Planning for a trip to the Maldives or Indonesia or lets take Thailand as an example???? Hold on a little bit….. At the end of this blog, you never know you may want to change the destination. Have you ever thought or planned for an Andaman trip? If not, then this blog is for you..
Situated in the Bay of Bengal in between the topography of India, Myanmar & Thailand there are roughly 300 islands which are known for their palm-lined, white-sand beaches, mangroves and tropical rainforests. This hidden piece of gem has been one of the most exotic and favored honeymoon destination for many years as of now, especially for the Indians.
The Union Territory has everything starting from its rich history and culture to one of the best beaches in the Asian subcontinent it does provide a remarkable experience for the backpackers and honeymooners.
With the Covid pandemic still not over, we planned a trip to this magical land with a lot of uncertainty in mind, but after completing the trip we can say that it was one of the best decisions we ever took. We stayed for 8 nights and 9 days covering places like Port Blair (Capital city of Andaman), North Bay Island, Ross Island, Havelock Island & Neil Island. We did not visit the Nicobar Islands. FYI we did not hire any Travel agent or company, we planned everything by ourselves.
Andamans is also quite famous for its tribal communities like Jadawas, Sentelense, Nicobarese who are residing in this island for 100 of years and kept far apart from our normal human livelihood. We could not pay a visit to these islands as they are still not open for tourists due to Covid 19. In this blog, we will cover our entire itinerary, including hotels, places we visited and few very important tips which will be helpful if you are planning to visit Andamans soon.
How to reach
From India to reach the islands, you have to either take a cruise or you have to reach by airways. Regular flights from Kolkata and Chennai fly across to Andamans. We booked Indigo this time around from the Kolkata International Airport.
Best time to plan Andaman trip
Andaman being a tropical island, it remains hot and humid throughout the year. The best time to visit is between mid November till the end of January. It does not have any winter season, moreover the locals say that it rains at any point of time. In short try to avoid the summer months as the heat will be unbearable and also avoid the rainy season as during that period the ferry services are put to a halt.
Andaman trip Day 1
Our flight was around 9:15 AM and it takes approximately 2 hours to reach Port Blair. Once we have landed, we hired a cab and reached our hotel Salt Life which was situated close to the Haddo Jetty. The hotel provided only bed and breakfast with no inhouse restaurant facility. We chose this hotel because it was closer to the Haddo Jetty ,almost walking distance and our cruise will arrive and depart from this jetty only while moving from one island to the other.
The hotel only had 6 rooms, and we saw only one staff and the manager during our entire stay for 3 nights in the hotel. The hotel charged around Rs 2300-2400 with breakfast. The hotel is almost 3,4 kms away from the main Aberdeen bajar. If you want you can get hotels at much lesser price closer to the main Bazar or closer to the Cellular Jail.
Tips 1 : One thing we would like to tell you upfront is that the Andaman’s is not a cheap/budget oriented place. Even if you travel on a budget minimum per head cost would be Rs 35-40 thousand per head if you really want to explore the island and do all the water activities which the island is famous for. Also hire a scooty once you land, as the transport costs are quite high.
We travelled at the end of January and it was fuming hot during the day time. Once we checked in to our hotel, we got freshen up and immediately went out to have our lunch and visit the famous Cellular Jail (it closes at 4 pm). We went to a famous restaurant to have our lunch in Port Blair called Anju Coco (Cost for two Rs 1000-1200)located in the Aberdeen Market. Nothing remarkable about it, worth mentioning we felt
Tips 2 : Get a BSNL sim card as hardly you will get internet or net coverage in the islands. Vodafone users might get no service coverage as well. Airtel/BSNL will have network but very limited.
Cellular Jail Tour
The Cellular Jail aka Kalapani is a must visit if you are travelling to the Andamans.
The Jail is open on all days except on Mondays and national holidays.
- Timings: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. & 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Light and Sound Show timings are 6:00 p.m. ( Hindi) and 7:15 p.m. (English).
The ticket price is Rs 60 per head which you will get over the counter once you reach. There is a small park just opposite to the Jail which you can visit once the tour is completed. Not sure about the ticket price for light and sound show as we skipped it.
Once you enter the cellular jail, do hire a guide which costed us Rs 200 per couple, as that would make more sense rather than roaming around different places not knowing the importance of every place. Cellular Jail of Port Blair was an iconic colonial prison in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was here where many Indian political prisoners were exiled to and executed by the British before independence. What was used to torture prisoners in the past, is a national memorial monument today. The heinous torture the Britishers did to the Indian freedom fighters would send a chill to the spine of every human being.
