Baratang Island:
Baratang Island is in the middle of North and Middle Andaman. At a distance of 92km from Port Blair, it is known as a getaway to Middle and North Andaman. Baratang Island is also known as Ranchiwalas Island once after the Ranchi settlers that moved here close to early 19th Century. In Baratang one can see Andaman’s dense tropical forest, Limestone Caves, experience Mangrove ride, Mud volcano and Parrot Island. Each of these places is filled with unique experience which you cannot witness anywhere else in Andaman.
How to reach ?
Baratang is 92 km from Port Blair and it can be reached by ATR(Andaman trunk road) connecting Rangat and Mayabunder. Government Bus services from Aberdeen Bazaar operate on daily basis and the journey take a minimum of 4 hrs. Ticket booking has to be done before as availability can be an issue. There is a major issue with transport is that one has to follow time restraint trip because if you miss out on bus back to Port Blair there is no other way one can return to Port Blair. The most reliable way is hiring a private vehicle. Let me explain why.
The trip to Baratang is not a straight road. It normally starts early morning at 3:00 am or 6:00 am depending on which convey get you prefer taking. From the hotel and the vehicle drives straight to Jirkatang. In Jirkatang there is a gate which stops the traffic to flow any further. All the vehicle, buses and coaches stop here and are not allowed to go any further. There travellers are to fill a mandatory convoy form for entering the Buffer Zone. Convey Form requires particulars of all the traveling visitors along with cab and driver details. The convoy gate opens only quadruple time a day. The gate opens at 0600hrs, 0900hrs, 1200hrs and 1500 hrs only from Jirkatang for onwards journey towards Baratang and 0630hrs, 0930hrs, 1230hrs and 1530hrs only for return journey back to Port Blair.
Packed breakfast is always recommended for the visitors however local flavors can be tried at both the transit halt i.e. Jirkatang and Baratang. All local hotels have package breakfast facilities for visitors traveling early in the morning.
When the convey gate opens all the vehicles entre the Buffer zone/ Jarawa Reserve Forest. Here vehicles follow one after the other in a convoy hence the name of the convoy gate. No overtaking is allowed in this convey and speed limit is set to maximum of 40 kmph.
After traveling not less than 1 hrs 30 min visitors reach the second transit halt point, Middle Strait. From here day farers have to leave their vehicle and embark a special ferry, the local here call it Vehicle Ferry. For the onward commuter to North Andaman all the vehicle in the same order of arrival embark this Ferry turn by turn and drop to other side of the island which is Nilambur Jetty in Baratang. The Charges for the vehicle ferry is INR 10.00 per person per sector and for vehicle is INR 115.00 which is fixed time to time by Andaman Administration.
Once in Baratang, there are shacks and bistro offering breakfast and meals for commuters. From there visitors have to procure speedboat tickets and Forest clearance/Permit for visiting Limestone cave via mangrove ride. The speedboat ticket costs INR 700.00 per person with forest permit which is again fixed time to time by boat association of Baratang.
Limestone Cave:
This speedboats ride of half and hours takes visitor to Limestone cave through endangered mangrove forest. This mangrove forest can be witness only in two places in the world and the only one in our country. Apart from Baratang, this can only be seen in Sundar ban, Bangladesh. Mangroves are generally those trees which grow near shoreline or brackish water and act as natural break water to prevent soil erosion. The speedboat ride takes visitors to Nayadera Jetty from there one has to trek one and half kilometer through tropical forest to see the limestone caves. There are eco-huts made by forest department for commuter to relax. The limestone cave is a mere replica of New Yorks Limestone Caves, as locally said. Pre Tsunami the cave used to be much bigger than now. Once in Limestone cave one can witness gradual deposit of many ingredients such as marine life, shells, Skeleton and Corals.
Mud Volcano:
The only known examples of Mud Volcano of India are found in Baratang and Dilgipur. It is about 4 km from Nilambur Jetty. This volcano erupts muds.
Parrot Island:
This small uninhabited island is 30min from Nilambur jetty, is home to thousands of parrots. For the onlooker this island would seem like a perfectly trimmed hedge, which is mysterious done and maintained by these groups of inhabiting parrots. The best time to visit this island is in the dusk or the dawn. One can see the parrots dancing down in different groups making a way to their nest making a view mesmerizing for the onlookers and perfect for photographers. Words cannot express this feel it has to be witnessed.
Read More