Baratang Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located between the Middle and South Andaman Islands. Approximately, 110 km from Port Blair, Baratang Island is another major attraction for most of the tourist visiting the islands. The Baratang Island trip is considered to be an adventurous trip due to its long distance from the capital town of Port Blair and the journey that starts at 3 Hours pass 1200 Hours.
While Andamans being a beach destination brings thought of Blues and sands coming in your album with your trip memories, here adding Baratang to the travel itinerary can come out to be very fascinating for travelers who want to see the greener version of Andamans. Baratang is the home to the Jarawa tribes who are the major inhabitants of this island following the few Ranchi settlers.
The major attractions at Baratang are The Limestone Caves and Mud Volcano. There is another delightful place to see in Baratang that is Parrot Island. But one has to stay back for the night at Baratang to visit Parrot Island. We’ll show more detailing on getting to this place in our coming sections of the article.
Baratang Island can be reached via Bus, Cab or Ferry from Port Blair. No Two-wheelers are allowed en route Baratang Island. The distance of Baratang from Port Blair can be 120kms approximately. And it takes 3 to 3.5 hours to cover this distance each way. So one can assume the total travel duration can be about 6 hours. There is a speed restriction of 40kmph for all the vehicles while crossing the tribal reserve area. The day trip to Baratang is n a full day trip.
Baratang Island can be reached via Bus, Cab or Ferry from Port Blair. No Two-wheelers are allowed en route Baratang Island.
1. Shared Trips To Baratang
By Government Bus
There are shared trips in Govt NON AC Buses. They start from Port Blair early in the morning. These buses, go further from Baratang to North and Middle Andamans, may not return to Port Blair on the same day. So you have to take a different bus from the Baratang Bus terminus to return on the same day. This is the most economical mode to reach Baratang. However, the con here is that these buses do not pick you from your place. You have to board the bus either from the main Bus terminus or at some designated point on the ATR (Andaman Grand Trunk Road) where the bus may make pit stops. You have to book the seats for these buses in advance from the Govt. Bus terminus and confirm your pick up point with them only.
By Private AC Coaches
Just like the Govt Bus, the private buses also start from Port Blair early in the morning. Being AC Coaches, it is understood that it is slightly expensive than the government buses. But the additional cost is always worth the comfort. There are also special coaches available who go on a day trip to Baratang and come back on the same day. These coaches also need to be pre-booked and like the government buses, these private coaches also do not pick you from your accommodation place. You have to be board the bus either from the starting point of the bus as mentioned on the tickets or somewhere on the ATR where the bus may make pit stops. In this case, you have to confirm with the bus operators or the concerned travel agency to check that which is the nearest point from where you can board the bus.
2. By Private Cabs
If you are looking for a private as well as comfortable journey, then taking cabs for going from Port Blair to Baratang will be the best option and for obvious reasons, it’ll be a little expensive than the shared trips option. After a few kilometers from Port Blair when you leave the city behind you, and the journey amidst the forest starts, the road towards Jirkatang is quite bumpy for about an hour or more. So a bus journey is not normally preferred. The AC Coaches or tempo travelers may be an option but not those which ply regularly for Baratang. You can book a private cab based on the numbers you are traveling in. The cabs are generally 5-7 seated you can go for Tempo travelers if your group size is 15 or above. You can contact us to get this trip arranged for you or get this arrangement added to your itinerary.
3. By Government ferry from Port Blair
Government ferry services are available from Port Blair to Baratang but this ferry doesn’t come back to Port Blair on the same day. So it is not suitable for a day trip. The route of this ferry is such that it sails from Port Blair to Baratang, drops the passengers at Baratang and goes off to Havelock (No waiting time- just touch and go). In case you have a plan to stay at Baratang Island, then you may opt for this option. However, you cannot combine the ferry & cab service, this may become expensive for you. The other way is to return from Baratang in a Government Operate but. However, its uncertain because the availability of Government buses will be known only after reaching Baratang. Hence, such a last-minute surprise can spoil the rest of your trip if you are on a fixed duration holiday.
The best and the most convenient way is to avail private cab to Baratang Island. Though buses are also a good option. However, considering the pick up of bus takes places only from designated areas we personally recommend cabs to Baratang Island from Port Blair.
Winter (October to February): With negligible rainfall and relaxed sea waters, winter is the best season of the year to pay a visit to Baratang Island. When the waters are calm and composed, many adventurous activities such as snorkeling, sea walking, scuba diving, and canoeing can be practiced with ease. Along with the descent in rainfall, the climate also turns pleasing and refreshing. Winter season experiences a dip in temperatures, with them hovering somewhere between 20°C and 26°C. Visitors will feel extreme comfort while visiting the tourist spots during this time of the year. It is a perfect time to bask in the alluring glory of this heavenly island.