Long Island, a delightful, pristine island which is part of the Andaman Islands archipelago, off the East coast of India. A beautiful place to stay for independent free-spirits, honeymooners, families and people who just want to get away from it all.

Long Island is a pioneer station with a remarkable history of forestry. Located just 42 nautical miles from Port Blair. Long Island is a dreamland settlement without any road network. Only four feet wide concrete footpath connects different parts of the 'panchayat' area starting from the jetty.  

You will probably need to stay in Port Blair for at least one night before moving on to Long Island by boat or by bus.

By Boat

There are regular boats from Port Blair to Long Island at 6.15am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays calling at Neil Island and Havelock. These boats return to Port Blair via Havelock and Neil at 7.15am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Additionally there is a fast boat on Fridays leaving Port Blair at 6.30am arriving in Long Island at about 10.30am, returning to Port Blair at 2pm from Long Island arriving at 6.45pm. This boat stops at Havelock only. In peak season there may be additional daily boats via Havelock, but schedules can change without notice.

To and from Rangat, on North Andaman, there are daily boats from Long Island leaving at 7am and 2pm and returning at 9am and 3.30pm, making it a good option for day trips or for moving on by bus to Mayabunder and Diglipur. A very lovely 1-hour trip through mangrove creeks, it costs 11 rupees, making it one of the best value trips anywhere!

Long Island is a good place to include in your itinerary if you intend to visit Neil Island, Havelock and move on to destinations in North Andaman such as Mayabunder and Diglipur. We are more than happy to advise if you are planning such a trip.

By Bus

After a brief closure of the Andaman Trunk Road in February 2013, the road is now open to tourists again and it is possible to travel between Port Blair and Rangat by bus. You would need to get the bus at 6.45am from Port Blair to arrive in Rangat early enough to catch the 3.30pm boat from Yeratta (near Rangat) to Long Island. There are later buses up to 11am but the journey takes 6 hours, so you may have to stay the night in Rangat and get the 9am boat to Long Island the next day.

We cannot be sure of the future of the Andaman Trunk Road: it cuts through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve and is controversial. It may be better not to rely on the road for any long-term plans.

Where to Stay:

Blue Planet Homestay: Built around a magnificent ancient padauk  tree ( a native hardwood), They have 12 thatched rooms around a central restaurant and the whole area is naturally air-conditioned by the shade of the tree!

The place has a magical atmosphere which is hard to describe or explain, The design is very traditionally Indian: the central restaurant area dominated by the tree is where everyone meets and socialises. The place is perfect for families, travellers, and divers: Blue Planet Scuba is based here. The beach is just 5 or 10 minutes’ walk away through a jungle path.

They have 6 rooms with en-suite bathroom, and 6 rooms with common bathroom suitable for budget travellers. All rooms have a little verandah facing the restaurant. All the rooms are named after islands in the archipelago.

Places near Long Island:

Lalaji Bay Beach

Lalaji Bay beach is a beautiful, sandy beach on the west coast of Long Island. Fringing north eastern edge of Long Island, this beautiful beach is approachable from Long Island settlement by trekking. 

Guitar Island Beach

A lovely island near Long Island. Guitar Shaped, this island is one of the most beautiful island. Guitar Island is an uninhabited Island and no accommodation facility is available. Tourists need to halt either at Long Island or Rangat 

Barren Island

Barren Island is the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia. The waters surrounding Barren Island are reputed to be among the world's top scuba diving destinations. Major attractions here are the crystal clear visibility, Manta Rays, interesting basalt formations, topography of past lava flows and fast growing coral gardens.