BharatSangraha

Nicobar Islands · Island Realms

Terrain and eco-zones

Equatorial, wetter and less seasonal than the Andamans — Great Nicobar in particular takes very heavy rain and holds true evergreen rainforest. Temperatures sit around 23–31 °C with little annual variation. Both monsoons reach the islands, and the southern islands are close enough to the equator that the wind reverses with less force than further north.

Landforms

Flat coral platforms in the north — Car Nicobar and Chowra, with no natural harbour and a surf landingThe Nancowry harbour, a deep sheltered anchorage between Camorta and Nancowry islandsHill and rainforest on Little and Great Nicobar, rising to Mount Thullier at around 640 mMangrove and estuary at Galathea Bay and along Great Nicobar's coastIndira Point, the southernmost point of India, which subsided by around 4.25 m in the 2004 earthquakeFringing coral reef, much of it uplifted or drowned by the 2004 tectonic movement depending on the island

Rivers and waters

Galathea, Alexandra, Dagmar and Amrit Kaur on Great Nicobar — short, fast rainforest rivers, unusual in an island chain otherwise without surface waterThe northern islands have effectively none; water there comes from wells and rain

Through the year

SeasonMonthsTypicalWhat it is like
Drier monthsJanuary–April23–31 °CThe season of easiest sea passage, when the government ships keep closest to schedule.
South-west monsoonMay–September23–30 °CHeavy rain and rough water. Car Nicobar has no harbour, so landing there in the monsoon means surf and a small boat, which is why the island's air link matters so much.
North-east monsoonOctober–December23–30 °CA second wet season, with squalls and occasional cyclonic weather crossing from the east.

Best time to visitNot a practical question. The Nicobar group is a tribal reserve and is closed to tourism; entry requires specific permission from the administration and is granted for work, research or family reasons rather than for travel.

The climate, landforms, rivers and seasons of Nicobar Islands, and the best time of year to visit. (3)