Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Andaman and Nicobar [1] are a large group of nearly 600 islands in the Bay of Bengal.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were shrouded in mystery for centuries because of their inaccessibility. These are the paragon of beauty and present a landscape full with scenic and picturesque extravaganza. These islands shimmer like emeralds in the Bay of Bengal. The dense forest which cover these islands and the innumerable exotic flowers and birds create a highly poetic and romantic atmosphere. "Here the white beaches on the edge of a meandering coastline have palm trees that sway to the rhythm of the Sea. The beat of tribal drums haunt the stillness and technicolour fish steer their way through crystal clear water."

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have great maritime importance. During the British period political leaders considered dangerous to the interests of the Raj and other dreaded criminals were deported from mainland to the Cellular Jail- the Indian Bastille, situated on the sea coast of Atlanta Point in the North-Eastern part of Port Blair. Thus these islands were infamously known as the 'Black Water  Prison' or 'Kala Pani'.

The Andaman & Nicobar are a group of picturesque Islands, big and small, inhabited and uninhabited, islets and rocks lying in the South Eastern Part  of the Bay of Bengal.They lie along an arc in long and narrow broken chain, approximately North-South over a distance nearly 800 kms. . The flora and fauna of these islands, however, indicate that this land connection if it existed, should have been prior to the development of their present life form.

Some of the islands in Andaman and Nicobar are hilly in places, covered with tropical jungle and with flat stretches of beaches. Adventure tourism like trekking, Island camping, snorkeling, SCUBA diving are the real attractions. 

The places of interest include Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Water Sports Complex, Fisheries Museum, Chidiya Tapu, Mount Harriet and Samudrika Museum. It is also famous for its only active volcano, Barren Island. It also has many state of the art hotels to cater to its ever-booming tourism industry. Spectacular mix of nature's most prized delights; the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a once in a lifetime holiday experience.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a veritable Garden of Eden and a naturalist's heavenHavelock Island, the most visited of the islands, with the most (although still minimal) infrastructure. Beautiful beaches, great snorkeling and scuba diving.

• Rutland Island, is pristine, non-polluted and least visited island. Beautiful Mangrove forest and coral reefs welcomes you to the 274 sq.km island. There is also a 45 acre Totani Resort which has quaint little huts which can be used as a base camp for exploring the island. It is the ideal place for eco-tourists.
  
  
  

• Neil Island, quieter than Havelock with nice beaches and decent snorkeling.

• Wandoor, a relaxed destination in it's own right, but known more as the gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park.There is a newly setup luxury resort called Sea Princess Beach Resort
  
  
  

• Baratang Island, Mud Volcano, Limestone Caves, and Magrove Creeks in back waters.
  
  
  

• Barren Island, an island with the only volcano in all of India.

• Long Island, great if you're looking for Robinson Crusoe style camping. Nothing exists here, so you must bring all of your own gear and food.
  
  
  

• Little Andaman, once popular for surfing, it was devastated in the 2004 tsunami. Ask around in Port Blair to find out the current situation.

• Jarwa Reserve

. The clean environment, roads, greenery as well as unpolluted fresh air attract all nature loverne

For now the only way to reach the Andamans by air is from the Indian mainland to Port Blair. There are talks of opening up flights from Bangkok, which could drastically change the situation in the islands, but as of 2009 these remain just plans. Flights can fill up in peak season and immigration doesn't look kindly on people arriving without confirmed flights back, so book a return ticket and change the flight date if you decide to hang around longer.

• Indian Airlines [2] fly from Kolkata and Chennai. They charge a much higher rate for foreigners than Indian residents.

• JetLite [3] now flies from Chennai to Port Blair, and from Delhi via Kolkata.

• Kingfisher Red [4], formerly Air Deccan, flies daily from Chennai and is often cheapest way to get to the islands. One-way fares start from around Rs 6000.

• Spicejet, offers a flight direct from Delhi to Port Blair.

Flights to Port Blair are not really "low-cost", if compared to the same airlines' mainland India flights, but still cheaper than any other way to get to islands. Price varies significantly with date, so if your travel dates aren't fixed, you can save significantly by choosing the right day to fly. Advance booking (available on respective airline's website) at least several days before trip is recommended.

Port Blair's Vir Savarkar Airport is probably one of the most quaint and idyllic airport in India. There is a scenic view point where the whole airport can be seen. There are no night flights as the airport is handed over to the Indian Air Force after 3pm.

[edit]By sea

It is still possible to take a ship from Kolkata, Chennai or Visakhapatnam which takes almost 4 days to arrive in Port Blair. However, with the arrival of the Kingfisher Red flights that allow foreigners to fly for the same rate as Indians, and cost about the same as the boat, there is little reason to spend 4 days at sea unless you're in it for the experience.

