Guide · ESSENTIALS · Updated 15 OCTOBER 2026
Long Island works when you plan around the route, not the beach list.
Decide if Long Island fits your Andaman trip. Plan the Rangat and Yeratta route, limited stays, Lalaji Bay, Merk Bay and realistic buffers.
SOURCES CITED INSIDE · CHECKED 15 OCTOBER 2026 · DRAWBACKS INCLUDED
Short answer: choose Long Island when you want a quiet, low-infrastructure island and can give the route enough time. Do not add it as a quick extension to the usual Port Blair, Havelock and Neil circuit. The official route normally combines Sri Vijaya Puram, Rangat, Yeratta Jetty and a government boat, and each stage must work on your dates.
I would keep at least two nights as a planning choice, not an official minimum. One night leaves little room if a road or boat connection changes. If you cannot confirm both the arrival and departure before fixing accommodation, keep Long Island out of the route.
Access, route, stay and visitor guidance checked on 15 October 2026 against Andaman and Nicobar Tourism, the Directorate of Shipping Services and the North and Middle Andaman District Administration.
Who should choose Long Island?
| Long Island can work when | Choose another island when |
|---|---|
| You value a quiet base more than a polished resort circuit | You need a wide choice of rooms, restaurants and road transport |
| You can build the itinerary around government transport | You need a guaranteed daily connection at a convenient time |
| Lalaji Bay or a permitted boat outing is a real priority | You mainly want an easy beach close to your room |
| You can carry light luggage over a footpath | Steps, walking or boat transfers will be difficult for the group |
The attraction list is not the hard part. The decision is whether your group is comfortable with limited stays, simple food, no road network on the island and a route that depends on current government services.
How to reach Long Island
The official Long Island page gives the main planning route as:
- Sri Vijaya Puram to Rangat. The Tourism Department lists government buses from Mohanpura Bus Terminus and government ferry services as the two public-transport approaches.
- Rangat to Yeratta Jetty. The official page places the jetty about 9 km from Rangat and gives roughly 20 to 30 minutes by road.
- Yeratta Jetty to Long Island. Tourism gives roughly one to one-and-a-half hours for the government boat, subject to weather and operation.
The same page gives about 200 km and seven to eight hours for the government-bus journey from Sri Vijaya Puram to Rangat. Treat every duration as a planning reference, not a promise. Stops, road conditions, the actual service and the connection at Yeratta decide the day.
The DSS Citizen Charter separately confirms Long Island to Yeretta and Long Island to Kadamtala as harbour routes. It also says nearby-island schedules are published weekly. That is why this guide does not reproduce fixed departure times.
Could you travel by a direct government ferry?
DSS includes Long Island within its nearby-island network, and some longer inter-island sailings may call there. That does not prove a direct sailing will operate in the required direction on your date.
Check the official STARS portal and current DSS notices for the exact sector. Search the whole route in both directions before paying for a stay. If only one useful connection appears, the trip is not yet protected.
Do not assume the Havelock or Neil ferry pattern applies here. A Long Island route may involve a longer government sailing, the Rangat road approach or the Yeratta harbour boat. The Andaman ferry guide explains how to check the complete sector, ticket and fallback rather than relying on an old timetable.
The honest stay decision
The Tourism Department says accommodation on Long Island is very limited. Its current page mentions an APWD guesthouse and private resorts. The North and Middle Andaman District accommodation list instead names a Forest Guest House on Long Island, and that list shows a 2020 update date.
Because the two official pages do not present one clear current inventory, this guide does not treat either list as proof that a room can be booked. Before committing to the route, confirm:
- the exact property name and who operates it;
- whether it is accepting tourists on your dates;
- the room, bathroom, power and meal arrangement;
- how luggage gets from the jetty to the stay;
- what happens if the arrival boat changes or does not run.
Food options are also described by Tourism as simple and few. Do not arrive expecting the restaurant choice of Port Blair or Havelock. Confirm meals with the stay and carry essential snacks or dietary supplies without assuming a particular shop will be open.
No roads changes the practical plan
The official Long Island page says there is no road network. The jetty and village are connected by a narrow concrete footpath, while sightseeing beyond the village is reached on foot or by boat.
