India Travel
Diglipur and Arial Bay in North Andaman
Known in the British era as Port Cormvallis, DIGLIPUR. North Andaman’s largest settlement, is another disappointing market where you’re only likely to pause long enough to pick up a local bus further north to the coast. On the hill above the bus stand, the APWD Rest House offers the village’s only accommodation, but the chowkidar is less than welcoming and you’re better oft pressing on 9km to ARIAL BAY. where a smaller but much more congenial APWD Rest House (no phone; O) stands on a hillock overlooking the setdement’s small bazaar. Better still, continue another 9km to Kalipur, served by several daily buses, where ANIIDCO recendy opened what must rank among the region’s biggest white elephants. Occupying a perfect spot on a hilltop, with superb views inland and to sea, the Turtle Resort; a unieasibly large concrete hotel for such a remote location, has spacious, clean rooms with fans and a restaurant (residents only). Only five minutes’ walk from the hotel down the path by the sharp bend in the road there’s an excellent deserted beach, backed by lush forest and covered in photogenic driftwood. Swimming is best at high tide because the water recedes across rocky mudpools.
The staff at the hotel claim it’s possible to walk from here to Saddle Peak, at 737m the highest mountain in the Andamans, which rises dramatically to the south, swathed in lush jungle. Permission to make the three- to four-hour climb must be obtained from the Range Officer at Anal Bay, but don’t attempt the hike without a guide and plenty of drinking water. The majority of tourists who find their way up here, however, do so in order to explore the various islands dotted around the gulf north of Arial Bay, particularly Smith.
The best place to eat in this area is the Mohan Restaurant, at the far end of the bazaar in Anal Bay, which serves cold drinks and huge portions of fresh local seafood against a surreal backdrop of lurid cherubs and a poster of the racehorse Red Rum. From Arial Bay, the boat that has made its way up from the capital returns direct (Wed & Sat 4pm; 13—14hr) to Port Blair overnight.
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Travel details of the Andaman Islands
Flights Port Blair to: Calcutta (5 weekly; 2hr); Chennai (1-2 daily; 2hr). Boats Arial Bay to: Port Blair (2 weekly; 12—14hr); Smith Island (1-2 daily; 30min). Havetock to: Long Island (2 weekly; 2-3hr); Neill Island (4 weekly: 1hr-1hr 30min; Port Blair (6 weekly; 4-6hr); Rangat Bay (4 weekly; 4—5hr). Mayabunder to: Kaligtiat (2 daily; 2tir 30min-3hr) Port Blair to: Anal Bay (2 weekly; 12-14hr); Calcutta (1 every 2 weeks; 60hr); Chennai (1 weekly; 60hr); Havelock Island (6 weekly; 4-6hr); Little Andaman (2 weekly; 9-1 Ohr): Long Island (2 weekly; 7hr 30min-9hr); Neill Island (4 weekly; 3-4hr); Rangat Bay (4 weekly; 8-1 Ohr); Vishakapatnam (1
Inter-island services in The Andaman Islands
Buses connect Port Blair with most major settlements on South and Middle Andaman, mainly via the Andaman Trunk Road. From the crowded, disorganized bus stand at the bottom of town, one daily government service at 5am runs via Rangat (6hr) as far as Mayabunder (9hr), from where you have to catch a boat across the straits to Kalighat on North Andaman in order to press on north to Diglipur and Ariel Bay. There's another daily service to Rangat at 6am. Several private companies including Geetanjali Travels (tickets at Tillie teashop by the bus stand) and the cheaper Ananda run deluxe
Details of Kalighat in North Andaman
Until the new road is finished, KALIGHAT. Where the river becomes un-navigable and the ferryboat from Mayabunder turns around, serves as the main entry point to North Andaman. A cluttered little bazaar unfolds from the top of the slipway, hemmed in by dense mangrove swamps, and when you arrive you should hope a bus is standing here to take you to Diglipur. If there isn't, head for one of the village's dismal little chai stalls and dig in for a wait, or turn right to see if there's space in the three-roomed Government Rest House on the hill overlooking the
Smith Island in North Andaman
Over recent years Smith Island has become one the most popular escapes for travellers wishing to live out their Robinson Crusoe fantasies. Although it has not yet been included on the list printed on foreign tourist permits, it has achieved semi-official status and RslO permits are issued at the port authority in Arial Bay because of its proximity to the protected wildlife reserve at Ross Island (not to be confused with the one near Port Blair).The typically densely forested island has a small settlement at the ferry jetty, about thirty minutes' journey from Arial Bay. There are no roads, but a
Details of Other islands
The remaining islands open to foreign tourists in the Andaman group are ail hard to get to and, with the exception of Little Andaman - where a vestigial population of Onge tribespeople have survived a massive influx of Indian Tamils and native Nicobars - uninhabited. Two hours' boat ride south of Chiriya Tapu on South Andaman, Cinque Island offers superlative diving, outshone only by distant Barren Island, whose volcanic sand beds teem with marine life.
