Andaman and nicobar islands is a cluster of about 572 islands out of which only 38 islands have so far been inhabited & the remaining island’s are more or less reserved forest areas
Andaman and nicobar islands are quite briskly gaining the reputation to emerge as one of the finest holiday destinations in the world with its turquoise & deep blue waters , silky smooth white and golden sand , lush green forests, unique and diverse flora & fauna along with its remarkable and mesmerising marine life is truely a force to be reckoned with and thereby a dream for all ocean lovers .
Andaman island have incredibly risen in popularity for their unbelievably clear and colourful waters and spectacular marine life and are regarded by many as a world class scuba diving and big game fishing destination . All these remarkable features and characteristics of these islands have greatly attributed to the substantial rise in the number of tourists visiting these islands every year and this graph seems to surge ever since and should hopefully continue the same way for a long long time
All the tourists visiting these spectacular islands generally plan for a trip that spans between 4night/5days to 7nights/8days i.e most of the tourists holiday trips fall under this time span and In that case all these tourists visiting for this timeline generally visit only the southern portion of the andaman islands and people who come for a period of 10 days or more do have a leverage to visit some of the enchanting places in the north Andamans. All tourist generally visiting for a period of 7 nights or less generally on their first day after their arrival visit the all important cellular jail (kala pani) . It is located at port blair and generally takes a couple of hours to fully look at the place .The cellular jail is a very significant historical landmark of our nation from the freedom struggle point of view and numerous freedom fighters of our country were imprisoned behind the walls of this massive prison. After witnessing this historical symbol and remembring those who had fought valiantly during those difficult times to acquire independence for our nation .The tourists after witnessing the kala pani jail head towards the corbyn cove beach or the chidiya tapu beach the former provides an oppurtunity of a few water sport activities while the latter or chidiyatapu is approximately 28 kms from port blair and is a sunset point and lies amidst ridges and lush green forest it also hosts a few great scuba diving reefs that are ideal for scuba diving courses .
Light and sound show is a very notable and popular show displayed on a daily basis inside the lawns of cellular jail showcasing the freedom struggle of our country and all the atrocities that the freedom fighters had to endure along the path of attaining independence for our nation. Every day their are 3 light and sound shows each lasting for an hour .3 shows are demonstrated primarily to ensure that none of the tourists misses out to witness this all important freedom struggle of our beloved nation
Quite close to the historical cellular jail may be a few metres away is the aberdeen jetty & the aberdeen bazar( the oldest market of andaman islands) and both named after the famous battle of aberdeen that took place on 14th may 1859 between the indigenous andamanese tribes and the british forces . Presently from the aberdeen jetty boats can be seen carrying tourists in great numbers to ross island , north bay island and viper island .
Ross island is a small island northeast of port blair roughly 1.6 kms away from the aberdeen jetty and having an area of rougly 1 sq/ km .Ross island was quite a popular and cherished island a century or so ago as it was the place where all the superior most officials of the british empire used to reside .The place had all the ameneties worthy of the royal british officers .It included a huge lavish bungalow , a powerhouse, a bakery , swimming pools , tennis courts and a large ornamental church .Ross island in the past was often referred to as the paris of the east primarily owing to its sheer beauty and the style and the arrangement of its establishments . Ross island was massively dilapidated due to 2004 tsunami. Presently ross is a major tourist attraction and every now and than a large herd of friendly spotted deer can be seen trotting across the island making the place that much more enticing .
Northbay island is another island that lies 3 kms to the northwest of ross island & almost all the tourists visit both ross and north bay island it is approx. 4.5 kms away from aberdeen jetty and takes amost 20 minutes to reach in a speed boat .Northbay offers almost all water sport activities that one can imagine of at andamans let it be –scuba diving , seawalk , parasailing, semi submarine , dolphin ride , jetski , snorkelling etc. Their is a very famous lighthouse at northbay that guides almost all ships sailing towards port blair from inter-islands and mainland india Their is also one notable shipwreck quite close to northbay it was a british ship that sunk during the early 20th century .
The 3rd island in the list is the lesser known viper island it is a small deserted island towards the west of north bay & is remember mostly for the execution of a famous patriot of our country named Sher ali pathan who was a brave and powerful indian soldier. Sher ali pathan was hanged as he was tried on the charges of assasinating lord mayo near the present day rajiv gandhi watersports complex .
