Before this lockdown started, I was lucky enough to get away to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It’s the most mysterious place, filled with fascinating beaches and unlike other popular destinations is never really super crowded. For example, there are a total of 572 islands but just 32 of them are inhabited. And some of those islands are only open for survey and research work, so it’s tough for tourists to get there. But I was able to get there and during that time I really relooked at the place. You need to explore the famous places in Andaman and Nicobar Island when planning to visit.
Here is My First Holiday to the Famous Places in Andaman and Nicobar Island:
Day 1
So, I started by booking a flight from Delhi to Port Blair at 7 am in the morning. I thought this was the best way to get an extra day to spend sightseeing. So, the first place I visited was this colonial-era jail block in Port Blair called Cellular Jail today. Officially named Kala Pani, it was built in 1906 and is a symbol of India’s freedom struggle even housing freedom fighters like Yogendra Shukla, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and Batukeshwar Dutt. Now owned by the Government of India, it is a national memorial monument.
Next, was the Corbyn beach, where I had some street food made there locally, such as coconut water, mango chat, cucumber chat. Here, you have affordable beach-side restaurants, and the best part is the walks along the beach. You can do a lot of water activities such as jet skis, speed boats. As I was aware of Elephant Beach which is much more famous for water rides so I skipped my idea of doing it here.
At night, I went to a cruise party and had fun there with lots of music and finally made my way back to the hotel at 11 pm.
Day 2
The next tourist spot was the Kalapani museum, a 3-storeyed building housing a huge collection of archival photographs, rare original documents from Andaman’s history, paintings too. There are some films, documentaries on the Andaman freedom struggle connection, as well as these detailed life size and miniature dioramas.
Day 3
Day 4
I kept this day for scuba diving, but the catch was we had to wake up at 5.30 and go to the location by 6. After reaching there, I changed into my swimsuit and wore the scuba diving costume. We had to go with a trainer, who gave us instructions on breathing and floating tips, about how to communicate with others when underwater.
Some things about scuba diving experience – This was my first-time scuba-diving and I have to say, the experience is one of a kind. Once I figured out the breathing apparatus, I sank underwater and was greeted by this visual wonderland. All around me was this bluish-green colour, peaceful, really silent – all one can hear is their own heartbeat and breathing. I didn’t go into the deeper waters, but even staying closer to the shoreline, I saw a lot of corals, tiny fish, schools of fish.
After scuba, I returned to the hotel for breakfast, and a short while later was headed off to the Elephant beach in Andaman and Nicobar Island which is known for its water rides. I booked a steamer boat for this, and once there I did Snorkeling, jet skiing, and banana rides.
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Day 5
We went to Radhanagar beach, by 12 Pm mostly for the spectacular views of the sunset there. The Andaman is known for its collection of coastlines, but it was the Radhanagar beach that is really breathtaking. What’s different is that the actual shore is huge!! Behind us was this forest peppered with small huts, benches, young palm trees. The shore is filled with white sand and in front of us was the bluest water we’ve ever seen. About those sunsets? Well, it starts out as this rich golden, colour and then fades into a reddish-purple hue as the sun continues to sink turning the sky pink!!
Day 6
We went to Neil Island and Vijay Nagar Island and had fun there. Neil Island is one of the many Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal. It’s a pretty small place, and one place that stands out is the Bharatpur Beach with its coral reefs filled with the prettiest tropical fish. Laxmanpur Beach is better for its sunset views, but close to it is the Howrah Bridge – a natural rock formation accessible only during low tide. The Neil Kendra village is near the island’s wharf, with a curving, sandy bay lined with boats. Off the southeast coast is the Sir Hugh Rose Island turtle sanctuary.
We went back to Havelock Island, or Vijay Nagar Island, or Vijay Nagar beach. Each Andaman beach has its own character; this one has an endless shoreline without those rocky breaches with many palm and coconut trees. It is known as a virgin island as there aren’t many people on it. You can also enjoy bird watching, beach hiking, wildlife photography, snorkelling, fishing, swimming, and trekking too.
Day 7
On the second last day, we headed back to Port Blair by the cruise and rested a while in the hotel. The main thing about cruises is that they make you sleepy. But after that, one last round of fun at Diglipur Island.
Diglipur Island is a beach but it’s used mostly and it is an ecotourism point for marine life, trekking in the 41 clusters of Limestone caves, wildlife sightseeing with seasonal turtle nesting. Usually, one has to take a boat from Port Blair & Mayabunder. Since we came from Port Blair, we took a boat to the Aerial Bay Jetty, close to Kalipur.
Day 8
So, these are some famous places in Andaman and Nicobar Island. Goodbye time. For a pleasant experience, you can book your package with Make My Trip. As all good things come to an end. Soon after, came the lockdown and I don’t know when I’ll go on my next adventure, but you can check out my blog on Staying Home & Staying Safe during this time.
Wow, nice