Vast blue oceans, picturesque white sand beaches, stunning sunsets and an absolutely vibrant marine system– Andaman is all of that and so much more. I fell in love with the place during my vacation and the only regret I have is of not staying there longer. Being on a constraint both time and budget wise, my trip to this gorgeous archipelago was only 4 and a half days long. So if you are in a similar spot or you just want to know which are the must visit places in Andaman then please read on.
Getting There…
I traveled to Port Blair from Chennai over a 2 hour flight journey. You can alternatively take a flight from Kolkata. Almost all major airlines have one round trip flight to Port Blair from both these cities; just keep an eye out for the flight sales, cash back offers, etc to get a good deal. Also we booked the flights 3 months in advance, so if you want to minimize your travel expenses either book well in advance or look for last-minute offers.
As for the favorable tourist seasons, while most will suggest Nov – May as the best time to visit but if you are trying to vacation on a budget then it is the worst possible idea. Almost everyone takes vacations during the year-end and the summers, so the place will be jam-packed and prices of everything from flights to hotels will be on the higher side. If you want to enjoy a peaceful and light-on-wallet vacation try going during the off-season. Also since it’s almost impossible to predict rains over there, by all means book your vacation during the off season and just cross your fingers to have the weather on your side.
Kick starting our vacation – Day 1
When we landed at the Veer Sarvakar airport we were picked up by a pre booked taxi, arranged by a travel agent we had spoken to a few days earlier. We had not booked any holiday packages with the agent, we had only contacted him for our ferry tickets to Havelock as tickets for the government ferry can only be bought at the ticket window in Port Blair. Although we only used the agent for the ferry ride and limestone trip, I would suggest that you need not bother with any travel agent at all. We could have easily saved on the money he took as commission on pretty much everything. Andaman is tourist hub, so obviously there is no dearth of travel agents over there and there is one to cater to every budget. If you want to arrange your travel after arriving in Port Blair you just need to talk to your hotel manager and he will arrange it.
On the first day we had only planned to visit the Cellular Jail and some other local spots like Rajiv Gandhi Marine Park. The Kaala Paani jail is every bit worth the hype,so even if you have very little time in Port Blair then this place is a must visit. The dark history of this infamous jail aptly matches the dark waters by which it is built(hence the name Kaala Paani which literally translates to ‘Black Water’). The jail has been maintained very well and has a gorgeous view of the open sea from the top of the buildings. I would recommend visiting this place in the evening to enjoy watching the setting sun. But keep in mind the timings of the jail (closes at 5 pm) and the light and sound show (Hindi at 6 pm and English one at 7 pm). The light and sound show presents entire history of the place explained in great detail and with stunning effects. For an entry fee of RS 30 and show ticket at Rs 50, it is the cheapest thing you can do in Port Blair and is worth much more than what you pay.
- View from Cellular Jail roof
Though our original plan included a visit to the marine park to try out some water sports but due to a delay in our flight we were unable to fit that in. Honestly it wasn’t much of a big miss for us, so unless you are interested in sea walking there isn’t much to do there that u can’t do in any other beach destination (like Jet Ski, banana boat ride, etc.) Sea walking on the other hand is a good option for people who do not want to go for scuba diving/snorkeling.
Unfortunately there isn’t much to do in Port Blair from a tourist point of view after sundown but we used up our late evenings to stroll about the market and to visit the lovely temple and Gurudwara situated near by.
Havelock – Day 2
Our original plan was to travel by the government ferry both to and from Havelock, but our travel agent informed us he was able to get us tickets only for our return from Havelock. We ended up booking a private cruise for the onward journey.
Also we totally underestimated just how bad the government ferries would be. With hard plastic chairs and an almost constant swaying motion, our return journey was nowhere near comfortable,though definitely more economical at just Rs. 650 per head. The private ferry,on the other hand, was an absolute joy to travel in. The Green Ocean cruise started from Phoenix Bay jetty at 6:45 am and reached Havelock in about 2 hours time. We got booked in Luxury section which is in the upper deck of the vessel and has cushioned, recline-able seats and glass panel sides so you can enjoy the view outside. These seats cost us Rs.1000 per head but there is also a slightly cheaper Executive section on the lower deck at Rs.900 per head, which is just as good. Also, as is standard the travel agent charged their commission on the tickets, which was a total waste in this case because the private ferries have online booking available on their websites, so you can just book your own tickets about a week before you travel.
