Rangat:-
Rangat is the only place with a choice of private accommodation for at least 20 visitors. Amkunj Beach, 8 km away, has little shade left but there is good snorkelling off the rocks at the top end of the beach. There is a good sandy beach, ideal for swimming, across the road from Hawksbill Nest. However, the beach is a wildlife sanctuary where turtles nest between November to April and permission is needed from the Forest Department at Rangat or Mayabunder, or from the Beat Officer at Betapur. Those caught on the beach without permission are promised “an unpleasant experience”.
Mayabunder is the administrative centre for the Middle and North Andamans. All amenities are situated along a single road which runs along the brow of a ridge sticking out into the bay; the port is at the north end. You can visit Karmateng Beach, 25 minutes away by bus. A shallow sandy slope over 1 km long, with a few rocks at the north end, it is not so good for snorkelling or swimming, as it is exposed and the sea is choppy. A short distance from Karmateng is another idyllic beach popular with foreign tourists at Gujinala. You need permission from the Forest Office in Mayabunder or from Beat Officer at Karmateng. There are several islands in the bay opposite the jetty which can be reached by dunghy; ask fishermen to take you and expect to pay Rs 120 for a boat charter for several hours. All offer safe beaches for swimming but there is no good coral.
This tiny island is just east of Mayabunder but its ownership is disputed between the Forestry Department and The Coconut Society of Mayabunder. To visit, get permission from Forest Office in Mayabunder, and charter a dunghy. Also enquire about permission to visit Curlew Island, Rayhill Island, Sound Island, Interview Island and Mohanpur on the eastern coast of North Andaman. Tourists are encouraged to destroy any illegal deer traps they find.
Interview Island:-
Interview Island is home to wild elephants and now has a protected forest. Day visits can in theory be organized from Mayabunder, 20 km away. You may be able to stay overnight at the Forest Department Guest House with three rooms; contact the Forest Office in Mayabunder. The island can only be visited in a private boat.
Barren Island:-
Across to the east from Middle Andaman, Barren has India's only active volcano, which erupted in 1991 causing widespread destruction of the island's ecosystem. Smoky fire belches from the side of the crater. It is only possible to visit on a day trip with no landings permitted, the tourist office in Port Blair runs excursions which are popular.
North Andaman
Kalighat :-
It is a small settlement at the point where the creek becomes too shallow for the ferry to go any further. Of no particular interest, it still makes a very pleasant and peaceful stopover between Port Blair and the north. You can cross the river by the mangrove footbridge and follow the path up into the forest which is good for birdwatching. Sadly you also get a good impression of how many hardwoods are being logged. You can (with some effort; little English spoken) take a bus to the beach at Ramnagar (11 km). Better still, hire a bicycle for Rs 5 per hour and enjoy a very pleasant push, ride, free-wheel, with a refreshing swim at the end as a reward.
Diglipur :-
Previously known as Port Cornwallis, Diglipur is the most northerly commercial centre that foreigners can visit. There is a good market and shops; a special Mela is held January/ February, which attracts many traders.
Aerial Bay :-
The small fishing village is the last peaceful location before returning to Port Blair. Most of the fish is taken to the market in Diglipur.
Smith and Ross islands:-
From Aerial Bay, you can visit the islands just north where it is possible to camp on pleasant forested beaches (though there are plans to build bungalows here, in which case free camping may be banned). You need permission from the Range Officer, opposite the jetty entrance. The ferry leaves at 0600 and 1400 (Rs 5), or hire a dunghy.
National Park:-
Theoretically 'Lamia Bay Permits' for Saddle Peak and Lamia Bay are available from the Beat Officer in Lamia Bay. However, the path from Lamia Bay to Saddle Peak is very overgrown. Kalipur is a small group of farm houses with a shop and a Yatri Niwas a few kilometres south of Aerial Bay. There is a very interesting beach at Kalipur with Saddle Peak as an impressive backdrop, accessible via a small path almost opposite Turtle Resort. Lamia Bay has a pebble beach south of Kalipur which you can walk to. From the bus stop the road leads straight onto a path which is easy to follow (30 minutes). It is possible to camp under a small, round palm-leaf shelter. To the north, there are small bays strewn with large eroded boulders, whilst the beaches to the south lead towards Saddle Peak, 4.5 km away. Despite the relatively short distance to Saddle Peak (730 m), the rocky beach, the steep climb, the thick forest and the heat, mean that you need a whole day for the trek, starting early in the morning after camping in Lamia Bay. Don't attempt the whole trip in a day from Aerial Bay.
Narcondam Island:-
East of North Andaman, this is the most remote island in the group. An extinct craterless volcano, it is covered in luxuriant forest (home to the Narcondam hornbill) and was declared a sanctuary in 1977. It is a birdwatchers' paradise though permission to visit is very hard to get and only 24-hour stops are allowed. There are occasional sailings from Aerial Bay.
