Hi friends, hope you are enjoying the travel posts this month. Today, I am going to share our experience of visiting the Limestone Caves at Baratang Island in Middle Andaman. This is one experience you should definitely gift your children if visiting the Andaman Islands. And, I am damn sure your kids will have a wonderful time during the Baratang excursion.

You may also want to read – Andaman Trip Itinerary (9N/10D)!

If I will only talk about the caves at Baratang, that would sound quite boring to you. Because here the journey to the destination is more exciting than the destination itself. The Baratang excursion to reach the limestone caves is what makes the whole experience enriching for kids as well as adults.

Nemit playing outside the Limestone cave

This journey starts from Port Blair passing through the thick jungles in a convoy of vehicles and crossing the strait on a vehicle ferry to finally taking the speed boat which sails through the mangrove creeks & drops you near the limestone caves from where one needs to walk through the fields to finally reach the caves.

Source- Google Maps

Baratang Island connects the South Andaman to the Middle Andaman. And it is known for it’s natural wonders and the thick tropical & mangrove forests. 

Sadly, there is very little information available online especially for tourists traveling with young children & senior citizens. Hence, I will try to share as much useful information as I could in this post based on our experience and some research.

How to reach the Caves at Baratang Island?

First, you need to decide whether you want to do a full day tour or stay overnight at Baratang. Or, if you want to go further to the North Andaman.

Since we had planned to explore Diglipur in North Andaman, we decided to visit the caves on our way back. Check option 3 below.

Basically, there are 4 options-

• Option 1- The easiest one is to book a full day tour from some trusted travel agent. It starts at 4 am from Port Blair & ends around 5 pm when they drop you back to your hotel. I will not recommend this if you are traveling with young children since it will get too tiring for everyone. You can consider this option if your kids are 5+ in age. Check out the route below-

Source- Google Maps

Port Blair -> Jirkatang check post -> Jarwah Reserve Forest -> Middle Strait Jetty -> Baratang Island -> Baratang Jetty -> Limestone Caves at Baratang

• Option 2-  is to book a personal cab & stay overnight at Baratang Island. And return back to Port Blair on the next day. Recommended. But it will be costly. Also, it will depend on hotel availability since there are only a few hotels in Baratang.

• Option 3- if you are going further north, visit the caves while returning back. You will need to stay overnight either at Mayabunder/Rangat/Baratang on your way back from North Andaman. Recommended. But since it’s a long journey, it may get tiring for kids.

Source- Google Maps

Port Blair -> Jirkatang check post -> Jarwah Reserve Forest -> Middle Strait Jetty -> Baratang Island -> Rangat -> Mayabunder -> Diglipur

• Option 4- is to visit the caves en route to North Andaman & make an overnight halt at Rangat/Mayabunder. And, again stop overnight at Rangat/Baratang while returning back. Recommended if you have some extra days in hand. In case you are covering only the Middle & North Andaman then this will suit the itinerary best.

The total distance from Port Blair to Diglipur is about 300 Km which can take up to 12-14 hrs if you are traveling with kids.

We did a mistake by covering South, Middle & North Andaman in 10 days. It got too hectic by the end of the trip. It would have been better if we’d planned 2 separate trips. One for South Andaman and another for Middle & North Andaman.

You may also want to read – The Best Beach to Visit with Kids in Havelock Island!

Things you must know before visiting the Limestone Caves at Baratang Island

• All tours start from Port Blair.

• All the vehicles need to stop at Jirakatang check post to get a permit to enter the Jarwah reserve forest. (You don’t need to worry about the permit, your driver/tour agent will arrange that for you).

Vehicles lined up at Jirkatang check post

Port Blair to Jirkatang check post – 42 Km

• If you plan to travel by a private cab, you can book a hotel near to Jirakatang check post. We had booked Ixzire Resort which is 30 mins from Port Blair. By booking this hotel we saved some time in the morning.

Ixzire Resort to Jirkatang check post – 20 Km

• The Jarwah reserve forest starts from Jirakatang check post & stretches up to 49km & ends at the Middle Strait Jetty.

• All the vehicles leave in convoy from Jirakatang check post. Each convoy has a bus in the front with 1-2 armed policemen inside. This experience of passing through the dense forest was quite exhilarating.

• There are 4 convoys throughout the day (6 am, 9 am, 12 pm, 2.30 pm).

• If you miss the convoy, you can’t enter the Jarwah reserve forest. So, take note of these times & plan your visit accordingly. No person or vehicle is allowed to stop once inside the reserve.

• Jarwah are the tribal people of Baratang Island who are completely cut off from the outer world.