We reached Havelock by around 9 am and had planned to drop our stuff at Pano Eco huts where we had booked our stay for the night, and then proceed for Scuba Diving.
Since we had not booked any prior travel arrangements for our day in Havelock we had to engage in some negotiating with auto and taxi drivers who were parked outside the jetty. There was also the option of hiring a two-wheeler in Havelock which is the cheaper option if your less than 4 people and don’t mind driving about. The two wheeler’s are rented at 500 per day for a gear-less scooter, which is the standard in Havelock and Port Blair. All you need to provide is a valid Indian driving license and you’re good to go. And please don’t worry about navigating over there because this tiny island has only two roads making it impossible to get lost.
The place we had booked for our stay, Pano Eco huts, is probably the cheapest option available in Havelock. This place cost us Rs.1000 per hut per night. And when I say “hut” ,it is not an understatement. They were actual bamboo huts with absolute minimum facilities, nothing like the swanky ones you have in resorts. Please check out the photos of the room before booking here just to make sure you are okay with it. All I can say is it’s a pretty unique experience for a night and super cheap when compared to other options in Havelock.
As soon as we reached the hotel we dumped our stuff and proceeded towards Sea Shell resort where the Dive India shop was located. There are numerous places in Havelock which provide scuba diving experience for beginners. Most dive shops begin diving pretty early in the morning and close by 12 noon-ish. We reached Sea Shell resort by about 10:30 am which was a little late ,but the people at Dive India were ready to accommodate us. Some of my friends did not know how to swim so were obviously a bit apprehensive about diving, but the divers there really put us at ease. They assured us that there was absolutely no swimming skills required as our instructor will be guiding us everywhere once we are underwater. All the diving apparatus was provided by them so all we carried is our swimwear,sunscreen and a towel. The dive lasted for about 30 minutes and went as deep as 8 meters, but frankly once I got into the water I lost all sense of time and space. The experience under water was stunning to say the least. I got to see a whole new world down there. There were corals, aquatic plants, dozens of varieties of fish (I got to meet Nemo and all his friends!). There was a rescue diver with our group who took our photos and videos while we were underwater which we later transferred to our phones. This was inclusive of the price we paid for the dive. It took about 2 hours by the time we were all done with our dives.
Next we decided to go to Radhanagar Beach and Elephants beach. Elephants beach comes en route to Radhanagar beach so if your early enough you should cover Elephants beach and then proceed to Radhanagar beach in the evening. Elephants beach usually closes by afternoon but there were still a few guides ready to take us there through the trekking route even though it was already 1 pm. The reason we dropped it was because we were super hungry and quite tired after the dive. So we headed straight to Radhanagar Beach where we had lunch and spent the remaining day. Radhanagar beach is the star attraction of Havelock and with very good reason. This beach is so gorgeous , with its white sand and blue water, you will not be able to stop your eyes from feasting on its beauty. We lazed by the tree-lined shade for a while and later went into the water, all the while watching the sun setting in the horizon. The beach was super-duper clean and had a very orderly and peaceful tourist crowd consisting of families, friends and honeymooners. We left the beach only after sunset which is when it is closed down for public. There isn’t really much to do on the island after sun down but feel free to explore the local market or just take a stroll along the forest lined roads to unwind for a bit.
Chidiya Tapu – Day 3
The next day we returned to Port Blair by the 9 am government ferry. Our plan for the remaining day was to ride to Chidiya Tapu(literally meaning Bird Island) in our hired two-wheeler’s and to stay there till sun set. Chidiya Tapu is on the southern tip of the South Andaman island, about 20 km from the main town. The scooters we hired were for Rs.500 per scooter with minimum petrol. The bikes given to us were in pretty good condition. The route to Chidiya Tapu is quite scenic where half the route is forest lined and the final few kilometers is along the coast. The one thing we were not aware of was the bad state of roads. The road was filled with potholes and broken in many places making the drive quite uncomfortable. Though the sunset was quite beautiful to watch from Chidiya Tapu, I think the same thing can be experienced at Corbyn’s cove beach and any other sunset point around Port Blair. Contrary to its name we didn’t spot any exotic birds either. This is the place you should go only if you extra time and nowhere else to go, else you can give this place a miss.
