Andaman- Elephant Beach

 Elephant Beach, located at a distance of around 10 km from the market, is one of the most popular beaches in Havelock Island for day trips.
Known for its beautiful corals and exotic marine life, this beach is ideal for snorkelling. The shoreline of the Elephant Beach was largely swept by the Tsunami that occurred in 2004. At present, the existing beach is a fraction of what it used to be.
Considered as one of the unique beaches located in Havelock Island, Elephant Beach is untouched by commercialism and boasts of an environment that exudes a peaceful ambience. Popular for snorkelling, Elephant Beach boasts of some of the vibrant coral reefs on the island and is easily accessible from Radhanagar Beach.
Elephant Beach that is renowned not only for its pristine beauty but also for its serene environs. Enjoy the sapphire coloured waters, the gentle waves, bare trees and the vast horizon along with the sense of being one with the nature on this spectacular beach of Havelock Island.

The best time to visit Elephant Beach is between October and May when the spring is in full bloom and you can explore and enjoy the natural flora of the island.

Andaman:Jolly Buoy Island 

 One among the most popular excursion from Port Blair is to Jolly Bouy Island from WANDOOR, 30km southwest to Port Blair. The long white sand beach here is littered with the dry, twisted trunks of trees torn up and flung down by annual cyclones. It is fringed not with palms but by dense forest. You should only snorkel here at high tide, as the corals are easily damaged when the water is shallow.
Visitors can enjoy the under water coral view through snorkelling, Scuba diving or glass bottom boat. As a standard trip, while getting down from the ship and transferring to the island through small boats, visitors will be taken through a ride and will be shown these under water corals through glass bottom, snorkelling is usually included in this trip. Though this is only for a very short duration . People willing to see more of these can hire a boat independently and enjoy.
The shades of the sea makes you fall in love with it. The place is immensely rich in fauna and corals. The underwater beauty of this place is divine. You will get to see many colorful fishes and corals. 

North Bay Island

 North Bay Island is about an hour ferry ride away from Port Blair jetty  and is a lovely place to go for a day’s trip. What makes it even more tempting to visit is the wide array of water activities that one can enjoy.
this beach is also very famous for under water corals. Snorkeling and scuba diving is available.
People who are interested in Snorkeling and coral view through boat bottoms can book their choices during the journey itself. 
 There is also a secret about this place, if you see a 20 rupees note, there is a visual of famous light house of north bay island.

 

Ross Island

Ross Island, the most high profile address in the indian seas during British raj. 

This Island is one of the smallest populate island in all of the Andaman from 1858 till 1942 was the center of British power right here in the Port Blair.

Ross Island is everything the British could ever want, officers mess, club, a chief commissioner bungalow, a bakery, a printing press. 

British rule from here for 84 long years, it was so beautiful that it became known as the paris of east and then in 1942 world war 2 was carrying out, Japanese arrived here and they took over from the British and today they Indian navy with great love and devotion looks after Ross Island .

Viper Island Andaman

 

Viper Island is a serene beautiful tourist destination 
This place is visited by number of tourists as it has multiple attractions with historical importance and also has mesmerizing picnic spots with natural picturesque environments.This small island derives its name from the vessel `Viper' in which Lt. Archibald Blair came to Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1789. The vessel, it is believed, met with an accident and its wreckage was found near the island.

Andamans: Baratang Island

The Baratang island trip brings forward the tropical side of the Andaman islands. Dense Forest, Tribes, Mangroves, Dongi rides, beaches, birds , caves and trekking. Well, Baratang has all of these to offer.
Limestone caves in Nayadera of Baratang Island are one of the major attractions of the region. A great natural wonder that draws of many visitors to Baratang.

Forest which are the home of Jarwa Tribes, these tribes live in reserved dense forest areas and occasionally come out on roads.Interaction with the tourists is totally prohibited and filming them in any manner is punishable under the law. Police escorts tourists while crossing the forest. All the vehicles travel together with a speed limit of 40 and regular police patrolling happens to ensure the safety of tourist from the jarwa tribes.

The stalactites and stalagmites which have withstood the natural process of erosion over time form different interesting shapes and figures like face of lion,huge hanging ceilings and we also spotted a ganesh idol formation.

Mud Volcano is another over hyped attraction of Baratang Island.The only active mud volcano in India.

The trek to reach the caves is adventurous. The limestone caves remain largely unexplored and it is a unique experience. The boat journey through the heart of dense mangrove forest is simply breathtaking. The boat ride here is a lifetime experience for some.

 Scuba Diving at Havelock

 

 Scuba diving is the main activity on Havelock island other than chilling out, lying on the beaches or hammocks and eating seafood. Andaman Bubbles, Barefoot Scuba, DiveIndia and Doongi Dives are the top certified dive centers, providing good equipment and offering dive training. You don’t need to be a swimmer to do the discover scuba diving. The diving possibilities around the Andamans are vast and it feels that what has been discovered is only the beginning...and even that is pretty great. As of now Havelock is the center of diving on the Andamans.

