The Andaman and Nicobar Islands , India

Beautiful islands with sparkling white sand , clear blue water enabling one to see the undersea life near the shores are just fantasies when you are in  main land but turns real when you arrive at one of the most beautiful islands - The Andaman and Nicobar Island  .

Andaman Islands as seen from plane 

How to reach : By air / By ship

From New Delhi we took a flight to Port Blair airport via Kolkata. It took about 5 hours to reach Port Blair from New Delhi.

Ships regularly ply between Port Blair (the capital),  Kolkata(1255 Km) , Madras (1190 Km) and Vishakhapatnam (1200 Km). Many of the inhabited islands are connected by ferry services.

How to plan the trip: There are tour packages available from various tour site like yatra.com , makemytrip.com etc., but we chose to plan our own trip so that we can explore more and according to our convenience .

Best time to make the trip: December-February

Worst time to make the trip: April-November

Climate: The climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is tropical but is moderated by sea breezes. The territory receives roughly 120 inches (3000 mm) of rain annually , brought mainly by southwest monsoon, which blows from May through September , and by the tropical cyclones that follow in October and November.

Things required: a good sunscreen lotion, light cotton clothes, good pair of shoes (if interested in trekking) ,swimsuit (for water activities) and mosquito repellent cream .

Itinerary:

Port Blair

On reaching Port Blair we went for a resort nearby the airport. The resort was fine and we got it at the nominal price. The best part of Port Blair (in general Andaman Islands ) is that, the folks there are generous and helpful and it is a crime-free area.  One can travel around with ease. The main places to visit Port Blair are:

Cellular Jail:  It is an example of great architectural mind of the British but also reminds one of the atrocities that they inflicted upon the Indian freedom fighters. To project more on the atrocities faced by the freedom fighters, there is the “Light and Sound Show” in the evening.

                           Architecture of cellular jail

Cellular Jail from front

             Gallows where freedom fighters were hanged

                     "Light and Sound Show" in the evening

Jetty: Nearby Cellular Jail, is the Jetty. Jetty is the place where small ferries and motor boats take passengers to the nearby islands and also water sports are available there. Apart from this the Jetty has been beautifully built where one can spend the evening either by taking a stroll, enjoying the cool ocean breeze or sit and relax and watch the waves hit the coast.

Jetty at Port Blair

Ross Island: One can take a ferry from the Jetty to reach Ross Island. It hardly takes 10 mins from Jetty (Port Blair). This island is not inhabited but the Indian army have built beautiful parks and also there are ruins of the British colony that once was there. Also one can find the Japanese’s bunkers there.

Jetty at Ross Island 

Ross Island

                Dilapidated ruins of British Head-quarters

                                      Deers in Ross Island

Jolly Buoy Island: To reach Jolly Buoy one can take a taxi/go by government bus from  Port Blair till Wandoor, where there is a Jetty and a big ferry takes to Jolly Buoy Island.  It takes around an hour to reach there from Wandoor Jetty. This island is also completely uninhabited but is small and very beautiful. Jolly Buoy is famous for its Coral collections and the tourists can have a look at the beautiful sea life either by snorkeling or by glass based boats. The clear blue transparent water gives a good view of sea life. This island is a plastic free island and one is strictly not allowed to throw garbage or any eatables around. The beach is very beautiful and tempting for honeymoon couples.

                                Jolly Bouy Island

                              Snorkeling in Jolly Bouy

                    Under water coral view through glass boat in Jolly Bouy Island of Andaman

Havelock Island

 Havelock is one of the most beautiful Island among the Andaman Islands. One has to take a Cruise from Port Blair Jetty to reach Havelock. The Cruise takes around 3 hours to reach Havelock. There are lot of government as well as private resorts available there along the coast. The best beaches of Havelock are:

Radha Nagar Beach: It is Asia’s one of the top rated cleanest beaches and among world's top ten beaches. The clean white sand beach and clear transparent blue water and lush green forests near the beach add to its beauty. From the resort one can take a government bus or private Jeep/Taxi/Auto. If one knows driving, one has the option of renting a cycle/motor cycle.

