Places - Mayabunder Island

Mayabunder is a 1348 sq km/843 sq mile large island in the Middle Andamans housing exquisite small beaches / islands. The island houses a population of 23904 people spread across 71 villages and 8 gram panchayats. The population is primarily made up of settlers from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Fisheries and cultivation are the two primary occupations of people in this island.

Mayabunder Island is 157 km/98 m distance by road with morning bus services being available between Port Blair and Mayabunder. The travel time is about 9 hours. However, there are two refreshing breaks in the road journey where creeks need to be travelled through vehicle ferries.

Mayabunder Island is 85 nautical miles by sea with shipping services being available for more than 4-5 days in a week. The travel time is about 10 hours. Quality of ships, availability of cabin accommodation and quality of journey are issues in ship travel.

Places to visit in and around Mayabunder :-

Karmatang Beach is a wonderful beach located at a distance of 12 km/7.5 m from Mayabunder. This beach, with crystal clear water and rich coral reserve is a turtle nesting ground and also has mangrove line creeks - nature lovers delight.

Pokhadera Beach is another small beach close to Mayabunder jetty. Another beach which is famous for coral viewing, and located in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. At the beach one can also indulge in snorkeling and swimming activities.

Various Creeks including Austin Creek offer a lifetime experience of cruising through the evergreen mangrove fringed creek, with exotic flora and fauna all around. These are ideal for nature lovers, bird watchers, research / education oriented tourists, who are also sensitive to ecology

Ray Hill, at a distance of 20 minutes boat ride from Mayabunder jetty, houses an Eco Village developed and maintained by ANIFPDCL. The facilities available include eco guesthouses, wilderness trail, and elephant safari, rock climbing for children, angling, and small library. An Ideal place for family tourists

Avis Island is a small beautiful island also known as Coconut Island. This island 15 minutes by boat ride has a mini beach with crystal clear water and is an ideal picnic spot.

Austin X island, at a distance of 25 minutes boat ride from Mayabunder jetty, has a palm fringed little beach and a shallow sea with mangrove belt. This is an ideal spot for picnic and trekking. Spotted deer coming to water holes is also a common sight.

Forest Museum, located in DFO office (close to Mayabunder jetty), houses a rare collection of coral life and fauna. It also has an Information Centre to inform visitors of the collections in the museum. Ideal for research / education oriented tourists

Anmol Driftwood Museum, run by a private entrepreneur, is made up of an interesting collection of woodworks. An ideal place for general interest tourists