Mayabunder – An Undercover Destination

The headquarters of North & Middle Andaman District – Mayabunder, a small town located in the northern part of Middle Andamans, about 3 (three) hour’s drive towards the north to Rangat happened to be our next stop of the Adventure-cum-Exploring quality check trip. So here, this article comes up with the most possible detailing and information for you to know Mayabunder as a destination of attraction. Stay with us through the lines while we bring out this undercover destination - Mayabunder in this article.

Introduction

Mayabunder is located 242 kilometers by road and 136 kilometers by ferry from Port Blair. This place is 72 kilometers north of Rangat and 79 kilometers south of Diglipur, which makes it fall between Diglipur and Rangat. Mayabunder consists of several villages scarcely populated. Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu are the major languages spoken here. The families of Burmese Karen tribes who were brought in as cheap laborers by the British people are part of the population of Mayabunder.

Being mostly preferred by tourists who are looking for offbeat experiences, this place is still growing as a tourist destination –having limited infrastructures and less frequent connectivity with the capital town of Port Blair. Just like Rangat, less information about the place and lesser-known ways of its accessibility has left this town less explored. Still, Rangat is touched by tourists going to Diglipur from Port Blair but Mayabunder falls to the other side of Rangat, so it is visited only when there’s a plan to do so.

So this time, we have thought of exploring every corner possible of this unexplored destination to let our customers know how they can pay a visit to Mayabunder using the existing facilities and possibilities.

What to Expect While Visiting Mayabunder?

Mayabunder is home to a few beautiful and scenic beaches, few seasonal turtle nesting grounds, mangrove-lined tidal creeks, and the 2nd biggest harbor after Port Blair, where the mainland passenger ships take a halt. This place is also the starting point to visit some of the virgin islands nearby like Avis Island, Coco Island & Interview Island. We will give you more information on planning trips to these islands in our upcoming sections.

This is a very remote destination just like any other island in the North & Middle Andamans that we have discussed before. So, you cannot expect any luxury conduct of stay. You will get an idea of stay options in our “Accommodations” section.

All that you can expect here is to explore nature, and a trip to Mayabunder should mean a trip to the outskirts of Andaman, far from the busy and crowded life, and very near to the organic natural life which is not technological but soothing and pleasant. With the least or no connectivity to the telecom services and internet, you may feel detached from the contemporary world, but as soon as you start exploring the beaches and other sights nearby – all you would do is relax on the beaches, click moments, and thank yourself for planning to stop here before moving further.

Accommodation Options in Mayabunder

As stated earlier, since Mayabunder has minimal tourist flow and is still growing to gain popularity, there are limited accommodation options available there with limited facilities. There is one Government guest house known as the APWD Guesthouse, and one popular privately-owned hotel namely - Sea and Sand, having basic facilities like an attached bath, providing a sea view from the property. There are some lodges nearby the Bus-stop area with basic facilities only.

Services like television in rooms, room service, Wi-Fi connection, etc., cannot be expected while planning to stay in Mayabunder. Even though the hotels are very basic and have minimal amenities, they are hygienic and decent enough for families to stay.

In case you have a requirement for a night stay in Mayabunder, make sure you have pre-booked your accommodation to avoid any on-spot issues in searching and getting a good place to stay.

Food Options in Mayabunder Island

There are small food stalls, Dhabas, or canteens run by the local folks of Mayabunder. Most of the eateries are nearby the tourist attractions or near the main market area. The Sea and Sand property has a small restaurant with a limited menu option yet serving good food. For dining for groups of 10 or more people, it is required that you order the entire day’s food during the 1st meal of the day so that they have your food ready to serve by the time you come next to dine at their place.

Exclusive - The Sequence of the Attractions in Terms of Location

This section is exclusive. In this section, we can tell you the DIY sequence of covering the attractions in and around Mayabunder, in a better way than any online maps. This is not surprising, because our team has created this physically by going there, where an online map doesn’t work to help you.

• Start from Rangat –> towards Dhaninallah mangrove walkway (Read our Rangat section to plan a visit to this attraction)
• Arrive at Danapur Junction (the market area of Mayabunder)
• Take a diversion towards Karmatang Beach
• Return to Danapur Junction (the market area of Mayabunder)
• Proceed towards Rampur Beach
• APWD Guest House
• German Jetty
• Return towards Rangat crossing the Danapur Junction and proceed further towards Diglipur/ Port Blair as per your plan

Planning a Visit to Mayabunder?

To visit Mayabunder, a few hours are enough. Since there are convoy restrictions between Rangat-Baratang and Baratang-Port Blair (these are the paths on the way that you cross to reach or go back from Mayabunder), and visiting hour restrictions at the sightseeing points, careful time management and pre-planning are mandatory for making this trip happen. If you are thinking of paying a visit to Mayabunder, there are a few ways you can do so. Being called an Island expert, Andaman TravelZoid takes pleasure in mentioning two of the possible options:

• While going towards Diglipur – Stay a night in Rangat, the next morning go to Mayabunder and visit Rampur Beach, Karmatang Beach, and German Jetty. Later in the evening, proceed to Diglipur and stay overnight.
• While coming back to Port Blair (from Diglipur) – Proceed towards Mayabunder, visit Dhaninallah Beach (falls in Rangat), upon reaching Mayabunder, visit Karmatang Beach, Rampur Beach, German Jetty, and stay overnight. The next morning, return to Port Blair.

The above options are just a few of the many other alternative combinations that our experts could sketch for you based on your interests, the number of days you have, and the budget you have decided.