Rangat is the only place with a choice of private accommodation for at least 20 visitors. Amkunj Beach, 8 km away, has little shade left but there is good snorkelling off the rocks at the top end of the beach. There is a good sandy beach, ideal for swimming, across the road from Hawksbill Nest. However, the beach is a wildlife sanctuary where turtles nest between November to April and permission is needed from the Forest Department at Rangat or Mayabunder, or from the Beat Officer at Betapur. Those caught on the beach without permission are promised “an unpleasant experience”.
Mayabunder is the administrative centre for the Middle and North Andamans. All amenities are situated along a single road which runs along the brow of a ridge sticking out into the bay; the port is at the north end. You can visit Karmateng Beach, 25 minutes away by bus. A shallow sandy slope over 1 km long, with a few rocks at the north end, it is not so good for snorkelling or swimming, as it is exposed and the sea is choppy. A short distance from Karmateng is another idyllic beach popular with foreign tourists at Gujinala. You need permission from the Forest Office in Mayabunder or from Beat Officer at Karmateng. There are several islands in the bay opposite the jetty which can be reached by dunghy; ask fishermen to take you and expect to pay Rs 120 for a boat charter for several hours. All offer safe beaches for swimming but there is no good coral.
This tiny island is just east of Mayabunder but its ownership is disputed between the Forestry Department and The Coconut Society of Mayabunder. To visit, get permission from Forest Office in Mayabunder, and charter a dunghy. Also enquire about permission to visit Curlew Island, Rayhill Island, Sound Island, Interview Island and Mohanpur on the eastern coast of North Andaman. Tourists are encouraged to destroy any illegal deer traps they find.
Interview Island:-
Interview Island is home to wild elephants and now has a protected forest. Day visits can in theory be organized from Mayabunder, 20 km away. You may be able to stay overnight at the Forest Department Guest House with three rooms; contact the Forest Office in Mayabunder. The island can only be visited in a private boat.
Barren Island:-
Across to the east from Middle Andaman, Barren has India's only active volcano, which erupted in 1991 causing widespread destruction of the island's ecosystem. Smoky fire belches from the side of the crater. It is only possible to visit on a day trip with no landings permitted, the tourist office in Port Blair runs excursions which are popular.
Kalighat :-
It is a small settlement at the point where the creek becomes too shallow for the ferry to go any further. Of no particular interest, it still makes a very pleasant and peaceful stopover between Port Blair and the north. You can cross the river by the mangrove footbridge and follow the path up into the forest which is good for birdwatching. Sadly you also get a good impression of how many hardwoods are being logged. You can (with some effort; little English spoken) take a bus to the beach at Ramnagar (11 km). Better still, hire a bicycle for Rs 5 per hour and enjoy a very pleasant push, ride, free-wheel, with a refreshing swim at the end as a reward.
Diglipur :-
Previously known as Port Cornwallis, Diglipur is the most northerly commercial centre that foreigners can visit. There is a good market and shops; a special Mela is held January/ February, which attracts many traders.
Aerial Bay :-
The small fishing village is the last peaceful location before returning to Port Blair. Most of the fish is taken to the market in Diglipur.
Smith and Ross islands:-
From Aerial Bay, you can visit the islands just north where it is possible to camp on pleasant forested beaches (though there are plans to build bungalows here, in which case free camping may be banned). You need permission from the Range Officer, opposite the jetty entrance. The ferry leaves at 0600 and 1400 (Rs 5), or hire a dunghy.
National Park:-
Theoretically 'Lamia Bay Permits' for Saddle Peak and Lamia Bay are available from the Beat Officer in Lamia Bay. However, the path from Lamia Bay to Saddle Peak is very overgrown. Kalipur is a small group of farm houses with a shop and a Yatri Niwas a few kilometres south of Aerial Bay. There is a very interesting beach at Kalipur with Saddle Peak as an impressive backdrop, accessible via a small path almost opposite Turtle Resort. Lamia Bay has a pebble beach south of Kalipur which you can walk to. From the bus stop the road leads straight onto a path which is easy to follow (30 minutes). It is possible to camp under a small, round palm-leaf shelter. To the north, there are small bays strewn with large eroded boulders, whilst the beaches to the south lead towards Saddle Peak, 4.5 km away. Despite the relatively short distance to Saddle Peak (730 m), the rocky beach, the steep climb, the thick forest and the heat, mean that you need a whole day for the trek, starting early in the morning after camping in Lamia Bay. Don't attempt the whole trip in a day from Aerial Bay.
Narcondam Island:-
East of North Andaman, this is the most remote island in the group. An extinct craterless volcano, it is covered in luxuriant forest (home to the Narcondam hornbill) and was declared a sanctuary in 1977. It is a birdwatchers' paradise though permission to visit is very hard to get and only 24-hour stops are allowed. There are occasional sailings from Aerial Bay.
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