• Taking pictures or interacting with Jarwah tribe is not allowed & is a punishable offense. Though interacting with tribal people was not allowed, we were hoping to catch a glimpse & we did. But we made sure not to take their pics or startle them with our actions. They are humans just like us living in a different habitat.

• Once you reach the Middle Strait Jetty, you need to wait for the vehicle ferry to cross a strait & reach the Baratang Island. It takes only 15 mins to cross the strait.

Vehicle ferry in the background at Middle strait jetty

• Once you are on the other side of the Jetty, you need to take a speed boat from there that will take you through the mangrove creek to Nayadera jetty. This is truly a mesmerizing journey of 45 mins through the dense tropical forest.

Speed boat from Baratang jetty to Nayadera jetty

Boat passing through mangrove creeks

• After getting down at the Nayadera jetty, you need to walk for 300 meters on a wooden bridge.

Wooden bridge

Taking the wooden walkway towards Limestone caves

• Once you cross the bridge, you need to walk further 300 meters through the fields and a small village to finally reach the limestone caves.

Walking through the fields

Walking through the village

The cave is not very big and the entrance is quite compact. But, once you are inside you feel the adrenaline rush looking at all the mesmerizing limestone formations.

Entrance to the Limestone Cave

Caves have always fascinated us. Although the whole journey seems tiresome the memories you take away from this journey makes the whole experience worthwhile.

Limestone formation

And, when you come out after exploring the cave, do try the refreshing lemon water villagers sell just outside the cave.

Lemon water stalls outside the cave

If you are traveling with kids or elderly (60+ age), please keep their requirements in mind. Don’t push them to try their limits & keep ample time in hand. Always have a Plan B ready in case the actual plan goes down. In short, be flexible!

You may also want to read – 7 Best Family Adventure Trips to plan with Kids!

Today is Day 3 of #BlogchatterA2Z and the letter of the day is ‘C’. My theme for the challenge is ‘Traveling with kids’ & I have chosen C for Caves.

If you liked this post then do drop a comment below and don’t forget to share this post with your friends and family.

That’s all for today, see you tomorrow!

The post Visiting the Limestone Caves at Baratang with Kids – Things to know! appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Hey guys, hope you all are doing good. Finally, the April is here and with this kick starts the most awaited #BlogchatterA2Z challenge. Today is Day 1 and that means the letter of the day is ‘A’. My theme for the challenge is ‘Traveling with kids‘ & I have chosen A for Andaman. In this post, I am going to share the Andaman Itinerary from our most loved trip to the Andaman Islands.

We planned this trip in Jan 2018 for Nemit’s 2nd birthday and it turned out to be one of our most memorable trips. It was a 10-day leisure cum adventure trip and the best part is Nemit’s both grandmothers were traveling with us. Yes, you can plan adventure trips with your kids and that’s not a big deal.

We tried to cover some of the amazing places from South, Middle, and North Andaman. And it took us around 30 days to plan it perfectly. Since it was my 2nd trip to the Andaman Islands, I had a fair idea of what all places we could give a pass & what all we wanted to include. However, I still feel 10 days were not enough to soak in the beauty of these islands.

Let’s start with the Andaman Itinerary (9N/10D)

When you decide to go on a trip with your kids, it’s important to start planning at least 15-20 days prior to your travel date. If you are planning a budget holiday, keep a watch on flight prices as these keep fluctuating. Also, when you shortlist the hotels, call them or drop them a mail with your travel dates and ask them their best price. Some hotels give amazing offers if you are staying for more than 2 nights or if you book directly with them.

Day 1- Delhi to Port Blair

We had an early morning flight from Delhi to Port Blair.

Delhi to Port Blair

During my 1st visit, I had covered all the main tourist places in & around Port Blair. I was sure no one would like to do a city tour or visit the old ruins or want to know the story behind the cellular jail with a toddler hanging around.

Hence, we skipped exploring the city altogether during this trip.

Stay at Kevin Homestay (www.kevinsandaman.com)

Place visited- Corbyn Cove Beach

Entrance to Beach Festival at Corbyn Cove Beach

Since we had no plans for the day, we decided to ask the owner about any happening nearby place to chill out. He told us about the ongoing Beach Festival at ‘Corbyn cove beach‘. It’s a nice beach to spend some time with family. However, during the festival, it was too crowded & the beach was not that clean.

Day 2- Port Blair to Havelock Island (name changed to Swaraj Dweep)

Next day, we had planned to go to Havelock Island which is the most visited island in the Andamans. Since our ferry was around 2 pm we decided to visit Munda Pahar Beach in Chidiya Tapu in the morning which was about 40 mins from Port Blair.

