News Latest Information on Travelling to Andaman Islands?

Runway Status for Port Blair Airport From October,22 to February, 23

Updated: 19 Sep 2022

From	To	Status
18-Oct	21-Oct	Closed
22-Oct	31-Oct	Operational
01-Nov	04-Nov	Closed
05-Nov	14-Nov	Operational
15-Nov	18-Nov	Closed
19-Nov	28-Nov	Operational
29-Nov	02-Dec	Closed
03-Dec	12-Dec	Operational
13-Dec	16-Dec	Closed
17-Dec	26-Dec	Operational
27-Dec	30-Dec	Closed
31-Dec	09-Jan	Operational
10-Jan	13-Jan	Closed
14-Jan	23-Jan	Operational
24-Jan	27-Jan	Closed
28-Jan	06-Feb	Operational
07-Feb	10-Feb	Closed
11-Feb	20-Feb	Operational

RT PCR report on arrival
Updated: 14 Aug 2021
Andaman Tourism Opens
Updated: 14 Aug 2021

Andaman Tourism Opens: The Andaman & Nicobar administration has announced that all tourist spots in the South Andaman district will be opened for tourism activities with immediate effect 8 Feb 2022.
What is the advisory to travel to North & Middle Andaman District?
Updated: 14 Aug 2021

The tourists are allowed to visit Baratang/North & Middle Andaman on production of double dose covid certificate/ All other passengers viz. unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers (those who have taken only 1S1 dose of COVID vaccine) shall have to produce RT-PCR negative test report

Read More Read Less

All asymptomatic fully vaccinated persons coming to these islands from mainland are exempted from the requirement of carrying RT-PCR negative test report,irrespective of the type of vaccine received and country of origin. Such fullyvaccinated individuals shall produce the final vaccination certificate at the origin airport, sea port in the mainland and at Port Blair Airport / sea port.
Alt asymptomatic children below 5 years of age are exempted from carrying RT-PCR negative test report and further RT-PCR testing at Port Blair Airport.
All other passengers viz. unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers (those who have taken only 1S1 dose of COVID vaccine) shall have to produce RT-PCR negative test report to travel to Port Blair from the mainland, as is the practice now. Such an RT-PCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to commencement of journey from the origin airport connecting Port Blair. Such passengers will also have to undergo additional RT-PCR test on arrival at Port Blair. Such passengers shall remain in self-quarantine till the arrival of the test report.
If a passenger on arrival is tested positive then, the prescribed quarantine protocol is to be followed.
All Airlines shall ensure strict compliance of this order and observance of COVID Appropriate Behaviour. Any non-compliance shall invite action under Disaster Management Act and other applicable laws.

Read More Read Less

General Guidelines defined for traveling to Andaman Islands during COVID :

The Tourism Activities are permitted only in South Andaman & North & Middle Andaman District except Nicobar District.
Persons above 65 years of age, persons with home co-morbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years advised not to travel for tourism purposes.
Tourists/Visitors who are at higher risk due to some medical history are advised to take extra precautions.
Tourists/visitors shall minimize contact with other staff and visitors as far as possible and zero contact policy should be followed at all tourist destinations.
All tourists/visitors shall be briefed by the hotel concerned about do’s & don’ts to be mandatorily followed during their stay and movements.
While travelling tourists/visitors should wear a face mask and carry their own sanitizer and wet wipes for personal use.
At all tourist destinations, staff must wear face masks and wash/sanitize hands regularly while performing their duties.
Arogya Setu App shall be mandatory for all incoming tourists/visitors.
Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly after use.
The tourists/visitors on arrival at Port Blair airport have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 screening with RTPCR test free of cost. Thereafter the tourists/ visitors are allowed to move to their respective hotels. However, they will have to be under quarantine at Port Blair in their hotel rooms until the result of RTPCR tests are received. In case of RTPCR positive test results, the tourists/visitors shall remain in institutional quarantine in hotels notified by the Hoteliers Association in consent with the A&%N Administration, on rate as specified or to the designated hospital/ Covid 19 care centre on case to case basis.

Read More Read Less

What are the guidelines for testing for tourists coming to Andaman after August 03 2021?

On arrival at Port Blair :

1. The tourists need to carry COVID-19 negative test report from mainland based 1CMR approved lab using Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR). However, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken within 48 hours prior to starting the journey from the origin station. (For e.g. if the tourist takes a flight from Delhi at 0600 hrs. on 1st September, 2021, the sample for RTPCR test should have been taken not before 0600 hrs. on 30th August, 2021).

2. The tourists/visitors on arrival at Port Blair airport have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 screening with RTPCR test free of cost. Thereafter the tourists/visitors are allowed to move to their respective hotels. However, they will have to be under quarantine at Port Blair in their hotel rooms until the result of RTPCR tests are received. In case of RTPCR positive test results, the tourists/visitors shall remain in
institutional quarantine in hotels notified by the Hoteliers Association in consent with the A&N Administration, on rates as specified or to the designated hospital/ Covid-19 care centre on case-to-case basis.

3. Tourists may also have to undergo random Rapid Antigen Test conducted from time to time on payment basis as prescribed by A8N Administration.

What if the tourists test positive after arriving at the Andaman Islands?

If the tourists tests positive during their stay in the Islands, he/she will need to undergo institutional isolation as per existing health protocols. The
cost of such isolation for govt. facility will be paid by the tourists as fixed by the administration from time to time.

