Travel Guide for Rangat Island

A town in the Middle Andaman Island, Andaman Archipelago, Rangat is one of the three counties administrative divisions of the North and Middle Andaman district. Its natural beauty can surprise whosoever visits Andaman and Nicobar Islands- the loveliest union territory of India. The second largest town in Andamans, it is not very popular among travellers yet. Not many people know about its splendid beauty, but those who end up here are left awestruck by the attractions it offers. You can witness gorgeous beaches with volcanic rocks as well as pristine sand, which are perfect for turtle nesting during the season (December to January). The mangrove sanctuaries and awareness centres with the longest walking trails among mangrove forests in the country are sure to leave you spellbound. Wait, there is more!! You can also visit a scenic waterfall or stroll around vast plantations of spices after monsoons here.

Take a pit stop in Rangat if you are crossing it to visit any of its surrounding islands. Indulge yourself in a day trip of the attractions that are located in its close proximity. You can explore a few incredible places along with going for water activities like snorkeling and scuba diving also if you spend two days here. There are numerous beaches and points of interest here that you can plan to visit. All these sites have individual significance.

How to reach Rangat Island?

Rangat is a 1070 square kilometers large island that falls right in the middle of the Andamans. Its gorgeous waterfall and beaches attract people from across the world. It is at a distance of 170 kilometers by road and 90 kilometers by sea from the capital city, Port Blair. You can easily enter Rangat from Port Blair and by ferries from Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep), Long Island, and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). Rangat is a wonderful blend of nature’s most precious delights and offers once in a lifetime holiday experience. Owing to its clean environment, greenery, as well as unpolluted fresh air, nature lovers include Rangat in their travel itinerary. 

From Port Blair

You have to take the entry from Port Blair to visit Rangat. To begin via any mode of transportation, the origin point will be Port Blair only. 

• By government buses- The government-operated bus departs from Port Blair at different timings. You can prefer taking the one around 4:30 am and reach Rangat in nearly eight hours. It will pass through Andaman Grand Trunk Road to reach the public bus stand in Rangat. From there, you will have to hire public transport to reach your accommodation. These are not air-conditioned buses. You can purchase the tickets from the government bus depot in Port Blair. There is a huge demand for government bus tickets because of the cheap fare. To stay connected between Rangat and Port Blair, the majority of the locals use this mode of transport as their lifeline. The boarding point of these buses is at the Aberdeen Bus Depot. Since it has several pick-up points on the ATR, you need to enquire at the ticket counter for your nearest pick-up point. The return ticket from Rangat has to be booked from Rangat bus terminus only if you have reached Rangat by the government buses.
• Via buses run by the private sector- These buses also depart from Port Blair at different timings. You can prefer taking the one around 4:30 am or earlier and reach Rangat in nearly eight hours. This way, you will get most of your time in Rangat after you reach. The buses are available in air-conditioned and non air-conditioned segments. The AC ones are preferred as the journey is quite long. Non-AC ones are costlier than the government buses due to obvious reasons like comfort and seating arrangements. You can buy the tickets from their respective reservation offices across Port Blair. There is no facility for online booking. These buses can be boarded nearby the Aberdeen Bus Depot. Since it has several pick-up points on the ATR, you need to enquire at the ticket counter for your nearest pick-up point. The return ticket from Rangat can be booked from Port Blair when you start or you can also book the same from Rangat Bus terminus. 
• By private cabs- You can hire a private cab from Port Blair to reach Rangat. Neither you have to look for a return option nor would you have to hire any other public transport as the driver will be accompanying you from Port Blair. You can reach your hotel and go for sightseeing by the cab itself. As your driver is a local of the Andaman Islands, he will be able to tell you about the place and takes you to various points of attraction. He can also suggest you the best places where you can eat, and he will also ensure that you visit all the places that you would want to see and return on time to Port Blair for your other travel plans. 
• Hiring a private cab is the best option for those who have a fixed number of days to explore the Andaman Islands before they go back. The biggest relief is that you can book this service online before your vacation. Thus, it is the most stress-free option. The cab will pick you from your stay point and drop you back to your desired place after the completion of your trip.
• By government ferry- You can reach Rangat from Port Blair via a government ferry. It will be a five to six hours long journey. The ferry starts from Port Blair and crosses Neil Island and Havelock Island before reaching Rangat. The timings vary depending on the total number of passengers boarding and getting down at each stop.

The catch is that this ferry doesn’t sail every day. The ticket bookings open only one or two days before the departure. STAR ticket counter in Port Blair issues the tickets and the return ticket has to be booked from Rangat itself. The harbor for Rangat is the Yerrata Jetty. If you have enough time in hand, then you can consider the government ferry as an option to reach Rangat. But if you are in the Andaman Islands for a few days, then this option may not work for you. If this option of reaching Rangat doesn’t work, then your other plans and schedules will get affected. 

