A trip to Pichavaram Mangrove Forest- India’s Amazon

The sound of the waves crashing into the beach could be heard from a distance. I couldn't wait to get there, all I wished that the boatman rows a little faster. As I was approaching, little did I know that an unexplored beach was waiting to welcome me. Much to my surprise the beach was clean, without any garbage or litter thrown. The water was so transparent; I could see what lies underneath. Visiting this place was a true bliss for a beach lover like me. 

The boatman stopped near the shore and we had to walk for about 10 minutes to reach the beach. I rushed towards it and did not need a ‘Let’s see who will get there first’ challenge from my friends to get there any sooner ;)

Now comes up the question that how did I come across this unexplored beach? I reached here through the mangroves of Pichavaram. 60 kms away from Pondicherry, Pichavaram is home to the second largest mangrove forest.

Mangroves of Pichavaram

You know you have entered Pichavaram when you come across a rope tied across the road. Just when you start wondering what’s going on, you would notice a little girl walk towards you for a rs 50 toll. I never came across this kind of toll-gate. One of a kind, isn't it?

We paid around 900rs for a group of 5 people for the boat ride to take us through the Pichavaram mangroves. Having heard a lot about this place, I was already excited to explore. (Tip: it is better to opt for row boat instead of speed boat because they take you through small pathways inside the mangrove)

The boatman asks an extra amount of 75rs per head to take you through the small pathways of mangroves, of course you can bargain with him.

There are just two things that one can do at Pichavaram – sit back, drift through the mangroves for about 2 hours and take pictures, lots of them. We took a lot of pictures too, until we were satisfied of capturing the beauty of Pichavaram. One gets lost in the scenic beauty of this place. The view is so breathtaking; it would leave one gasping for breath.

Amidst overhanging branches

After around 40 minutes of drift on the backwater, you enter a zone where you find overhanging branches, creepy sounds and there rises your excitement level. You certainly haven’t seen anything of this sort in India till now.


Amidst the overhanging branches, through the small pathways, we were busy searching for snakes. We thought we would be lucky to find atleast one.

Much to our disappointment, we did not find any.

Words used to describe the beauty of Pichavaram would look like an understatement, it could be understood only when you explore it yourself. Till then, let the pictures do justice.