NATIONAL PARKS OF INDIA

Galathea National Park is situated in the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The park is located in the island of Great Nicobar in the Nicobar Islands. Port Blair, the capital city of Union Territory, is around 82 kilometers away from the park.

About the park
The park was gazetted a national park in 1992 and covers an area of about 110 square km. It is a part of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. The Campbell Bay National Park, another park of the Biosphere Reserve, is very near Galathea National Park. Both the parks are separated from each other by a 12-km forest buffer zone. "Shompens", one of the ancient tribes in the world, is the original tribe of this region.

Fauna
The park is regarded as an important reserve for the Nicobar Pigeons and Giant Robber Crabs. The other important faunas of the region include the endangered Nicobar Tree Shrews, wild boars, Fruit Bats, Palm Civets, etc.

Birds such as Nicobar Long-Tailed Macaque, Megapode, Nicobar Scrub-Fowl, the Edible Nest Swift let, etc. can be seen here.
Malayan Box Turtles, Water Monitor Lizards, Reticulated Pythons, Giant Leather Back Turtles, Saltwater Crocodile, etc. are some important reptile species of the park.

Flora
Subtropical and tropical moist broadleaf forests cover significant part of the park.

Getting there
The closest airport to the park is Port Blair airport (almost 540 km away) which has regular flights to Kolkata and Chennai. From Port Blair one has to travel by sea (around 50-60 hours) to reach the park.

Tourist Information
Hotels and rest rooms are available in the outskirts of the forest subject to prior booking. The best time to visit Galathea National Park is from October to April.

Summer temperature in this region may be as high as 22 degree c. Hence, it is advisable for the tourists to carry light-cotton clothes during the summer months. The annual precipitation in this area is about 3,000-3,800 mm. Therefore, avert from visiting the park during the monsoon season as the heavy rains can ruin your expedition.