and a mans

8/8/2019 And a Mans

1/6

Hav elock Island beach

Close This Window

Return to the Andamans

Explore some of the best beaches in the world, crystal waters, rainforests and

volcanoes. Our Andaman Islands guide to hotels and resorts.

by Anita Singh Soin

with photography by Catharine Nicol

See also Brunei Guide | Bangalore Guide | New Delhi Business Hotels | Goa Resorts |

Gulmarg | Himachal | Ladakh Guide | Mumbai Business Hotels | Rajasthan Palace Hotels |

Maldi ves | Yangon | India Spas | Bhutan Guide | Nepal Treks | Kathmandu Guide | Sri

Lanka Resorts | Colombo Guide | Kerala Resorts

The picture postcard Andaman Islands are devilishly hard to find on

the map. This is a good thing. Picture postcard islands are not meant

to be found, and overrun. Sprinkled over a corner of the Indian Ocean,the islands are part of India but geographically closer to Myanmar and

Thailand. They are not easy to get to but then the fun is all in the

journey, right? The arrival is pretty spectacular too especially after

you've pulled out most of your hair trying to confirm bookings on Indian

Airlines or Jet Airways from Kolkata (Calcutta) or Chennai (Madras). A

journey by ship takes 48 hours from Chennai or 56 hours from

Kolkata. That's a lot of hair. Here's an official Andamans site that can

make things a lot easier to figure out. Airlines like Jet Airways

(www.jetairways.com), Air India (home.airindia.in), Kingfisher Red

(www.flykingfisher.com) and JetLite (www.jetlite.com) connect themain city Port Blair to other Indian metropolises including Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi. Prices from about

US$190.

Hotel Contact Information See Slide Show Share This Page

Even though the islands are far to the east of India, local time is still bas ed on Indian time, which means it

gets dark at 5.30pm and daybreak is at 4.30am. Flights land at Port Blair. Immigration formalities are

conducted at a makeshift desk and chair where foreigners get special permits to vis it the is lands. This is

accomplis hed with ease. Permits are valid for 30 days but tourists are not allowed to vis it any of the Nicobar

group of islands. Foreigners wishing to travel to the Andaman Islands by sea will need to get a 30-day

permit in advance from the Ministry Of Home Affairs (mha.nic.in) in New Delhi or from the ForeignersRegional Regis tration Office located in Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai, Delhi, Calcutta, (and at key immigration

departments).

The places covered by this permit for overnight stays are: South

Andaman Island, Middle Andaman Island and Little Andaman Island

(except the tribal reserve), Neil Island, Havelock Island, Long Is land,

Diglipur, Baratang, North Passage and is lands in the Mahatma

Gandhi Marine National Park (excluding islands Boat Hobday, Twin,

Tarmugli, Malay and Pluto). An overnight stay in the Park is with

permiss ion only. Day trips are allowed to the South Cinque Island,

Ross Island, Narcondum Island, Interview Island, Brother Island,

Sister Island and Barren Island.

Send us your Feedback / Letter to the Editor Share This Page

12/01/2011 www.smarttravelasia.com/printer/print.

smarttravelasia.com/printer/print.php 1/6

8/8/2019 And a Mans

2/6

8/8/2019 And a Mans

3/6

The historic building housing the jail

lead down steep hillsides to rocks, hard-packed beach, white sand, or, in sheltered areas, small mangrove

forests. Along the shores are fringing coral reefs where the ocean depths show their wealth of sea li fe. This

is diving and snorkelling paradise.

If you plan to snorkel, it is a good idea to bring your own equipment though it is available on hire as well.

There are several dive centres.

Barefoot Scuba (tel: [91] 95660-88560, www.diveandamans.com) on Havelock Island offers recreational

diving for all levels, encompas sing a range of courses from introductory programmes to advanced levels

such as divemaster and instructor. Activities include PADI courses (for Rs13,000), open water dives,

underwater photography, and speedboat trips to islands and beaches (s tarting at around Rs14,000). One of

the unique attractions that Barefoot Scuba brings to the table is the once-in-a-lifetime experience to venture

out into the ocean with Rajan, the diving elephant. A dive or snorkel with Rajan costs around Rs10,000.

