CityThemes:HeritageCulturePhotographyFamily
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Port Blair
Colonial prison town and gateway to the Andaman archipelago
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Best time
- October to May; December to March is driest
Islands · Cave
Baratang
Limestone caves, mud volcanoes and mangrove creeks by speedboat
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Cave
- Ancient
- January — a best month
- February — a best month
- March — a best month
- April — a best month
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October — a best month
- November — a best month
- December — a best month
Best: Oct–Apr
- Region
- Islands
- Kind of place
- Cave · Ancient
- Ideal stay
- 1 day
- Coordinates
- 12.10° N, 92.78° E
Baratang sits between South and Middle Andaman, about 100 km from Port Blair by the Andaman Trunk Road. Getting there is half the experience. Vehicles gather before dawn at the Jirkatang checkpost and move in a timed convoy through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, where stopping, photography and any contact with the Jarawa are prohibited by law; the forest closes over the road and nobody speaks much.
At Middle Strait a vehicle ferry carries the convoy across to Nilambur jetty. From there a fibreglass speedboat threads a narrow creek walled by Rhizophora mangroves whose stilt roots arch out of the tea-coloured water, and after twenty minutes drops you at Nayadera jetty for a 1.2 km walk through betel-nut plantation and forest to the limestone caves. Inside, torch beams pick out stalactites and stalagmites in shapes the guides have named after gods and animals, and the air is cool and dripping.
A short drive away, the mud volcanoes near Jalki are low grey cones that burp cold slurry a few centimetres at a time, a reminder of the tectonic fault the islands ride on. If you can stay for dusk, boats go out to Parrot Island, a mangrove islet where thousands of parakeets stream in to roost in a green, shrieking cloud.
What not to miss in Baratang
- Limestone caves at Nayadera
- Speedboat run through the mangrove creek from Nilambur jetty
- Mud volcanoes near Jalki
- Parakeet roost at Parrot Island at dusk
- Baludera Beach on the way back
Best Oct–Apr
Best time to visit Baratang
October to May; caves are hard to reach after heavy rain.
Give Baratang 1 day and it repays the time; with fewer you are choosing between Limestone caves at Nayadera and Speedboat run through the mangrove creek from Nilambur jetty. We build the hours around the weather — early starts when it is hot, long afternoons when it is not.
- Ideal stay — 1 day
- Season — Oct–Apr
On the ground
Things to do in Baratang
The days we would actually plan for you, in the order that suits the light.
- Join the dawn convoy along the Andaman Trunk Road
- Speedboat and forest walk to the limestone caves
- Watch the mud volcanoes bubble on the ridge above Baratang
- Sunset boat to Parrot Island for the parakeet roost
At the table
What to eat in Baratang
- Fish curry and rice at the Nilambur jetty stalls
- Puri bhaji breakfast before the convoy leaves
- Bengali-style macher jhol
- Tender coconut water at the roadside stalls
Getting there
How to reach Baratang
Baratang is 100 km north of Port Blair, about three hours by road and vehicle ferry via the Andaman Trunk Road; nearest airport is Veer Savarkar International (IXZ), Port Blair.
Airport pickups, station transfers and the driver for the days here are all part of what we arrange — including the hour you should leave, which is usually earlier than you think.
Travel tips from our trips
- Convoys leave Jirkatang from about 6 am and there are only a few slots a day, so start from Port Blair by 3.30 am
- Photographing, filming, feeding or speaking to the Jarawa is a criminal offence under the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation
- Carry water, a torch and shoes with grip; the cave walk is muddy and there is no food beyond the jetty stalls
- The creek boats do not run in rough weather or very low tide, so keep the trip early in your itinerary
- It is a 10 to 12 hour day; travellers prone to motion sickness should take something before the ferry and speedboat
Next door
Near Baratang
Places that join Baratang without a long drive — the way a real week is built.
City
HeritageThemes:HeritageCulturePhotographyOffbeat
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep)
British headquarters swallowed by banyan roots and deer
- Ideal stay
- 1 day
- Best time
- October to May; go on the first morning ferry for soft light
IslandThemes:NatureAdventureRomancePhotography
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Havelock (Swaraj Dweep)
Radhanagar sand, coral walls and India's finest scuba diving
- Ideal stay
- 3 days
- Best time
- October to May; visibility for diving peaks January to April
IslandThemes:NatureOffbeatRomanceFamily
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep)
Slow bicycle island of coral shallows and vegetable farms
- Ideal stay
- 2 days
- Best time
- October to May; low tides for the Natural Bridge are best in winter mornings
Before you ask
Questions we are asked about Baratang
When is the best time to visit Baratang?
October to May; caves are hard to reach after heavy rain. On the calendar that is Oct–Apr. We build Baratang into a journey inside that window wherever we can; when your dates are fixed outside it, we re-plan the hours of the day around the weather rather than talk you out of the trip.
How many days do you need in Baratang?
We plan 1 day in Baratang. That is enough for Limestone caves at Nayadera, Speedboat run through the mangrove creek from Nilambur jetty and Mud volcanoes near Jalki, at a pace that still leaves room for a long lunch. Add a day if you are continuing to Port Blair and Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep).
How do you reach Baratang?
Baratang is 100 km north of Port Blair, about three hours by road and vehicle ferry via the Andaman Trunk Road; nearest airport is Veer Savarkar International (IXZ), Port Blair. We arrange the transfer and the driver as part of the journey, so you are met on arrival instead of negotiating a taxi at the gate, and the timings are set around when Baratang is at its best rather than around the clock.
What is Baratang famous for?
Baratang is a cave site in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Islands, best known for Limestone caves at Nayadera, Speedboat run through the mangrove creek from Nilambur jetty and Mud volcanoes near Jalki. Travellers come for nature, adventure, offbeat and photography, and most give it 1 day.
Is Baratang good for families?
Baratang is planned more often for nature, adventure, offbeat and photography than as a family stop, but it works well at a slower pace. 1 day, an early start and one unhurried afternoon is the shape we would suggest, inside the Oct–Apr window. Tell us who is travelling and we will pace it around them.