Trip To Andaman (In Andaman & Nicobar Islands)

First Week of April of 2011, Witnessed My Trip To Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N).. On The Bay Of Bengal, Its A group of 394 Islands Divided Into Two Groups. Its Union Territory of India, With Capital of Port Blair..,

It Was 6 Days Trip [From 5th -10th April 2011] & Began From Bhopal With 4 Hours Direct Air Journey To Chennai And Next Day 2 Hours Flight To Port Blair From Chennai... The Aerial View of Islands When My Flight Started Approaching Port Blair, Was So Mesmerizing.. With Small Islands, Their Little Sandy Coasts , Sea And Small Ships Sailing Nearby.. Its What They Say, Is Breathtaking.. :)!

I Reached Port Blair, Small But Beautiful City.. The Hills & Bay View Make The Whole Place Lovely.. I Stayed There At Sinclair's Bay View Hotel Which Has An Amazing Sea View Location.

For Rest of The Day, It Was All About Visiting Local Places Like Anthropological Museum (Must Visit As It Gives General Idea About Andamanese & Nicobarese Tribes & Other Human Settlements Over Islands) And Cellular Jail Complex (With Its Museum).

Cellular Jail Has Its Own History, Built Up By Britishers To Give Severest Punishments To Indians (Esp Freedom Fighters) During Colonial Times.. Its A Huge Structure Which Had Seven Wings (Out of Them Three Survived Now After Natural Calamities & Japanese Attack In WW2).. This Cellular Jail Punishment (Including One On Viper Island) Were Known As "Kala Pani Ki Sazaa" Named After Black-Blue Water of Bay of Bengal! There I Attended Light & Sound Show Which Provides All Information.

Next Day On 7th April It Was Tour To Near by Places By Inter Islands Ferry,

First Ross Island. It Is A Small Island, Situated Very Near From Port Blair. It Was An Administrative Capital of Britishers During Pre-Independence Years.. There You Can See The Whole Erstwhile Glory of That Time With Ruins of Little British Colony Where They had Everything From Church, Bungalows, Club, Water Purification Plant, Park, To Cemetery.. It Was Worth-visiting Best Place For Anglophile Like Me Who Just Love Such British Legacy In India!!

After Ross Island, Rest of Two Places To Be Visited, Were Viper Island (Famous for Its Jail) And North Bay Island (A Place Near Port Blair To Watch Corals & Related Things).. I Did Snorkeling Here & Saw Kinds of Corals And Water Bodies.. A Marvelous Experience

On 8th April It Was Trip To Havelock Island Via Inter Island Cruise For Almost Two Days.. Havelock Island Is Lovely Small Island Situated 55Km On The North Side of Port Blair. It is Full of Natural Beauty Just Like Rest of A&N Islands, Famous For Its While Sand Beaches & Crystal Clear Water... I Stayed At Sea Shell Resort Which Was Itself A Nice Place With Lots of Coconut Trees, Cottage Type Rooms & Its Private Beach...

The Main Attraction of Havelock Is RadhaNagar Beach Which Is Declared Best Beach In Asia By TIME Magazine In 2004.. Its A Wonderful & Best Beach I've Ever Visited In India!!

Later In The Day I Explored The Bazaar Area of Havelock And It Was Surprising To See One Small But Decent Super-Market In That Far & Remote Island. Next Day I Visited Elepant Beach Where You Can Either Reach By Jungle Trekking Or Motor Boat By Sea.. Its A Small Beach But Famous For Its Corals Watching..

In Evening I Went Back To Port Blair And Next & Final Day of 10th April, My Trip Completed With Coming Back To Bhopal via Chennai!!

Some Other Point:

-Tourism Is Generally Permitted On Andaman Group of Islands As Entry Is Restricted In Nicobar Group of Islands. Even Indians Need Special Permit To Visit Latter.. In Andaman Itself, The Standard Travel Itinerary Is The Same I Described Here.. Entry To Tribal Area is Not Permitted Either

- As India Observes One Indian Standard Time Zone, So Its Fun For Indian Like Me Who Live In The Central Part of Country, To See Sun Rise At 5:15am Due To Andaman's Eastern Position From Mainland Indian Part, (It Was Just Opposite In Compare To On My RADAR!!: My Trip To Kutch (Kachchh/Kuchchh) Where Sun Rises At 7:15Am.)

- There Is No As Such Andamanese & Nicobarese Cuisines But Sea Food Is Available Everywhere.. Vegetarians Need Not To Worry As You Can Get Your Kind of Food There Too.

- These Islands Are Famous For Water Sports & Related Activities Like Scuba Diving etc Among Tourists

- Ship Facilities Are Available To Reach Port Blair From Mainland Cities Like Kolkata, Chennai But They Usually Take Two-Three Days To Reach As Port Blair Is Approx 1o00KM Far Via Sea From Mainland India.. So Its Best To Go There Through Flights.

-Its Best To Avoid Going There In Monsoon (Rains) Months Which Starts There Early In May.

-One Better Inquire About The Check Out Time Esp At Havelock Island Resorts Where Its Around 11Am Due To Inter-Island Cruise Arrival Timing.

Andaman Region Is GORGEOUSLY Beautiful.. Everyone Esp My Fellow Indians, Must Go There... Natural Sceneries, Fine Beaches, Colonial History, Scuba Driving (& Snorkeling), etc Can Inspire You To Be There And Feel How Incredible INDIA Is!