Radha Nagar Beach

Changing rooms at Radha Nagar Beach

Elephant Beach: It is on the way to Radha Nagar beach.  This beach is famous for its coral collections. One can view the sea life near the beach either by snorkelling or glass based boats ride. There are two ways of reaching Elephant beach; either by taking a ferry from Jetty or if one is interested in trekking one can go via the forest which takes around 30 mins walk from the main road on the way to Radha Nagar Beach.

Trek to Elephant Beach through dense forest (Mark : there are two ways going through the jungle , choose the one on your left. Don’t ask the locals they generally tend to lead you to wrong track i.e. on the right)

                                               Elephant Beach

                       Mangrove forest near Elephant beach

Kala Pather Beach: It is a rocky beach. The beach is full of black gigantic rocks. One can enjoy the cycle/motor cycle ride to Kala Pather beach on the road along the coast. If one is interested, one can go along the beach road to the villages ahead.

                                   Kala Pather Beach

Havelock is a favourite’s destination of foreigners who stay there for weeks at a stretch.  Havelock is also famous for all types of water activities (like scuba-diving, snorkelling, fishing etc.).

Diglipur Island

One can reach Diglipur by helicopter, by hiring a taxi, by government bus or by cruise.  It is around 300 km away from Port Blair. It takes around 45 mins to reach by helicopter. By taxi/bus it takes around 10-12 hours. The helicopter lands in Diglipur town, from there take the Auto/Bus/Jeep to reach Kalipur.  The main attraction of Digipur is way of reaching there. One has to go through restricted area where the tribals could be seen walking on the roads looking like the early man we used to study in history. It makes one feel that one has reached the pre historic era. Also on the way there are dense forests and small hills. One can feel the innocent beauty of village life everywhere in Kalipur. One who prefers to be away from the hustle and humdrum of urban life must come here to enjoy unhurried holidays. Saddle peak is popular for trekking/nature trail through the evergreen rain forest. Diglipur is famous for its Ross and Smith Island, Nesting of turtles and trekking.

                Reaching Diglipur by Pavan-hans helicopter

                              Bewitching Kalipur (Diglipur)

Ross and Smith Islands: Ross and Smith, the twin islands joined by a bewitching sand bar, is 30 minutes away from Aerial bay jetty or Kalipur water sports centre. Directorate of Tourism offers island camping at Smith island during the tourist season. Port Blair – Diglipur (Aerial bay jetty) boat services are available 4 days in a week.8 buses are daily available(4 from Port Blair and 4 from Diglipur).Besides these many private operators also operate tours.

                             Ross and Smith Islands

White sandy beach seen between Ross and Smith Islands during low tide

Nesting of Turtles: Every year the turtles come to nest during the month of December-February at Kalipur beach which is at a half-an hour drive from Diglipur. It is the only beach in the world where four species of Sea turtles: Olive ridley , Leather back , Hawks bill and Green turtles come to nest. 

Kalipur beach where turtle's nest 

Baratang

On the journey back to Port Blair, one can stop at Baratang which is an island famous for its mud volcano and also limestone caves. Also it consists of the jetty that connects North Andaman with Middle Andaman. There is no bridge connecting Baratang to other island. There are ferries that take you along with your vehicle (bus/ jeep/ car/taxi) to the other island.

                                   Ferry at Baratang 

                                      Baratang Jetty

Mud Volcano: It is an active volcano and one of rare sight in India. Mud volcano is the result of the gases formed inside the earth’s crust due to the decay of organic waste. These gases push the mud out and solidify gradually, forming a miniature volcano. This site is around 4 kms away from Baratang jetty.

                                      Mud Volcano

Limestone caves: This is one of the unexplored destinations. The limestone caves consist of splendid stalagmites and stalactites and also pillar rocks. There are two ways of reaching the caves: either by trek if you like adventure or by boat, which in itself is a unique experience. It’s an hour ride from boat and it takes you through the heart of dense mangrove forests. 

                                        Lime stone caves

Also visit travelogue for Assam - Arunachal Pradesh , Leh – Ladakh and Manali. For any queries/suggestions write in the comment block below.