Andaman and Nicobar are a vast archipelago, and aside from some erratic, infrequent and expensive helicopter shuttles and a pricy seaplane service to Havelock Island, passenger ferries are the only way to get between the islands.

All passenger transport in the islands is handled by the government-run Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS), which also runs the ferries back to the mainland. The DSS operates basically two kinds of vessels: small "tourist" ferries, and larger "local" ferries. Despite the names, fares are more or less identical on both, at Rs.150-200 one way from Port Blair to Havelock Island.

Tourist ferries seat about 100 people in padded bucket seats in a notionally air-conditioned cabin (which can still get sweltering hot). While you can access the top deck, there are no seats, shade or shelter outside. These boats are fast(er) and seaworthy, but top-heavy, and sway quite a bit in high seas. There is no canteen on board, so bring snacks or at least drinks.

Local ferries are considerably larger, seating up to 400 in two levels: padded "bunk" or "luxury" seating upstairs, and plain old benches on the "deck" downstairs. Neither class is air-conditioned, but ocean breezes keep temperatures tolerable, and a canteen dishes out chai, samosas and bottled water. Due to their larger size, they're more stable in heavy seas, but take about twice as long as tourist ferries to get anywhere.

There's a new a/c catamaran ferry from Port Blair to Havelock. Tickets are 650, 750 or 1000 (which gets you a leather seat and your own tv) and can be booked from a dedicated ticket booking window at Port Blair, thus avoiding the queue barging, and through your guesthouse (or wild orchid, emerald gecko & andaman bubbles) on Havelock.

In high season demand often exceeds supply, so book your tickets at least one day in advance, either through a travel agent or directly at Port Blair's harbour. Ferry ticket booking has now been computerised. This means you can book any ferry from any jetty - i.e. Rangat to Havelock from the Diglipur ferry jetty. This obviously depends on the computers working! Services may be changed or cancelled at short notice due to inclement weather, notably cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. If you're prone to sea-sickness, pop a pill an hour before you get on board.

[edit]Within islands

• Auto-rickshaws are available in Port Blair and on Havelock Island.
• Taxis are available in Port Blair. They are usually the rather vintage Ambassador cars and often not very well maintained. It is slightly more expensive than the Auto-rickshaws, but a more comfortable way to get around the island.
• Scooters & Motorcycles used to be available for rent in Port Blair, however, its not very easy to get one now. Auto-rickshaws may be the best way to move around the city. However, in Havelock Island they are the best option to enjoy a ride to the Radhanagar beach or around. It may cost you around Rs. 150 - Rs. 250 per day with a security deposit of around Rs. 750 - Rs. 1000.

ered with tropical jungle and interspersed with flat stretches of crescent shaped beaches. AdveDo

• Scuba diving - Havelock Island is the main dive destination, but the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park has reopened. South Cinque Island is another possibility, enquire at Anugama Resort at Wandoor. One of the dive shops on Havelock was talking about opening a shop in Diglipur soon, which would open up newly discovered sites.

The best dive sites in the Andamans are in very remote locations and are impossible to get to without a private yacht charter. The dive sites around Havelock are actually very ordinary by Andamans standards. The best diving in the Andamans is: Barren Island (an active volcano), Narcondam Island (an extinct volcano), Invisible Bank (an extensive seamount approx. 100 miles Southeast of Port Blair) and 4 spectacular but un-named sea mounts off the west coast. There is also a good wreck dive just south of North Brother Island. There are a small number of companies that operate live aboard diving and adventure charters in the Andaman Islands. Be aware that many companies that advertise Andaman Islands trips have never been there before.

• Snorkeling - is a fun ,popular activity done at North Bay,MuaTerra Beach and Havelock Island.The equipment is cheap, and can be bought or rented.

• Surfing was possible on Little Andaman Island, but the island was devastated in the 2004 tsunami. Stay tuned.

• Scan corals reefs in glass bottom boats off Jolly Buoy Island, at the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor, 29 km from Port Blair.

• Check out India's only active volcano on Barren Island, but make sure it's actually smoking before you start on the overnight boat journey.

• Take the Andaman Trunk Road, and be the zipping-in-the-car-idiot to the curious Jarawas. The ride is long, but the journey that takes you through some gorgeous reserve forests and up to Maya Bunder and beyond, is worth it.

• Revisit Havelock just to taste the red Snapper in Burmese garlic sauce at Benny and Lynda's Wild Orchid Beach Resort.

• Make a new list. Add scuba diving and sea cow spotting. Do some moon-bathing while planktons swim in a phosphorescent sea.