Beach or Mountain person? :)
It's a popular question on social media - are you a beach person or mountain person? We were giggling at memes on this very question while checking in for our first Andaman trip - a trip to the mesmerising islands. It felt like a huge transition from repeatedly travelling to the mystical mountains and valleys of Munsiyari of Uttarakhand, Yumthang of Sikkim and a little bit of Ramnagar of Karnataka.
Andaman always sounded like a distant land to me. A place of which I had absolutely no clue, town names which never seemed familiar or movies / documentaries which I had never watched.
The planning started two months back as we decided to book the hotels and do the itinerary ourselves.
Our travel included the most popular tourist places - Port Blair city, Jolly Buoy Islands, Baratang Islands, Havelock and Neil islands. Parrot Islands was a cherry on top (more on that, later). The trip was dotted with many spellbinding beaches and water sports in between.
Day 1: Mumbai to Port Blair
We landed into Port Blair’s newly renovated Veer Savarkar International airport in the peak afternoon of March. The air was warm and our hotel was just about 3 mins away.
After checking into the hotel, we rested it out before our first local sightseeing in the evening. The city seemed similar to the metro cities in India and we didn’t have any agenda on this day. After casually googling places to hang around nearby, we came across this “Aberdeen Bazaar”. The area was dotted with shops selling things made from sea shells and had many regular snacking restaurants.
We gorged on a pizza in a little eatery in some corner of the road called Hot Box and ended up tasting some South Indian delicacies in another quaint restaurant called Prabha Snacks. Interestingly, there are many restaurants that are pure vegetarian, in a land known for the best seafood.
As we went back to our hotel, we started packing for our first sightseeing - Jolly Buoy Island.
Day 2: Jolly Buoy Island
Located at 30kms from the Wandoor Beach, Jolly Buoy Island is a very small islet in South Andaman that comes under the Mahatma Gandhi National Park's Marine Sanctuary along with Red Skin Island, which is a preserved area, protected by the Andaman Administration. Jolly Buoy is only open for 6 months from June to September, after that Red Skin island is opened for visitors. We were extremely lucky to get tickets in March end.
We had some time before boarding our boat to the island and hence we decided to explore the museum in the area. This museum actually set the tone for our entire trip as it educated us about the Andaman Islands in much depth and in an interesting manner. It is here where we learnt about the Dugong (sea cow) - state animal and various types of corals. During our scuba dives that followed, this information from the museum helped us easily identify the corals we came across.
The boat ride seemed slow but peaceful and as we approached the islet, our excitement knew no bounds. It felt completely out of a romantic movie - especially those where the main characters are the only ones dancing on the island. The waters were green, clean and unbelievable.
We first started with the Glass Bottom Boat ride that is unique to the Andamans. This is an opportunity to enjoy the marine life through the glass bottom boat.
We had carried our swimsuits to relax in the emerald green waters. There are very basic changing room facilities but it's all worth the experience!
This site has helpful information about the Jolly Buoy Islands.
After coming back to our hotel and resting it out, we explore the Marina Bay in the evening. It's great for long, leisurely walks and has a play garden for children. Post which, you can always explore nearby restaurants for dinner.
Day 3: Baratang Islands
We had our mini bus ready for the Baratang Islands. The most exciting part of Baratang was the road trip through the Jarawa Forest Reserve. Getting to have a glimpse of the much talked about Jarawa tribes was thrilling.
Our driver had warned us about the strict rules concerning the tribal people - no photography, no staring at them and no waving at them. Even the drivers had to follow a rule not to stop their vehicles midway in the jungle. And rightly so.
The Jarawas are indigenous people of the Andaman Islands in India. They live in parts of South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands, and their present numbers are estimated at between 250–400 individuals. We came across many tribals in their colourful costumes and some even with a bow and arrow. From one of their expressions, it did seem like we were intruding their space.
The roads were beautiful, lined with palm and coconut trees on both sides. On Day3, our plan was to explore the Limestone Caves and settle into the Baratang Islands for a night.
Limestone Caves
The Limestone cave formations at Nayadera and the vast mangrove-covered creeks are the main attractions for tourists in Baratang. The island is well-known for its limestone formations, which can generate intriguing structures either above or below the surface of the earth. At the Nilambur jetty, it's simple to book a boat to see the well-known caves. Mangrove trees cover the picturesque shoreline along the route, and the journey is made even more thrilling by passing through canals that are covered with mangroves.
You must walk downhill for almost 1.2 kilometers after arriving at the wooden jetty at Nayadera in order to see this breathtaking natural feature. These caves have enormous formations all over them that hang like chandeliers from the ceiling.
It was pleasantly cooler as we entered the limestone caves. The boatman guided us throughout as we continued to marvel at the natural formations. He also encouraged us to try our imagination with the different shapes of the limestone formations, which kept the children busy.
Parrot Island
The trip included a visit to the Parrot island - an uninhabited island.
Parrot Island is the only place in Andaman where you can park a boat and get to be surrounded by parrots at one place. This is in the middle of the sea where parrots descend on the island at dusk and fly back in the morning, leaving behind a trimmed landmass of mangrove trees. As per sources, 1 out of 100 visit the place as most haven’t heard of the place before and they don’t have enough time to visit.
The experience here was soothing, fascinating and calming as we soaked in the sunset with our eyes and souls.
We spent a night at Baratang Islands and ended the day with some snacks,roti subzi. There are limited stays here so you need to plan in advance.
