Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a group of about three hundred Islands located in the Bay of Bengal is not just a string of Islands for India. Andaman and Nicobar Islands have played a major role in molding India in its current form and in fact, continues to play but as a major tourist destination of the country. Every year a remarkable amount of tourists come to behold the beautiful vistas of the rich flora and fauna and pure white-sanded turquoise beaches. Andamans has all the potential to keep tourists on their toes. No wonder, Andaman and Nicobar tourism has proved to be an asset for the Indian economy. However, the best way to make the most out of these lovely Islands is by booking a tour package with a well experienced and efficient tour operator. It is because the Andamans are secluded Islands where even 2G internet has not been launched yet. Therefore it is necessary to have a perfect itinerary planned and arranged by people who are well versed with the Andamans. Also, the Andamans is home to various sorts of tribes such as the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, and Sentinelese, the Shompen and Nicobarese and it is certainly not a good idea to get lost in their territories. There are many a tour agencies operating on Andaman travel packages. however, the Andaman Tour Travel have proved to be the best in their service. Neverthless, it would be useful for you to have a little research from your side about the tourist attractions in the Andamans before talking to your tour operator about formulating your package. In this way, you can add or delete the tourist spots from the standard Andaman tour packages of the tour operators according to your likes and dislikes. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss some of the most popular tourist attractions available in the Andamans. I will also discuss some of the less popular places, in case, if secluded and peaceful spots are your thing.
Generally, Port Blair and Havelock are the two most common names that you will come by when you research on Andaman. However, Andaman is much more than that and there are so many more beautiful Islands in the Andaman. But anyway I will go along with the usual pattern of starting with Port Blair and Havelock. Port Blair is the capital city of Andaman and probably the first place you reach while on your Andaman tour. The most prominent spot to explore in Port Blair is the cellular jail, the standing testimony of the struggles which our forefathers went through for adorning India with independence.
The cellular jail is, in fact, architecturally very interesting as it takes the shape of a bicycle spoke. The interior looks quite scary as the tiny cells have only got a small opening to place the plates of food for the prisoners and windows are perched high above on its walls that barely see the blue clouds and lush greenery outside. There are also lifelike installations in its compound indicating how hectic the prisoner’s lives were in the hands of the British. It’s indeed an eye-watering moment and when you walk out of the cellular jail your heart will be filled with gratitude.
Aberdeen bazar is another tourist-friendly spot in the Andamans where you can buy gorgeous souvenirs and alluring ancient artifacts. You can certainly spend a few hours here and invest in some goodies to take home which you can either keep with you as a memory or gift your near and dear ones as a token of love.
Chidiya Tapu is another famous landmark in the Port Blair. It is, undoubtedly a paradise for bird watchers. You can spot regional as well as many a migrating bird flying across the sky or playing on the large trees. The happy chirping of the birds itself will make your day awesome.
Moving on to Havelock Island, it has some of the best beaches which are very popular among the tourists. Radhanagar beach is the most famous as it’s got snowy white sand and crystal clear waters. The crimson sunset on this beach presents a unique beauty that will make you go speechless.
Elephant beach and kalapathar beach are other famous beaches in Havelock. Elephant beach is good for diving, kayaking, snorkeling, and glass-bottom boat rides. Kalapathar beach as the name suggests is lined by some back rough rocks but yet serene and pristine. It is pretty much far away from the main town but for the same reason it makes up for a great spot where you can enjoy the peacefulness. It’s an ideal place to come for picnics with your family with some home-cooked food.
Apart from the breathtakingly beautiful beaches, nature has blessed Andaman with some amazing limestone caves as well. The Baratang Island houses the amazing limestone formations that happened billions of years ago and what is more interesting is that both the stalactites and stalagmites are present inside the caves and you can almost spend half a day here admiring the beautiful creation of nature.
Cinque Island, an Island not so common in travel itineraries, is indeed a great place to explore. It is located towards the north of Port Blair, lying between the passage and the Duncan Island and is divided into north and south Cinque Island. It is as far as more than 20 km from the Port Blair city. The Island is not inhabited but it offers a lot of adventure activities for tourists such as snorkeling, sea walking, diving, etc. and the marine life is so rich here that it has given rise to the formation of beautiful corals in different shapes, sizes, and colors all around the Island. Camping on this Island is allowed and it would be a great experience to sleep under the stars listening to the roaring sea nearby. Regular ferry service is provided from the Chidiya Tapu to reach Cinque Island.
The Little Andaman Island, home to the onge tribe, is still an unknown heaven among most of the globe trotters. The best thing about Little Andaman is that most of the tourist attractions here does not require an entry fee. Butler bay beach on a little Island is great for surfing. There are also some awesome waterfalls on the Island such as white surf waterfalls and whisper wave waterfalls. If you love rainbows, white surf waterfalls are your cup of tea, because when the mist in the air comes in contact with sun rays, rainbows are often formed. Whisper wave waterfalls are as lovely as white surf waterfalls but are prone to crocodile attacks. Therefore, do take care to take the crocodile warning signs seriously.
Red palm oil plantation is one unique spot the tourists are immensely attracted to. It does not require an entry fee and you can see and understand the various processes going on there. You can even take some time to interact with the workers here to obtain a clearer understanding of the whole processes going on or even clarify your doubts. However, you require a special permit to visit this Island and also camping is not allowed here. Food courts are available in hut bay but they offer only basic items. So if you are planning to do cooking on the Island, don’t forget to bring the cookware and the required raw materials. You can reach the Little Andaman Island either through sea or via air. There are government-issued ferries from Port Blair to hut bay which takes around 6 to 8 hours depending on the condition of the sea. Private helicopter rides are the alternate option, obviously expensive, but takes only 1 hour to reach. However, the seats are limited and also you will be only able to take limited luggage with you.
All the aforesaid tourist attractions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands make it a tempting holiday spot not only for the international vacationers but also for the domestic ones. Especially the people of Gujarat find Andaman and Nicobar Islands very interesting that the demand for Andaman and Nicobar tour packages from Ahmedabad are so high. This is due to the simple psychology of people that they always find the things they don’t own as desirable. The beige sanded blue beachess of Gujarat are so much in contrast to the snowy white sanded turquoise blue beaches of Andamans and thus, makes it damn appealing for them. Also, Andamans are blessed with a much more pleasant climate to enjoy the beaches than the rather dry climate of Gujarat.