Out of all the wings we only could visit one of them, as most of the wings were destroyed during the World war bombings. The place has a separate section for one of the most iconic freedom fighters of India, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
We took rest for the remaining part of the evening at leisure. Later we went to the Marina Park for a walk.
Tip : If you want to have a full course meal at a cheaper price there are many restaurants available in Port Blair. However there was this Restaurant called Adi Bengali Hotel which was worth mentioning. A Chicken thali would cost you Rs 220 and it was delicious.
Andaman trip Day 2
On our next day we planned a tour to the famous North Bay and Ross Island. Take an auto and get down to the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex. As there are very less boats available and there is always a huge rush, we would advise you to talk to the hotel a day in advance and book the tour.
Upon reaching the jetty, you have to take a boat to go to the Ross Island. The cost per head for the boat was Rs 750 per person. In the Ross Island, the tour timings will be for one hour only and not more than that.
Tip : Upon reaching the jetty many agents might approach to tell you to go for water activities like Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Parasailing etc. Do not go for Scuba Diving or Snorkeling in North Bay as the best spot for Scuba & snorkeling is Havelock Island. So don’t spend your money there. Always carry one pair of shorts and tshirt with a towel along with you as everytime you want to do a water activity you have to rent it from the local stores which will cost you Rs 100-200, cost of locker is seperate. Avoid the glass bottom ride as you won’t be able to spot any fishes around.
We did the Parasailing which costed us Rs 3000/head and snorkeling at Rs 1000/head. You can avoid the snorkeling activity and can opt it in Elephanta Beach in Havelock at a much cheaper price with a better coral view.
Coming back to Ross Island, as soon as you enter the island you will be able to see deers and peacocks roaming freely on the island. You can touch the deers as well, but be a little careful especially with the ones which has big antlers.
The Official buildings of the Britishers were located in this island. The place is completely devastated with the bombings and now you can only see the ruin of the place. You can see their administrative offices, hospitals, church, bakery, store houses etc. The place is beautiful. You can hire a golf car to roam around or you can just walk which we opted for.
Tip : If you are walking, there is this path which leads down from the church to the exit way, take a right from the church, you will notice that there is a small staircase which leads down to a small beach. The view is heavenly. Do thank us later
From there, we went down to the North Bay Island. Most of the water activities are done in this place till 4pm. We opted for the parasailing first. There are many counters in this small island with locker facilities. Upon getting changed, we went for parasailing, in a speed boat. The speed boat gushing over the waters with a speed of 120-150 km/hr is one thrilling experience. Upon reaching the middle of the ocean, we were tied up to the huge parachute and away we went….. This was one of the best experience we ever had, looking over the magnificent blue water from the top was a view we cannot ever forget. The entire ride was for 3 minutes. Do try to do it, it’s worth the money.
Once we completed we had lunch in the island and we went for snorkeling. We saw many fishes and corals in the shore dive that we did. The guides are quite skillful, do request them to click a picture of yours with the snorkeling gear on and take it via whatsapp for memories.
Tip : There is a lighthouse nearby where you have to trek for 20,30 minutes. If you have time definitely go and visit the place. This same lighthouse features in the 20 rupees currency note of India which many people don’t know.
Once we completed snorkeling, we headed back to our boat and went back to the jetty where our cab was waiting for us.
The North Bay and Ross Island will take almost the entire day of yours, so plan accordingly.
From there we went to watch the sunset in a place called Chidiya Tapu. During the evening, many birds flock to this area, hence the name Chidiya Tapu. The drive to the beach was beautiful as well. Do try the local kulfi there, its yummy.
Andaman trip Day 3
The next day we woke up at 4 AM in the morning as our cruise was at 6:15 AM to Havelock. We booked the royal cabin at the Green Ocean 1 cruise for the Andaman trip which was around Rs 2,500 per head.
There are two famous cruises which operate from island to island, one of them is the Green Ocean and the other one is Makkruz. You can also opt for Govt. ferries but getting a ticket in them will be tough as the locals operate in them and you have to book the tickets one day in advance as well from the counter, however the cost is quite low compared to Private operators.
Unlike Makkruz, Green Ocean allows travelers to go up to the deck which is quite an experience. We stood in the deck throughout the journey of 2 hours watching the blue waters as it creates a white layer of foam when the cruise was rushing along the way. We saw plenty of flying fishes which was awesome. There is a small cafeteria in the deck and they play some peppy songs to cheer you along the way as well.
We reached Havelock Island at around 9:30 AM. For this Andaman trip, we booked for ourselves the hotel SeaShell which was around Rs 7000+Tax (18%) per night with breakfast. The hotel was around 200 meters from the Jetty. We will provide a detailed review of the place in another blog. Do check out for that.
