Karmatang Beach: Turtles’ Paradise
Karmatang Beach, located in Middle Andaman, is one of the most environmentally significant beaches in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Famous as the home and nesting place for the region’s sea turtles, the Karmatang Beach is a must-visit for any environmentally-conscious tourist and animal lover.
Places to visit in Karmatang Beach
Karmatang beach is located in Middle Andaman, which is a part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar. The island chain of Andaman and Nicobar is home to some of Asia’s best beaches along with 96 sanctuaries (spread over an area 466 sq kms) and 9 national parks (spread over 1154 sq kms). Further, the Andaman and Nicobar island chain is also home to many historically significant structures and monuments such as the Cellular Jail. Further, there are many coral reefs in the seas surrounding the islands.
Karmatang Beach- Travel tips, languages spoken, cuisine
- Languages: Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Nicobarese and Telugu are the more widely spoken languages in the region surrounding Karmatang beach. English too is quite prevalent and as such communication should not be a problem.
- Cuisine: Food would largely be local, though somewhat exotic food can be found in the higher-end restaurants.
- The waters surrounding the Karmatang beach are rich in aquatic life and make for excellent fishing points.
While visiting Andaman and Nicobar, one is advised to carry as much cash as possible because ATMs and credit card swiping machines are rare. Many tour operators cover the Karmatang beach as part of their Andaman and Nicobar tours.
Best time to visit Karmatang Beach
Though the Karmatang beach can be visited any time of the year, the monsoons, that occurs between the months of June and September, is not the perfect of times as one may not be able to soak up a whole lot of sun. The best time to visit Karmatang beach and the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar in general is between the months of January and May, during which the beach gets plenty of bright and clear sunny days. Further, during this time the sea is very smooth and one can even see cloud reflections on many days. Note that this is also the best time for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Best way to reach Karmatang Beach
- By Air: Port Blair, located on the South Andaman Island, is the nearest airport to Karmatang beach. Port Blair is connected to Chennai (located 1190 kms away), Vishakhapatnam (located 1200 kms away) and Kolkata (located 1255 kms away) via daily flights. Limited helicopter services are also available for inter-island commute.
- By Sea: Every week, three to four ships sail between Port Blair and Calcutta and between Port Blair and Chennai. There is one sailing from Vishakhapatnam every two months. The Shipping Corporation of India runs these sailings. Further, the Directorate of Shipping Services maintains regular inter-island foreshore and harbour ferry services to cater to the needs of inter-island commuters. Karmatang beach is located near Mayabunder, which is connected to Port Blair via daily ferry services.
- By Road: While some of the islands have a decently-developed road network, many do not. Some of the islands are entirely inhabited, and as such have no roads at all. On the islands which are somewhat more populated and have a decently developed road network, local transport comprises of local buses, bicycles, motorcycles, auto rickshaws, taxis and rental cars/motorcycles/cycles. Karmatang beach can also be reached from Port Blair via the Grand Andaman Trunk Road.
Accommodation
Hotels, inspection bungalows, private cottages, etc. are available to suit all budgets. There are only a limited number of family vacation beach resorts, beach retreats, beach vacation homes, beach villas, beach hotels and beach houses. However, one can obtain excellent discounts on accommodation via beach holiday packages, beach tours and beach holidays. A very interesting feature of Karmatang beach is that there are some beach camps and beach resorts that are located right at the beach. Some of the beach resorts also have scuba diving and snorkeling facilities.