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| Vijaynagar Beach Havelock |
Your heart fills with delight when after a seemingly unending stretch of
blue sea, you finally spot a patch of green from your window. As the flight starts to
descend, the designs of the landscape seem to unravel in front of you.
Welcome to one of India's best kept secrets- a treasure of sea, sun and sand.
Andaman & Nicobar are a group of archipelagic islands in the Bay of
Bengal cast away from mainland India. Of the 572 islands, islets and rocks that constitute
the Andaman and Nicobar chain, as little as 36 are inhabited.
With an aura of dense tropical rain forest across the landscape that is
complimented by soft, white sands across the beaches, Andaman boasts of a rich
variety of flora and fauna.
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| Ross Island |
Port Blair, the present capital of Andaman, provides an insight into a
tortured, colonial history of the "Saza-e-Kalapani" and its
transformation into a tourist haven. Ross Island, North Bay Island and Chidiya
Tapu are some of the
worthwhile destinations that can be accessed from the capital.
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| Radhanagar Beach Havelock |
Havelock, a breathtakingly beautiful island, is the largest of the islands
which comprise Ritchie's Archipelago a chain of islands to the east of Great Andaman in
the Andaman Islands. It is the most visited of the Andaman Islands because of
the quality of beaches that funnily enough follow a numbering system for
identification. Beach No. 7 on the western coast, better known as "Radha Nagar"
Beach, leads the pack and has become a popular destination among Indian & foreign tourists
after it was named "The Best Beach in Asia" by Time magazine in 2004. It is a long
white sand beach that is beautifully framed by lush tropical forest and rising
hills and a warm and emerald sea. Havelock also has other notable beaches like the
Elephant Beach on the northwest coast and Vijaynagar Beach (Beach No. 5), Beach No. 3 and
Beach No. 1 on the east coast.
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| Bharatpur Beach Neil Island |
Neil Island is a place forgotten by time. With its laid back vibe and long,
serene beaches is the best place to chill out in Andaman. You can wake up at
your cottage experiencing the sea breeze choreographing the tall, lanky coconut
trees. Just walk through them and you will see the sun-kissed, soft, white sand of the
Bharatpur beach and pristine, transparent aqua inviting you to indulge in madness. You can
also opt to hire a bike or a scooter for yourself and get taste of the
lifestyle in this island which has a vast Bengali population. Who wouldn’t like
to spend some time in the proximity of marine flora & fauna during low tide
near the naturally crafted bridge in Laxmanpur-II beach? And you can always end
your day witnessing spectacular sunset while relaxing in the fine, soft, white
sands of Laxmanpur-I beach.
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| Natural Bridge Neil Island |
If you are amazed by the beauty above the sea surface, you will be surely enthralled
to discover the fascinating world or corals & marine life beneath the waves! Andaman
is definitely the best place for Scuba diving and Snorkelling in India and is also a wonderful venue for
all the water-sports activities.
Andaman's proximity with the wilderness infuses a sense of freedom that is refreshing
and fulfilling at the same time. Andaman is the place for explorers, adventure
seekers, honeymooners and anyone and everyone.
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| Wandoor Beach |
Quick facts
Administrative capital
Port Blair
Distances
1255 from Kolkata
1190 from Chennai
1200 from Vishakhapatnam
Altitude
Varies from sea level to 732 meters
Highest peak
Saddle peak - 732 meters
Climate
Tropical throughout the year
Temperature at 23°C and maximum at 30°C
Humidity - 70% to 90% with a gentle breeze blowing all the time. The
weather is generally pleasant
Average annual rainfall of 3,000 mm
Forest cover
92%, protected forest 86%
Clothing
Cottons throughout the year
ISD code
+91 3192 (STD 03192)
Access (by air)
International
Direct charter flights from Bangkok to Port Blair and vice versa operate
between January and April. See section on flights for more details.
Domestic
Port Blair is connected to Chennai and Kolkata by daily flights. These
flights are operated by Go Air, Spicejet, Air India and Jet Airways.
Access by sea
Regular passenger ship services are available to Port Blair from Chennai,
Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam and back.
There are three or four sailings every month from Kolkata and Chennai to
Port Blair and vice versa. There is one sailing from Vishakhapatnam in a month. The
voyage takes about 50 to 60 hours.