Upon checking in we took some rest and then we went out to see the beautiful white sand Radhanagar Beach. Radhanagar Beach is ranked as one of the best beaches in Asian subcontinent. Dotted with palm trees, the beach offers tourists a tranquil ambience to relax and unwind amidst nature.
We spent the remaining day at leisure.
Tip : There are plenty of Restaurants nearby the Havelock main market. Some offer free pick up and drop facilities also, do check them out.
Andaman trip Day 4
The next day we hired the same auto driver and we went to Elephanta Beach. Do not miss this place if you are travelling to Havelock Island. There are two ways you can reach the Elephanta Beach, one by speed boat which costs 750-850 rupees per head and the other way to reach will be via a trek through the jungle. If you are not with elderly people, definitely opt for the trek through the jungle, as it was one of the best experience we ever had. Upon the entrance you can opt for a guide which will take Rs 500 for the entire trek. The entire trip was around 3.6 km up and down. You can definitely opt for the trek without a guide but then you have to closely follow some other troops along the way else there are high probabilities you might get lost in the dense forest.
At the beginning of the trek, you will find few houses in the village, but after covering some distance, you will find yourself in the middle of a dense forest. The trail along the way was beautiful with huge trees standing tall on both sides of the path. You can hear different species of birds chirping and different varieties of lizards. Our guide explained to us the names of the different species of trees as well and what are the medicinal value of these plants. The experience was both exciting and thrilling.
After some more trekking we found ourselves in the middle of a mangrove forest with our knees submerged under water. The experience was sublime as we saw plenty of live sea shells, moluscs, crabs, small fishes which entered during high tide from the nearby ocean in the jungle. The guide told when its low tide the water once again goes back to the sea from where it came from.
Tips : If you are planning to trek, wear shorts and carry sandals with you.
Now comes the best part, once you cover the trail, all of a sudden you will come across one of the best beaches we have ever seen so far in the trip. The water was crystal clear and blue and the entire beach was covered with white sand with different variety of trees around. There were literally no one except us and it was definitely a place where we would suggest everyone to click their best pictures.
If you walk a little bit to the left, it has the main beach area which has all the small eateries, shops, and where all the sports activities were taking place. You can try the snorkeling here, however as we have done it in North Bay we did not opt for it. Rather we changed our clothes and had a gala time taking a dip in the ocean finally after 4 days. We had a blast there and the water was clean and safe.
From there we headed back to the main road through the jungle which was another 1.8 km walk. The walk is not so difficult as most of the way it was plain surface expect few places where you have to climb up and down a little bit. While we were heading back we saw plenty of rare species of birds and one giant snake standing tall in our way.
It was an absolutely wonderful trek, and if you are in Andamans do definitely go for it.
From there we went to a place called “Something Different” which was beautiful pub on the beach which offers Happy hours on drinks from 4-6pm and their food is amazing. The staffs are also very polite. Do definitely try out this place. Do try out their Pizza and Goan fish curry. We also had dinner in their Restaurant. It is located just beside our SeaShell Resort.
Andaman trip Day 5
We woke up at 4 am once again in the morning as we had to leave for Kalapatthar Beach, which is referred to as the best beach to watch sunset in Andamans. We hired the same auto driver to take us to the beach, but I would suggest you hire a cab this time around as it was quite a scary ride mostly because it was pitch dark outside and there were no one apart from us along the road. We sat along the beach as we saw the sun slowly rising from the distant horizon and then slowly the entire place turning red. What a magnificent sight it was, Sigh !! Do definitely visit this place.
After watching the sunet we got back to our hotel as we had booked our slot to do the famous……..
SCUBA DIVINGGGGGGGGGGG 😀
We were super duper excited for this. There are plenty of scuba diving centres in Havelock Island but we chose to do this from a renown centre called Scubalov whose office was inside our hotel premises. So you can do a shore dive or a boat dive where they take you to the middle of the ocean and then dive down. So if you are a first timer, do the boat dive as the corals are more beautiful and also you will be able to see plenty of beautiful fishes compared to the shore dive. Per person cost was Rs 4,500. The total session was for 2 hours including training of 45 minutes and underwater actual dive for 30 -45 minutes. We will share a detailed review of this at another blog of ours. Do check out for more updates. So in a nutshell, if you are in Andamans its a must thing to do in Havelock.
We saw so many varieties of fishes but the best moment was when we witnessed the clown fish aka Nemo Fish and also a huge parrot fish.
We spent the day at leisure cherishing the beautiful memory which we gathered while doing the scuba diving.
