Explore the best beaches of India : Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Famous as Kalaa Pani wali Jail in childhood and now best known as an exotic honeymoon destination, Andaman is archipelago (an extensive group of islands) in the Bay of Bengal with many of the islands uninhabited, few islands are restricted for entry (because of the hostile local tribes) and very few islands are tourist-friendly.

We booked our tour through a tour agency but you can manage your tour if you book your stays, transfers and ferry tickets in advance. I will explain to you everything so that you can plan your trip.

Days required– 7-8 days (Don’t try to cut short your trip, I bet you will not regret to spend one extra day at these beautiful islands.)

Nearby places to go – I will list down islands where you can enjoy your beach holidays. Choose accordingly.

Other than Port Blair (Capital City of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and only Airport to enter the island)

We have:

Havelock Island

Neil Island

Baratang Island

Long Island

Ross Island

Diglipur

Best time to visit – Here you can learn from our experience. October to February is the peak season for Andaman trip. Package prices go very high during this time. We tried saving a few bucks by booking in the shoulder season of September. We got a good deal with our travel agency but September gets unexpected rainfall and we missed our Sea Walk activity (and we regret it every time we see someone going to Andaman)

How to reach –

By air – The most common and convenient way to reach Andaman is by flight. Port Blair is the International and Domestic Airport.  There are direct flights from Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata.

By sea – not a common way for the tourist to use the ship as the way of transport but it is an option which is much cheaper but takes a lot of time.

How we traveled – We booked a direct Air India flight from Delhi to Port Blair that was the fastest with only 30 min layover at Vishakhapatnam. After reaching Port Blair, our transfers and stay were booked by our tour agency.

Where to stay – Choose according to your budget. Andaman offers you a variety of accommodations from budget hotels to sea view resorts. For those who want to travel on their own, book hotels near airport/harbor so that you can save on transfers and can easily book your day tour/transfers.

How to go around – Port Blair has local transportation facility. Locals use buses to travel around but it is better to use taxi/ autos for local sightseeing. You can also hire them for the whole day for a hassle-free trip.

To travel between islands, ferries are the only way there. There are large ferries which are used by local people for the day to day transport. They are large vessels with very cheap rates. Also, there are luxury ferries usually used by tourists and tour agencies for transfers. They have an AC seating and onboard meal option and live band performances. The tickets can be booked online.

In Havelock and Neil islands, you can hire 2 wheelers just like Goa and explore the island on our own or you can always hire a cab/taxi for the whole day for Rs.2000-3000.

Places to visit –

Cellular jail – This infamous colonial-era prison is the most visited place in Port Blair now. It closes around 5 pm and after sunset, there is a light and sound show on the premises which everyone should watch to know the history of Cellular jail.

Corbyn Beach – Before visiting Cellular Jail, go to this beach. There are water activities to do but save it for Neil Island.

Samudrika (marine museum)

Anthropological museum

Baratang Island tour – now this is one day tour and that too requires a lot of energy, patience and time.

Baratang is 110 km from Port Blair and roads are in a very bad state. Also, you need to wake up at 3 am for the tour. There is a check post at the entry gate where everyone needs a permit to enter that restricted area. There is a convoy system there and 1st convoy starts at 6 am. You need to be there at the earliest.

A little detail about the place so that you can understand why we booked this tour.

Baratang is very far away from Port Blair.  It has limestone caves and mud volcano that is some rare things to see in India but these are not the things that you will remember at the end of the journey. The journey to this island is more amazing than the destination themselves.

Why the convoy system- There is a native tribe there – Jarawa tribe(Negroid). We need to cross their region to reach Baratang and they were very hostile at some point in time. They used to attack people and vehicles but that is not the case now. The system continues for the safety point of view. You need to have your photo IDs and need to fill the form at the check post. There is car parking from where you need to take a large vessel to BaratangIsland(Rs.10 per person). From there, there are small boats (9 seaters) which take you to Parrot Island(Rs700 per person). This boat will cross through mangrove forests. From there a guide/local person will guide you through jungle and paddy fields to reach Limestone Caves. Now after reaching back to Baratang, another vehicle will take you to mud volcano which is 15 min ride. Though it is rare geothermal phenomena, I was not so impressed.

All this will be done in a great hurry because of the convoy system. There is a fixed time for the convoy system to leave the island. Take pictures whenever you get time. If you get time, have lunch there and reach the car parking for the return journey.

The hotel will pack your breakfast for the morning but take snacks, water, biscuits for the journey.

All this will be a little tiring but you will love the journey. Now, this tour needs to be booked through a tour agency as all these things cannot be managed individually.

Ross island tour

Havelock Island has Radhanagar beach which is known for its white sand and turquoise blue water.