Genarl Information of Middle Andaman
For most travellers. Middle Andaman is a charmless rite of passage to be endured en route to or from the north. The sinuous Andaman Trunk Road, hemmed in by walls of towering forest, winds through miles of jungle, crossing the strait that separates the island from its neighbour, Baratang Island, by means of rusting flat-bottomed ferry. The island's frontier feeling is heightened by the presence on 'the buses of armed guards, and the knowledge that the impenetrable forests west of the ATR are the Jarawa Tribal Reserve. Of its two main settlements, the more northerly Mayabunder is slightly more appealing
Islands north of Port Blair in The Andaman Islands
Printed on the permit card you receive on arrival in the Andamans is a list of all the other islands you're allowed to visit in the archipelago. The majority of them are north of Port Blair. Given the great distances involved, not to mention the often erratic connections between them (and the time limit imposed by the one-month permit), it definitely pays to know where to head for as soon as you arrive rather than drift off on the first promising ferry out of Phoenix Jetty. The best way of doing this is to talk to fellow travellers arriving back
Around Port Blair in The Andaman Islands
At some point, you're almost certain to find yourself killing time in Port Blair, waiting for boats to show up or tickets to go on sale. Rather than wasting days in town, it's worth exploring the coast of South Andaman which, although far more densely populated than other islands in the archipelago, holds a handful of easily accessible beauty spots and historic sites. Among the latter, the ruined colonial monuments on Viper and Ross islands can be reached on daily harbour cruises or regular ferries from the capital. For beaches, head southeast to Corbyn's Cove, or cross South Andaman to
South Andaman: Port Blair and around
South Andaman is today the most heavily populated of the Andaman Islands - particularly around the capital, Port Blair - thanks in part to the drastic thinning of tree cover to make way for settlement. Foreign tourists can only visit its southern and east central reaches - including the beaches at Corbyn's Cove and Chiriya Tapu, the fine reefs on the western shores at Wandoor, 35km southwest of Port Blair and the environs of Madhuban and Mount Harriet on the east coast across the bay from the capital. With your own transport it's easy to find your way along the narrow
Moving on from Mayabunder in The andaman Islands
Until the last strelch of the Andaman Trunk Road and a bridge across the narrow strait to North Andaman Island just west of Mayabunder are completed in 2002, the shortest crossing is the ferry ride to Kalighat (2 daily; 3hr). The first departure of the day leaves at 9.30am, on a boat that's hopelessly small and cramped, so come prepared for hours of relentless sun (or torrential rain in the monsoons). That said, the journey is very memorable, especially towards its latter stages when the mangrove-lined sides of the creek close in as you approach Kalighat. The other boat leaves
Barren Island in North Andaman
The most intriguing island open to tourists in the Andaman group has to be Barren Island, twenty hours' sea voyage east of Port Blair. India's only active volcano, the arid brown mountain blew its top in May 1991 after lying dormant for 188 years, and has done so on two occasions since in 1994 and 1995. The only living creatures on Cinque are a herd of goats, released in 1891 by the British to provide sustenance for any shipwrecked sailors. There are no ferries to the island, but diving expeditions regularly make the trip as the seas around Barren are
North Andaman
Shrouded in dense jungle, North Andaman is the least populated of the region's large islands, crossed by a single road linking its scattered Bengali settlements. Timber extraction is proceeding apace here, despite a promise by the Island Development Authority to phase out logging by the year 2000, but the total absence of motorable roads into northern and western areas has ensured blanket protection for a vast stretch of convoluted coastline, running from Austin Strait in the southeast to the northern tip. Cape Price. Even if it were physically possible to reach this region, you wouldn't be allowed to, but it's
Long Island in the Southeast of Middle Andaman
