Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A 1½-hour trek in the jungle (not advisable after heavy rain) will lead you to the se-
cluded
Lalaji Bay
, a beautiful white-sand beach with good swimming; follow the red arrows
to get here. Hiring a
dunghi
(?2000 return) makes it much easier - especially if you don't
like leeches. There's a closer, OK beach reached via the yellow arrows.
You can also get a
dunghi
to North Passage island for snorkelling at the stunning
Merk
Bay
(?2500) with blinding white sand and translucent waters.
Blue Planet now offers
diving
, charging ?4000 for two dives, and visits Campbell Shoal
for its schools of trevally and barracuda.
There are four ferries a week to Havelock, Neil and Port Blair (?195). From Yerata,
there are two daily boats to Long Island (?9, one hour) at 9am and 4pm, returning at 7am
and 2pm.
Sleeping
Construction of a luxury hotel at Lalaji Bay was about to commence at the time of re-
search.
GUESTHOUSE
$
Blue Planet
( 9474212180;
www.blueplanetandamans.com
; r with/without bathroom from ?1000/350; )
The only place
to stay on the island, so fortunately it's a gem, with thatched-bamboo rooms and ham-
mocks set around a lovely Padauk tree. It sets an excellent example by incorporating
bottles washed ashore into its architecture, and provides free filtered water. Follow the
blue arrows from the jetty to get here. It also has wonderful double-storey bamboo cot-
tages (from ?2000) at a nearby location.
