Best places to visit in Andaman|Havelock|Port Blair|Baratang|Scuba Diving|

a) Cellular Jail - The Cellular Jail or Kaala Paani is one of the most popular places to visit in Port Blair. Here, you can take a trip through the Jail to see the architectural marvel it is. They take you through the jail blocks and the assassination chambers, where the Indian freedom fighters were exiled, tortured and imprisoned by the Britishers. It is known to be one of the most gruesome jails to have existed. It is estimated that a total of 80,000 people were prisoned during the British Raj, out of which hardly any survived due to the torture. Along with the tour, another famous thing to do here is the Light and Sound show. It will leave you teary-eyed and fill you with patriotism to see the historic struggle of Indian freedom fighters. It's a very thoughtful and soulful narration by a Peepal Tree which witnessed all the tortures done in the inner walls of the jail. The voice is of the very famous Bollywood actor Om Puri. There are two shows daily which are scheduled at 6 pm and 7.15pm in Hindi except on Monday, Wednesday and Friday when the latter show is in English. The tickets cost Rs 30 for Indians and Rs 100 for Foreigners. You have extra charges for camera recording.

d) Ross Island - Officially known as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, it can be reached by a ferry from Aberdeen Jetty in Port Blair. It takes an hour to reach this secluded island. There are regular ferries which start from 8.30am until 2.30pm. The ferry ride costs Rs 75 per person for a return trip. You can enjoy this then colonial capital of the British and witness an old church and a bakery from those times. This island is also famous for snorkelling and glass bottom boat rides which are conducted by Government officials. Since it is a naval base as well, you might be required to sign in and out in the register on entry and exit.

f) Wandoor (Jolly Buoy Island and Red Skin Island) - A tiny scenic village located at the southern tip of Andaman, houses the well-known Jolly Buoy and Red Skin Island. These are open six months in a year, alternatively. Regular boat services run from Port Blair to these islands (takes around 1-2 hours). The trip costs Rs 750 per person + Rs 50 for a permit and Rs 20 for a camera. We had gone to Red Skin Island. Both these islands are known for snorkelling. Scuba diving is not permitted here. Government-assigned swimmers conduct snorkelling. (Well, after taking the snorkelling tour, my instructor told me that he didn't know how to swim!! That shocked me quite a bit because I went up to 10 feet deep with him!! Haha. But we were given tubes and life jackets, so nothing to fear, just warning you guys ????). The tour depends on how far you want to go, and the prices range from Rs 500 to Rs 1500. If you do not wish to do the tour, there are glass bottom boats as well (costs around Rs 500), which take you deep into the ocean, and of course, it is so clear, you can easily spot the marine life below. The sea life you can witness here include - colour changing corals (when you rub them they change their colour), mushroom coral, sea cucumber, clown fish (Nemo), tigerfish, jellyfish and lots more. A piece of quick advice, carry enough food and water with you as it does not have any restaurants or eateries here. Also, the changing rooms aren't too well equipped or easy to access. (We found a quiet place and changed in the woods).

Radhanagar Beach - The most famous spot in Havelock is the Radhanagar Beach. It is considered as the 8th most spectacular beach in the world!! There are a lot of amazing wooden beach hut style resorts (we were put up in TSG Blue Resort in Havelock). You need to stay here for a minimum of 3 days to give it complete justice. The beaches are so relaxing and spectacular that you don't feel like doing anything else, but laze!! Another thing to do here is S CUBA DIVING!! This place is a treat for marine lovers!! There are multiple diving spots to choose from, and all of them are SSI and PADI recognized divers. The dive costs a minimum of Rs 3500 for 30 minutes. The cost increases depending on your time. We chose the 30-minute dive as it was our first time. The price includes all the diving equipment, costume, a video of your dive along with some fantastic pictures. We then started our beautiful sea life journey. You can get to see baby sharks, jellyfish, octopus, sea cucumber, starfish, a variety of fishes, corals and lots more. If you wish to become a certified diver (SSI and PADI recognized), Havelock has various courses as well. These courses are for a minimum of 7 days, and the costs start from Rs 30,000 onwards. It is worth it, if you love scuba and can continuously do it for seven days. It usually involves two dips a day. One during the day and one at night for training. (The night dip is very mesmerizing!!).

