Little Andaman: A Land of Waterfalls

Little Andaman is the fourth-largest island in the Andaman group, covering an area of approximately 707 square kilometres. Located about 120 kilometres south of Sri Vijaya Puram, the island is renowned for its dense tropical rainforest, beaches, freshwater waterfalls, and rich biodiversity, offering travellers an unspoiled island experience.

Hut Bay, the island's main settlement, serves as the gateway for visitors arriving on the island. Little Andaman is also recognised as India's premier surfing destination, with its long, exposed eastern coastline offering excellent surfing conditions. Popular attractions include Butler Bay Beach, Prabash Mundi Beach, Netaji Nagar Beach, Whisper Wave Waterfall, White Surf Waterfall, and opportunities for surfing, trekking, birdwatching, and nature exploration, making the island an ideal destination for adventure seekers and eco-tourists alike.

History of Little Andaman Island

• Little Andaman has been the home of the indigenous Onge tribe, a Negrito hunter-gatherer people and one of Andamans’ Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), for thousands of years. Historically, the Onge sustained themselves on forest produce, fish, and turtles, and are known for their skill in canoe-building.
• After a long history of hostile encounters with passing ships, friendly contact with the Onge was established around 1885. The island was formally declared a Tribal Reserve in 1957, and although parts of Little Andaman are now open to settlement and tourism, a significant portion remains protected as the Little Andaman Tribal Reserve. The government later resettled the community into two areas, Dugong Creek and South Bay, during the late 1970s and 1980s.
• From 1967, parts of the island were opened for planned resettlement of mainland families, including Bengali refugees, Tamil, Telugu, and Ranchi-origin settlers and for the development of the Red Oil Palm Plantation by A&N Islands Forest & Plantation Development Corporation, officially closed with effect from 30th November 2017.
• The tsunami of December 2004 caused severe damage along the coast, particularly around Hut Bay, and the years since have been marked by steady rebuilding of jetties, roads and community infrastructure, alongside a growing, more sustainable approach to tourism.