Diglipur Island in Andaman and Nicobar

Diglipur is a large island in the North Andaman which houses world class beaches, lush green tropical forests and rare attractions like the mud volcanoes. The population of this island is 43,000 and people are spread across 42 villages and 13 gram panchayats. The population mainly comprises people from Tamil Nadu, Bengal and Kerala and thus this island offers an exclusive cultural experience. Fishing and cultivation are the two primary occupations of people in this island.

Diglipur Island is roughly 325km by road from Port Blair and morning bus services are available between the two towns. There are 3 breaks during the journey as at these locations, you need to cross the creeks using vehicle ferries adding around 20 minutes of waiting time for the accessibility of vehicle ferries. There is another relaxing point and that is a very beautiful 0.5km long bridge connecting Diglipur and Mayabunder.

This island is about 185km by sea from Port Blair and shipping services are available for 4 to 5 days a week. The travel time is about 12 hours. Problems such as the quality of ships and journey and the availability of cabin accommodation are some issues while travelling through the sea.

Decent accommodation is available at Turtle Resort, Kalipur which is run by the Department of Tourism. There is also a water sports center nearby. Those who wish to go for trekking to Saddle Paek, the tallest peak of the island, could collect the trekking equipments on hire from the Turtle Resort and begin trekking from Kalipur.

There is also another APWD guest house available with 12 rooms, but you need to book the rooms from the tourist office at Port Blair. Diglipur holds a never-ending variety of fauna and flora. It's also famous for its oranges and rice. There are also some exotic varieties of birds to watch which makes your experience more exhilarating. Kalpong, the only river available on this island flows across the Saddle Peak and thus, it makes trekking more exciting.

Diglipur National Park

Diglipur National park is a dense tropical forest which houses wonderful trees (including those of sandal), wild fruits, rare flora and offers trekking opportunities which include climbing up natural steps formed by the roofs of old trees. Tourists need to take prior permission from the forest department to trek through this park.

750 feet climb leads to Saddle Peak, which is the highest point in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It offers an aerial view of all the islands. The second peak Ice Degree Peak is the coldest point while the third peak gives an incredible view spanning Diglipur to Mayabunder.

A mud volcano has been recognized at the northern tip of Diglipur Island. Very little is known about the place and even locals lack the knowledge. Thus, it's making the visits for the tourists more difficult. Efforts must be made in locating the volcano and giving facilities to access the same.

You could catch up on breeding spot and turtle nesting at Ramnagar beach, which is about 15kms from Kalighat. One who comes by boat from Port Blair would reach Aerial bay jetty, which is very near Diglipur.