Baratang is an island between South Andaman and Middle Andaman, about 100 km north of Port Blair by road. It is not a resort island. People come for a short list of unusual things: a boat ride through mangrove creeks, a walk to a limestone cave with stalactites and stalagmites, and one of the few mud volcano sites in India, which woke up with a loud eruption in October 2025 after more than two decades of quiet.
Getting here is part of the experience, and part of the effort. The Andaman Trunk Road passes through the buffer zone of the Jarawa Tribal Reserve between Jirkatang and Middle Strait, and vehicles may pass only in escorted convoys at fixed times. Stopping and photography are not allowed, and contact with the Jarawa is prohibited by law. This is a transit, not a sight. After the convoy, a short vehicle ferry across Middle Strait lands you at Nilambur jetty on the Baratang side.
Most visitors do the trip in a single long day from Port Blair, leaving before dawn and returning after dark. That works for fit adults. For parents and grandparents it is a heavy day: four hours or so each way, a boat transfer, a forest walk of more than a kilometre to the caves on uneven ground, and very few facilities. If you want to see the island properly, or catch the parrots returning to Parrot Island at dusk, you need to stay overnight, and accommodation is scarce.
Baratang suits travellers who are comfortable with early starts, rough footing and a day dependent on convoy timings and weather. Check permits, convoy slots and the current status of the mud volcano with your operator or the Baratang forest office the day before you travel.
Before you plan
Baratang at a glance
- Best months
- November to February is the most…November to February is the most comfortable; October to May is workable. The monsoon (roughly June to September) brings heavy rain and can disrupt the convoy and boats.
- Ideal trip length
- 1 long day from Port Blair covers…1 long day from Port Blair covers the caves and mud volcano; an overnight stay is needed for Parrot Island at dusk
- Airport
- Veer Savarkar International AirportVeer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ), Port Blair; Baratang is about 100 km north, roughly 4 hours by road including the convoy and ferry
- Railway station
- NoneNone. There is no railway in the Andaman Islands; arrival is by air or sea to Port Blair, then by road
- Getting around
- Private car or AC bus from Port…Private car or AC bus from Port Blair through the convoy; on the island, boats from Nilambur jetty, shared jeeps and a few government buses. No auto-rickshaws or scooter rentals.
- Daily budget
- Mostly permitsMostly permits, a creek boat and vehicle hire from Port Blair; rates change, so ask your operator for current figures. Food is simple stalls near the jetty.
- Senior comfort
- Demanding: a very early start, 4+…Demanding: a very early start, 4+ hours each way, a boat transfer and about a 1 to 1.5 km forest walk to the caves. Fine for fit older travellers, hard for those with limited mobility.
- Language
- Hindi is the safest betHindi is the safest bet; English works with operators and officials. Settler communities on the island speak several languages, including Bengali.
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Baratang: January, February, December. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Baratang itinerary
One good day
1 day in Baratang
Leave Port Blair very early, before the first convoy slot, and join the escorted convoy at Jirkatang. Do not stop or take photographs inside the reserve. Cross Middle Strait on the vehicle ferry and reach Nilambur jetty. Take a boat through the mangrove creeks to the cave-side jetty, then walk the forest path to the limestone caves with a local guide, allowing time to go slowly on the wet floor. Return by boat, eat something simple near the jetty, then go to the mud volcano if it is open to visitors. Aim to join an afternoon convoy back so you reach Port Blair after dark but without rushing.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Baratang
Follow the early convoy from Port Blair, cross Middle Strait and spend the morning on the creek boat and cave walk. After a rest at the jetty, visit the mud volcano if access is open, then settle into whatever accommodation you have booked well in advance.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Baratang
Take the first convoy and ferry, check in, then do the mangrove creek boat ride and the cave walk with a guide while energy is high.
Day-by-day plan →
