A TRIP TO ANDAMAN ISLAND

Sunset point at Port Blair

Jailer Barry's Chair at Cellular Jail

Cellular jail

Gallows at Cellular Jail

Mangrove At Andaman ISland

Limestone Cave

Museum at Port Blair

Andaman Island is situated in the southern India. It is famous for its coral reefs, water sports, historical back ground, for the various tribes of the Andaman and two dead volcanoes.

Ross Island

Chital at Ross island

HOW TO REACH

  By Air- there are plenty planes services from these cities of India- Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair- the capital of Andaman Nicobor Island. It is almost a 2 to 4 hour plane journey. It’ll take 2 hours from Kolkata to Port Blair.

Ross island

Bunkers used in world war 2

 Indian Airlines- fly from Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai to port Blair.

 Spicejet- fly from Chennai to Port Blair.

Places at Ross Island

 JetLite- fly from Chennai to port Blair. Also fly from Delhi to Port Blair via Kolkata.

These flights are not so much low-cost, if compared to the same airlines’ mainland flights.

By Sea- you also can travel by ship. There are ships routes from Kolkata, Chennai, and

Green lizard at Havelock Island

Scuba Diving at North Bay

Visakhapatnam to Port Blair. It takes almost 4 days to reach Port Blair. This trip is much less cost than travelling by air.

          This travelling becomes boring as you have nothing to do without watching the sea.

PLACES TO VISIT:

Sunset Point

 1.       Havelock Island:  The most visited of the islands, with the most infrastructures (although still minimal). It is famous for its beautiful beaches. The Radhanagar beach is one of the famous beach of India as well as the world.

a island in Mahatma Gandhi National Park

seat and see the Sunset at sunset point

2.       Rutland Island: it is a quite non-polluted and least visited island. Famous for its beautiful mangrove forest and coral reefs. There is a 45 acre Totani Resort which has quaint little huts which can be used as a base camp for exploring the island. It is a ideal place for Eco-tourists.

3.     Neil Island: when you enter this island you may think that it is a waste of time and waste of money, but believe me, it is one of those place which you remembered for the rest of your life. This island has a reach coral beach. If you watch the water on the coral beach you can see and can touch the star fish, but remember, do not take out of the water for long time, unless they die. You can also see sea-cucumber and sea-plants.

4.   Baratang Island: Mud volcano, Limestone cave and Mangrove creeks in the black waters are the main source of attraction here.

5.  Barren Island: it is the only volcano of India.

6.  Long Island: if you see Cast Away and imagine if you were in the same position, what you will do, then you can try it here. Nothing you can get here, it's very much adventurous place.

7.  Cellular Jail: it’s a historical place, here the British rulers of the India sent most of the notorious rebels and torture them in extreme ways.

8.  Viper Island: It’s also a historical place, before the creation of the cellular jail, most of the rebels were send here to die.

ready for scuba diving at North Bay

9.  Ross Island: It’s also a historical place, it is very close to Port Blair, and can be easily spotted from the top of the cellular jail.

10. North Bay: this place is only for those who love Water sports, here you can do, Scuba diving, Snorkelling, water-glass boating to see the Coral life, though for the increasing of this water sports.

At Neil Island

Crab at Neil Island

Coral reef at Neil Island

Sea Cucumber at Neil Island

Sunset point

Star fish in hand

11. Middle Strait: here you can see nothing. Then why you need to visit this? Because of the Jarowa tribes. To reach here you have to cross almost 45 km Jungle by road (in car) and in these jungle you can see the Jarowa tribes. But never take any picture of them as it is illegal here and if you do so, you may be fined a huge amount of money and jail up to 5 years.

12. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: There are 15 islands though only 2 are open for the tourists- Jolly Buoy and Redskin island. Redskin island is famous for its reef wall, high diversity of corals and saltwater crocodile habitat. And the Jolly Buoy is known for its large shoals of fishes. Also it have good diversity of corals and reef wall.

DO:

1.        Scuba diving: Havelock island and north bay is known for diving. Though they are very much ordinary diving sites respect to the natural beauty of Andaman. They best sites for diving are- Barren island (active volcano), Narcondam island (extinct volcano), Invisible Bank (an extensive seamount approx. 100 miles southeast of Port Blair). These diving sites are little expensive but surely money worthy.

2.        Snorkelling: it’s very much fun, much good for those who do not know swimming. This activity done in north bay, Havelock beach and mau terra beach.

3.        Surfing:  done in little Andaman island.

4.        Glass bottom boat: done in North Bay, Redskin Island, Jolly Buoy Island and Neil Island.

EAT:

 Seafood is the order of the trip. From upscale restaurants of Port Blair to the small dhabas of the small islands, fish abounds. The foods are little expensive for the Indian standard but the food is money worthy.

DRINK

Fresh coconuts are popular and widely available. Alcohol is available in some restaurants too. But there is no pub culture or even dance club.

IMPORTANT FACTS:

1.        From Port Blair to Havelock there are passenger ferries and seaplane service. Seaplane service is money worthy but awesome experience.

2.        Main language of Andaman is Tamil and Bengali.

3.        There are youth hostels and Ramakrishna Mission’s lodge, if you can arrange it, then you can get very less expensive rooms.

4.        Scooters and Motorcycles are available in the islands for rent, per day charge is around Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 with a deposit money, of Rs. 750 to Rs. 1000.

5.        Taxies and autorickshaws are also available in the island.

6.        Never try to capture any photographs where it is prohibited.

7.        While doing water sports, you should follow the instructor for your own safety.

8.        Don’t bring any kind of corals with you. It is a crime.

CONTACTS:

 For more detail information and if you have interested in travelling Andaman, contact us bshwetadri@yahoo.com