We at Munda Pahar

It’s an eco-friendly beach facility & a nice place to visit with kids. There are many eco-huts & wooden swings along the beachside. One can easily spend 3-4 hrs here, locals recommend to watch the sunset from this beach.

There are 2 ways to reach Havelock, by a Private Ferry (Makruzz/Green Ocean) or by a government ferry.

Nemit with his dad in Makruzz ship

We had booked a private ferry, Makruzz (http://www.makruzz.com/site/) which took around 1.5 hrs to reach Havelock Island. I will not recommend taking a government ferry when traveling with young kids.

Stay at Havelock Holiday Beach Resort (www.hhbr.in). I will share more details in a separate post.

Day 3- A visit to Radhanagar Beach

Next day, we decided to visit Radhanagar beach which is the most famous beach in Havelock Island. And, it is also known as one of the best beaches in Aisa. Details coming up soon in a separate post on Havelock Island.

Day 4- Trek to Elephant Beach

It was our last day in Havelock and we decided to try some adventure. We trekked to the Elephant beach which was one of the most exciting experiences we have ever had. We also did the sea walk. All details coming up in a separate post.

Day 5- Havelock Island to Port Blair

After spending 3 wonderful days in the South Andaman, it was time to explore the middle and North Andaman which are the least visited parts of the Andaman Archipelago. And I would recommend planning a visit to North Andaman as a separate itinerary and not to club it with South Andaman.

We spent the half day in transiting from Havelock to Port Blair and rest of the day in exploring the market at Port Blair, shopping some necessary items.

Port Blair to Ixzire Resort

Stay at Ixzire Resort (www.ixzire.com)

If you happen to plan a vacation for 5-6 days, then you can simply keep 2 days for Port Blair & rest of the days for Havelock Island. You can also visit another famous island ‘Neil Island‘ (name changed to Shaheed Dweep) for which ferry is available from Havelock as well as Port Blair. We skipped Neil since we had to cover North Andaman.

I will recommend visiting South Andaman if you are traveling with a baby or a toddler. If you have older kids and you like adventure, you should definitely plan for Middle & North Andaman. And if you are adventure junkies lovers like us, go ahead and take your toddler for the most exciting expedition to North Andaman.

Day 6- Port Blair to Diglipur

Diglipur is the largest town of the North Andaman Island. You can witness the laid back village life, people are very friendly and the food is simple yet tasty. It takes around 8-9 hrs to reach Diglipur by road. However, with kids, it may take up to 12-14 hrs. So, go prepared!

Port Blair (Ixzire Resort) to North Andaman (Diglipur)

There are many places of interest for adventure lovers such as Saddle peak (highest peak of Andaman & Nicobar Islands), Ross & Smith Islands (also known as the twin islands), Mud volcano, Alfred caves, Lamiya bay, Kalipur beach (famous for turtle nesting), etc.

Stay at Pristine Beach Resort (www.andamanpristineresorts.com)

Place visited – Amkunj Beach

I will share more details in another post.

Day 7- Ross & Smith Island & Kalipur Beach

Next day it was Nemit’s birthday and we had planned to visit Ross & Smith Islands.

Having fun at Ross & Smith Island, sandbar

You can read our whole experience of visiting Ross & Smith Islands here.

Day 8- Diglipur to Rangat

Unfortunately, we had only 2 days to spend in Diglipur, hence we couldn’t visit all the locations. It is still in our bucket list & we will plan a trip to North Andaman soon. Day 8, we decided to halt overnight at Rangat (in Middle Andaman) since we wanted to visit Baratang caves on the next day.

Stay at Priya International (the only stay option we could find in Rangat)

Dhani Nallah nature walkway in Rangat

Place visited- Dhani Nallah Nature Walkway & Beach 

Day 9- Rangat to Port Blair via Baratang

We wanted to explore the limestone caves at the Baratang Island hence we kept an extra day for that. One can also do the full day tour to Baratang caves from Port Blair if they are not going to the North Andaman.

Posing at the entrance of limestone caves at Baratang Island

All details coming up in a separate post.

Stay at Ripple Resort (www.rippleresort.com) at Port Blair.

Day 10- Port Blair to Delhi

This was our last day in Andaman and we had booked an afternoon flight to Delhi.

Andaman Itinerary. PIN IT!

So, that’s our Andaman Itinerary, this is also an overview of what all I will be sharing this week. So stay tuned and keep visiting my blog daily for some cool travel updates this April. And, if you are planning a trip with kids, this can be your go-to guide as well.

Thanks for reading, hope you liked this post and if you find this helpful, then please do share it with your friends and family. And, I would love to hear your views or experiences in the comments below.

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The post A- Andaman Itinerary – Traveling with Kids #BlogchatterA2Z appeared first on Growing With Nemit.