This is part of the island's appeal, but it is also the main suitability test. Wheeled luggage, a pram, limited mobility or a room far from the jetty can turn a simple arrival into a difficult transfer. Ask for the exact walking route rather than relying on the word “near”.
For a family trip, confirm who will carry bags, whether the child can manage the path and how you will return after a boat outing. The Andaman with kids guide has the wider transfer-day checklist.
What to do from Long Island
Lalaji Bay
The official Lalaji Bay page gives two approaches from Long Island: a local boat or a forest trek. Confirm the current trail, tide, weather, boat, guide requirement and return before choosing between them.
Do not treat an old walking time as a guarantee. Rain, luggage, children and trail condition can change the practical answer. Carry back everything you take because the official page does not establish dependable visitor facilities at the beach.
Merk Bay
Merk Bay is on North Passage Island and is reached by boat from Long Island. Tourism says permission is required because the island is uninhabited.
Confirm who obtains the permission, the boat's authorised operating boundary, life jackets, weather and return time. Ask local or Forest Department staff about the safe swimming area on the day. A destination page cannot guarantee currents, marine conditions or a wildlife sighting.
Guitar Island
The district administration describes Guitar Island as an uninhabited day-trip destination near Long Island with no overnight accommodation. Treat it as an optional boat outing, not a substitute for a confirmed stay or return service.
One well-planned outing is better than trying to combine every beach and islet. Protect the departure connection before adding another boat sector.
How many days should you keep?
Two nights is the minimum I would plan. This is an editorial buffer, not a transport rule. It gives one arrival day, one usable outing day and a departure that is not tied to the same afternoon as another major connection.
Three nights is calmer if the group wants both Lalaji Bay and a permitted boat outing, or if weather flexibility matters. More nights make sense only after the stay and return sector are confirmed.
Do not place a mainland flight, a costly private ferry or a non-refundable activity immediately after the planned return from Long Island. The usual five, six or seven-day Andaman itinerary does not have enough slack for this extension. Build it into a longer North and Middle Andaman route.
Season and disruption planning
Andaman Tourism identifies October to May as the preferred period for Long Island and warns that rain and rough seas can make crossings and trekking irregular from June to September.
That is not a guarantee of calm weather between October and May, and it does not make the wider Andaman trip impossible in wetter months. For Long Island specifically, recheck the road, harbour boat, island outing and return close to travel. Keep a Rangat or Sri Vijaya Puram fallback that does not depend on inventing a new sailing.
The season guide explains how to choose the route by tolerance for uncertainty rather than labelling whole months good or bad.
Documents and booking order
Tourism says Indian travellers should carry government-issued photo identification. Foreign nationals should carry their passport, Indian visa or e-Visa and identification documents. Route-specific restrictions can change, so use the Andaman passport and permit guide before entering names.
- Confirm the Long Island stay and how it handles a changed arrival.
- Find a workable arrival sector using current official transport information.
- Find the return sector before paying for the stay.
- Confirm the Rangat to Yeratta transfer if using the road route.
- Add Lalaji Bay, Merk Bay or Guitar Island only after the base route works.
- Keep the next major booking away from the planned return day.
Questions answered
Is Long Island worth visiting?
Yes, for travellers who specifically want a quiet, low-infrastructure island and can give the route at least two nights. No, if the trip needs easy road transfers, many hotel choices or a quick add-on to Havelock and Neil.
Can Long Island be done as a day trip from Port Blair?
Do not plan it that way. The official road route alone involves a long journey to Rangat, a transfer to Yeratta and a government boat. Current transport must be checked date by date, and this guide found no official same-day circuit that can be promised.
Can I travel from Havelock to Long Island?
Do not assume a direct connection. Search the current DSS network for your exact date and direction. If no suitable sector appears, rebuild the route through an officially operating connection rather than relying on an old blog timetable.
Is there mobile network on Long Island?
No current official source checked for this guide supports a dependable carrier or coverage claim. Save tickets, stay details and contacts offline. Use the Andaman mobile-network guide to check official coverage tools for the exact location.
Sources checked
Access, routes and stays can change. These official sources were checked on 15 October 2026: