Mount Harriet National Park

History

The Mount Harriet National Park is located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in Bay of Bengal. Mount Harriet is considered to be the highest point in the whole of Indian archipelago. This fact makes the National Park even more fascinating to explore. In the year 1987, Government of India awarded the region the status of a National Park. 

The Park has an interesting historical origin of its name. Robert Christopher Tyler was a commissioned British soldier in the Port Blair in the 19th century. He was in-charge of the Convict Settlement in the area, from 1862 to 1864. Harriet is the name of his wife. Later, it was decided to name the Park after his wife. 

It doesn’t take much time from the Andaman capital Port Blair to reach the Park. The absolutely breathtaking natural beauty of the Park is incredibly intriguing. As a wildlife enthusiast and avid traveler, you would be completely enthralled with what the Park has to offer. 

Useful Information

Total area – 46.62 sq km 

Elevation range – At sea level 

Latitude –  11°42′59″N 

Longitude – 92°44′02″E

Nearby hills – Chidiya Tapu 

Avg. annual rainfall – More or less 2300 mm 

Flora of Mount Harriet National Park

The primary nature of vegetation in the park is primary evergreen. There is a place within the park known as Chiriya Tapu, where the prevalent vegetation is of mixed deciduous variety, which you witness availing Mount Harriet tour packages. There are mainly three broad forest types in the Mount Harriet National Park. The first category is the tropical evergreen. The second type is actually a sub-category of tropical evergreen, known as hilltop. The third forest type is littoral. 

There is a total of 134 flora species in the Park. 74 of these species are native. The number of introduced species is 51. The plant / tree species of tropical variety found in the Park are Dipterocarpus kerrii, Hopea odorata and Dipterocarpus grandiflorus, easily spotted while availing Mount Harriet holiday packages. There are also Dipterocarpus gracilis and Endospermum chinensis. 

The hilltop tropical vegetation has Canarium manni and Dipterocarpus costatus. In the littoral variety of vegetation, you could spot flora species such as Manilkara littoralis, Moringa citrifolia etc. 

If you could trek from a small town called Bambooflat in the vicinity of the park till the hilltop, you could witness hanging vines in the 7 km stretch of the journey, in Mount Harriet affordable packages. 

Fauna of Mount Harriet National Park

The faunal species of the Mount Harriet National Park are impressively unique, spiking your interest to explore the length and breadth of region enthusiastically. There are many endangered species of birds in the park, which are rare to be spotted elsewhere in India. For example, you could see here the wood pigeon and cuckoo-dove signature to the Andaman Islands, availing exclusive Mount Harriet adventure packages. You could also spot the scops-owl in the park. There are other interesting avian species such as the Andaman woodpecker, Andaman treepie and Andaman drongo. You could also come across birds such as sterling (the white-headed variety) and Andaman coucal, in Mount Harriet safari tours. 

Besides different varieties of feral, Asian elephants and chital have been introduced in the park a few years back, which you could easily witness availing Mount Harriet wildlife packages. There are also 28 recorded species of reptiles that have been spotted in the Park. The total number of amphibian species is 6. The bull frog that is signature to Andaman Islands has two species in the Park. 

As a travel enthusiast and discoverer, you would be very impressed by the range of aquatic species found in the water-bodies in the park and close to the park, when you avail Mount Harriet sightseeing packages. There are eels and catfishes. There are also sleepers and gobies. You could also spot snakeheads. 

The park has numerous varieties of mollusks – there are about 6 distinct species in the region. There are a whopping 355 invertebrate species that document in the park. The lowland forest area of the park has the famous insect called the silk moth. Wildlife photography is a hugely exciting activity in the Park that is surely going to keep you busy. 

Climate of Mount Harriet National Park

The forest lands of Mount Harriet National Park reflect a typical climate resembling tropical traits. From the months of November to February, marked mainly by a mild winter season, the weather is more or less pleasant. You might get a little rainfall during this time. A nice, soothing marine breeze constantly flows in varying intensities in these months. At times, the weather conditions could become a little bit stormy, but there is nothing to be concerned. The temperatures are usually in twenties. Nights are a little bit on the colder side. 

