Breathtakingly beautiful shoreline, verdant woodlands, incredible diving possibilities and sun-toasted beaches; that’s Andaman, a sigh of relief!
Once a painful Kala Pani, Andaman, today is a popular tourist destination. Thronged for its turquoise waters, primeval jungle and mangrove forests, it is the ultimate relief for a city bruised soul that looks for an escape. Its sparkling white beaches and purple sunsets are crowded by tourists who indulge in diving and snorkelling.
Cellular Jail National Memorial
Not for the faint hearted, as dark and depressing Kala Pani jail continues to express the same melancoly through its walls. A former British prison, it is actually a shrine of the the freedom fighters who lost their lives here or spent painful days.
Havelock’s Gem- Radhanagar Beach
Crowned as ‘Asia’s Best Beach’ Radhanagar beach has white sand, magnificent sunsets and turquoise blue waters to relax and have fun.
Havelock Island
A paradise for scuba diving lovers, whether expert or learner, nothing can stop a restless soul from aquainting the underwater world.
Mount Harriet and Madhuban
A gorgeous trekking route to witness exotic flora and fauna of the land. Also try out the elephant safari and explore the forest the Mount Harriet.
Anthropological Museum and Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
Take a museum tour to Anthropological Museum to understand the primitive eras of Jarawas, the Onges, the Sentinelese, the Shompens and the Nicobarese. Samudrika Naval Marine Museum is a fisheries museum run by Indian Navy has a wide range of islands’ ecosystem, marine plants, animals. Also find a small aquarium that has collections of fishes and corals and shells.
Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex
Enjoy the banana rides, speed boat, parasailing, rowboat paddling and jet skiing as it is the first thing to do in Andaman.
North Bay Beach
Ever tried Sea Walking ? if no, try it out in the North Bay Beach and visit the ‘Octopus’s Garden’! Meet the colourful fishes, coral reefs and other marine life forms.
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
Spread over an area of 280 sq km comprising of 15 islands, this marine park is great for snorkelling, glass boat rides and scuba diving.
Diglipur
Nestled at the highest peak of Andaman, the place is popular among nature lovers for turtle nesting site, crocodile sanctuaries and a network of caves.
Chidiya Tapu
A tranquil little place inhabited by hundreds of species of birds, including parakeets, sea eagles, emerald doves.
Andaman has a handful of festivals that include Durga pooja, Panguni Utharam, and Mari Amman festivals. During the month of October Lord Murugan is worshipped, this is the time when devotees walk on fire and carry ‘kavadi’ to show their respect. The festivals take place in Jirgattan and Hastinabad, which have Marriamman temples.
Port Blair is the right place to do shopping in Andaman. Main market here is Aberdeen Bazaar which is famous for bamboo cane craft, coconut shell, jewellery made up of shell, Nicobarese mats, woodcrafts, furniture to lamps. Apart from Aberdeen Bazaar, one can look forward to Andaman Handicraft Emporium, Sagarika Government Emporium, Goalghar, Junglighat, Prem Nagar and Delanipur. Shoppers can pick up from seashell articles, souvenir items and handicraft.
Winter
(October to March): Andaman does not get chilly because of the sea, hence the Temperature stays between 20 to 30 degrees celsius. Great time for honeymoon!
Summer
(April - June): Summers are quite pleasant in Andaman, as the temperature goes from 24 to 37 degrees Celsius. Right time to plan an adventure.
Monsoons
(July to September): With temperature between 22 to 35 degrees Celsius, Andaman sometimes receives heavy rainfall. Water sports are difficult during this time.
By Air:
Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair is connected with Chennai and Kolkata. During season, flight also operate to Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Port Blair and Bangalore.
By Sea:
Regular passenger ship sail to and from Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. The voyage mostly takes about 50 to 60 hours and tickets can be booked from various transport cruise sites.
