Guliakhali does not try to impress you with rolling waves or the classic “beach photo-op” look. It just is. It seems as though someone took a beach, churned it in a mangrove forest, and then gently spread a grassy carpet on top. There are a lot of open grasslands, areas of shimmering water that cut through the green like silver veins, and mangrove roots that rise like natural sculptures. You don’t arrive at Guliakhali; you ease into it.