From Havelock Island 

You will have to take a Government Ferry to Rangat from Havelock Island. This ferry is functional on alternate days. This is the same ferry that sails from Port Blair to Rangat, as discussed above. Before reaching Rangat, it takes pit stops in Neil Island and Havelock Island. The voyage ends at Long Island after stopping in Rangat. 

From Neil Island

The same applies to visit Rangat from Neil Island. The same ferry takes a pit stop in Neil Island. From there also, you need to take the same boat to Rangat.

Andaman Island Travels is there to take care of all your ferry ticket bookings in the Andaman Islands. The local tour operator is the one-stop destination for all your transfer requirements when you are vacationing here. It will book all your ferry tickets instantly so that you don’t have to go through any hassle. Its ferry booking services for inter-island connectivity in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands would make your trip absolutely smooth. It will provide you confirmed tickets of ferries for all the tourist destinations. It is a single platform for all ferry and boat tickets, and confirmed tickets are booked instantly from various ferry operators. Just let its team know your decided dates and destinations. And if you are confused about which ferry would be the best for you, then you can always ask them.

What to expect while visiting Rangat?

This island in the Andamans has got a lot more to offer than you can imagine. You are sure to get a myriad of experiences there. Rangat is a very good example of an eco-tourism initiative in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

If you are travelling to North Andamans from Port Blair, then Rangat Island will act as the transit point. It attracts many travellers while crossing the path as many major islands are connected through sea and road from Rangat. The island is on the way that you will have to cross while you visit Mayabunder, Long Island or Diglipur from Port Blair by road. Thus, you can choose to halt back for a night in Rangat Island if you want to explore the major spots nearby such as Ambkunj Beach, Dhaninallah Beach, an eco-friendly mangrove walkway, and a lot more.

When it comes to accommodation, Rangat has a couple of basic stay options. As it is a rural part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and as mentioned, you should not expect any star category service or luxury from these properties. It is still developing as a tourist attraction. Hence, not any advanced arrangements are made in terms of tourist infrastructures. But still, the island has enough facilities for serving you while you are one a short stay. It is a hygienic and decent place. You will get the details about the stay options in the upcoming sections. Several tourist places in and around Rangat Island that we are going to discuss here can be reached by private transports. Some of them can be reached via public transportation as well.

Places to see in Rangat Island

All the attraction spots are more or less equidistant from Rangat. So you have to do some planning if you want to cover them all. Speaking of the town, you will see some shops, a well-stocked market, food stalls and tea sellers. Locals may get over-friendly as they don’t see crowds of tourists. In our coming sections, we will be giving you more detailed information on what Rangat has in store for you on your visit. 

If you are a true nature lover and want the much-needed ‘me-time’ surrounded by nature out there, then there is a long list of things that you can do and see. Trust us, the list is more than just lazing around in the beaches, soaking in their natural beauty and appreciate the greenery. You can spend your day sunbathing, swimming, watching the superabundant mangroves and most importantly, see the diverse species of turtles nesting in two of its beaches.

Amkunj Beach

Located in Nimbutala village at a distance of eight kilometers from Rangat, this beach is not less than a tiny piece of heaven. You can swim here and get a perfect tan along with complete peace of mind. It is a lovely place to sit and unwind on a bright sunny day.

Curtbert Bay Beach

It is a lengthy sandy beach located at a distance of twelve kilometers from Rangat. It is a well-known turtle nesting ground. The season is normally between December and February. If you want to witness this wonderful marvel of nature, then you should undoubtedly include this in your itinerary.

Dhani Nallah Mangrove Walkway (Nature Walkway)

It is a one-kilometer long wooden boardwalk that twists through the mangrove creeks. This walkway is the longest one of its kind in India. It is perfect to observe the diverse mangrove eco-system in one place. The walkway opens up to the pristine long beach- Dhani Nallah Beach, which is popular as a hatchery ground for sea turtles. There is a small eco-hut, which is named as Olive Ridley, named after the most frequent turtle species of the beach. 

Long Island

This island was a much busier beach when it was the home to Kitply Industries Limited. However, not many tourists visit this beach nowadays and thus, the natural flora and fauna are thriving on this Island. The beaches around Long Island remain unexplored and are mesmerising like a tiny piece of heaven in India. The island provides a very quiet and calm place to escape the buzz of tourists in the Andamans as it is isolated and still remain unveiled by tourists. 

Morrice Dera Beach

A very unique attraction, the twin rock at the beach presents itself as a rare yet beautiful rock formation. There is a walkway between these rocks that leads you to an eye-catching horizon viewpoint. It is a perfect spot to just sit and relax, and do absolutely nothing.