If the patient wants to stay at hotels, he/she can stay in the hotels if all the conditions below are met:

a) Patients are not symptomatic and not more than 60 years old.
b) Request/ undertaking is made by patient in writing.
c)lf allowed by doctors.

Hotels will make necessary arrangements to designate a part of their rooms for institutional isolation for this purpose.

Read More Read Less

Regular flights to Port Blair (the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) are operational now.
There are direct flights from Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Delhi.
Public transports like cabs, taxis, and bus services are also functional.

Read More Read Less

Travellers should carefully follow social distancing norms and wear masks as well. Also, before making any booking, they should refer to the latest travel news on the government website of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Read More Read Less

Jal Tikry

Overview

Roughly 25 kilometres north of Diglipur, lies Shyamnagar, a little hamlet, where you can witness a rare natural marvel called the mud volcano in a place locally known as Jal Tikry. A mud volcano is a natural spectacle and is caused by the eruption of hot mud, slurries, gases and water from the ground. About 1100 mud volcanoes have been identified around the world, and in Andaman, they can be found at Diglipur and Baratang. These are not textbook volcanoes as they do not emit lava and are not necessarily driven by magmatic activity. After trekking through the dense woods of Shyamnagar, you arrive at the site where several active muddy craters can be found. One of the most unusual occurrences in the world, behold these mud volcanoes some of them have been active for years, while others have laid dormant for quite some time.

After a fifteen-minute trek through the semi-evergreen forests of Shyam Nagar, the initial point of the craters come into sight. The little village is blessed with picturesque countryside and plays hide and seek from behind the banana and date plantation. Upon arrival, large dormant volcanoes are prominent in the beginning, followed by the small bubbling new mud puddles. There are around 41 active muddy craters in the wilderness, with the smallest ones a couple of meters wide, and the larger ones a few kilometres wide. To give visitors a better insight into the area, information is available on the notice boards, in the vicinity. To ensure a better experience, the eco-friendly seating arrangement made of bamboo and fallen tree logs seats is in place.

Several mud volcanoes are used as mud baths too owing to their balanced temperatures, that don’t rise too much, ranging between 36°F and 212°F.

How to reach

Jal Tikry is roughly 330 kilometres from Port Blair and can be reached via Shyamnagar which is 40 kilometres from Diglipur. Jal Tikry is accessible via shared jeeps that run on this route at regular intervals and drops you at Hathi level in roughly twenty minutes. From here, it is a 3-kilometre trek through the villages which turns strenuous towards the end and is the onset of the forest area.

Offers

Conceived by natural gases spewed by decomposing organic matter underground which gradually pushes the mud upwards, these craters are not what you expect from a ‘volcano’, that is, since it does not emit lava, gives an appearance of small puddles. If you start early after a pleasant trek through the dense rainforest, you will catch your first glimpse of a mud volcano in Diglipur. Not all mud volcanoes are active so you will have to ask around before you visit and it is best to do this with the help of a local expert. There are 41 mud volcanoes in the area, so if you find a dormant dried up mud volcano, then you can keep looking for more.

Wondering what to do on Jal Tikry?

After a 3-kilometre trek from Hathi level, through the semi-evergreen forests of Shyam Nagar, you can witness a rare natural marvel called the mud volcano. Nestled in an idyllic village, the trail for the trek to mud volcano is well outlined by the forest department. It is advisable to start early in the morning, as trekking through the canopy of the forest in broad daylight is reliable. After exploring nature’s wonder, visitors can enjoy sunset trolling through the villages amidst lovely countryside.
A destination bestowed with all the nature’s blessings, Diglipur takes you on a magical trail with a play of colours in the landscape you witness. From scaling the highest peak in the Bay of Bengal to witnessing an active mud volcano, hiking the cluster of extraordinary 41 limestone caves, observing sea turtles nest or the hatchlings discovering the clear waters for the first time, Diglipur is a treasure trove for all. With so much to indulge in, travellers often visit Diglipur with snorkeling gear, trekking shoes and time on their hands. In the land of sun and sea, pursue swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, trekking, island hopping and so much more.

A word of caution, most visitors arrive at the volcano site expecting a ‘Volcano’, and then, when they see a pile of mud and a few bubbles, their hopes of an adventure are shattered. One must be clear on what to expect from a mud volcano – Mud! This is a geological phenomenon and it is quite unusual to witness active mud volcanoes with bubbles oozing out of the earth and leaving behind a crater site.

Getting There: Jal Tikry is roughly 330 kilometres from Port Blair and can be reached via Shyamnagar which is 40 kilometres from Diglipur. After a 3-kilometre trek from Hathi level, which is a twenty-minute journey, you reach the craters.
What to do: Jungle Trek, Canopy Walk.
What not to miss: The famed mud volcanoes are a sight worth visiting.
Best time to visit: Mud Volcanoes are best visited during the winter season, during the months from November to February. The summer season makes it too harsh to explore the island and limits your travel goals.
What to carry: Carry bottled water, sunglasses, cap/hat, comfortable shoes, and cotton clothing. A camera to capture this unusual scientific marvel hidden away in a picturesque hamlet.

Essential Info:

Medical Facilities in Jal Tikry- There is no medical facility near the site, the closest community Health Centre is at Diglipur and the closest medical facility is the G.B.P Hospital at Port Blair offering a team of super-specialized Doctors in the various departments.

Timings- The most suitable time to visit it is early in the morning as the temperature is lower and the weather less humid.

Mobile Connectivity- Mobile connectivity in Jal Tikry might not be up to one’s expectation, thus visitors face several network issues.