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Plan your Andaman holiday with local experts based in Port Blair
Amkunj Beach is a quiet, crescent-shaped beach on the eastern coast of Middle Andaman, about 8 kilometres from Rangat town. It faces the calm waters of the Bay of Bengal and is one of the few beaches in the Rangat subdivision that is both easily accessible by road and almost entirely free of tourist infrastructure. The beach is a documented sea turtle nesting site, visited seasonally by olive ridley and green turtles that come ashore between November and February to lay eggs above the tide line. Outside nesting season it is simply a wide, gently shelving shoreline backed by casuarina trees and coastal scrub, with shallow tidal flats that extend well into the bay at low tide and one of the finest sunrise positions in all of Middle Andaman. Amkunj is the kind of beach that does not announce itself. Travellers who find it on their Rangat itinerary invariably wish they had stayed longer.
Amkunj Beach sits on the eastern coastline of Middle Andaman Island, approximately 8 kilometres from Rangat town by road. Rangat is the main town of Rangat subdivision and sits roughly midway along the Andaman Trunk Road between Port Blair (174 km south) and Mayabunder (77 km north). The beach is reachable from Rangat by hired two-wheeler, auto-rickshaw, or jeep in about 20 minutes, making it the most accessible natural beach in the Rangat area and a straightforward half-day excursion from the town.
The beach is crescent-shaped, sheltered at both ends by headlands with low coastal forest cover, and faces east across a wide shallow bay. The tidal range here is significant at low tide the sea retreats several hundred metres, exposing a flat sandy plain that turns the beach into a vast, mirror-still expanse that reflects the sky. This tidal flat is one of Amkunj's defining characteristics and the primary reason the sunrise here is so striking. As the sun comes up over the bay, the reflected light doubles the colour across the wet sand in a way that is difficult to photograph adequately and impossible to forget.
The beach is a recorded nesting ground for olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas), both of which are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Nesting activity is monitored by the Forest Department during the November to February season. The casuarina tree line that backs the upper beach provides the shade and cover that nesting females require above the tide line, and the shallow, undisturbed bay provides safe approach from the sea. Amkunj has remained a functional nesting site precisely because visitor numbers and coastal development have stayed low a balance the Forest Department has been careful to maintain.
Rangat subdivision was opened for agricultural settlement during the British colonial period as part of the broader effort to populate and cultivate the Andaman Islands following the establishment of the penal colony at Port Blair in 1858. Middle Andaman's fertile interior and accessible coastline made it suitable for land clearance and farming, and settlements were established along the Andaman Trunk Road corridor that remains the primary route through the island today. Amkunj, on the eastern coast, was part of the natural coastal fringe of this settlement zone rather than an area of active development.
The beach and bay at Amkunj were used by local fishing communities who worked the shallow eastern waters of Middle Andaman for generations. The calm, sheltered bay and the extensive tidal flats that extend from the beach at low water made it a practical area for small boat fishing and net setting. This low-intensity use of the coastal zone is one of the reasons the sea turtle nesting population at Amkunj has survived into the present the beach was never developed for commercial purposes and the fishing activity that did occur was at a scale compatible with the nesting ecology.
Sea turtle nesting on the eastern coast of Middle Andaman, including at Amkunj and the surrounding beaches, was documented in surveys conducted by the Zoological Survey of India and various conservation organisations working in the Andamans from the 1980s onward. Olive ridley turtles are the most numerous nesting species at Amkunj, with green turtles also recorded. Both species were listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act following pressure from wildlife surveys that revealed the extent of egg collection and adult turtle hunting that had reduced populations across the archipelago during the mid-twentieth century.
Amkunj Beach has not been developed for tourism in any significant way. The approach road from Rangat is serviceable but basic, there are no permanent facilities on the beach, and no resort or commercial operator has established a presence at the site. This reflects both the Forest Department's protective stance toward the nesting site and the relative inaccessibility of Rangat compared to the more heavily visited islands in the south. The result is a beach that has remained in substantially natural condition while the rest of the Andamans has seen increasing development pressure over the same period.
