Long Island
No cars, one village, and Lalaji Bay a two-hour walk away
Best time to visit Long Island
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, off-season
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, off-season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: December to March
- Shoulder: April and November, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: June to September
Long Island season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Mar is the window: flat seas, the Yerrata boats running to schedule, and a two-hour forest walk over to Lalaji Bay.
Summer March to May Prime time
March and April stay calm and give the clearest snorkelling light of the year; by mid-May the swell builds and boats thin out.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
June-Sep the sea is rough, the Yerrata boat gets cancelled for days at a stretch and you can genuinely be stuck here.
Autumn October to November Shoulder
Oct-Nov is the tail of the rains with the north-east monsoon still passing through, so sailings resume but stay uncertain.
What Long Island is actually like
One settlement, no cars, a few guesthouses and a beach-hut place; the sort of island where travellers stay a full week
Things to do in Long Island
The local places worth your time in and around Long Island, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
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Lalaji Bay Beach
Beach · 5 km out
White sand bay two hours on foot through forest from the village, or twenty minutes by dinghy; no water, shade or shop.
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Merk Bay
Beach · 12 km out
Sandbar beach on uninhabited North Passage Island, a boat charter from the jetty; go early, the sea roughens by noon.
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Guitar Island
Island · 8 km out
Tiny wooded island named for its shape, a short boat hop for a swim; share the charter cost through your guesthouse.
Getting to Long Island
Government ferry Port Blair-Neil-Havelock-Long Island on set days, or the one-hour boat from Yerrata at Rangat
Practical ways in: flight
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Fine solo
- Altitude
- 10 m
- Coordinates
- 12.3670, 92.9200
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Long Island?
December to March is peak season in Long Island. April and November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid June to September. Dec-Mar is the window: flat seas, the Yerrata boats running to schedule, and a two-hour forest walk over to Lalaji Bay.
How many days do you need in Long Island?
3 days is the usual stay. One settlement, no cars, a few guesthouses and a beach-hut place; the sort of island where travellers stay a full week.
How do you get to Long Island?
Government ferry Port Blair-Neil-Havelock-Long Island on set days, or the one-hour boat from Yerrata at Rangat. Practical ways in: flight.
Is Long Island expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Fine solo.
What are the best things to do in Long Island?
Lalaji Bay Beach, Merk Bay and Guitar Island. White sand bay two hours on foot through forest from the village, or twenty minutes by dinghy; no water, shade or shop.
Nearby, and where to go next
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Rangat (Amkunj & Dhani Nallah)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Middle Andaman stopover with a mangrove boardwalk and turtle beach
20 km from Long Island, roughly under an hour by road
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Baratang Island (Limestone Caves)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Mangrove creek boats to limestone caves and a bubbling mud volcano
40 km from Long Island, roughly under an hour by road
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Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andaman's backpacker-diving hub with Radhanagar Beach
50 km from Long Island, roughly under an hour by road
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Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The quiet, bicycle-friendly Andaman island next door
80 km from Long Island, roughly about 2 h by road
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Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Turtle beach at Karmatang with Karen villages inland on Middle Andaman
80 km from Long Island, roughly about 2 h by road
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Port Blair
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andaman capital, Cellular Jail history and island ferries
110 km from Long Island, roughly about 2 h by road
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Diglipur (Ross & Smith Islands)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Remote North Andaman turtle beaches and twin-island sandbar
130 km from Long Island, roughly about 3 h by road
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Little Andaman (Hut Bay)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Surf breaks, waterfalls and a ferry that may not come back
270 km from Long Island, roughly about 5 h by road
More places to visit in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Baratang Island (Limestone Caves) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Diglipur (Ross & Smith Islands) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Little Andaman (Hut Bay) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Port Blair Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Rangat (Amkunj & Dhani Nallah) Andaman & Nicobar Islands