Panchavati Hills and Waterfalls

These beautiful hills surrounded by rocks fall in the outskirts of Rangat. Trekking is not advised on this small hill as a serene waterfall flows gently through the hills, making the rocks very slippery. The route to reach Panchavati is very scenic and photogenic as it is surrounded by agricultural farms. 

Yerrata Creek

Located eight Kilometers away from Rangat, it is known for its abundant mangrove life which makes it a great spot to observe and study a diverse variety of mangroves. The department of environment and forests has established a Mangrove Interpretation Centre here that displays different species of mangroves found on these islands.

Other sightseeing spots in Rangat include Long Island, Lalaji Bay View, and Guitar Island. 

Best time to visit Rangat Island

December to March is the best time to visit Rangat. During this time, the temperature remains between 23 and 30 degree Celsius. The weather is quite pleasant at this time.

Accommodation in Rangat Island

Hotel Avis and Hotel Ross and Smith are two private properties in Rangat. The latter is a newly introduced hotel that started operating in 2018. Its guests have given decent service feedbacks. Both these hotels are good if you don’t expect excessive luxury or star category facilities while you stay in them.

The Hawks Bill Nest is a resort of the Andaman & Nicobar Department of Tourism. You have to make your booking here in advance during the peak season to ensure your reservation. But we would highly recommend you to secure your bookings here through a local tour operator because online bookings mostly don’t work due to the poor internet connectivity in this offbeat destination. Andaman Island Travels is the one-stop destination for all your bookings for any corner of the whole island. Its expert tour operators will design your Andaman vacation exactly as per your requirements.

 Some of the other hotels where you can stay are as follows:

• Hotel UK Nest

• Hotel Priya International

• Hotel Laxmi Villa

The guests have given decent service feedbacks. The hotels are good if you don’t expect excessive luxury or star category facilities while you stay in them.

Restaurants and Food Outlets in Rangat

If you are a foodie and looking for authentic Indian food during your stay in Rangat, then the below-mentioned are the best places for you: 

• Bodhi Bengali Restaurant- For authentic Bengali food

• Royal Restaurant- Modern ambiance 

• Sai Kripa- For vegetarian food 

• Aroma Restaurant- For fast food

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) when travelling to Rangat Island

Question: How many days are required for a trip to Rangat Island?

Answer: Rangat Island is situated in the Middle Andaman. Al least two days are required to visit all the tourist attractions on the island.

Question: What are the best places to see in Rangat?

Answer: When in Rangat Island, don’t forget to include Dhanni Nalah Mangrove walkway, Morrice Dera Beach, Yerrata Jetty, Amkunj Beach, Raman Bagicha, and Curtbert Bay in your travel itinerary.

Question: Can Rangat be visited as a day trip?

Answer: Yes, you can visit Rangat as a day trip on your way to North Andaman Islands.

Question: How can I reach Rangat?

Answer: You can visit Rangat from Port Blair. Bus and private cabs are the most preferred option to reach there. Government ferries are also available but not on regular basis.

Question: Is Rangat Island safe to be travelled by female solo travellers?

Answer: As it has become one of the most loving tourist places all over the world, security has also been increased more than before. Female solo travellers are most welcomed in Rangat Island.

Rangat boasts of the best of natural beauties flourishing in India. Along with being a nesting hub for sea turtles, the island is one of the most enchanting towns in the Andaman archipelago as well. As much as 210 kilometers away from Port Blair and is easily accessible by everyone. If you are visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, then Rangat is definitely a place you must not miss. It has crystal clear waves from the deep blue sea to the cool breeze that sweeps you off your feet. 

Excited to go to this fun destination? All you have to do is contact Andaman Island Travels to make all the bookings for you. Its experienced tour operators will take care of all your travel requirements including accommodation as well. The best thing to do would be to make all your bookings through Andaman Island Travels. It will help you with your other reservations as well including ferry, etc. It is a one-stop destination for booking holiday packages and accommodations for families, couples, and solo travellers. You can also book slots for water sports activities (scuba diving, snorkeling, etc.) here. It offers a wide range of services to its esteemed customers at discounted prices. 

Rangat Island will never fail to amaze you with its magical and adventurous experiences. There are incredibly a fair amount of things to do when you are there. The place has grown to become a must-visit place among wanderlusters, especially who love to explore off-track destinations. So what are you waiting for? Plan your escape to the Andaman Islands and witness the fine balance of nature and adventure. Such an offbeat destination should be on every nature enthusiast’s travel bucket list because once you reach there, the rewards would be beyond your imagination. 

Have you made bookings for hotels and now looking for a reliable vehicle for harbour transfers? Contact Andaman Island Travels and be absolutely relaxed!