Andaman trip Day 6
We checked out early this day and we went to catch our next cruise to the famous Neil island. We had booked Makkruz cruise for ourselves. It takes one hour to reach Neil island from Havelock.
Unlike Havelock, Neil Island was more serene and we found very less habitat. It had one small market in the whole island and there were not many hotels and restaurants as well.
We booked the SeaShell Neil for ourselves which was around Rs 5000+tax (18%). The hotel was once again beautiful and stunning.
Upon checking in, we took some rest and once again we hired an auto to take us to the Bharatpur Beach. There are many water activities that can be done here as well , but we chose not to do it this time around. However we did get down in the water to take a bath here as well.
There is a restaurant near the Bharatpur beach called Kiran restaurant from where we had our food. They provided free pick up and drop from hotel at night during dinner which was quite helpful. It was a budget restaurant and we did try few sea foods from here which was quite tasty. Do ask whats fresh for the day. The rest of the day we spent at leisure.
Andaman trip Day 7
Upon reaching Neil do definitely check with your hotel regarding the timings of the high tide and low tide as that might help you to plan your visit to the Laxmanpur Beach 2 or popularly known as Natural Coral Beach. This is the main attraction in Neil Island.
After breakfast, we were just in time to reach the place as slowly we witnessed high tide flowing in. If you visit the beach during high tide you won’t be able to see anything as most of the fishes, corals are available during low tide only.
A short and bumpy trek through dead and live corals will take you to water pockets where you can see starfish, jellyfish, sea cucumber, sea anemone, electric eel, sea urchins and different varieties of corals.
Also there are two natural bridge structure of dead corals which stands beautifully in the Beach.
We hired a guide which you can definitely avoid which costed us Rs 500. We fed few fishes as well which was very exciting to us.
After visiting the place, we had our lunch and after taking some rest we went out to watch the famous sunset in the Laxmanpur Beach 1. We saw few hotels near this beach, so booking a hotel here would be more meaningful as it will save some time to watch the sunrise and sunset from here.
After getting down to the beach, walk all the way to the left to watch the sunset. There are couple of tea stalls available as well. The beach was quite beautiful and we witnessed many parrots playing gleefully amongst the tall trees beside the sea. It was a beautiful sunset to witness. Do definitely visit it.
We spent the rest of the evening at leisure.
Andaman trip Day 8
We checked out from our hotel and we headed back to Port Blair taking the same Makkruz. Once we reached there, we had our lunch in the marketplace. We headed towards the Samudrika museum which is definitely a place you can visit in Port Blair. Ticket cost Rs 50/head.
From there we went to Corbyn’s Cove Beach. This is a place where you can get down the water. It’s a very popular beach in Port Blair and from there we headed towards the Flag Point. We spend the rest of the evening at leisure.
Few meters from the Flag point we found an interesting place where there were some roadside cafes and joints. Amongst them we saw a bike pizza stall and a bike barbeque stall. We had a chicken barbeque pizza which costed at around Rs 250. Do try from these stalls as we found them quite interesting and innovative.
Andaman trip Day 9
The next day we checked out and headed back to Kolkata.
Few things worth mentioning
- The people in Andaman are mostly Bengalis and as everyone knows they are one of the best people to be a host. They were quite humble, trustworthy and their food is awesome. We found the place to be absolutely safe and the locals super helpful
- Do not litter on the beaches or throw garbage’s. We saw many tourists throwing plastics in ocean. Be a little human and responsible at times specially when you are travelling to beautiful natural places like these. We want to preserve these beautiful places forever
- In Port Blair & Havelock hire a scooty or use auto as that will be cheaper. Also the markets have everything, so don’t worry if you have forgotten to carry something. Neil being more secluded chances of getting everything necessary are less
- Rather than roaming around the car, try to walk, explore and talk to the local. It’s completely safe and you will get to learn and witness the day to day livelihood of these people
- There are many hotels in Havelock and Neil apart from SeaShell at a much cheaper price. During planning the Andaman trip, do definitely check them out before booking. Our advice would be book any hotel you like, but it should be a beach resort to get that vibe going. Also same goes for Port Blair hotel as well, try to book some hotel closer to the market as it will be more beneficial as all food joints, shops are closer to the market. Also the jail is closer to the market as well, almost walking distance.
- For Andaman flight, book flights well in advance as at times flights from Kolkata/Chennai to Port Blair gets much cheaper. We paid a high price due to late booking.
- Check out our pictures section for more photos of our Andaman trip
Given a chance, we would definitely visit this magical place and would urge everyone to visit it as well.
