One of the most popular coastal destinations from India, Andaman is home to some of the best beaches in Asia. I planned a seven day trip to Andaman with my husband. As honeymooners majority of our trip was spent in Havlock Island - barring 3 days to move in and around Port Blair.
Broad Itinerary included -
Port Blair : Cellular Jail, Ross Island, Baratang Island (Trek to Lime Stone Cave, Mud Volcano, boat ride through the Man-grove Creeks), Naval Port (Walk though of the India Naval Base, thanks to our friend in the Indian Navy), Anthropological Museum (History of different tribes residing in Andaman & Nicobar Island)
Havlock Island : Kala Patthar Beach (Walk-in from our resort; very picturesque), Radhanagar Beach (Most Popular and beautiful), Elephanta Beach (Water sports! - Banana boat ride, para sailing, snorkeling, wind surfing and what not.. ), Barefoot Beach Resort ( Scuba Diving)
Things to (Must) do -
Music and Light show at Ross Island
Snorkeling @ Elephanta Beach
Scuba Diving @ Barefoot Beach Resort, Havlock
Sunrise @ Kala Patthar Beach
Sunset @ Radhanagar Beach
Meal @ Anju Coco Resturant, ahead of Kala Patthar Beach
Dinner under the stars by the beach @ your resort
Scooty Ride in an around Havlock - especially drive from Kala Patthar to Radhanagar Beach
Places we missed and can be included: Neil Island, Ross & Smith Islands.
How to reach-
New Delhi to Port Blair: Direct flight as well as flights via Chennai and Kolkata. (Return ticket for 1 as low as INR 17000)
Port Blair to Havlock and back : Ferry can be booked and taken from Phoenix Bay Dock -Govt Jetty (INR 650 per person), Green Ocean Jetty (INR 900 per person); for return same jetty services can be booked and boarded from Havlock Dock. It is advised to purchase Jetty tickets at least a day in advance.
On arrival @ Havlock Dock, an auto rickshaw/ taxi can be boarded to reach your resort. The island is 25 kms in all and has one central road that takes you round about. For general move around on the island it is best to hire an Activa/ Motorbike. Your hotel/ resort reservation desk will be able to assist you with hiring one. It can be booked as cheap as INR 400 per day + Petrol (usually a liter lasts about 1 1/2 Day).
Port Blair to Baratang: Port Blair to Jirkatang by car (40 Kms approx.). From Jirkatang there is a check post where a tax fee is paid and cars are allowed to leave only in convoy. This is done to ensure safe passage through the Jarwah Forest Reserve which is home to the Jarwah Tribe. Tourists are advised not to interact, give food or take pictures of the Jarwah so as to not offend them in any way.
From the other end of the forest, tourists and vehicles board the Middle Strait Jetty to reach Baratang Island from where Mud Volcano (4 Kms from Baratang Jetty), Lime Stone Caves (30 min boat ride through mangrove creek followed by 5 Km trek to the caves) and other destinations like Diglipur, Rangat, Mayabunder can be reached.
Shopping- Souvenirs can be purchased from anywhere but authentic shells and other items can be bought from Govt authorized Shop - Sagarika. Note: It is considered smuggling to pick and take back shells/ corals and any other items from any beach. Tourists must carry valid purchase bills for all such items.
Best Season to go - November to Feb
Budget - 1.2 - 1.5 L for two for a 7 Day trip
It is advised to plan your trip at least 3 months in advance to save some money on the air tickets (they are quite expensive) and to bag some decent deals on resort booking (in case u plan to stay at a 5 star with spa facilities or a villa/ cottage).
A short 15 min boat ride from Havlock Port can take you to Elephanta Beach, popular for water sports and other fun activities. Circling around the Havlock Island, the ride is an amazing experience with breath taking views. A return ticket can be purchased from reservation booth at the port, and rides often carry passengers in group of 10-12, along with a guide. There is a cap of 3 hrs for the group to return.
The colonial prison built by the British, also popularly known as Kala Pani was used to exile political prisoners during the Indian Independence revolution.
One of the popular beach on the Havlock Island, Kala Patthar beach is a picture of serenity. Best for sighting Sunrise, walking along the beach, some lonely time, sitting under the starts listening to the waves. Many popular resorts are situated on the beach, each securing their own private area of the beach reserved for the guests. Most resorts also arrange dinner by the beach for couples on request and for a fee.
Baratang is famous for Mangroov forest and limestone caves. It can be reached via a a boat ride taken. A ride from port Blair city; taxis leave in convoy to pass through the forest reserve, still active with tribal activity and takes you to the port from where boat ride are booked.
After being a headquarter for the Indian Penal Settlement for over 80 Yrs, Ross island of today is a collection of ruins. It is reachable via a short boat ride from the water sport complex. The old hospital building now hosts a music and light show that showcases the journey of the island through the ages. The show is much more livelier than the one shown at cellular jail.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling are two of the most popular activities that tourists and water sport enthusiasts loo for at Havlock. One can book for Scuba Diving at The Barefoot resort , which is quite close to the Havlock Port.
One of the most popular and classy resorts that has its own beach. Beautiful villas with amazing spacious rooms, half roof open washrooms, walk-in beach, Spa, buffet breakfast, its the most you can get out of luxury at Havlock. The resort is situated at one of the popular beaches @ Havlock - Kala Patthar Beach, and is popular for Sun Rise sighting.
Radhanagar Beach is one of the most clean and popular beach in India. Striking blue water, white sand, a beautiful line up of coconut trees adorn the beach. Since the beach is located away from any resort on the Havlock Island, tourists usually take scooty / car rides to reach the beach. Best time to visit the beach is in evening, as it is popular for sunset.
Frequent Searches Leading To This Page:-
andaman nicobar tour, andaman and nicobar tourist places, best place to stay in port blair, andaman nicobar packages, andaman nicobar honeymoon package, andaman and nicobar tour packages, port blair honeymoon package, famous hotels in andaman & nicobar islands
' fill='%23359391'%3e %3cpath d='M46.1538462%2c43.5714286 L41.5%2c50 L36.8461538%2c43.5714286 L36.8670256%2c43.5714286 C36.3173077%2c42.7142857 36%2c41.6851429 36%2c40.5714286 C36%2c37.4854286 38.4535641%2c35 41.5%2c35 C44.5464359%2c35 47%2c37.4854286 47%2c40.5714286 C47%2c41.6851429 46.6826923%2c42.7142857 46.1329744%2c43.5714286 L46.1538462%2c43.5714286 Z M41.4294872%2c39 C40.6150641%2c39 39.9487179%2c39.675 39.9487179%2c40.5 C39.9487179%2c41.325 40.6150641%2c42 41.4294872%2c42 C42.2439103%2c42 42.9102564%2c41.325 42.9102564%2c40.5 C42.9102564%2c39.675 42.2439103%2c39 41.4294872%2c39 L41.4294872%2c39 Z' id='Location-white'%3e%3c/path%3e %3c/g%3e %3c/svg%3e)
