DO YOU KNOW – The 20 rupee note depicts a scene from Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Andaman islands is a part of India but very few of us know about it or least think on going there for vacationing. There reason being it is not connected to rest of the country through land.

This place is very different from rest of the country in so many ways. I will explain how.

• The beaches are clean and has aqua coloured water.
• They have the best beaches for diving and witnessing diversity in marine-life.
• It is the only place to see the only active volcano of India i.e. the mud volcano and only the tribal population i.e. The Jarawa tribe.
• Being the east most part of the country, the sunrises are just amazing.
• All the beaches have bathrooms to change and attend nature’s calls making the beaches tourist friendly.
• The local people are very friendly and this place has absolutely no crime rate making it very safe for tourists.

A year ago I along with my husband (Tarak) went to the islands on a seven day honeymoon trip. We decided and booked everything in advance right from the hotel rooms and Makruzz i.e. the ship tickets to travel from one island to another and obviously flight tickets. The flight tickets are comparatively cheaper if you’re travelling from Kolkata because of the distance. I am sharing my itinerary to get a sense of what to see and how many days to spend on the islands.

• Port Blair
  DAY 1
  a. Cellular Jail
  DAY 2
  b. Baratang

We landed in Port Blair in afternoon and checked into our hotel room. After resting for two-three hours we asked at our hotel reception to arrange for an auto-rickshaw. We went to Cellular Jail, saw the evening show and felt sad as well as proud for our freedom fighters. After that we roamed in the nearby areas and had local food and took an auto-rickshaw and asked the driver to take us to a bus booking centre for booking Baratang tickets. After that we headed to our hotel room. The bus tickets costed us Rs1900 per head including the auto-driver’s Rs100 as commission which he took from bus company. This tour included a two way bus ride, trip to Baratang which is a four-five hour hour bus journey where you can see Jarawa tribe people (but you are not allowed to talk to them or take photos), breakfast, lunch, mud-volcano trip, limestone caves sight and boat rides through mangroves. Alternatively, you can also book your own cab but then the costs will double-up and you will have to do booking of your boat tickets separately which is obviously a heck. So, after our day 1 we spent our next day we spent exploring Baratang which was amazing.

• Havelock Island
  DAY 3
  a. Elephant beach
  b. Radhanagar beach
  DAY 4
  c. Kalapathar beach
  d. Vijaynagar beach

On our third day we took Makruzz to Havelock island. After checking in we called our diving company which we had booked online. They sent their cab and we reached their office. They hurried us to Elephant beach which closes by 3 P.M. Yes, every island on Andaman has a closing time! We did Snorkelling which was amazing as all you will see is blue and yellow coloured fishes around you. Then we did Sea Walk which was amazing too but unfortunately after that we skipped Scuba diving (for which we had already paid) as I started feeling unwell from high pressure under-water. But it was an amazing experience and Havelock island is the best if you’re looking for water activities. In the evening we walked outside our hotel which was beach facing and found a bike rental and rented a scooty to save some time booking autos. Then we left for Radhanagar beach to see sunset. On our fourth day we started at seven in the morning and after having breakfast left for Kalapathar beach which is a white sand beach and the water is aqua. We spent next four hours there, enjoyed the fresh coconut water and on our way back to hotel we went to Vijaynagar beach which is full of birds.

• Neill Island
  Day 5
  a. Natural coral bridge
  b. Bharatpur beach
  c. Sitapur beach

On our fifth day we took Makruzz to Neill Island and reached there in afternoon. After checking in the hotel we rented a scooty and went to see Natural coral bridge where we saw two natural bridges and coral reefs. Remember to wear good footwear as the beaches here are full of rocks. In the evening we went to Bharatpur beach to see sunset which was walkable from our hotel. We skipped Sitapur beach which is kniwn as the sunrise point because of lack of time.

• Port Blair
  DAY 6
  a. Viper Island
  b. Corbyn cove beach
  c. North bay island
  d. Ross island
  DAY 7
  Rest

On our sixth day we came back to Port Blair and on the way from Jetty we asked our auto driver about the tour to North Bay island. The guy gave us his number and the very next morning he picked us from our hotel at eight in the morning, took us to jetty and did our tickets. The ticket included a tour to all the above listed islands for which he took a meagre amount of Rs150 per head. It was very reasonable amount the only problem we faced later was our ship driver didn’t take us to Ross island stating high water tides and not able to dock the ship. We totally agreed to whatever he said and though some people were angry on him but we felt it better to not risk our life. North Bay island is the one which in our Rs20 currency notes. Though there were water activities going on in North Bay island but we personally felt water was not as clean as in Havelock island.

So with this our trip came to an end. On our last day we thought of resting and spending time with each other, relaxing, watching sunrise and sunsets, sipping tea on the beach. The islands have literally no network except for BSNL and Airtel. In my opinion it was good but also bad as our relatives kept on worrying for our safety when the call did not go through. If you have someone waiting to hear from you everyday tell them in advance about the network connectivity issues in these islands and stop them from worrying.

TRAVEL GUIDE:

• Location: Andaman island, India
• Language: Hindi, Bengali, English
• Currency: I.N.R. (Rupees)
• Best time to visit: November-May
• Packing: Take dresses that dries up quickly, at least two pairs of swimming costumes (avoid two piece bikinis), sunglasses, sunscreen lotions, hair-detanglers (like hair serums, conditioners), flip-flops and hats
• Food: There are lesser street food options available. So don’t hesitate to take a walk or ride and explore nearby streets for restaurants
• Commute: Though local autos are extremely inexpensive and they charge like Rs500 if you book for the whole day but don’t forget to try two-wheeler rentals which would cost around Rs300-500 per day excluding fuel and will give you more freedom to travel on own
• Whom to travel with: Mostly on our trip we saw honeymooners but you can also travel with family and friends
• How to travel cheap: Book hotels and Mackruzz tickets in advance to avoid last day troubles. Book for water activities at the beaches directly from the vendors
• Network providers: Buy an Airtel/ BSNL sim card in advance
• Word of advice: Don’t hesitate to talk to local people who are very friendly and helpful

Are you planning to visit the Andaman? Or have you already visited? Comment below.