Just off the southeast coast of Middle Andaman, Long Island is dominated by an unsightly plywood mill, but don't let this put you off. Served by only two boats per week from the capital (usually Wed & Sat), and two daily lumber launches from Rangat, it sees far fewer visitors than either Neill or Havelock, but boasts a couple of excellent beaches, at Marg Bay and Lalaji Bay, both of which are most easily reached by chartering a fisherman's dinghy from the jetty. The latter beach is earmarked as the site of a new private tented accommodation enterprise, which should
State tourist offices in Calcutta
The most useful of the many tourist offices representing other states in Calcutta are those that cover trie northeastern states, and issue whichever permits may be necessary (details of permit requirements can be found on p.1043), and that of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Andaman and Nicobar, 3A Auckland Place; Arunachal Pradesh, 41B Chowringhee Place; Assam, 8 Russell St; Manipur, 26 Rowland Rd; Meghalaya, 9 Russell St; Mizoram, 24 Old Ballygunge Rd; Nagaland, 11 Shakespeare Sarani; Orissa, 41 Lenin Sarani; Sikkim, 5/2 Russell St;
Little Andaman is the furthest point south in the archipelago
Little Andaman is the furthest point south in the archipelago you can travel to on a standard one-month tourist permit. Located ten hours by sea from Port Blair, most of the island has been set aside as a tribal reserve for the Onge and is thus off limits. The only areas you're allowed to visit lie on either side of the main settlement, Hut Bay, which sits halfway down the east coast. The northern part of this stretch has been mercilessly clear-felled, leaving a stark wasteland flanking the main road to the largest beach at Butler Bay, 16km from Hut
Practicalities of Boats leave Port Blair for Little Andaman
Boats leave Port Blair for Little Andaman around twice a week; the service to aim for is the one that continues south to Car Nicobar, capital of the Nicobar Islands, as the ferry is larger and marginally more comfortable. Both arrive at the main jetty (specially enlarged for the full-on logging operation still under way here), a 3km plod from the bazaar, where you'll find the island's only established accommodation. Before leaving Port Blair, it's worth making a reservation at head office for the APWD Rest House 1km north of the shops behind the hospital, which has clean and spacious
Getting to the Andaman Islands
Port Blair, on South Andaman, is served by Indian Airlines flights from Calcutta (daily except Wed & Fri) and Chennai (Mon, Wed, Fri & Sun); Jet I Airways now runs a daily flight from Chennai, which means that availability is a lot easier than it used to be on that sector. Tickets for the two-hour flights remain expensive though, at around 5200 one way, unless you qualify' for a discount. It's also possible to get to Port Blair by ship. Services to and from Chennai have stabilized and can now be reasonably relied upon to leave in each direction every Friday.
Mayabunder of Middle Andaman
About two hours further north by road, perched on a long promontory right at the top of the island and surrounded by mangrove swamps, is MAYABUN-DER; springboard for the remote northern Andaman Islands. The village, which is home to a large minority of former Burmese Karen tribal people who were originally brought here as cheap logging labour by the British, is more spread out and more appealing than Rangat, but again there is little to hold your interest for long. At the brow of the hill, before it descends to the jetty, a small hexagonal wooden structure houses the Forest
Port Blair in The Andaman Islands
PORT BLAIR, a characterless cluster of tin-roofed buildings tumbling towards the sea in the north, east and west and petering into fields and forests in the south, merits only a short stay. There's little to see here - just the Cellular Jail and a few small museums - but as the point of arrival for the islands, and the only place with a bank, tourist offices and hotels, it can't be avoided. If you plan to head off to more remote islands, this is also the best place to stock up on supplies and buy necessary equipment.
Corbyn’s Cove and Chiriya Tapu in The Andaman Islands
The best beach within easy reach of the capital lies 10km southeast at Corbyn's Cove, a small arc of smooth white sand backed by a swaying curtain of palms. There's a large hotel here, but the water isn't particularly clear, and bear in mind that lying around scantily clothed will bring you considerable attention from crowds of local workers. For more isolation, rent a moped or take a taxi 30km south to Chiriya Tapu ("Bird Island"), at the tip of South Andaman. The motorable track running beyond this small fishing village leads through thick jungle overhung with twisting creepers to a