Chidiyatapu is located at the southernmost part of the South Andaman of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is located at a distance of ~25-30 kms from Port Blair, and accessible by a proper road, running along the sea shore for few kms at the end.
The road to Chidiyatapu runs through a dense green cover of trees, with various types of varied plantations of spices, coconuts, fruits etc. all along the route. Certain high-end resorts are also located along this route from Port Blair to Chidiyatapu. You will also find many Japanese Bunkers along the beach, which were created by the Japanese Army during their incursion in World War.
Visit to Chidiyatapu warrants atleast half a day of your tour plan, which should preferably be the later half of the day, in order to enable you to enjoy the hike to Mundapahar View Point and then, later, be on time to the Chidiyatapu Beach for enjoying the calm and beautiful sunset.
The places of tourism interest in Chidiyatapu area are:
1. Chidiyatapu Biological Park
2. Mundapahar Beach and View Point
3. Chidiya Tapu Beach and Sunset Point
CHIDIYATAPU BIOLOGICAL PARK
Chidiyatapu Biological Park is the first place recommended to visit on your trip to Chidiyatapu. It lies between the Chdiyatapu Beach sunset point and the Mundapahar Beach. It is the best place to see the diverse flora and fauna of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The park has an entry ticket of Rs. 20 per head. Facility of battery operated cart ride is also available for an additional charge of Rs. 20 per head, where the e-rickshaw takes you on a round trip to the complete park complex, and stops at all the enclosures on the way. If lucky, the driver also shares certain trivia about animals there and about some unique plants and trees specific to the islands.
Some of the animals that you will see in the Biological Park are spotted deer, barking deer, crab eating macaque, wild pigs, crocodiles, monitor lizards, birds like nicobar pigeon, white bellied sea eagle, parrots etc. You will also see some unique plants and trees, few species being highly majestic in size.
MUNDAPAHAR BEACH
Mundapahar Beach is located at the end of the Chidiyatapu Road, inside a protected forest area. There is no entry fee, however, you have to enter your details in the register on the Entry Point.
Once you enter the gate, you will have a long stretch of Mundapahar Beach on your right side, and the dense forest on your left. You can sit and relax in the shade along the beach, or have a walk on the long stretch.
MUNDAPAHAR VIEW POINT
This view point is located at a hike of 1-2 kms, starting point of which lies at the end of Mundapahar Beach. You will have to walk through a rough natural track in a dense forested area, till you reach a Lighthouse, just behind of which, you will see the Mundapahar View Point.
The hike to Mundapahar View Point can be a tiring one, depending on the time and weather, but once you reach there, the majestic views that the point offers will make your journey there worth the effort. You get to see a marvelous view of the sea and few islands around.
Some of the other view captures from the View Point, and on the way to the View Point are at the end of this blog.
Enjoy the nature portraits from the view point, relax there, get down to the Mundapahar Beach, which is also a nice place to sit and relax. The beach also offers certain picturesque views, which you can capture for memories.
The area where Mundapahar Beach is located is a forest reserve area, and entry / exit from the same is closed around 5:00 to 5:30 pm. So, be sure to exit the area by then. The guards start making announcements and evacuating the beach area at 5:00pm for ensuring the same.
CHIDIYATAPU BEACH AND SUNSET POINT
Chidiyatapu Beach is mainly famous for it's Sunset View, which can be experienced while on your way back to Port Blair from Mundapahar. The view experience, that whether you will see the sun going behind a mountain or setting into the sea, will depend on the time of the year you are visiting there.
The sunset experience there is very beautiful, scenic and the overall calm environment adds to the experience. There are a few shops located on opposite side of the road, where you can have refreshments, coconut water, snacks etc. The shops are mainly famous for their different types of pakoras, which you can enjoy as per your liking.
After the Sunset, you head back to Port Blair, via the same route.
Overall, the Chidiyatapu Visit / Trip offers a chance to experience the diverse flora and fauna, in the nature's lap, along with offering the majestic views of nature and sunset.
Few worthy clicks during the trip:
' fill='%23359391'%3e %3cpath d='M46.1538462%2c43.5714286 L41.5%2c50 L36.8461538%2c43.5714286 L36.8670256%2c43.5714286 C36.3173077%2c42.7142857 36%2c41.6851429 36%2c40.5714286 C36%2c37.4854286 38.4535641%2c35 41.5%2c35 C44.5464359%2c35 47%2c37.4854286 47%2c40.5714286 C47%2c41.6851429 46.6826923%2c42.7142857 46.1329744%2c43.5714286 L46.1538462%2c43.5714286 Z M41.4294872%2c39 C40.6150641%2c39 39.9487179%2c39.675 39.9487179%2c40.5 C39.9487179%2c41.325 40.6150641%2c42 41.4294872%2c42 C42.2439103%2c42 42.9102564%2c41.325 42.9102564%2c40.5 C42.9102564%2c39.675 42.2439103%2c39 41.4294872%2c39 L41.4294872%2c39 Z' id='Location-white'%3e%3c/path%3e %3c/g%3e %3c/svg%3e)
