Chidiya Tapu

Overview

Chidiya Tapu is where the road south out of Port Blair runs out, about 25 km from town at the bottom tip of South Andaman. The name means “Bird Island” in Hindi, and it is earned — the belt of evergreen forest and mangrove along this coast is the most reliable birding within reach of the capital, with dozens of resident and migratory species.

For most visitors, though, Chidiya Tapu is the sunset drive. The shoreline faces west across open water with nothing in the way, and the combination of an hour’s drive, a forest walk and an unobstructed horizon has made it Port Blair’s standard evening excursion.

It is also the trailhead. The walk out to Munda Pahad and its cliff viewpoint starts from here, and is the reason to arrive with daylight to spare rather than rolling up at dusk.

Getting there

Drive or hire a taxi south from Port Blair through Corbyn’s Cove and on down the coast — roughly an hour, on a road that is scenic in its own right. There is no useful public transport for a sunset trip, since the return is after dark. Most people book a car for the evening, or ride down on a scooter.

Standard visiting hours run through the day into early evening; the gate timing matters if you are heading for the trek, so ask before you set out.

Things to do

• The sunset — the reason most people come. Get there well before the sun is low; the good spots fill up.
• Birding — early morning is far better than evening. The forest holds a large share of the islands’ endemic species, and a guide is worth having if you want names.
• Munda Pahad trek — a forest trail of roughly a kilometre and a half out to the cliff viewpoint.
• Munda Pahad Beach — the quiet stretch of sand at the end of the same walk.
• Chidiya Tapu Biological Park — a small zoological park near the beach.

Practical notes

• Bring a torch. If you stay for the sunset you will walk back in fading light, and the tree cover makes it darker sooner than you expect.
• Carry water and mosquito repellent; the forest edge is thick at dusk.
• There is little in the way of food — a couple of small stalls at best. Eat in Port Blair or bring something.
• The drive back is dark and winding. It is not the road to be learning a scooter on.
• Saltwater crocodiles are present along this coast and in the mangrove creeks. Do not swim here, and take any local warning seriously.

Nearby

• Suicide Point (Munda Pahad viewpoint) — the cliff at the end of the trek.
• Munda Pahad Beach — reached on the same walk.
• Corbyn’s Cove — the beach you pass on the way down from Port Blair.
• Wandoor Beach — the other sunset shore on this side of the island, and the jetty for the marine park.