Most come to Andaman and Port Blair for its beaches. But few explore
its hidden beauty in forests and fresh water bodies. Partly because none
of Tour operators promote or conduct tours of such places as also the
fact that these places have not been developed enough to promote
tourism. This also amplifies the importance of these places and gives
the requisite kick to the more adventurous types. One such place is the
Waterfalls at Wimberly Gunj
Location:
It is located near Bamboo flats near Port Blair and is reachable by
both road and by sea through Ferry. The distance from Port Blair
Airport to the place by road is about 30 kilometres as it takes a very
circuitous route through some bad roads and is only preferred by those
who have a mortal fear of travelling by sea. For other the much easier
way is by Ferry from Chatham which is located in Port Blair.
How to reach there:
From Port Blair Airport, take a right turn to reach Junglighat. At the
Goal Ghar Junction, some 3-4 kilometres away, take a right turn and
travel straight for about 7-8 kilometres. After crossing Haddo and
Delanipur on the way, you reach a point where there is only one Right
turn with a down slope. Catch that to reach the waterfront. Take the
road bridge to reach Chatham which is a small Island with a Wood Factory
and a shipping terminal for commercial ships and Ferry services to
Bamboo Flats. At the end of the road is the Ferry Junction. You will
need to buy a ticket for a four wheeler for Rs 50/- which you will be
required to self drive and load onto the ferry. Individual tickets cost
about Rs 20/- per head. The Ferry boat which can accommodate about 6-8
cars, 30 motorbikes and more than 100 people at a time is pretty big and
fast and takes about 15 minutes to reach the other side.
The Ferry Ride & Beyond:
The ferry ride gives you some amazing photo opportunities. The Ross
Island can be clearly seen from the middle of the channel. You also get
to see the city from the sea. Once you reach Bamboo Flats, take the road
to the left and go straight for about five kilometres. Cross Wimberly
Gunj Main Market and leave a large school and playground to your left.
After about 500 metres of that, find a place to park your cars (there
aren’t much space available) and take the foot track on the right side
of the road deep into the forest. At this juncture, I wish to admit that
having a local guide becomes essential at this juncture.
The Destination:
It is a waterfall located deep into the forest. The downstream of the
same river is crossed twice on the way. The foot track is narrow and
offers an amazing glimpse of deep forests and flora all around with a
sense of real adventure. At the time of first crossing, one has to wade
through the cold running water of the stream and there is also
sufficient place to sit and rest. Second crossing comes pretty soon
after that. After we reach the river stream for the third time, we have
to then go up the stream through it wading through the ankle and
sometimes knee deep water. The experience is absolutely thrilling and I
bet most of us have never had the chance to do something like this. We
went with our kids and my four year old son was just relishing the
entire experience.