Baratang Island – Day 4
The Baratang island trip brought forward the tropical side of the Andaman islands. Dense forest, tribes, mangroves, dongi rides, beaches, birds, caves and trekking – Baratang offers all of this. Most taxi drivers/travel agents include both Limestone Caves and Mud volcanoes in the Baratang package but I would strongly suggest to exclude Mud Volcano from your itinerary. The mud volcano is just a pile of mud on the ground with a few bubbles coming out of it, which is not even remotely awe-inspiring. If we had included the Mud volcano visit our day would have started at around 4 am in the morning, but since we dropped the mud volcano visit we joined the next convoy which was at 9 am. With the mud volcano included the trip costs Rs.500 extra along with Rs.4200 for the vehicle hire for the day and Rs.750 per head for the speed boat to reach the Limestone Cave. At the Jirkatang post, which is that start point for the convoy, there was checking by forest officials and we needed a permit to cross the reserved forest. Our taxi driver handled this; all we did is provide him with our ID proofs. From Jirkatang till the Nilambur jetty,the reserved forest area is still inhabited by the Jarawa tribe (indigenous aboriginal people). We got a chance to sight some tribals during our return journey through the forest which was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. The tribes are protected by the forest officials and it is strictly prohibited to stop your vehicle in the tribal area or to try make any contact with them or click their pictures. The entire drive from Port Blair to Nilambur jetty lasts about 3 hours. From Nilambur jetty we boarded a vehicle ferry which sailed us across middle strait to Baratang Island. From here we boarded speed boats which sailed along the strait for about 30 min before turning right into a mangrove forest.
Moving through the narrow channel in the mangrove forest was like living a Nat Geo experience. There is also a lovely walkway along the channel about a kilometer long, which is another way to reach the coast. Once we reached the coast there was a short trek to reach the limestone cave. At the end of the trek we reached the limestone cave, which was pretty narrow and completely dark but there are flood lights placed inside to provide visibility.
Our boat driver was there to tell us about the place but honestly his rambling wasn’t very useful. It’s better to read up a bit about this cave before going there so you can enjoy this marvelous creation of nature. The cave closes up about 10-20 meters deep because of the stalagmites and stalactites joining at the middle and blocking the way further. This is definitely a worthwhile trip to take when you visit the Andaman with the journey actually being more memorable than the limestone caves.
Day 5 – Au Revoir
During our journey back from Baratang our driver suggested we make use of the few hours we had the next day to visit Ross island that is situated right off Port Blair. The Ross island was once called the Paris of the east when the British used it as their administrative headquarters till 1941,when it got destroyed by an earthquake. Now it just consists of the ruins of the settlement, partially engulfed by trees and bushes. It takes hardly 15 to 20 minutes in a ferry from Port Blair to reach this beautiful dilapidated island. The ferry ticket rates are different for each ferry. We purchased tickets at 150 per head which was excluding another ticket worth Rs.30 which we purchased at the Ross island entrance gate. We found many deer and rabbits on the island who have made this ruined island their home and are very amiable with humans. I think it was probably the best use we could have made of the last few hours we had in Andaman. We stayed on Ross island for about an hour before making our return. We had an afternoon flight back to Chennai.
The few days I spent here was packed with such delightful experiences that made me wish I had extended my vacation. What made it even better was that I had a great time within a very reasonable budget of about Rs.25,000 including flight tickets, hotel rooms and everything in between. If you are interested in a beach vacation in India, I would strongly recommend to consider Andaman. These islands are gorgeous, clean and very safe. Other awesome places to check out when you are in Andaman are the Ross and Smith island, Jolly Buoy, Neil Island and Mount Harriet peak. But honestly no matter which places you chose to visit there I am quite sure the Andaman and Nicobar islands will not let you down.
Travel Diaries 
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