There is also accommodation ranging from Rs150 for a simple Frame Hut, to Rs3,500 for a Sea-Facing

Duplex Cottage.

Dive India (tel: [91-3192] 214-247, or contact Vikas, the dive manager,

on [91] 3320-2616, www.diveindia.com) is bas ed out of Island

Vinnies Tropical Beach Cabanas, and offers diving trips to some

interesting sites including Barren Island and Invis ible Banks. DiveIndia has courses to suit every level of diving enthusias t, including

PADI and SSI diving courses, open water, divemas ter and ins tructor

courses, rescue and emergency response training, and underwater

photography. A half-day programm e for non-certified divers will set

wallets back by Rs4,000.

Also on Havelock Island, Lacadives (tel: [91-22] 6517-7381, or call

Siddarth Pujari on [91] 98700-98951, www.lacadives.com) offers

various dive sites ranging from a 2-15m dive on Elephant Beach, to a

10-50m dive at The Wall. Lacadives offers a s imilar palette of activities for a s imilar price, as does Andaman

Bubbles, (tel: [91-3192] 282-140, or [91] 98452-36747, www.andamanbubbles.com) a PADI approved divecentre located on beach number 5 (beaches are numbered rather than named) at the Wild Orchid resort.

Expect opportunities for open water dives, speed boat trips, and emergency first response training.

Havelock Island's beach number 7 or "Radhanagar Beach" is a long, curved sweep of sugar-white sand,

lapped by turquoise water and rimm ed by forest. Inland, it is l ike a piece of rural India, cast adrift in the sea.

Boats depart on the four-hour journey from Phoenix Bay Jetty in Port Blair to Havelock on Tuesday,

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The ferry leaves Port Blair for Havelock Island, at 6am and 8am (with one

afternoon departure as well) and takes two hours and fifteen minutes to arrive at Havelock Island.

For the environmentally aware and the eco-friendly, Reefwatch Marine Conservation

(www.reefwatchindia.org) focuses on marine and coastal conservation around the Andaman and NicobarIslands , and in the Lakshadweep Islands . Reefwatch Marine Conservation is conducting ongoing research

on endangered marine life and habitats and has been crucial in pushing for protection acts and reform to

help conserve these pristine waters.

Andaman Islands resort and hotel choices are fairly simple. Andaman

Islands boasts nothing more than a few good eco resorts like the

Fortune Resort Bay Island (from Rs5,800) in Port Blair or the

Barefoot at Havelock (from Rs5,500), SilverSand Beach Resort

(from Rs5,500), and The Wild Orchid at Havelock (from Rs 3,000 with

AC). The sea-facing government-run Dolphin Resort is also an option

(tel: [91-1382] 282-411). Most others are "just to s leep" sort of hotels.

An eco resort or basic guest house will be under US$60.

There is nothing that can be really termed "Andaman cuis ine". The

food, like the people, is eclectic. The natives were original ly tribals , but



8/8/2019 And a Mans

4/6

No. 7 Beach at Hav elock

Wild Orchid cottage/ photo: hotel

Indian immigrants from the mainland now out-number the original

inhabitants.

In North Andaman, we travelled by ship to Diglipur. The impress ive

Saddle Peak at 725 metres, the highes t peak in the Andaman

Islands , is worth the long day's hike. We crossed the sandy beach at

Kalipur for an hour-and-a-half and began our trek up the thick, rich

forest of tall trees for over four hours. A permit needs to be obtained

from the Forest Officer at Arial Bay and the only place to stay is thewell-located (but bas ic) government-run Turtle Resort Kalipur,

Diglipur (tel: [91-1382] 220-603). The rooms offer amenities such as

satellite televis ion, mus ic systems, phone service, laundry, 24-hour

room service, and air-conditioning (in some rooms).

Mayabunder, 160km by sea from Port Blair in Middle Andaman was our next halt. There are several is lands

in the bay. Part of the village, is home to a large number of Burmese Karens who were originally brought

here as cheap logging labour by the British. It is a vibrant, now Christian, comm unity.

