Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)
Turtle beach at Karmatang with Karen villages inland on Middle Andaman
Best time to visit Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, peak season
- Apr, shoulder season
- May, off-season
- Jun, off-season
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, off-season
- 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: July to August
Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach) season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Feb is the season: green turtles haul out at Karmatang after dark and the sea is flat enough for the Avis Island run
Summer March to May Prime time
March and April are dry near 33 C and the Interview Island permit still comes through before May squalls build
Monsoon June to September Mixed, read the detail
Jul-Aug the Avis and Interview boats stop and the trunk road turns to mud; June and September are wet but passable
Autumn October to November Shoulder
October rain thins and November brings the water back clear, with Karmatang empty and turtle season just starting
What Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach) is actually like
One bazaar street, a PWD guest house and two lodges; evenings are the jetty, fishing boats and a very early dinner
Getting to Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)
Bus up the Andaman Trunk Road from Port Blair, about 10 hours, or 2 hours north of Rangat; ferries call at the jetty
Practical ways in: flightroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 11 m
- Coordinates
- 12.9245, 92.8985
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)?
December to March is peak season in Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach). April and November is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid July to August. Dec-Feb is the season: green turtles haul out at Karmatang after dark and the sea is flat enough for the Avis Island run.
How many days do you need in Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)?
3 days is the usual stay. One bazaar street, a PWD guest house and two lodges; evenings are the jetty, fishing boats and a very early dinner.
How do you get to Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)?
Bus up the Andaman Trunk Road from Port Blair, about 10 hours, or 2 hours north of Rangat; ferries call at the jetty. Practical ways in: flight and road.
Is Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Is there a festival in Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach)?
Dec/Jan: Karen New Year at Webi village. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Diglipur (Ross & Smith Islands)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Remote North Andaman turtle beaches and twin-island sandbar
50 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly under an hour by road
-
Rangat (Amkunj & Dhani Nallah)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Middle Andaman stopover with a mangrove boardwalk and turtle beach
60 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly about 1 h by road
-
Long Island
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
No cars, one village, and Lalaji Bay a two-hour walk away
80 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Baratang Island (Limestone Caves)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Mangrove creek boats to limestone caves and a bubbling mud volcano
110 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andaman's backpacker-diving hub with Radhanagar Beach
130 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The quiet, bicycle-friendly Andaman island next door
160 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Port Blair
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andaman capital, Cellular Jail history and island ferries
190 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Little Andaman (Hut Bay)
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Surf breaks, waterfalls and a ferry that may not come back
350 km from Mayabunder (Karmatang Beach), roughly about 7 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
- Long Island Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Port Blair Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Rangat (Amkunj & Dhani Nallah) Andaman & Nicobar Islands