I headed straight to the boat of one of the diving center at havelock,were i suited up with the diving gear and were taught various underwater signs & gestures before the dive. I was completely petrified, thankfully I had a very composed trainer, who was really patient with me. My trainer was constantly telling me not to worry and that he would be with me throughout the dive, guiding me. And somehow after 15 mins of dilly-dallying, and putting my head underwater numerous times practicing to breathe through my mouth, i gathered some courage and signalled my trainer to take me underwater, and after that there was no turning back, and I finally overcame my fear.
There is nothing like breathing underwater. You feel your throat dry up, and try blowing air from your nose but you can’t. In the struggle of breathing from your mouth. And then you make a conscious effort to try and convince yourself to breath from the mouth. What fascinated me thoroughly was the sound of my own breath underwater, it was hypnotising. We kept swimming, deeper and deeper and my trainer kept on communicating through hand gestures to make sure I was all right with the water pressure. We took pictures, saw so many coral reefs and exotic colourful fishes. After about 25mins of exploring the deep waters, my trainer brought me up slowly towards the boat. The whole experience left me serene and mellow.I was in awe of the sheer magnificence of it all and just wanted time to stand still. Exploring nature is a meditation in itself. The feeling of power that you experience rejuvenates your inner self again

Andamans - Neil Island

Neil Island is still the place for that added bit of relaxation. Its beaches may not be as luxurious as Havelock’s, but they have ample character and are a perfect distance apart to explore by bicycle. There’s a lovely unhurried pace of life here; cycling through picturesque villages you’ll get many friendly hellos. The main bazaar has a mellow vibe and is a popular gathering spot in the early evening.In Neil Island you’re about 40km from Port Blair, a short ferry ride from Havelock and several  universes away from life at home.

Neil Island is a beautiful island in south Andaman district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. The name “Neil” is taken from a British officer “James George Smith Neill” who ruled this island during British encroachment of Andaman Islands.

In Neil Island consists of small villages Sitapur, Laxmanpur, Bharatpur, Rampur (all inspired by Ramayana). Neil Island has a number of beautiful beaches, corals, flora & fauna as well as underwater life. This island is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Andaman Islands. It is more popular among the foreign tourist as they like to spend more time in less crowded places. In recent years Neil Island is gaining popularity among Indian tourist as well. Usually foreign who visit Andaman Islands for months love to stay for weeks at this island.

Andaman- Cellular Jail

The Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani situated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which is now a national memorial. the cellular jail is truly the heart and soul of not only portblair but of the entire andamans.
This heritage of monument is a symbol of suffering and never ending struggle for Indian independence from British rule. The British first began to use this area as a safe harbor for ships and distress and then slowly it developed into the most infamous of penal colony in the history of British era. First gallows were setup in the viper island.
The sound and light show in the evening give a good insight to the history and the tour of the space gives the goosebumps.

Havelock Island

Havelock Islands was a mixture of hilly forestation, verdant farmlands and golden white sandy beaches.

island is named after a British general. Henry Havelock who served in India.

The five villages. " Govindnagar, Bejoy nagar, Shyam nagar, Krishna nagar and Radhanagar "

Beach no. 7 on the western coast, better known as " Radhanagar beach " is one of the most popular beaches on the Havelock and was named " Best beach in Asia " by TIME Magazine in 2004.

 one can go snorkelling and diving at elephant beach at Havelock. Havelock has over half a dozen dive centres. It is a largest island of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Havelock Island is known for its pristine beaches, coral reefs and great scuba diving experience. Havelock is about 30 km from Port Blair and has the distinction of being the most visited island in Andamans.

 Havelock Island is known for its beaches. The most beautiful beach in Havelock is the Radhanagar Beach which was adjudged the ‘Best Beach in Asia’ by Time in 2004. Other beaches that are worth visiting are Elephant Beach and Vijaynagar Beach. Havelock Island is a haven for adventure activities and water sports. Scuba diving is the most popular activity on Havelock Island. The scuba diving activities are run by certified operators who offer instructions as well as equipment.

Andaman Islands

My visit to Andaman Islands, was in October 2015. This archipelago lying over a thousand kilometers out in the Bay of Bengal, is unlike any other place in India. Our flight was from Delhi to Port Blair, the capital of Andamans. On reaching the capital, the first thing you are liable to notice is a much fresher, greener aroma of the place. You encounter peace and tranquility minute you step into andamans as there is minimal traffic and chaos here. We were soon escorted to our hotel, from the airport by car.

When we reached our hotel, we met our guide, who told us how we are going to start our tour, places we will visit. tour. He asked us to get ready, so we could start with the most popular and busiest beach of andamans Corbyn's Cove beach. This is the closest beach to the portblair, a mere 8 kms from the city center. driver to the beach is a stunning visual treat. This beach has with few water sports activity, small restaurants near by and some hawkers selling key chains, toys etc...  we did enjoy the lovely evening  breeze, and the long walk along the beach, midst tall coconut trees, before we went back to our hotel.