Andaman and Nicobar would be a dream destination for nature and adventure loving people . If you can manage atleast 7-10/ 14 days from your busy schedule , you are destined to have a breath taking lifetime experience as Andaman & Nicobar bore world-class pristine Beaches, Coral Reefs ,lush green rainforests, an active Volcano, caves ,waterfalls ,Swimming & diving spots, historic buildings and so more .
How to reach Andaman :Entry to Andaman and Nicobar is either through Flight or ship service . Travelling by sea itself is a great experience but the voyage takes about 50 to 60 hours, whereas flight takes only 2 hours .
Port Blair the capital of the exotic islands , located on the east coast of the South Andaman Island is the gateway to the pristine islands. Here ,a lot of hotels and food centers where the tourist can easily dine and lodge and then do the sight seeing .
Places which are not to be missed at Portblair :
Cellular Jail
The Cellular jail situated in Port Blair, built in 1896 was used by the British to transport Indian freedom fighters from the Indian mainland. The Cellular Jail is declared as the National Memorial, and the story of the heroic freedom struggle is retold with the help of a spectacular Sound & Light show at the Cellular Jail.
Ross Island
Ross Island, the capital of Andaman & Nicobar Islands during the British Raj days,is now a historical ruins along the beach and a beautiful tropical forest. Important ruins include a church, swimming pool and the Chief Commissioner’s residence.
Corbyn’s Cove
The Corbyn’s Cove, coconut- palm fringed soft sandy beach is the closest beach from the city and is popular for surfing, scuba diving and boating, swimming and sun bathing .
Viper Island
Viper Island was used by the British for imprisoning the convicts and revolutionaries before the construction of Cellular Jail. The ruins of the discarded jail, can be still seen in this Island. Viper Island is accessible by harbour cruise originating from Phoenix Bay Jetty in Port Blair.
Wandoor
Wandoor is a small village near the southern tip of South Andaman known as the gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park , rich in corals, varieties of coloured fishes, sea turtles etc.,and is also a bird’s paradise . From Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park boats are available to Jolly Buoy to see the red, blue, sponge corals. Another island called Red Skin Island which is also worth visiting . Tourists can make a day trip to Wandoor and Jolly Buoy/Red Skin and end up by visualizing the sunset at Wandoor beach and return to Port Blair by bus.
Cinque Island
The Cinque Island is located 54 kms from Port Blair (2 hours by boat from Chidiyatapu)is the best diving destination in Andaman & Nicobar Islands & has clear water with visibility levels of up to 80 feet. It is the best place to view a large variety of marine life and black corals.
Mount Harriet the highest point in Port Blair is an ideal place for a Picnic or a Trek.Other places of interest are the small museum of the Indian Navy, called Samudrika, having a good collection of old records that depicts the history of the Ross Island, Water Sports Complex offers all kinds of water sports facilities, Gandhi Park , well maintained gardens, deer and bird park and there is also a Japanese temple and a bunker, both built by the Japanese during the second World War
Other Places of interest in Andaman and Nicobar island are : –
Baratang Island
Baratang Island ,about 90 km away from Port Blair, is really an overwhelming experience for nature and adventure lovers because of its Mud Volcano ,Limestone Caves ,Dense mangrove.
Havelock Island
The Havelock island , around 54 kms away from Port Blair, offers the best diving and snorkelling sites and unspoiled sandy beaches. Havelock Island is connected through ship services from Port Blair . The sunset at Radhanagar beach is really a treat to your eyes .Elephant beach , Vijaynagar Beach are also worth visiting .
Neil Island
Neil Island with its breathtaking view of sea and the lusting greeneries is an ideal location for eco-tourism.Neil’s famous attraction is a natural bridge formation and to see this natural wonder you have to visit the rocky beach No. 2 at low tide when it is possible to walk on its dead corals and rocks to reach the natural rock formation . The sandy beaches at Sitapur, Bharatpur and Lakshmanpur are very attractive for spending the evenings.
Long Island
Long Island has an excellent sandy beach at Lalaji Bay fringed with coconut-palms .Close to Long Island are some wonderful uninhabited islands with lovely beaches, including Guitar Island, North Passage Island and the spectacular Merk Bay, North Button, South Button and Middle Button Islands which you can enjoy exploring . All can be reached by boat from Long Island. The scuba diving around Long Island is excellent.
Diglipur, North Andaman
The grand Saddle Peak, located in Diglipur, rises from lush evergreen forest and overlooks the beautiful Andaman coast of North and Middle Andaman and is popular for trekking and perfect for adventure seekers. Kalpong, the only river of Andamans flows through the forest and offers a refreshing fresh water stream . \
Mayabunder
Situated in the Northern part of Middle Andaman, around 242km away from Port Blair, Mayabunder is a less known spot wto tourists compared to other neighbouring islands. The shore is fringed with mangroves and the beaches are not as popular as the ones on other islands. Karmatang beach is beautiful with its long stretch of grey volcanic sand and shallow waters.
Little Andaman
Little Andaman is the furthest inhabited island , located around 120km south of Port Blair and due to its vastness ,it offers best and deserted beaches, breath-taking waterfalls, mangrove forest trails , broad red oil plantations, damps and ponds full of red carpet lotus flowers and water lilies in rainy season. There are two waterfalls in the island – White Surf waterfall which is 6.5 kms from Hut Bay Jetty and the Whisper Wave which is 20 kms from the same.White Surf waterfall is easily accessible, but for the bigger Whisper Wave waterfall one has to indulge deeper in the jungle. Little Andaman has the longest beach from Hut Bay to Butler Bay around 22km long stretch of whitish sand beach with turquoise waters and green shade.
Best time to visit : It is advisable to avoid the rainy season .Winter is an ideal time for Adaman Tour .It requires a leisure vacation to enjoy , explore and mesmerize in the ecstasy of the Islands.
Bidisha Dutta