Mayabunder can be reached by the daily bus from Port Blair (nine

hours). There are several daily buses to Rangat and Karmateng. Toget to North Andaman Island, you take a ferry to Kalighat (two hours,

daily around 9am) or Arial Bay, from where you can catch a bus to

Diglipur. Private boats leave early in the morning to Kalighat as well.

The Government rest house, occupying a prim e spot above the jetty,

is large and very comfortable, with a pleasant garden and gazebo

overlooking the sea, and a dining room serving good set meals.

We returned to Port Blair and left towards Cinque Island. Dr Laurent

Montels ofSurmai Fishing Club (tel: 235446, fax: 246232. e-mail:

[email protected]) takes profess ional fisherman to battle

with line and bait (on a catch and release basis ) to haul in trevallyjack, skipjack, giant kingfish, garoupa, great barracuda, king mackerel, sailfish, marlin and tuna.

Cinque, a great place to snorkel, is uninhabited, and visitors are allowed to visit only for day trips. Cinque

actually comprises two islets, joined by a spectacular sand isthmus, with shallow water either side that

covers i t completely at high tide. The main incentive to come here is the superlative diving and snorkell ing

around the reefs. Although there are no ferries to Cinque, it is poss ible to arrange dinghies from Chiriya

Tapu village on the mainland. The two dive centres in Port Blair also regularly come here with clients.

Car Nicobar, 270km from Port Blair was the highlight of our trip. These are ancient lands and peoples.

Immigrants from Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, greater India and China, later settled here, integrating with the

indigenous people of the is land. Many voyagers once referred to Nicobar Islands as the 'Land of the Naked',or Nakkavar. In 1957, the Government of India declared Nicobar Islands an Aboriginal Tribal Res erve Area.

Even Indians require a special tribal pass to land here.

Should anyone be lucky to get a permit, Car Nicobar is a 16-hour

journey from Port Blair by sea and ship schedules and reservations

need to be made in advance at the Shipping Office at Port Blair. One

has to rely on government guesthouses at Car Nicobar and

reservations should be made well in advance.

The 11th island on our expedition route, was the magical sounding,

Little Andaman or Eyubelong as it is called by its inhabitants, theOnges - a tribe, who, seem closely akin to the Jarawa tribe. The

island also has the tribes of Nicobarese migrants. Little Andaman

offers a perfect mix of white sandy beaches bewitching waterfalls,

creeks, mangroves, rainforest, elephant safaris and surfing. Four of



8/8/2019 And a Mans

5/6

Port Blair houses

the world's seven species of sea turtles nest on the island's beaches.

It is a fragile eco-system and vis itors must bear this in m ind. The Jarawa and Sentinelese have been on the

Andamans so long, it is easy to think of them as part of the ecosystem, equally in need of careful

conservation. Leave your footprints in the sands but tread carefully.

Send us your Feedback / Letter to the Editor

FAST FACTS

back to the top

The temperature stays fairly even most of the year, between 22C (71F) and 33C (92F). There are two

rainy seas ons, one from June to mid-September and the other from November to mid-December. The best

time to vis it is from the end of November to the end of April. December and January is the busies t season.

For more information, the Directorate of Tourism offices of the Andamans can be reached in Delhi (tel: [91-

11] 2687-8120/ 268-7114).

The State Bank of India changes cash and travellers checks (9am to

noon). The exchange rate is around US$1=Rs47. Island Travels (tel:

[91-2192] 233-358 / 233-034 or is [email protected]), near

Sampat Lodge, Aberdeen Bazaar, changes money daily exceptSunday 2pm to 4pm. The better hotels usually change money. At the

present time there is nowhere to get cash advances using a credit

card. But fear not, ATMs have sprung up and are m ostly sprinkled

around Aberdeen Bazaar. There are also the ICIC bank, Co-op bank,

and the Andaman and Nicobar State Co-operative Bank Ltd at 98

Maulana Azad Road, Port Blair, amongst others . Most budget hotels

do not accept credit cards so check first.

For information on tours and ferry schedules go to the Directorate of

Information, Publicity & Tourism, A & N Administration, Port Blair, A & N Islands. Office Tel: [91-3192] 232-

694, fax: 232-747, (e-mail: [email protected]). There is also a tourist counter at the airport, which

provides information about accommodation and sites on South Andaman Island as well.

