Surrounded by the Bay of Bengal, the group of Andaman and Nicobar Islands has emerged as a popular tourist destination in the near past. Flocked by Indians as well as foreigners, the place is like an image of heaven and is ideal for all kinds of vacations. Be it your honeymoon, a family vacation, a vacation with friends, or even with kids. Temperatures are moderate and rains are pouring all the time so you need to carry only summer clothes in cotton material, your swimwear, beach towels, sandals (flip-flops and floaters are ideal), sun screen, and one or two full sleeves cotton shirts to prevent tanning. And yes, don’t forget to use the Cleartrip Offers to save money on bookings.
Before I take you into a whirlwind account of Andaman Travels, let us have a look at some pointers to mark the beginning:
1 – How to Reach:
- Via flights (easy, fast and entertaining for the first timers)
- Sea Route (Very time consuming and is problematic for people with sea-sickness).
2 – Time Required to Explore the Islands:
- 9 to 10 days (Minimum)
- Out of Andaman and Nicobar only Andaman is open to the tourists and Nicobar is still inhabited by the tribes. Exploring Andaman will require you to invest at least 9 to 10 full days.
3 – Where to Stay:
- Arrive at Veer Savarkar Airport at Port Blair and plan your major stay here only. You can reach all the tourist destinations from here itself. Other places are less developed and are expensive in terms of stay, food and convenience. So, use the Cleartrip coupon code while booking your Port Blair hotel.
- Havelock will require one night and two days.
- Neil Island will require one day; you can return to Port Blair the same day if you plan your cruise well.
- Hotel King’s Tower (4/5) and Dream Palace (5/5) are good accommodations in Port Blair. A budget Accommodation is Hotel Port Meriden (3/5) and very cheap but good accommodation for Govt. Employees is Andaman Teal House (4.5/5) (Bookings require lot of effort).
4 – Where to Eat:
- Andaman is famous for the sea food. So, there are only a few Vegetarian restaurants but the non-vegetarian food is available round the corner.
- Veg. food is available at: Icy Spicy (Junglighat) (5/5), Blue Sea (Aberdeen Bazaar) (4/5), Annapurna (4.5/5) (Main Bazaar) and there is a Sardar ji ka Dhaba (5/5) which is also located in the main market that serves lip-smacking veg food at nominal charges with packing facility.
- All of them are really good in terms of food taste and quality but are a bit expensive as compared to the Dhaba.
5 – IMPORTANT POINTERS:
- Cellular network is a problem in Andaman and the most reliable network is of BSNL. Internet may not work properly and if you wish to access internet for some downloading and booking etc, then you have to visit the cyber cafe which are available in the Aberdeen Market near watch tower.
- Airtel, BSNL and Vodafone are active in Andaman.
- Being an English Colony in the past, bakeries are abundant and you can easily find good baked goodies ready at all times.
- Cruise for Havelock, Neil Island and Permits for Jolly Buoy are to be obtained in advance. Further, the taxis and buses for Baratang should be booked on previous day as they will start very early in the morning.
- January and February are the best times to visit the islands though people tour them all round the year.
Arrival on Day 1:
After landing at Veer Savarkar Airport go to your hotel, and see the light and sound show in the Cellular Jail in the evening and enjoy the evening in the cool coastal breeze at the local jetty and Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex.
Day 2 – Ross Island and North Bay Island:
On the second day board the ferry from the local jetty and visit Ross Island and North Bay Island. Indulge in the water sports such as Speed Boating, Snorkelling, Scuba Diving and Semi-Submarines etc. Scuba Diving at Andamans is a once in a lifetime opportunity and should not be left at any cost.
Day 3 – Cellular Jail and Havelock:
On Day 3, explore the Cellular Jail and board the Havelock ferry to reach there and catch some relaxing moments.
Day 4 – Havelock Beaches (Radhanagar, Kala Pathar and Elephant Beach):
It is recommended for the travellers to board the state transport buses for going to Radhanagar Beach and back to Havelock. The fare is just Rs 10 per person which is negligible as compared to a whopping Rs 800 in the car. Explore the coastal jungles to reach the Elephant Beach and enjoy a cool evening sunset at the Kala Patthar beach.
Day 5 – Havelock to Port Blair:
Day 5 should bring you back to Port Blair leaving you enough time to visit the local sites.
Day 6 – Baratang:
Day 6 should be spent for the Baratang and Middle Strait. Experience the tribal Andaman area, the mud volcanoes, limestone caves and mangrove forests.
Day 7 – Neil Island:
Leave Port Blair for Neil Island and arrive back in the evening or take a night stay there.
Day 8 – Wandoor and Jolly Buoy Island:
On Day 8 you can visit the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. It is a group of 15 islands of which only 2 are open to visitors, namely – Red Skin beach and Jolly Buoy Beach. Out of them, one is open for 6 months and the other is open for the next 6 months. The great marine diversity of the island is one of its own kinds in the whole world and people are not allowed to take any food items or drinking water bottles there. One can find some snacks on the beach itself and can have bottles on rent from the starting point which are to be returned after returning from the beach. Snorkelling and coral watching from the boats are the activities allowed on the Jolly Buoy beach. Scuba is not allowed to protect the marine life. One museum is also there with complete information on the marine life of Andaman.
Want some money-saving tip, so you can splurge later, use the Cleartrip Offers to save money on bookings.
Happy Vacations!!
