Here is a place that fulfills all definitions of paradise - here unbroken Silence causes your life to mercifully get out of synch with routine, its atmosphere lulls you softly making you forget your toxic world and makes you discover for yourself how beautiful earth really was... that is the Andaman islands in short for you. For the details read on.
An Introduction to Paradise
Andaman & Nicobar, consisting of 570+ islands, are one of the last virgin archipelagos, and are mostly associated in popular Indian imagination with the infamous cellular jail where Veer Savarkar and other freedom fighters served sentences of the dreaded punishment known as 'Kalapani'. Because of their isolation between India and Burma there's been little development and lots of wilderness. They are actually nearer to Myanmar and Malaysia than India which may explain their white beaches. The beaches are all white-sand, deserted, picture-perfect and fringed with palms!
Flights and ships leave from Chennai (1,190 km) and Kolkata (1,255 km). Some ships also leave from Vishakapatnam (Vizag) (1,200 km). The world changes as the colors of water turn bluer and bluer - from the grimy black it turns light blue, changing hues to deepen into turquoise and finally turning into the delightful blue of a copper sulphate solution. You get your first view of the islands fringed by coral reefs which are visible from above, and that is where your wondrous journey really starts.
The island groups are classified as north, middle, south and little Andaman. South Andaman is the most developed of the 3 main islands. Port Blair,the capital is a small town.
A small list of Port Blair sightseeing follows; taxis charge Rs.2000 for the circuit, buses take around Rs.200.
Aquarium - This small place offers a glimpse of around 350 aquatic species that are found from a totally infinite number in the ocean.
Samudrika - A museum run by the Indian Navy with shell collections and informative displays on marine excavations.
Anthropological Museum - This is a good exhibition devoted to the indigenous tribes of these islands with displays that include weapons, tools and snapshots.
Corbyns Cove- This is a cove to the southeast of Port Blair (which should be cue enough for your mind to bring fond memories of Enid Blyton and the Famous Five world of innocence back) and is the popular "weekend spot" here.
Since your genuine purpose here should be to run away from civilization, take only a brief tour of Port Blair - covering Forest Museum , Samudrika (Naval Marine Museum), Anthropological Museum, Cellular Jail, Andaman Water Sports Complex, Marina Park, Gandhi Park and Corbyn's Cove Beach. And be sure not to miss the Cellular Jail's evening Light & Sound Show carrying a handkerchief - don't blame me if it moves you to tears - the narration of all that our freedom fighters endured awes, inspires, horrifies, motivates and finally distills into a warm realization of what freedom has cost. It also leaves your hanky wet, regardless of whether your instincts are macho or feminine.
Port Blair shops sell sea-shell items (that was quite a mouthful!) - you can get mementoes from the trip here - but you are visiting here for being away from supermarket-kind-of-shopping-frenzies, so shopping should definitely be off this list!
To offer you some help in which islands to hop to using ferries, here are some named beauties, (though you can only make day trips to some):
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park- This National Park is actually water! An amazingly diverse ecosystem with mangroves stretching along waters edge, pristine tropical rainforest, colorful marine life, coral reefs and islands with delightful names (Jolly Buoy, Cinque, Red Skin). Snorkeling and scuba diving are currently banned (for the sad reasons mentioned further down). Collecting coral and shells is strictly forbidden.
Barren Island-India's only active volcano, and now a tourist haunt by night ferries - a feast!
Havelock Island - This is where you can have the most intimate contact with nature, and also boasts of Asia's most beautiful beach - the Radhanagar beach!
Definitely keep Havelock Island - which is one of 36 inhabited islands and about 21 nautical miles away from Port Blair on your itenary - stay there at least for a day. We stayed in the Dolphin Yatri Nivas (state-run). The must-see spots at Havelock follow a numbering system: No. 7 "Radhanagar Beach" - talked about as the most beautiful beach in Asia; No. 5 "VijayNagar Beach" just outside the Niwas. Here you almost have the beach to yourself. Rent a motorcycle or a good old bicycle to explore the island or take the regular bus service from the jetty to Radhanagar beach.
The Vast Wilderness known as the Ocean
The most unforgettable (and a lifetime experience unless you are a local!) is putting your head underwater with a snorkel and gazing at the amazing sea-life there - corals of all colors and shapes, endless shoals of fish swim by your feet, electric eels, starfish and other myriad marine life forms swirl in a cosmic dance.
Unfortunately lots of corals are dying due to unscrupulous attitudes during snorkeling / scuba diving. If possible bring your own equipment (a snorkel + mask is not very costly) for snorkeling & PLEASE CARE for this fragile eco system by not breaking pieces off any living corals, and by not standing on corals.
Routine activities on the Andamans also include wind surfing, swimming on a beach alone, elephant rides right on the beach, staying in a Nicobar Cottage by the sea, lots of jungle activities (Andamans have pristine untouched rain forests - some of them harbouring unknown species!), spotting a school of dolphins (rare!)... well this doesn't seem routine anymore, does it? Overall getting a feeling as if the place is yours somehow and this feeling deepens into a bond - you can get as close to nature as you possibly ever can, and get a feeling of how earth used to be.
Thanks to low-cost Air Deccan flights the islands are all set to become a popular tourist destination, though thankfully tourists aren't dropping by in a grand way as happens in Goa/Phuket, which is still keeping them in a pristine state.
Indians don't need permits to visit - though if you wish to visit Nicobar or other remote islands (usually not allowed) you need to get permits at Port Blair, and no permits are issued for visiting tribal reserves.
So be sure to visit this last virgin outpost of the natural world and soak it into your inner self before mindless tourists overrun it. Most of all giant aquariums await you - the ocean, once you cross it and reach this place, can be as intriguing as it is unfathomable...