In port blair tourists can also visit the anthropological museum , the samudrika marine museum , the kala pani museum , the forest museum & the science centre . additionally their are a few more than decent parks at port blair where one can sit and relax like the marina park , joggers park and gandhi park .These all place mentioned above fall in the jurisdiction of port blair .If one has time he can visit the mount harriet national park from where one can see the entire city .The ocean view from mount harriet national park is simply breathtaking. It takes slmost 45 minutes to reach their in a cab
Other attractive and exotic places closer to port blair worth visiting are wandoor beach and jollybouy island. Jollybouy island is a part of mahatma gandhi marine national park & has a very remarkable white sandy shallow beach and a extended and diverse reef. Jollybouy island is a boat ride away from wandoor and has unusually clear waters with a rich marine life offering great oppurtunity for snorkelling and scuba diving
All the tourists visiting andaman islands have only two destinations in their mind from the very begining i.e Havelock island and Neil island. These two islands are a part of the ritchie’s archipelago in the south andaman and have significantly risen in fame since the last two decades, both these islands are often referred to as pearl islands and presently they are considered to be the crown of andaman islands due to fact that both are sorrounded largely by tender white sandy beaches and deep blue and turquoise waters .
Havelock island is roughly 32 nautical miles away from port blair across the sea and is acessible only via private and government ferries that take approx. 100 mins and 130 mins respectively to reach havelock jetty .The major places to visit at havelock island are the radhanagar beach , elephant beach and kalapathar beach .The famous Radhanagar beach is a marvellous tropical white sandy beach almost 3 kms long .Radhanagar beach is also a sunset beach & is sorrounded by lush green massive tropical evergreen trees like andamanese bulletwood and padauk that add greatly to the scenic beauty of the place , the shallow blue & green ocean is a sight that lures countless to dive into the same Additionally the kalapathar and the elephant beach are both equally splendid beaches that fascinate one and all .The latter is acessible by a small speedboat (10seater boat ) from the havelock jetty that takes normally 30 minutes to reach their. Almost all the water sports activities can be done at the elephant beach that includes parasailing , seawalk , semi submarine, coral safari, dolphin ride ( partially underwater vessel with thick convex glass to witness underwater life) etc .Only one activity that eludes elephant beach is scuba diving .Scuba diving at havelock island is something like asscociating a king with a queen both are meant for each other . Scuba diving at Havelock island is regarded by many as the most impressive and unforgettable experience of their entire lives .The marine life and the coral reefs along the waters sorrounding the havelock island are a class apart and in pedigree right up their with the very best . Some of the famous boat diving sites at havelock island are tribe gate , johnny’s , the wall , red pillar, light house and dixons pinnacle . while the most treasured among the shore diving sites is the nemo reef .
Neil island often referred to as the vegetable bowl of andamans is another dream destination for the tourists and acessible from either havelock island or port blair and there is a regular ferry service both govt and private to and from neil island .The latter being more efficient and luxurious and handling more sailings per day than the former . Neil island is roughly 18 nautical miles from havelock island and it takes nearly 55 minutes to reach their in a private cruise . While on the other hand the distance between the neil island and port blair is 24 nautical miles and it takes normally 70 minutes to reach either side .
The places of interest for tourists at neil island are laxmanpur beach , natural bridge , bharatpur beach and finally the sitapur beach.The laxmanpur beach lies at the northwestern tip of the island and is covered with shining white sand along the shoreline and the water is crystal clear with a rich and spectacular marine life and coral reefs, ideal for snorkelling . Laxmanpur beach is also a sunset point and the waters are famous for sheltering dugongs and humphead parrot fish , both these species are abundant in numbers and can be often seen by individuals swimming at the beach .
The natural bridge is another place where one can only marvel at this amazing natures phenomenon of rock formation taking the shape of a bridge. Natural bridge is also home to a certain rare and large species of bats
Another place to visit at the neil island is the bharatpur beach it is the longest beach of neil island and is very shallow and hence quite enticing and ideal for swimming during high tide . Along the eastern periphery of this beach one can come across thousands and thousands of sea shells some buried in sand others waiting to be picked up by those who admire the mementos left behind by the great ocean . Bharatpur beach also provides oppurtunities for individuals, interested in water sports activities like jetski, snorkelling and glass bottom boats.
Along the south easternmost tip of this island is the sitapur beach also called the sunrise point. The neil island has acquired a great reputation over the decades for its crystal clear and turquoise waters that truely fascinates the countless visiting the place