Day 4: Port Blair City
On this day, we left Baratang early to come back to Port Blair, to explore the most popular Cellular Jail and Corbyn's Cove beach. There are many other attractions too; however, it all depends on how long do you plan to stay here.
We planned the day in such a way that we could explore the Cellular Jail in the day time, come back to our hotel and again visit the Light and Sound show in the Cellular Jail towards the evening.
The Cellular Jail, also known as 'Kālā Pānī', was a British colonial prison in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The prison was used by the colonial government of India for the purpose of exiling criminals and political prisoners. Many notable independence activists, including Veer Savarkar and more were imprisoned here during the struggle for India's independence. Today, the complex serves as a national memorial monument.
The museum and the light and sound show served as a great learning for the visitors - a time to reflect on the years gone by. The show guaranteed goosebumps, made us emotional and we also witnessed the lone standing Peepal tree that has been part of India's freedom struggle.
Day 5 & 6: Havelock Islands (Swaraj Dweep)
This part of our trip was also one of the most scenic and exciting parts as we took the boat to the world famous Havelock Islands, now known as Swaraj Dweep. Havelock Island was previously named after a British general, Sir Henry Havelock, who served in India. In December 2018, it was renamed, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as Swaraj Island as a tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose.
After arriving into the hotel by 10 am, we checked in quickly and moved ahead for our first Scuba of this trip. Arranged by Island Divers, as part of our Island Hopping plan, this was the most looked forward part for everyone. As we filled out the forms and took the training, our excitement began the minute we took a dip in the ocean and came across thousands of tiny translucent-with-blue-rings-inside jelly fishes!
The scuba experience was of course awesome, as we took a leap into the depths of the ocean to marvel at the beautiful, peaceful sea life inside.
The kids enjoyed snorkeling here as scuba was only for 12+ years of age. We explored the Turtle beach post scuba. After our water sport activities, we had lunch by the shore and spent some time swimming near the shores only to discover iridescent shells in various shapes and forms.
On Day 6, we spent time, relaxing at our beach side hotel resort, witnessing the sunrise, making sand castles, collecting sea shells and playing cricket. Towards the afternoon, we explored the Kala Patthar and Radhanagar beaches.
Can't decide which beach is beautiful!
To our amazement, the Kala Patthar beach water was turquoise blue and we couldn't resist jumping into the sea to feel the ocean.
Since we had to move on to Radhanagar too - the 7th most beautiful beach in the world, we gorged on burgers and drove straight to the Radhanagar beach before it closed down at 5pm.
Yes, in the Andamans, the day begins at 5am and shops close by 5-6pm. Because of high tide and sunset, the beach authorities request travellers to vacate the shore soon.
We came back to our hotel restaurant all hungry, tired and called it a day with some good food and early sleep.
Day 7 & 8: Neil Islands
On this day, we had planned to travel from Havelock to Neil Islands. Going to the jetty was an experience in itself as we saw many (what looked like) needle fishes swimming coolly in the waters. We also saw many crabs and the green-orange ones caught our attention the most. No attempts on Google have helped me identify their names.
The Makruzz ship felt nice with plush cabin and comfortable seats. You can buy snacks on the ship and we bought this cute little book on the Andamans for the children.
Natural Rock Bridge
We first went to the Natural Rock bridge in Neil Island - it is a rock jutting out from the main wall with a giant hole in it created by the continuous lashing waves over the years. The wall alongside bore the brunt of the Tsunami in the year 2004 and protected Neil Island from devastation. In the far corner, another natural bridge formation is underway. The bridge is also known as Howrah Bridge locally, a name given in jest by the Bengali settlers.
The best part about this visit was the little sea creatures that you could see very clearly - thousands of star fishes, beautiful corals, colourful fishes, leeches, etc.
Unfortunately by the time we visited, it was high tide and we had to come back halfway. This page has more amazing information about the bridge.
On Day 8, we had an early morning Scuba at Bharatpur beach and perhaps the MOST amazing scuba experiences till date.
The timing was perfect as sunshine glistened through the waters, making it a delight to watch the sea life up close. I will perhaps need a fish encyclopedia to express what we saw. We enjoyed the sights of brain corals, crocodile fish (tentacled flathead), angel fish, clown fish (Nemo), schools of fish and more. It was a moment words can't express.
On this day, we proceeded to Port Blair for some rest and a night's stay. Leaving Neil Island was a high point of realisation - a hard realisation that our vacation in the islands had come to an end. As the ship moved on, I could only smile, taking back the wonderful memories of the ocean and its peaceful life.
Day 9: Port Blair to Mumbai
Most good hotels are close to the airport; hence travelling was never an issue. We had flown back to Mumbai, to our routines with hopes that we will again visit Andamans, this time with even more new islands to explore.
Helpful information
Hotels:
Port Blair - Hotel Silver Spring & Hotel Sentinel
Baratang Islands - Hotel Coral Creek (book directly for a good deal on stay and boat bookings. The hotel owner will also help with your booking of Limestone Caves and Parrot Islands activity) - Biju Gurudarshan - 9474206075
Havelock Islands - Symphony Palms Beach Resort
Neil Islands - Hotel Silver Sand
Car rental & boat tickets:
Andaman Cabz
Disclaimer: No part of this trip was sponsored.
All photos are by the author, except for the Angel fish species, where due credit is given to the photo source.
Join us on https://www.instagram.com/thisfamilylovestotravel
' 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)
