I always wanted to visit the Andamans. After gathering sufficient info from the net, I planned a 9 day holiday to the Andamans with my family(my mom, dad, wife & 2yr old son). My idea of a holiday is "complete leisure" without any stress of covering tour points. I checked out many organized tours, travel agencies, newspaper ads, etc. But they were all expensive and not tailored to my expectations. Finally after a lot of research I contacted a local guy at Port Blair who has a fledgling touring agency: Sakshi tours&travels. Phone no. 09434272430.
This guy was very clueful & I chalked out a 9 day itinerary with him. Cost: Rs.35K for 5persons incl. high end stay, local travel & sight seeing.The cost can be cut down by 30-40% if one opts for budget accommodations. According to me, AC is not needed in Jan. The stay bookings should be done well in advance(at least 4 months). I traveled from Delhi to PortBlair via Kolkata( & the return too) by air on 23rd Jan 2007. My experience for getting the best travel deal:
>Air Deccan offers the cheapest fare from Kolkata to PortBlair. Other operators I checked(Jet & Indian) charge 6x-7x times the apex fare offered by air deccan. Book the Kolkata-Port Blair journey(& the return) tickets as early as possible.
Check the fares across many dates as they vary drastically. Weekend fares tend to be higher. If you are early you’ll manage 1374+taxes.
>Don’t rush for Delhi-Kolkata bookings. I booked them very early with air indigo for Rs.1100. Four months later I discovered a Re.1 offer from spicejet.
Cater for delays in connecting flights.One might have to put-up one night in Kolkata during the onward journey because the Kolkata-Port Blair flight leaves early in the morning. The return journey can be done the same day as Port Blair-Kolkata(2 hr flight) reaches Kolkata by early noon.
Check out a recent direct AirSahara flight from Delhi to PortBlair(bit expensive).
We reached Port Blair on 23rd morning and checked into hotel Megapode Nest. This is a state owned hotel perched on top of a hill facing the sea. We had 2 sea facing a/c delux rooms @1800 per night per room. The room entrance had a verandah with chairs to sit down and enjoy the sea breeze. One can spot an occasional boat/ship in the sea.
Port Blair is like any other normal city.Only that the traffic is light and disciplined. Our guy had a maruti van to take us around.
He took us to a jetty(a structure to embark-disembark from boats) with a boat ready to leave for Viper island. Viper island housed gallows for women prisoners.The boat reached Viper island jetty in 30min & we got off to take some photographs. There was a small barrack in ruins on top of a small hill. I was not impressed. It is skippable.
In the evening, our guy took us to Cellular jail for the light and sound show. It was heartening to see how our freedom fighters endured atrocities by the British. Its for half an hour and one of its kind. The hindi version is a must watch.
Next day morning(24th) we were again at the jetty for a boat departing to North Bay island & Ross island.
North Bay island is a neighboring island with coral life. Its a 15-min boat ride to North Bay island. There is no jetty at North bay island. The boats are anchored 100m from the shore. A glass boat(with a transparent floor) ferries tourists from the boat to the island. The corals appeared dull and un-attractive. Make sure you change into slippers before getting on to the glass boat’cause as there is no jetty at the island, one has to walk a few steps in the water after disembarking from the glass boat. Also, take along your towels, swimming gear as it is one of those snorkeling spots.
Getting underwater aided by a breathing tube(snorkel) to get a glimpse of marine life is known as snorkeling. They charge Rs.50 per person for snorkeling(incl. the snorkel) for 15-20minutes. Most of the coral was dull or dead, but one could spot bright colourful coral patches in the deep along with school of multihued fish. I don’t recommend going to Northbay if you plan stay at Havelock island’cause the coral life at Havelock beaches is very rich and vibrant. Also, you will face much less crowd at Havelock.
After 3hrs at NorthBay we got back to our boat and were taken to Ross Island.
Ross is a desolate island transformed into a thriving township when the British established a penal colony on the Andamans in 1858. It was well laden with comforts incl. tennis courts, clubs, a bakery, store houses, shops, printing press, mineral water plant, library, post office & was known as "Paris of the East". In the early 40s, an earthquake destroyed the settlements & the Japanese occupied these islands during WW II. The settlement buildings are in ruins along with Japanese bunkers spread across the island. Deer are spotted roaming freely on the islands. Ross island is worth a visit.
On 25th our guy took us around the city to the Cellular jail, Anthropological museum, samudrika museum etc. It was a leisurely day with the evening spent enjoying the sea view at our hotel(Megapode nest).
On 26th we visited Carbyn’s cove beach, the local beach in Port Blair. It is a small beach around 1km across. Not a crowded place. One can go into the sea for a swim and relax under the coconut trees.
Then our guy took us around to the Tsunami affected regions where the Tsunami had played havoc and had left behind a trail of destruction. In the evening we headed for Chidiya Tapu, 26km from Port Blair to catch the sun set into the sea. The exact watch point has been destroyed by the Tsunami & one has to halt a km earlier. The sight of the setting sun was very beautiful. Its worth visiting.
On 27th morning we got on to a ship to Havelock island(4 hrs), one of the 572 islands in A&N. Havelock is famous for its clear waters, rich coral life and exotic beaches. We spent 2 nights at Wild Orchid resort; a very tastefully done place nestled in the wilderness next to a beach. Seafood served in its restaurant is a must for the gourmet. We visited the beautiful Radhanagar beach in the evening.
It’s an immaculate white sand beach with very calm waters. But don’t do too deep.The next day we were off to Elephant Beach(not accessible by road) in a dinghy to do snorkeling at leisure. The marine life here was abundant with pockets of coral glistening in the pristine waters. Havelock is a must for nature lovers and hikers. Other activities on Havelock are scuba diving, fishing and just pure relaxation. I believe more time should be spent at Havelock and regretted not staying longer.
Back to Port Blair on 29th evening, we spent 30th visiting Chatham Saw mill, the oldest in Asia. Then to Mount Harriet, the 1000ft hill in Port Blair. The Mount Harriet national park is an ultra green region with remarkable flora. For the avid trekker, daylong hiking trials fork out to Kalapathar and Madhuban beach.
The evening saw us shopping for shell-based artifacts. One must preserve the invoice as the airport officials can demand it. We also spent some time at the Gandhi Park, a park maintained by regular funds sent by the Japanese. On 31st morning we departed from Port Blair with vivid memories and 1GB of photographs!