The largest town in Andaman, it is located at 290km by road and 180km by sea from Port Blair (around 8 hours). You can get here, by helicopter rides, boat or by road. The best being the helicopter and worst being by road. The bus journey can get very tiring and takes around 12 hours. Also, you cross the tribal area, which makes a bit risky. Also, if you go towards this side of Andaman, then it gets quite challenging to cover the other locations, but it's worth it. Diglipur is known for Ramnagar and Kalipur beach. It is very similar and as scenic as the other beaches mentioned above. But one striking difference and my favourite is the turtle nesting. The best time to witness this is between November end to March mid. The beaches are not very swimming friendly as they are quite rocky. Another thing to do in Diglipur is the Saddle Peak mountain. It is known for bird watching and has got beautiful nature hike trails.

Located at 135 km from Port Blair, this island houses the only active volcano in South East Asia. As the name suggests, the island is barren and uninhabited by humans. It is said to have last erupted in 2005. You can get here by hiring a ferry from Port Blair, which takes you to the Island. Indians can enter the island for a while, however, foreign nationals need to be on the boat, and the boat encircles the island three times and gets you back. Another exciting way to see the island is by hiring a sea plane from Port Blair (my recommendation). You get to see the volcano and the island from the top, which is a sight not to be missed! The tickets for the plane cost from Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 15,000.

This island which lies between South and Middle Andaman has beautiful beaches, mangrove creeks, mud-volcanoes, and limestone caves. Limestone caves can be explored with the permission of the Forest Department at Baratang and proper local guidance. It is located at 100kms from Port Blair. Regular boat services run from the Port Blair jetty. From Baratang island (Nilambur Jetty) Lime Stone Caves are half an hour boat ride through a wide creek which leads to Nayadera Jetty and a further one and half km walk through the tropical forest. There is a boardwalk winding its way through mangroves from the main creek to Nayadera Jetty for about 240 meters. Tourists either may directly reach by boat or walk through the boardwalk to reach the jetty. Some caves are so dense, deep and dark inside that you need to light a torch to be able to see anything. Also, it may get slippery inside the caves, so it is advisable to come in floaters or shoes. Another attraction is the mud volcanoes. Mud Volcano is approachable by road from Nilambur Jetty. One must reach up to Jarawa creek by vehicle. From Jarawa Creek, Mud volcano is at a walkable distance of 250-300 meters. A mud volcano is created by natural gases emitted by decaying organic matter underground. As the mud is pushed upwards by the gas, it deposits and hardens above the ground. As more mud oozes out and spills over the edge, it grows, gradually forming a miniature volcano with rich, creamy mud crater at the top. It is a very unique thing to witness!!

This island which lies between South and Middle Andaman has beautiful beaches, mangrove creeks, mud-volcanoes, and limestone caves. Limestone caves can be explored with the permission of the Forest Department at Baratang and proper local guidance. It is located at 100kms from Port Blair. Regular boat services run from the Port Blair jetty. From Baratang island (Nilambur Jetty) Lime Stone Caves are half an hour boat ride through a wide creek which leads to Nayadera Jetty and a further one and half km walk through the tropical forest. There is a boardwalk winding its way through mangroves from the main creek to Nayadera Jetty for about 240 meters. Tourists either may directly reach by boat or walk through the boardwalk to reach the jetty. Some caves are so dense, deep and dark inside that you need to light a torch to be able to see anything. Also, it may get slippery inside the caves, so it is advisable to come in floaters or shoes. Another attraction is the mud volcanoes. Mud Volcano is approachable by road from Nilambur Jetty. One must reach up to Jarawa creek by vehicle. From Jarawa Creek, Mud volcano is at a walkable distance of 250-300 meters. A mud volcano is created by natural gases emitted by decaying organic matter underground. As the mud is pushed upwards by the gas, it deposits and hardens above the ground. As more mud oozes out and spills over the edge, it grows, gradually forming a miniature volcano with rich, creamy mud crater at the top. It is a very unique thing to witness!!