What comes to your mind when you think about Andaman Island? It might be coconut trees, blue endless ocean, Seafood, Scuba Diving, Honeymoon destination, Kalapani Jail, Sentinelese, etc. Andaman Island was really unexpected surprise for me and it’s many more than what just came in our mind.
1. Location
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of archipelagos located at the Bay of Bengal, comprising of about 572 islands out of which only about 37 are inhabited. It is a union territory of India. Geographically located at 11◦ 41` N and 92◦46`E The total area is 8,249 Sq km. Tourists can only visit the Andaman Island as Nicobar Island is only for Military bases. The southernmost point of India’s territory, Indira, lies in Nicobar Island.
2. Best Season To Visit Andaman Island
Tourists can visit Andaman throughout the year but since during the monsoon or rainy season there is high tidal waves and strong winds it is recommended not to visit Andaman during this time. So the best time to visit Andaman can be considered starting from mid-September to mid-May.
3. How To Reach Andaman
First of all one has to reach the Indian mainland to visit the Andaman Islands; as there are no flights available directly from any other country to Andaman. There are two ways to reach Andaman from mainland India, by Air and by water. Since by water it takes 3-4 days and also not regular ships are available, it is not convenient to travel by ship. So most of the tourists prefer the first option.
From almost all major airports of mainland India, there is direct or connecting flights to Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair in Andaman. i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar etc. From Chennai and Kolkata, flights fares are cheaper.
4. Duration of The Trip
It will take not less than 15 days if one has planned to visit all the tourist destinations in Andaman. But if your busy lifestyle does not permit you to take enough holidays, you can take a week to visit the main tourist destinations. Port Blair, Ross Island (Officially known as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island), North Bay Island, Neil Island (officially Shaheed Island), Havelock Island (Swaraj Island) etc. Other famous destinations are Baratang Island, Barren Island, Viper Island, Diglipur etc
5. Trip Schedule/ Itinerary
One can set his or her itinerary according to number of days to stay in Andaman. But it is recommended to give at least 3 days to Port Blair or Main Island, 2 days to Havelock, and one day to Neil Island.
The journey between the Islands can be done (Port Blair to Havelock, Havelock to Neil or Neil to Havelock, etc) with the help of a number of ferries available between these routes like Makruzz, Green Ocean, Government ferries, etc. Detailed schedules are available in their respective websites. Fare of government ferries are very cheaper as compared to private ones, but an online booking facility is not available in government ferries.
6. Places To Visit in Port Blair
A) Cellular Jail: Undoubtedly cellular jail is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Port Blair, served as a testimony to the dark era of British colonization. It is popularly known as “Kalapani”. It remains closed on Mondays and on national holidays. During day time (9 am to12.30 pm & 1.30 pm to 5 pm) one can visit the jail and its museum; entry fee is INR 20 for each. In the evening one can experience the light and sound show which will take you on a journey from pre-independence to post-independence of India and the life of the prisoners in Kalapani. Entry fee for light and sound show is INR 50 for adult and INR 25 for child.
It is recommended that if you reach Port Blair in the afternoon than first you should spectacle the light and sound show in the evening prior to visit the jail and its museum, so that one can feel and better corelate the things while visiting the Jail.
B) Ross Island: Officially known as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, located around 3km east from central Port Blair. Ross Island used to be a British headquarters during the colonial period in Andaman and Nicobar. To reach Ross Island there are private ferries available from Phoenix Bay Jetty. The ride takes 15-20 min from Port Blair Central Island to Ross Island. One can spectacle the Japanese Bunker, the ruined Chief Commissioner’s Bungalow, the Church, and a blend of wild vibes like deer, peacock, rabbit, reptiles, etc. in Ross Island.
C) North Bay Island: “Light house” that seen in the INR 20 is one of the main attractions located at mount harriet in North Bay Island. One can book the same ferry to Ross Island (2 Hrs) and North Bay Island (3 hrs) or only to North Bay Island. North Bay Island is well known for water sports activity like scuba diving, Sea walking, snorkeling, jet skiing, banana ride, etc. If someone don’t want to go inside the water to spectacle beautiful coral reef and marine lives then one can ride glass bottom boat and observed beautiful marine fishes and coral reef.
D) Chidiya Tapu: It is around 25 Km from port Blair’s main centre. It is well known for its different species of birds and beautiful sunset. Best time to visit chidiya Tapu is in the afternoon so that one can enjoy the scenic beauty along with sunset in the evening. There is a biological park at chidiya Tapu, where many species of plants, reptiles, birds can be seen. The beach in Chidiya Tapu is known as Munda Pahar Beach; there are some restricted areas beyond which tourists are not allowed to go inside the beach as crocodiles have been spotted in the beach in many instances.
Hiring a scooty or bike is the best option to visit Chidiya Tapu for a couple. For family hire cars are available. Hiring scooty or bike for 24 hours in Andaman takes INR.500 and two litres of Petrol is sufficient to roam around the whole day including inside the main center and places like Chidiya Tapu.
E) Corbyn’s Cove Beach: This is a beautiful beach and around 8 Km from Port Blair’s main centre. One can do adventurous sports activities like jet skiing, speed boat, etc. One can visit Corbyn’s Cove Beach while on the way to Chidiya Tapu.
F) Samudrika Marine Museum: If you are enthusiastic about knowing about marine life then Samudrika Marine Museum is one of the best places to visit to learn about the Andaman and marine life. It is well maintained by Indian Navy.
Other Places to visit within the Port Blair:
Chatham Saw Mill, Murugan Temple, Aquarium, Science Centre
A few advice before you visit Andaman:
- If you have the problem of motion sickness or Sea sickness then arrange some homemade remedy or consult with the doctor prior to the journey on a cruise. Special care should be taken if you journey with a newborn baby.
- Don’t buy products from the store suggested by the travel agency or local auto drivers as the price charged by them is quite high for the same product than nearby stores; as it involves commission. So first enquire the price then buy.
- Hiring a Scooty or Bike is a more convenient option for couples to roam around according to their wish.
- Do not bring pieces of bleached coral or such marine products from the beaches you have traveled. As it may create problems while security check-in at the Airport on your return journey. But if you want to bring it in small quantities just for tour memory then you can keep it with your luggage bag.