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Plan your Andaman holiday with local experts based in Port Blair
Mayabunder is the subdivisional headquarters of North and Middle Andaman, located 242 kilometres north of Port Blair by road. It sits at the edge of a wide creek lined with mangroves, surrounded by dense tropical forest and small coastal settlements. Unlike Havelock or Neil Island, Mayabunder is not a beach resort destination. It is where travellers who have seen the south come to find a different Andaman, quieter, less photographed, and more honest about what island life actually looks like.
Mayabunder town sits on a peninsula that juts into a mangrove-lined creek, about 7 kilometres off the Andaman Trunk Road. The town has a small market, government offices, a jetty used for inter-island ferry services, and a cluster of budget hotels and guesthouses. Most travellers passing through are heading to Interview Island, the mud volcanoes of Baratang, or the remote beaches of North Andaman.
The region is home to one of the few Karen communities in India. The Karen, originally from Myanmar, were brought to the Andamans as forest labourers during the British colonial period. Several villages around Mayabunder, including Webi and Karmatang, remain Karen settlements today. A visit to these villages, with permission, offers a perspective on Andaman's layered history that no beach can provide.
Mayabunder is also the jumping-off point for Interview Island Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the most isolated protected areas in the Andamans. The island has a small population of feral elephants, descendants of logging elephants abandoned when the forest department wound down timber operations, and no permanent human settlement. Permits are required and boats operate from Mayabunder jetty.
Mayabunder's attractions are spread across creeks, forests, and offshore islands. None of them are crowded. Most require a boat or a proper 4WD road.
A historic and scenic jetty in Mayabunder offering beautiful sea views, calm waters, and a glimpse into the region’s colonial-era influence. It serves as a local transport and fishing hub and is a peaceful spot to enjoy sunsets and observe everyday island life.
A 4-kilometre-long pristine beach located about 10 kilometres from Mayabunder town, known for its clean shoreline and turtle nesting activity. It is a protected leatherback sea turtle nesting site, monitored by the Forest Department between January and March. The beach remains quiet and untouched, with limited facilities and calm swimming conditions during favorable weather.
October to May is the practical window for visiting Mayabunder. The Andaman Trunk Road, which runs the full 340-kilometre length of the island chain from Port Blair to Diglipur, becomes difficult to travel in heavy monsoon and the ferry services to Interview Island and Avis Island are suspended from June to September.
December to February is the best period if you want to combine a Mayabunder visit with leatherback turtle nesting at Karmatang Beach. The Forest Department allows supervised night walks during peak nesting months, subject to availability. March and April offer good weather with fewer visitors and easier road conditions. If you are travelling as part of a longer North Andaman circuit, combining Baratang, Mayabunder, and Diglipur, plan at least 2 nights in Mayabunder to cover Interview Island without rushing.
Mayabunder is 242 kilometres from Port Blair by road via the Andaman Trunk Road. The journey takes approximately 6 to 7 hours by private vehicle, passing through Baratang Island, which itself requires two creek crossings by ferry barge. Government buses run daily but travel times are longer and luggage handling is inconvenient for families or couples with gear.
There is also a government ferry service from Port Blair to Mayabunder that runs a few times per week. The ferry takes 8 to 10 hours depending on sea conditions and stops at Rangat before reaching Mayabunder. It is comfortable enough for an overnight journey but seats are limited and advance booking at the Directorate of Shipping Services in Port Blair is necessary.
Within Mayabunder, local auto-rickshaws and hired jeeps cover the routes to Karmatang Beach and the villages. For Interview Island and Avis Island, boats are arranged from Mayabunder jetty. Our team handles all transport bookings including road transfers from Port Blair, jetty pickups, and inter-island boat permits.
Book Your Mayabunder TransportMayabunder is a working town, not a resort. A few things to keep in mind before you go.
Most Andaman packages skip Mayabunder entirely. That is understandable, the beaches are not as polished as Havelock, the infrastructure is basic, and the distances involved require real planning. But if you want to see the Andamans beyond the standard tourist circuit, Mayabunder and North Andaman are where that trip starts.
Our team at Andaman Vacations India plans North Andaman circuits that combine Baratang's limestone caves and mud volcanoes, Mayabunder's wildlife and Karen culture, and Diglipur's Ross and Smith Islands, covering the route efficiently with all permits, transport, and accommodation handled in advance.
Tell us your travel dates and how much of the Andamans you want to see. We will build an itinerary that covers more than the postcard version.
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