Diglipur
325 km by Road from Port Blair. Little town in the north of Andaman Islands. Famous for its oranges, rice, forest wealth and marine-life. Saddle peak (732 meters), the highest Point in the Andamans is nearby. Kalpong, the only river of Andaman flows from here. Not an island most tourists visit, yet has some of good tourist attractions. You can climb up the saddle peak, the highest point in the group of islands and enjoy the magnificent view. Trekking to Saddle Peak through the evergreen forest, Kalipur, Lamiya Bay & Ram Nagar beaches and sand-bar joining Ross and Smith Islands is a fascinating experience. Ramnagar beach and the sand-bar joining Ross and Smith Islands are famous for Turtle nesting during December-February season. One who prefers to be away from the hustle and humdrum of urban life must come here to enjoy unhurried holidays.
Barren Island
139 kms by sea from Port Blair. The only active volcano in India is located in Barren Island. The volcano erupted twice in recent past, once in 1991 and again in 1994¬95, after remaining dormant for about 177 years. This island is about 3 kms in diameter, and has a big crater of the volcano, about half kilometer away from the shore. The island can be visited by chartered boats only with the permission of Forest Department.
* Foreigners are restricted to on-board vessels only and landing ashore is not allowed.
Cinque Island
26 kms by sea from Port Blair. Cinque Island has been declared as a sanctuary. This is an enchanting island with rare corals and under-water marine-life, fine sandy-beach and tropical rain-forest. No scheduled ferry service to Cinque Island is available although.
*Chartered boats of permitted category are allowed from Port Blair and Wandoor. One may contact private boat operators to arrange the visit with due permission.
Long Island
82 kms by sea from Port Blair. Long Island is a good place to include in your itinerary if you intend to visit Neil Island, Havelock, and move on to destinations in North Andaman such as Mayabunder and Diglipur.
Boats go from Port Blair via Neil Island and Havelock on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays (fast boat, stopping only at Havelock) and Saturdays at 6.15am, arriving at approximately 1pm. Boats go back to Port Blair on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays (fast boat at 2pm), and Sundays. Also, there are daily buses from Port Blair at 4am and 11am, travelling via the Andaman Trunk Road to and from Rangat; journey time by road is about 6 hours.
Neil Island
36 kms by Sea from Port Blair. This beautiful island with lush green forest and sandy beaches is the vegetable bowl of Andamans. Connected by boat from Port Blair daily, it provides an ideal holiday for eco-friendly tourists. One can feel the serenity of village life here. The beaches at Lakshmanpur, Bharatpur & Sitapur, and natural bridge formations on the sea-shore are fascinating. Snorkeling and Scuba Diving are activity options. Hawabill Nest Guest House of the Directorate of Tourism provides comfortable accommodation. Booking of accommodation can be made from the Reception Desk of Directorate of Tourism, Port Blair. Boat Tickets can be had from the Directorate of Shipping Services on working days from 9.00 AM to 12.00 Noon and from 2.00 PM to 4.00 PM. Boat services are available every day.
North Passage Island
70 kms by Sea from Port Blair. This uninhabited island is famous for Merk Bay – a coral, white sandy, shallow beach suitable for snorkeling, swimming and sun-basking. The sea around the Island is famous for playful dolphins. The Island is not connected by regular boat services. One has to hire boats from long Island or Yeratta jetty-Rangat to reach Merk Bay. Suitable for day visit to enjoy the glorious solitude. Accommodation facilities are not available. Keep packed food and drinking water while visiting this island.
Rangat
170 kms by road and 90 Kms. by sea from Port Blair. One can enjoy the quiet village life and solitude of virgin nature in this part of Middle Andaman Island. You can also breathe unpolluted air, a rare availability for the city dweller. Amkunj beach (15 Kms. away from Rangat bazaar/jetty towards Mayabunder) and Cuthbert Bay beach (20 Kms. away from Rangat bazaar/jetty towards Mayabunder) are the beaches near Rangat. Cuthbert Bay is a turtle-nesting ground. One can view the nesting of turtle during December-February season. Hawksbill Nest Guest House managed by the Tourism Department is near the Cuthbert Bay beach. One can also go to Mayabunder and Diglipur from here.
Mayabunder
242 kms by road from Port Blair. Situated in the northern part of Middle Andaman Island, Mayabunder offers excellent scenic beauty, mangrove creeks and beautiful beaches. Inhabited by the settlers from Burma and East Pakistan. Mayabunder has a distinct culture. Beaches at Avis Island (30 minutes boat journey from Mayabunder), and Karmatang (13 Kms) are fascinating. Swiftlet Nest Resort – run by the Tourism Department, located near the Karmatang beach provides comfortable accommodation.
Little Andaman Island
120 Kms. by sea from Port Blair. Little Andaman Island, located south to the South Andaman Island, has various attractions in store for the tourists. There are two waterfalls in the Island, both in the midst of the evergreen rain-forest. White Surf waterfall is 6.5 Kms. from the Hut Bay jetty. One can enjoy Elephant Safari through the forest. The other waterfall-’Whisper Wave’, is 20 Kms. away from here. Journey to ‘Whisper Wave’ includes 4 Kms. trekking through the forest. Butler Bay, a beautiful beach, is 14 Kms. from the Hut Bay jetty. The beach is suitable for basking, snorkeling and surfing. Tourist huts are available right on the sea front for stay. Boating through the creek near the beach is exciting. Netaji Nagar beach (11 Kms. from Hut Bay jetty), and Harminder Bay beach are other beautiful beaches in the islands. One can also see the elephant lumbering operation and elephant calves training inside the forest. Little Andaman is also famous for its red oil palm plantation, which spreads over an area of 1600 hects. There is a palm oil extraction factory inside the plantation. This can be visited while traveling between the White Surf waterfall and Butler Bay beach. The Onges and Nicobarese, the aboriginal tribes of the Islands and settlers from erstwhile East Pakistan and other places live in this Island. Entry to tribal areas is restricted. Hut Bay is the entry and exit point for tourists. There are normally three boat services a week from Port Blair. The journey takes 7 to 9 hours.
