Serene Andaman

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Andaman and Nicobar islands was on our travel list for quite some time. It finally materialised in 2012. We (my husband and I) had booked a package tour to Andaman islands through makemytrip.com. It was a 7 day long trip starting from Bengaluru.

Andaman and Nicobar islands is one of the 7 union territories of India. It is a group of 572 islands located in the Bay of Bengal out of which 38 are inhabited. Andaman and Nicobar islands was devastated by the tsunami in 2004. It suffered a huge loss in terms of human lives and geographically too, many islands were submerged after the deadly tsunami. But the inhabited islands have recovered well in a span of 6 – 7 years.

We boarded our flight to Port Blair ( capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands) from Bengaluru on a Sunday morning. After 3 hours, we landed in Port Blair. From the airport, our group was taken to the Phoenix Bay jetty where a ferry was ready to take off to Havelock island. The ferry takes about 2.5 hours to reach Havelock island.

Once we reached Havelock, we were taken to our hotel. We were put up in Hotel TSG Emerald. The hotel rooms were more like cottages and had a stunning view of the backwaters. We could see different shades of blue of the water. The farther the water was, the darker the blue was. And the water at the shore was so clear that it felt like the bottom was covered with glass.

That afternoon, after checking in at the hotel, we had our lunch and freshened up. Then we spent time relaxing at the backwaters. I just couldn’t get enough of the beautiful colours that surrounded me. In the evening, we wandered along the shore of Kala Pathar beach. Since most of the beaches in Andaman are pristine , you can find some pretty shells and conches. We managed to find a beautiful palm sized conch on this beach.

Next day, we headed to the famous Elephant beach. We were taken in a boat from the jetty which is approximately 20 mins to the Elephant beach. When we arrived at the beach, I was totally mesmerised by its taintless beauty. Pristine blue waters and a huge fallen dead tree on the shore which added to its beauty. There are jet skis, and snorkelling options if one is interested. How soothing it was to play and swim in the warm waters. In the evening, we went to Radhanagar beach, one of the cleanest beaches. We just strolled on the beach waiting to watch the sun set on the horizon. It was indeed a beautiful sunset with the sky covered in an orange blanket. That evening after returning from Radhanagar beach, we and a couple of fellow travellers went to book scuba diving slots for the next morning. There are many places in Havelock that offer scuba diving activities. We were asked to report at 6:30 am in the morning and our dive was supposed to be around 8 am.

So the next morning, we all reported at 6:30 am. We changed into our scuba suits. A boat picked us up from the location and dropped us at the diving location. The waters were shallow, so we could stand on our feet with the water level up to our chest. The professional divers who would be our guides instructed us on the dos and donts. They also gave instructions on the signs that are used underwater to communicate. We put on our oxygen tanks and masks and yes, we were set to dive! Each one of us had one professional diver with us. As we went in , I started to see school of fishes swimming by. As we went deeper, I was spellbound by the beauty of the underwater world. Colourful fishes, corals , star fishes , turtles and so much more… It is a different fascinating world altogether down there. Everyone should experience it. But it also makes me sad and furious at the same time when I think about how we are polluting our seas and oceans and in turn hurting and damaging the underwater sea life. For no fault of theirs, the innocent underwater lives are suffering ☹.

After the dive and still gung-ho about the adventure, we came to the hotel, freshened up , packed our bags and were ready to leave for Port Blair. We took the ferry back to the Phoenix Bay jetty in Port Blair. That evening we just rested at the hotel.

The next day was just local sight seeing. We visited the Cellular Jail National Memorial, Forest Museum and Samudrika Naval Marine Museum. The Cellular Jail Memorial museum is a must visit as it tells the history of our Indian Independence struggle.

Next day, we visited the Mount Harriet National park in the morning. It houses some of the rare flora and fauna of A&N islands. The view of the nearby islands and the Bay of Bengal from the park is amazing. We returned to the hotel by noon. After lunch, we headed towards Viper island on Harbour cruise ( a small boat not a cruise exactly !). Viper island has the ruins of the jail that was used by the British to imprison political prisoners of the Indian Independence revolution. It was used until the cellular jail was built in Port Blair. Later that evening, we returned to the main land to watch the Light and sound show at the Cellular jail. With the beautiful light arrangements that light the Cellular jail as the story of the Indian Independence struggle is told, with Amitabh Bachchan rendering his voice for the narration, actually gave me goosebumps. I could actually visualize the story, so good were the sound and light effects. As the show ended, I walked out feeling proud to be an Indian and grateful to the martyrs who laid down their lives for India’s independence. Do not miss this show at any cost !!

Next day was a trip to Coral island and Ross island. We got on a boat and sailed towards Coral island. We could find small corals on the shore. We are not allowed to carry any sort of shells/ corals out of Andaman islands. It is illegal. So even though there were these pretty tiny coral rocks on the shore, we could only click pictures of them. Next, we headed to Ross island – the administrative block of the then British empire in Andaman. It is in ruins now with the roots of giant trees covering the walls of most of the buildings. There are also these deer and squirrels that come out of their hiding as soon as their caretaker lady makes a peculiar sound to call them. That is amazing to watch.

That evening after the tour of the islands, we freshened up and went to this beautiful beach called Chidiya tapu. The dried trees line up the shore and few giant trees that are dead and fallen on the shore. The coolest part is you can sit on the trunk of the fallen tree and watch the beautiful sunset. The sun sets over the hills across the backwaters and sitting on the trunk and watching the sun set is so pleasant. One of the best sunsets I had seen.

The last day in Andaman was so memorable. We planned to visit the Jolly Buoy beach . Use of plastic covers is banned in Andaman but you will find this best practice which is followed before getting on the boat to Jolly Buoy. There were couple of police guys who stood at the gate and checked for plastic bags in everyone’s bags. If any plastic bags were found, the tourists were asked to discard them before they got on to the boat. No plastic bag was allowed on Jolly Buoy island ! How cool is that ! After we bought our tickets and got our bags checked for plastic bags, we got on the boat and sailed towards Jolly Buoy island. We reached the island and I must say that it was one of the most cleanest and beautiful beaches I had ever seen. So serene and pristine.. The clear and blue-green waters of Jolly Buoy was mesmerizing. I could play in that water all day long. The water was so clear that we decided to go snorkeling. We paid for snorkeling and the guys gave us the kits and there we went. It was a sunny day and the water was so clear that snorkeling was an absolute blissful experience. I could see the most beautiful underwater creatures. Just wow !! Jolly Buoy is also a must go in the Andamans.

Well, that was our adventure in the Andamans. It has got some of the most pristine beaches. Do visit while it lasts.

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