Plan Your Amkunj Beach Visit with Our Local ExpertsAmkunj rewards visitors who arrive early, stay unhurried, and pay attention to what the beach actually offers tidal light, nesting wildlife, shallow water swimming, and the particular stillness of a Middle Andaman coast that tourism has not yet rearranged.
Amkunj Beach faces due east across a wide shallow bay, and the combination of the eastward orientation with the extensive tidal flat that forms at low water creates a sunrise experience that is unlike anything at the resort beaches in the south. As the sky lightens over the bay, the retreated sea leaves a vast flat mirror of wet sand that reflects every stage of the colour change deep violet through rose to gold and white doubling the light and creating a 360-degree atmospheric effect that photographers find extraordinary. The beach is almost always empty at this hour. Timing the visit to coincide with low tide and sunrise, which can be checked in advance for any date, gives the maximum extent of the tidal flat and the best conditions for the reflection. Arriving 30 minutes before the sun clears the horizon is sufficient.
Amkunj Beach is a documented nesting ground for olive ridley sea turtles and green turtles, both Schedule I protected species under Indian wildlife law. Female turtles come ashore at night between November and February to lay clutches of 100 to 150 eggs above the tide line in the upper beach sand. The Forest Department monitors active nests during the season and in some cases permits supervised visits with prior coordination through the Rangat Forest Range Office. These are not organised tourist events they require advance arrangement, strict adherence to no-light and no-noise protocols, and a genuine respect for the nesting process. For travellers who make the effort, a nesting turtle on an empty Andaman beach at night is among the most compelling wildlife encounters the islands offer.
The shallow, gently shelving bay at Amkunj makes it one of the safest natural swimming beaches in Middle Andaman. The water is calm, the entry is gradual, and there are no strong currents during the October to May season. At high tide the beach offers straightforward swimming in clear, warm water. At low tide the exposed tidal flat firm, wet sand extending several hundred metres into the bay is ideal for long barefoot walks in conditions that feel entirely removed from any beach destination in the south. Walking the full extent of the tidal flat at low water, with the casuarina tree line visible on the shore behind and open shallow sea ahead, is one of those simple beach experiences that stays with you precisely because nothing is organised or managed about it.
Amkunj Beach pairs most naturally with Cuthbert Bay Beach, another sea turtle nesting site about 4 kilometres from Rangat town in the opposite direction, and with the mangrove creek at Moricedera, which is one of the most scenic natural viewpoints in Middle Andaman. A practical Rangat day circuit: Amkunj Beach at sunrise for the tidal flat light and the casuarina shoreline, Cuthbert Bay mid-morning for the beach and the Forest Department turtle hatchery, and Moricedera in the afternoon for the mangrove boardwalk and creek views. The full circuit is manageable in a single day from Rangat town with a hired two-wheeler or jeep and covers three entirely different natural environments in a part of the Andamans that most travellers pass through without stopping. Our team builds this sequence into all Middle Andaman itineraries.