Neil Island is famous for water activities, coral reef, and white sand beaches.

Where to eat – If you love seafood, this is the place for you. From roadside eateries to fine dining restaurants, all serve a wide variety of seafood. If you are a vegetarian, you will not starve there. Now because of heavy tourist inflow, they serve you everything but the meals are usually costlier. If you want to save money, don’t eat at your hotel/resort, just roam around and you will find a local eatery that will serve you tasty and cheap meal.

Itinerary –

Day 1

Reach Port Blair by air till noon. Book a cab to reach your hotel. Take rest in your hotel room after check-in and hire a cab for city sightseeing in the evening.  Visit Corbyn beach and Cellular Jail.

Corbyn beach is not so famous as other beaches of Andaman but it is clean and beautiful. Also, there are Jet Ski and a few other water activities to do but avoid the activities here. From there, leave around 3:30 pm to reach Cellular Jail on time as they deny entry after 4 pm and closing time is 5 pm. You will see a huge crowd outside the entry gate. You will need at least 1 hour to explore the place. Now buy tickets for light and sound show which will be of 1 hour and starts after 5:30 pm. Don’t miss the show.

Day 2

Baratang Tour – Book this tour in advance. Ask your hotel or local tour services to arrange this tour for you. If you don’t want to visit this island then you can opt for Ross Island and North Bay tour.

Day 3-

Check out from the hotel and take your cruise for Havelock Island. Just like airports, you need to reach harbor 1 hour before the departure time and need to check in first. You will need a hard copy of the tickets. Taxi/cabs/autos are available at the harbor to drop you at your hotel. After taking rest, reach the most beautiful beach of India – Radha Nagar beach.

Carry swimwear, sunglasses and sunscreen lotion with you as you will love to swim in this blue water and get tanned lying on the white sand. Water is so clean that you can see the ocean bed. Spend a whole evening there till sunset.

Day 4 – Book the Elephant beach tour famous for Sea Walk and other water activities. Charges for Sea walk including photos/videos is around Rs.3500. This tour was washed out because of heavy rainfall and high tides. Instead, we did scuba diving on the recommendation of our driver and felt cheated at the end of the day. Don’t blindly follow what the drivers are saying. Their commission is fixed. Don’t go for scuba at Havelock Island. Other than the sea walk, Havelock is not good for any activities.

In the evening, we visited Kalapatthar Beach there.

Day 5

Check out and leave for Neil Island through Makruzz. There are many beaches to explore at Neil Island.

Bharatpur beach – visit for all water activities. Go for Scuba Diving and Glass boat ride here.

Sitapur beach- Visit this beach for the beautiful sunrise.

Laxmanpur beach is the most beautiful of all beaches at Neil Island. Explore this beach in the evening and stay there till sunset. We witnessed the amazing view of sun disappearing in the ocean and sky painted with orange and blue color. Here you can find local guides that will help you explore the marine species there at a very nominal price. We saw Corals, Fishes, Sea Urchin, Sea Cucumber, Starfish, White and Black crab, Spider crab.

Day 6- Check out from the hotel to reach for harbor and ferry will take you back to Port Blair.

If you have time on the last day, there are museums like Samudrika (Marine Museum) and  Anthropological museum.

Day 7 – Leave for the airport with memories of the lifetime.

Quick tips for fellow travelers –

1. If you are planning to visit Andaman on your own, just manage ferry transfers. Other things can be managed easily.
2. Travel with light summer clothing that is comfortable at beaches and islands. Carry sunglasses, sunscreen and umbrella.
3. Most locals speak Bengali but English and Hindi are commonly spoken language because of tourism.
4. The sun rises there at 5 am and sets at 5 pm. Everything closes there by 9 pm. All trips will end at 4-5 pm daily. After that, either you can rest or explore the place on your own.
5. Book your flight in advance (2-3 months)
6. Internet is very weak in Andaman. There is no 3G or 4G network. Other than Port Blair, there is poor network coverage.
7. International tourists need a special permit to enter Andaman which can be obtained from the airport on arrival.
8. There is private cruise service MAKRUZZ running between these islands. They have their website www.makruzz.com. Either book through the site or their office or local agents.
9. Be aware of the ferry timings as they change from time to time due to weather conditions. Also, in the offseason, there is less number of ferries.

Ratings (it is subjective and my personal opinion)

Destination overall rating 9/10 – who will not love the white sand beaches, Scuba diving, blue water and adventurous trip of Baratang.

Expanse 7/10- no doubt an expensive trip. Costly flights, accommodation, transfers, and meals.

Travel ease 5/10 – neither reaching Andaman is easy nor transfers to other islands. You are dependent on weather and local tour agencies.

Food 6/10 –  This rating is low as I don’t like seafood but the case may be different for you.