Spring and summer seasons, altogether, are short in duration, and occur in months of March, April and May. Days are expectedly hot. There is a high level of moisture in the atmosphere. The nature of humidity is similar to that of a coastal area. The summer evenings are breezy. Exploring the Mount Harriet National Park in the late afternoons could be comforting. 

June marks the beginning of the monsoon and it usually continues till last weeks of September. At times, the rains could extend till mid-October. While the park is not closed for the tourists during monsoon, yet it is advised to avoid touring during this period. Getting clear knowledge about the climactic conditions of the Mount Harriet National Park is important while planning the tour to make your trip more enjoyable. 

Best Time to Visit Mount Harriet National Park

Planning your itinerary for exploring the various parts and interesting zones of Mount Harriet National Park is an engaging and exciting activity. As a tourist, you would enjoy the most when you visit the park at the end of the year, or at the beginning of a year – December and January, availing Mount Harriet family packages. The weather is appropriate to explore the park in details without getting tired. The level of humidity is low. So, you would not suffer from issues of perspiration when you trek through different trails to the higher altitudes of the park. 

Several tourists also pick the summer months to visit the park. These are the months when more varieties of reptiles are visible in the park at different areas. But keep in mind that these months are relatively dry and could be uncomfortable to travel, at times. 

The general advice is not to travel to the park during rainy seasons, as heavy rainfall makes it very difficult to properly explore various pockets of the park. You could miss exploring several beauties of the park when you plan a trip during the monsoon. 

How to Reach Mount Harriet National Park

There is absolutely no problem in reaching the Mount Harriet National Park in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, when you have a perfect tour plan in place. A little bit of research, a reliable online booking platform and lots of enthusiasm are all that you need to thoroughly explore the park and enjoy its charm to the fullest extent. When you have the pertinent details of the trip and transportation, there would be absolutely no issues in reaching the destination.

By Rail: The Andaman does not have any well-defined railway system till date. So, it is out of question to consider this mode to reach the park. However, there are plenty of other transportation options that you could flexibly explore and accordingly avail to reach the park. 

By Road: If you consider reaching the Mount Harriet National Park by road, then there is ample flexibility that you can dig through. You could avail a public bus service available from Teal House o Andaman, plying directly to the Park. There are also private vehicle services to Bamboo Flat town, from where reaching the entrance of the par is very easy. You could also avail suitable ferry services to reach the destination. There are extravagant ferry services in place that carry private cars across the water channels. 

By Air: The Airport at Port Blair in Andaman is properly connected to major airports in mainland India. Whether you are traveling from Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai or Mumbai, you would get cheap flights to Port Blair throughout the year. It takes about one and a half to two hours to reach the Port Blair Airport by flight from any other major Indian airport. 

Connectivity & Distances

Bus Stand: Bambooflat Bus Stand 

Airport: Port Blair

Nearest city/town: Bambooflat

Places to Visit Near Mount Harriet National Park

When you are looking for places of interest in the vicinity of Mount Harriett National Park, you would never be disappointed, as there is no shortage of options, especially for tourists who are enthusiastic about deeply exploring the place with a detailed Mount Harriet National Park itinerary. 

Ross Island – The Ross Island has a historical significance with its strategic location and natural beauty. It has a distinct colonial past that you would know about, once you visit it. It has a graveyard where deer roam about, adding mystic elements to the region.

Cellular Jail – You should never miss visiting the Cellular Jail on a weekend trip that documents the sacrifices of our National Heroes against the British rule. There is a ‘light-and-shadow’ show organized in the evening in the premises of the jail. 

Elephant Beach – Another wonderfully fabulous place you should visit when you are exploring the park is the nearby Elephant Beach. You would be totally enthralled by the sheer beauty of the golden sands and panoramic magnificence of the sea waters under a grey sky. 

Corbyn’s Cove – This is yet another marvellous beach where you must visit on a weekend getaway tour, where there are several provisions of participating in different types of water sports.