Andamans Walking Holiday

It is an 8-day, 7-night guided walking holiday through the Middle and North Andaman Islands, with six days of walking and hiking. It skips the usual tourist circuit and takes you through tropical evergreen, littoral and mangrove forests, to secluded beaches, and the highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. You also spend two nights with a Karen family in the village of Webi. Groups are small, with a maximum of 8 guests.

The price covers seven nights of accommodation: one in Baratang, two in a homestay in Webi, three in Kalipur and one in Rangat. It also includes all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8, except lunch on the road, and ground transport from Port Blair and back to Port Blair. Forest entry fees and trekking permits, guided hikes and birdwatching sessions, and the boat ride to Ross and Smith islands are also included. Prices can change with season and group size, so please check the latest price per person on the Andamans Walking Holiday page or write to hello@outdoers.in.

Flights to and from Port Blair, lunches while on the road, travel insurance, tips and personal expenses are not included.

It is a moderate holiday with one challenging day. Most walks are easy, such as the 1 km mangrove boardwalk, beach walks and the 3-hour Cuthbert Bay hike that crosses several small streams. Day 4 has a moderate 7 km hike to Alfred Caves, and Day 5 is the Saddle Peak climb, which takes about 7 hours there and back and is the toughest day. The heat and humidity add to the effort, so a reasonable level of fitness helps.

The best time is November to April. This is the drier season, when forest trails are in better condition. During the monsoon, trails such as Saddle Peak become slippery, so we avoid it.

It starts and ends in Port Blair. Take a flight that lands in Port Blair before noon on Day 1, and the Outdoers vehicle will take you straight to Baratang, about 100 km and 4 hours away along the Andaman Trunk Road. On Day 8 the drive from Rangat back to Port Blair takes 6 to 7 hours, so book your onward flight accordingly. A flight that leaves from Port Blair after 5 pm is recommended.

The holiday focuses on Middle and North Andaman, areas largely untouched by mainstream tourism, with stops at Baratang, Rangat, Webi near Mayabunder and Kalipur near Diglipur. It does not include Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) or Neil Island.

You will walk a boardwalk through mangroves at Dhani Nullah, trek to Karmatang beach and spend two nights with a Karen family in Webi. You will also hike to Alfred Caves, climb Saddle Peak, take a boat to Ross and Smith islands for a beach walk, and hike through forest near Cuthbert Bay.

Saddle Peak is the highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the most demanding walk on this holiday. The hike starts from Lamiya Bay, climbs steeply through dense rainforest and takes about 7 hours there and back. From a few spots along the trail you get panoramic views of the coast all the way from Diglipur to Mayabunder. Forest entry fees and trekking permits are included.

Alfred Caves are limestone caves near Ramnagar, reached by a 7 km round-trip hike on Day 4. They are the nesting grounds of edible-nest swiftlets, known locally as hawabill.

These are two small, picturesque islands a short boat ride from Aerial Bay jetty near Kalipur. They are joined by a sandbar which can be crossed only during low tide. On Day 6 you take a 3 + 3 km guided beach walk that introduces you to the intertidal zone and littoral forests, with an away-from-it-all feel. The boat ride is included.

You spend two nights in a cozy village homestay in Webi, a Karen village near Mayabunder. The Karens moved from Burma in the early twentieth century in search of a livelihood, and the community is small and Christian. You take a guided tour of the village and get a glimpse of its culture and daily life. Note that the homestay has no air-conditioning or attached bathrooms.

Yes. A guided birdwatching sessions is included, on the Karmatang beach trek day, where you learn about the endemic birds and unique flora of the Andamans.

You stay one night in a basic but comfortable resort or hotel in Baratang, two nights in a homestay in Webi, three nights in a resort in Kalipur and one night in a resort in Rangat. Please note that accommodation will be on double-sharing basis. All stays have attached bathrooms except the Webi homestay. Air-conditioning is available everywhere except at the Webi homestay.

All meals are included from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8, except lunch while on the road on the long drive days. Carry snacks for those days. Vegetarian, Jain and vegan meals can be arranged.

The Andamans are tropical and warm and humid all year. November to April is the drier season, but showers can come at any time, so carry a light rain jacket and quick-dry clothing.

Considering the tough 7-hour Saddle Peak hike, the recommended minimum age for this is 10 years. Children should be comfortable walking for several hours in humid conditions, and adequate preparation is necessary.

Walk briskly at least 3 km, three to four times a week, preferably on hilly terrain, and climb stairs for at least 15 minutes every day in the weeks before you travel. Start four to six weeks ahead, because the Saddle Peak day is long and humid.

Trekking shoes with good grip are highly recommended for Saddle Peak, Alfred Caves and the stream crossings near Cuthbert Bay. Break in new shoes well before you travel. A pair of sandals or water shoes is handy for beach walks.

Pack lightweight, quick-dry clothing, a rain jacket, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, a refillable water bottle, a headlamp or torch, a daypack and binoculars if you have them. We send a detailed checklist when you register.

Laundry facility is available at the Webi homestay for a fee.

The resorts and the homestay have purified drinking water. We recommend carrying a personal water purifier such as Aquaguard or LifeStraw for the hikes.

Mobile signal can be patchy in the villages and forest areas of North Andaman, and better in larger towns such as Port Blair and Rangat. BSNL works best in most places in the Andamans. Let family know your schedule before you leave.

Yes. Outdoers guides are qualified in first aid, and the team carries a first-aid kit and has an emergency plan. The main things to watch are heat, humidity and slippery forest trails. Saltwater crocodiles live in the islands’ creeks and mangroves, so swim only in places that are marked safe for swimming.

The maximum group size is 8. Outdoers also arranges this holiday on your preferred dates, with the quote based on group size and the number of days. Email hello@outdoers.in or call +91-82799-29473 for a quote.

Yes. The Andaman Trunk Road, the only road between Port Blair and the Middle and North Andamans, runs through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, and you cross it on the Day 1 drive to Baratang and again on the Day 8 drive back to Port Blair. The Jarawa are an indigenous community, and the reserve exists to protect their land and way of life. Vehicles travel through it in convoys under strict rules, and photography and video are prohibited. You must not stop, get out of the vehicle, or offer food or gifts to anyone you see, and you should not try to interact with them. Your driver will brief you before you enter the reserve. Please follow these rules carefully, because breaking them is an offence and can harm the community.