Munda Pahad Beach

Overview

Munda Pahad Beach is the stretch of white sand at the bottom of the same forest trail that leads to the cliff viewpoint above it, walked out from Chidiya Tapu. Because the only way in is on foot, it stays quiet in a way that the roadside beaches around Port Blair do not — the kilometre and a half of trail does an efficient job of thinning the crowd.

There is nothing here: no stalls, no shade structures, no lifeguard, no one selling coconuts. That is the appeal, and it is also the thing to plan around.

Getting there

Drive to Chidiya Tapu — about 25 km and an hour from Port Blair — and walk the Munda Pahad trail from there. It is roughly 1.5 km through forest, uneven in places and slippery after rain, with the beach and the viewpoint at the far end.

What to do

• Have the beach to yourself — most days, that is genuinely the case.
• Swim with care, and read the caution below first.
• Combine with the viewpoint — they are on the same walk, so do both in one trip.
• Birdwatch on the way in. This is Chidiya Tapu’s forest, and it is worth walking slowly.

Practical notes

• Crocodiles. Saltwater crocodiles are present along this coast and in the creeks and mangroves nearby. Local advice on whether to enter the water is worth more than any guidebook — including this one. If in doubt, stay dry.
• Carry everything in and out — water especially. There is no source on the trail or at the beach.
• Leave in daylight. The trail runs under tree cover and goes dark well before open ground does.
• No phone signal for most of the walk.
• Take your rubbish back with you; nobody else will.

Nearby

• Suicide Point (Munda Pahad viewpoint) — the cliff above, same trail.
• Chidiya Tapu — trailhead, sunset point and biological park.