Port Blair has a reasonable taxi service. Inter-island travel is on motorised boats. Avoid country boats even if

invited, for sometimes the Bay gets wild, and currents are s trong. It is easy to hire motorbikes or scooters

from the main Aberdeen Bazaar for US$3 per day. Taxis can be hired at the main taxi s tand in Aberdeen

Bazaar. The GPO is about 1km south of Aberdeen Bazaar. Next door, at the Telegraph Office (fax: [91-3192]

221-318), visitors can send and receive faxes. Recently, a few Internet cafes have sprung up though the

download time is excessive.

Specialist Travel Agents

Ibex Expeditions Private Limited. New Delhi Tel: [91-11] 2646-0244, 2646-0246, (e-mail :

[email protected] or www.ibexexpeditions.com).

Travel Corporation (India) Ltd. (TCI). New Delhi. Tel: [91-11] 2331-5834-38, fax: 2331-6705, 2331-3320 (e-

mail: [email protected] or www.tcindia.com).

Trade-wings Tours Limited. New Delhi. Tel: [91-11] 2332-1822, 2332-5106, fax: 2332-4005 (e-mail:

[email protected] or www.tradewingstours.com).

Travel Agents in the Andamans

Island Travels. Aberdeen Bazaar, Port Blair 744101. Tel: [91-1382] 233-358, 233-034, fax: 233-051, (e-mail:

is [email protected]). They also do package tours, vehicles on hire, and foreign exchange.Shompen Travels. Middle Point, Port Blair. Tel: [91-1382] 233-028, 232-644, fax: 232-425.

Andaman Islands Hotels and Resorts

Substantial discounts are available at Andaman Is land resorts and hotels during the rainy off season so do



8/8/2019 And a Mans

6/6

negotiate.

Port Blair hotels and resorts

Fortune Resort Bay Island. Port Blair. Tel: [91-3192] 234-101 / 232-123 / 232-112, fax: 231-555, (e-mail:

[email protected] or fortunehotels.in). Managed by Welcomgroup, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, it

is built almost entirely of red timber Padouk wood in the native style. Relaxed pace, nice garden, views and a

pool. From Rs5,800.

Hotel Sinclairs Bay View, Port Blair. South Point, Port Blair. Tel: [91-3192] 227-824 / 227-937, (e-mail:

[email protected] or www.sinclairshotels.com). From Rs5,300.

Peerless Resort, Port Blair. Corbyns Cove, Port Blair. Tel: [91-3192] 229-311 / 229-313, fax: 229-314, (e-

mail: [email protected], [email protected] or www.peerlesshotels .com). The resort is

located in a quiet area next to the beach. From Rs3,000.

Havelock Island resorts

Barefoot at Havelock. Beach No 7, Radhanagar, Havelock Island. Tel: [91-44] 2434-1001, fax: [91-44] 4500-

0106, (e-mail : [email protected] or www.barefootindia.com). Rates from Rs5,500.

SilverSand Beach Resort. Beach No 5, Vijaynagar, Havelock Island. Tel: [91-3192] 282-493 / 4, (e-mail:

[email protected] or www.silversandhavelock.com). From Rs 5,500.

The Wild Orchid. Beach No 5, Vijaynagar, Havelock Island. Tel: [91-3192] 233-358, fax: [91-3192] 230-109,

(e-mail: [email protected] or www.wildorchidandaman.com). From Rs3,000.

back to the top

Note: Telephone and fax numbers, e-mails , website addresses, rat es and other details may change or get dated. Please check with y our

dealer/agent/service-prov ider or directly with the parties concerned. SmartTravel Asia accepts no responsibility f or any inadv ertent

inaccuracies in this article. Links to websites are prov ided for the v iewer's convenience. SmartTrav el Asia accepts no responsibility f or

content on linked websites or any v iruses or malicious programs that may reside therein. Linked website content is neither vetted nor

endorsed by SmartTravelAs ia. Please read our Terms & Conditions.

Content & Design Dancing Wolf Media 2010



and a mans

Documents