VANAMCOVE 
Nicobar Islands
Restricted islands of pristine forests
Why this weekend?
The day-by-day plan
- Permit held
- Sailing south
- Authorised stops
- Nancowry or Car Nicobar landings
- Return sailing
Geography & terrain
The Nicobar Islands tail away south of the Duncan Passage for 300 km of island arcs toward Sumatra — Car Nicobar and the northern group, Nancowry's middle cluster, and Great Nicobar at the bottom where Indira Point once marked the nation's southern tip; a chain of rainforest, reefs and tribal homelands with no open tourism.
History & culture
The chain has been a living tribal world for millennia — Nicobarese and Shompen peoples on the northern and great islands, the Sentinelese holding North Sentinel in total isolation — plus colonial trading posts and the 2004 tsunami that reshaped fearsome headlands; India administers the chain from Port Blair with entry strictly by permit, mostly for official and research travel.
Where to stay
Budget
₹1,500–4,000/nightMid-range
₹4,000–9,000/nightComfort
₹9,000+/nightThings to do
Megapode habitats
Robber-crab forests
Coral fringes
Tribal-village settings (respect boundaries)
Great Nicobar's park interiors
Eat & drink
- Grilled reef fish
- Coconut and seafood curries
- Tropical fresh fruit platters
Getting there
- Fly
- Veer Savarkar Airport (IXZ), Port Blair
- Train
- No rail — island chain served by ferries
- Road from Port Blair
- road + ferry hub for all islands
- Getting around
- Autos and scooters on the islands; ferries between them
Budget snapshot
- Total
- ₹14,000–32,500 (3 days)
- Per day · Stay
- ₹1,500–9,000/night
- Per day · Food
- ₹600–1,000
- Per day · Transport
- ₹1,200–1,600
- Per day · Activities
- ₹1,800–2,200
Month by month
Practical info
- Language: Hindi / Bengali / Tamil (multi-language islands) (English understood in tourist spots)
- Best window: Oct–Mar
- Connectivity: Patchy off the main islands — download offline maps
- UPI/cards widely accepted; keep small cash for hill and market stops
Practical tips
- Getting to the Nicobars needs a purpose — work, research or a sanctioned tour; a holiday hop alone won't get the permit
- Stamp the etiquette: shotguns of respect, no photographs of people without clear welcome
- Carry cash and supplies; the chain is sparser than the Andaman group
Frequently asked questions
Only under permits for official, research or sanctioned-route reasons; no open tourism — the islands' tribal homelands keep the chain closed by law.
The routine sailings reach Car Nicobar and the Nancowry group; Great Nicobar and the sentinel islands stay out of ordinary travel.
An application through the Andaman administration's entry-permit process, justified by purpose — a process months in the making, not an airport counter.
Restricted islands of pristine forests
Take the break. We'll take the planning.
Tell us your dates, budget and travel style — we'll build your Nicobar Islands plan with day-by-day routing, stays, food and bookings.