Andaman, a group of 550 islands, is located in the Bay of Bengal. It is part of the Union Territory of India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The territory comprises 572 tropical islands (of which 36 are inhabited), with unique wildlife and lush forests, although the Nicobar Islands are off-limits to tourists. Port Blair is the capital which has a historical significance during the Indian Independence. It is believed that the origin of the name Andaman is related to Hanuman, the monkey disciple of Lord Rama, the epic hero of the Ramayana. Beautiful beaches, azure water, long stretched white sand, hilly regions dense forest add the topography of the Andaman Islands. Andaman is a perfect location for many adventurous activities like scuba diving, Snorkeling, Sea Walking and many other water sports. This is one of the rare tourist destinations in India in which one can enjoy the breathtaking views and secluded beach. Most of the islands are inhibited by tribes like North Andamanese, Jarwa, Jangil and Onge.
Havelock beach
PLACES TO VISIT
Plan for a compact 5 days trip to Andaman, so were not able to visit all the places. Hope to cover them in the next trip
DAY1
Kolkata to Port Blair We took an early morning flight from Kolkata and reached Port Blair by 11:00 am, checked in at the hotel. Had our lunch and visited cellular Jain and Samudrika Museum
DAY2
Baratang Island + Limestone cave formation. It was a full day trip to Baratang island. I could suggest instead of this you can opt for Jolly Bouy and Neil Island, if you are more interested for island hopping and inclined to water sports.
DAY3
Havelock + Radhangar Beach. Reached Havelock Island by Makruzz from Port Blair which took close to 2 hours. Spent the entire day lazing around the beautiful Radhanagar Beach and experiencing the beautiful sunset.
DAY4
Elephant Beach + Port Blair Visited Elephant Beach did snorkeling and after having our lunch at Havelock Island returned back to Port Blair.
DAY5
Ross Island + North Bay Island Visited North Bay island in the morning which is good and a popular place for snorkeling, diving, sea walking and other water sports activities and after lunch took a 30 minutes ferry ride to Ross Island. Will post the experience about each place in the upcoming posts soon. If your holiday is just about relaxation and spending time in nature’s lap then I could recommend proceeding straight to Havelock and explore other nearby islands from Port Blair which are easily accessible by ferry and sea planes
Fun in the water with your elephant
BEST TIME TO VISIT
The main tourist season in the Andaman is between November and mid-May with the absolute peak season being December to March. The months of June, July, August and September are considered the rainy season. However travelers at this time can get great off season prices and discounts at many hotels due to the low number of tourist influx.
HOW TO REACH
You can get direct flights from metro cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata etc.
SEA FOOD
Crabs, shrimp, lobster and fish are available at almost all restaurants. However do not expect sea food to be cheap here.
BASIC MEDICAL KIT
There are shops in Port Blair but you have to go to the main market.
Can easily rent bikes and explore the Havelock Island at a very nominal cost.
Do carry your swim wear, kaftans, Cool Shades, Cap, Camera, Tripod and flip flops.
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