Diglipur Island Andaman
Diglipur is an important destination on account of various factors. Diglipur, the largest town in the North Andamans is situated at a distance of around 290 kilometres in the north of Port Blair. Saddle Peak, the highest point in the Andaman Archipelago, is located 10 kilometres to the south of Diglipur.
The people of Diglipur are all known for being extremely hospitable and down-to-earth and the main languages spoken in this region are Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Telegu. Agriculture or farming is the main source of livelihood for the people of Diglipur. The main crops that are grown in this region are rice, coconut, pulses and various kinds of vegetables.
Diglipur is a must-visit tourist spot of North Andamans and is known for providing the exotic experience of eco-friendly tourism. The tourists are fascinated by the orange plantations and rice cultivations. It also has a rich and diverse marine life. It is also the home of Kalpong River, the only river in the archipelago. And this river is famous for housing the only hydro-electric power project of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The rustic beauty of the island village charms the tourists.
Places to Visit
Lamiya Bay Beach, Diglipur: The Lamiya beach is situated at the foothills of Saddle Peak and is close to another major beach named the Kalipur Beach. A common road connects both the beaches. The beach provides secluded and natural beauty. The waves melting with the white sands produce a soft lullaby that is calming to minds.
- Mud Volcano at Shyam Nagar: Hathilevel, situated 20 kilometres from Diglipur, offers a unique chain of mud volcanoes casually enveloped by green forests all around. A short trek of 15 minutes through the tropical forest takes you to the mud volcanoes. Big and dormant volcanoes along with live ones spewing mud are to be seen. This is a see-it-to-believe-it experience and is not to be missed.
Kalipur Beach is famous for being a popular turtle nesting ground and is also the home of hundreds of turtles.
Twin Islands of Ross & Smith Islands is known for its untouched beauty and can be reached from Diglipur via a 25-minutes speed boat ride. The beautiful sand bar joining the islands get submerged in high tide but reappear in low tide to add to the beauty of the blue waters. Scuba diving and snorkelling are favourites among the activities in these islands.
Ramnagar Beach is a gorgeous beach situated at a distance of 35 kilometres from Diglipur. This beach offers cool refreshing swims and is even more famous for being the hatching and nesting place for sea turtles.
Pathi Level beach is another beautiful and isolated beach of Diglipur. As it is situated a bit farther away from the main city, one needs to walk a bit from the Ramnagar Beach or can just take a boat from Kishorinagar.
Limestone Caves in Diglipur or the Alfred Caves are located near the famous Ramnagar Beach. Buses connect Diglipur and the cave site. From Ramnagar one needs guidance of local guides to cross the forest to reach the exotic limestone caves. The visit is a day trip and one needs to start early in the morning to be back to the base by dusk. Alfred Caves comprise about 41 amazing caves and is the home to fascinating swiftlets (the birds belonging to the swift family that are usually cave dwelling) and fruit eating bats. The months from October to March are the best to visit these caves.
