North Andaman Island

North Andaman Island is one of the larger islands in the Andaman archipelago in the Bay of Bengal, administered as part of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It contains significant highland terrain and coastal plains and is home to the district town of Diglipur.

The island includes the archipelago’s highest point, Saddle Peak, rising to roughly 730 metres, and areas of forest and coastal habitat that are important for wildlife and local livelihoods. Visitors come for beaches, island scenery and access to offshore islets such as Ross and Smith, which are noted for sandbars and snorkeling.

Historically the island has been part of the British colonial administration and later the Indian union territory administration; local communities rely on fishing, agriculture and small-scale tourism. Parts of the island fall within reserve and protected areas to conserve forest and coastal ecosystems.

North Andaman sits north of Middle Andaman in the Bay of Bengal and is part of the Northern Andaman group; it is several hundred kilometres north of the territory capital, Port Blair, and is reached by occasional ferry and regional air services.

• Main settlement: Contains the town of Diglipur on the northwest coast which serves as the main local settlement and transport hub for the island.

What to See#

• Saddle Peak: Saddle Peak and surrounding highlands provide the island chain’s highest elevation at about 730 metres, with steep forested slopes and hiking routes within protected forest areas.

• Plan travel in the dry season (roughly November-April) when sea conditions and visibility for boat travel to North Andaman are typically more reliable.
• Use Diglipur as the main gateway for North Andaman - check ferry or ship schedules from Port Blair well in advance because services are infrequent and subject to change.
• Expect limited tourist infrastructure on North Andaman: confirm boat and accommodation arrangements ahead, and carry sufficient local currency and copies of reservations because services can be sparse.