beautiful Cox’s Bazar. What else can one wish for when the sea is in sight, the toe touches the waves, the body climbs heights and the soul gets drowned in the heavenly laps of nature? The games of light and shadow, sun and the moon or a sky only with glowing stars added with the view of fishing trawlers, thrills and leaves any nature lover mesmerized. But what if all of that beauty could be soaked up from a vantage point right up in the sky? Para sailing it is. Thanks to two entrepreneurs, Ishnad Chowdhury and Tadib Muqtada, who came up with this brilliant initiative, now such a wish can be granted! Chowdhury and Muqtada wanted to introduce something more exciting to the beach, so they opened a sporting venture calling it ‘Fun Fest’. Here one can parasail, land sail, or roll in the beach inside a rubber ball. Parasailing is when you get attach yourself to a parasail wing and a life jacket, while a speed boat helps levitate you slowly and you can soar through the skies with the ocean beneath your feet. At some point, your feet touch the salty water and you can feel all the excitement of life. If you are braver, you might try land sailing where a high speed sand bike will allow you to fly with your parasail wing, which looks a lot like a parachute. The Zorb ball is simple but exciting as you go inside a rubber ball and you roll in the beach.

There is nothing to be scared of as you can parasail in pairs and you have your life jackets on. Adequate safety measures are also strictly followed. These three activities, which last roughly half an hour, will cost you Tk 1500, Tk 100 and Tk 500 respectively. Now you might ask where this place really is, as many people have not heard of it, although these activities have been there since 2014. Fun Fest is located in Inani beach, just a few miles away from Cox’s Bazar’s main beach. As one finds some time, a break from the traffic congested urban life, the longest natural sea beach can always prove to be a great escape. Cox’s Bazar has plenty of hotels with amazing views of the ocean as well as of the hills on the other side. The marine drive towards Tekhnaf is just breath taking. While taking an open motor vehicle, you can drive to this amazing place at any time of your tour with your friends and family.

Naila Azam and Hamid Mirza, two service holders just got married last month. With their busy schedules proving to be a stumbling block, they were still trying to manage some time for their honeymoon. However, last weekend they finally got the time and went to Cox’s Bazar for a pre honeymoon or a relaxation for two days. They spent the first day together on the beach and on the second day, they tried for some adventure at Inani beach. Azam and Mirza are both not swimmers and were worried at first. However, they gathered all the spirit and wanted to try parasailing. Azam says, ‘When I reached the spot, I was excited to see some other couples.

A girl was parasailing while her husband was capturing all the moments in video. I held my husband’s hand and persuaded him that I would like to fly in the sky. I had never had any such experience but I wanted to try.’ Meanwhile Mirza recalls, ‘I was worried at first as we both did not know how to swim, but as I learned that no swimming skills were required, it was a relief. In addition, they had life jackets and one could only fall in the water which would be safe. First my wife tried and I went second. The experience is just magical I tell you. My heart was beating fast as I wore the parachute and during the launch I closed my eyes. However, within seconds I felt what life was and what happiness really meant. I had this great feeling within me, this magical feeling which I can’t even express in words.’ So, the next time you visit Cox’s Bazar, don’t forget to visit the Fun Fest. You might even plan this in the upcoming Eid vacation! I can bet that the experience will be unforgettable.