| Location | Eastern coast of Middle Andaman Island, approximately 8 km from Rangat town by road; 174 km north of Port Blair via Andaman Trunk Road |
|---|---|
| Also Known As | Amkunj Beach Rangat. Occasionally referenced as Rangat Beach on older maps. Amkunj is the consistent local name used across Forest Department records and signage |
| How to Reach Rangat | By road from Port Blair via Andaman Trunk Road (approximately 4 to 5 hrs, passing through Baratang creek crossings by ferry barge). Government bus services run daily. From Rangat town, reach Amkunj Beach by hired two-wheeler, auto-rickshaw, or jeep in approximately 20 minutes |
| Best Time to Visit | October to May for general beach visits and swimming. November to February for sea turtle nesting season. Sunrise visits are worthwhile year-round when the weather permits. Avoid June to September (monsoon, rough approach road conditions) |
| Turtle Nesting Season | November to February. Olive ridley and green turtles. Supervised visits require advance coordination with the Rangat Forest Range Office. Carry photo ID. No lights, no flash, no approach without the accompanying ranger |
| Key Attractions | Tidal flat sunrise reflection, sea turtle nesting (seasonal), shallow safe swimming, long beach walks, casuarina tree line, coastal photography, solitude, birdwatching along the forest edge |
| Entry and Permits | No entry fee for the beach. Forest Department coordination required for supervised turtle nesting visits. Foreign nationals require Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for travel in Middle and North Andaman |
| Facilities Available | No permanent facilities on the beach. Basic accommodation, restaurants, and market available in Rangat town (8 km). Carry food, water, sunscreen, and insect repellent from Rangat before visiting |
| ATM and Cash | ATM available in Rangat town draw sufficient cash before heading to the beach. No ATM at or near Amkunj Beach. For travel further north to Mayabunder or Diglipur, carry additional cash as ATM reliability decreases |
| Nearby Attractions | Cuthbert Bay Beach and turtle hatchery (approx. 4 km from Rangat), Moricedera mangrove creek and viewpoint (approx. 10 km), Rangat town market, Mayabunder (77 km north), Port Blair (174 km south) |
Check the tide table before you plan your sunrise visit. The tidal flat at Amkunj is the beach's defining feature and it is only fully exposed at low tide. A sunrise that coincides with low tide when the wet sand extends several hundred metres into the bay and the reflected light doubles the sky colour is a genuinely different experience from a high-tide morning visit where the water reaches close to the casuarina line. Tide tables for the Andamans are available through the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) website or your hotel in Rangat can advise. Plan the visit date around the tide, not just the weather.
For turtle nesting visits, contact the Rangat Forest Range Office before you arrive in Rangat not on the morning of the intended visit. Supervised nesting visits are not guaranteed, group sizes are capped, and the Forest Department's ability to accommodate requests depends on active nesting activity on a given night. Give at least 2 to 3 days' advance notice. When you do get permission, follow the ranger's instructions without exception. No torch, no mobile screen light pointed at the beach, complete silence during the approach. A nesting olive ridley will abort and return to the sea at the first sign of disturbance.
Amkunj Beach combines most efficiently with Cuthbert Bay Beach in the same day. Cuthbert Bay, about 4 kilometres from Rangat town, has a Forest Department sea turtle hatchery that operates during nesting season and is worth visiting for the educational context it provides on olive ridley conservation in the Andamans. An Amkunj sunrise followed by a mid-morning Cuthbert Bay visit and a return to Rangat for lunch covers both beaches without any backtracking and fills a half-day comfortably.
The beach has no shade apart from the casuarina tree line at the upper shore. After 9 AM the sun on the open tidal flat is strong. Bring a hat, high-SPF sunscreen, and more water than you think you need. Insect repellent is essential the coastal scrub and the casuarinas harbour sand flies and mosquitoes, especially in the early morning and evening hours. Foreign nationals must carry their Restricted Area Permit at all times while travelling in Middle and North Andaman.
Amkunj Beach is eight kilometres from a town that most Andaman travellers pass through without stopping. That is the entirety of why it is still the beach it is undeveloped, quiet, with an active turtle nesting population and a tidal flat sunrise that requires no tour operator, no booking, and no crowd management to experience. It is one of the most rewarding stops on the Andaman Trunk Road for travellers who are willing to adjust their schedule around a tide table and an early alarm.
Our team at Andaman Vacations India includes Amkunj Beach in Middle Andaman itineraries that cover Rangat, Cuthbert Bay, Moricedera, and the route north through Mayabunder to Diglipur. We handle Forest Department coordination for turtle nesting visits, all transport arrangements along the Andaman Trunk Road, and accommodation across the full North Andaman circuit. Tell us your travel dates and how much of the island chain you want to cover we will plan the route so that Rangat is a destination, not just a fuel stop.
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