Trip to the Andaman Islands
Our flight is at 11 am to Port Blair, capital and gateway of the Andaman Islands. The flight was initially at 12:50 but then advanced to 10:55. The boarding gate is different from the one printed on the tickets, but well nothing happens. Before the flight, of course, we cross the controls and that's it, we're going to Andaman!
We arrived at Port Blair at 13:40. We get a prepaid taxi to the port with two more guys, but we do not have time to catch the ferry. In August, only the government ferry operates, at 6:30 in the morning and at 2:00 pm. Another slightly more expensive and faster operates in high season.
We go to the hostel that is very close to the ferry dock. It is not good but it is quite clean and we are interested in its location. We have lunch in an excellent restaurant recommended by the hostel and also some locals with tiger prawns, squid (also soup, rice, drinks).
From there we go to the nearby Carbyns Cove Beach, 7 km from the city. It is not a beach comparable to those of Havelock, but it is pleasant and we spent the afternoon with the new friends. Between beers we decided that we will take together the ferry that leaves at 6:30 in the morning. So we all go to dinner and to sleep soon, as tomorrow we will have to get up early.
Day 2
At 5:30 we go to the port to buy the tickets. At 6:30, the ferry leaves for Havelock. Having bought them on the same day, the part of the boat with seats is already full, and we have to go on the deck. The journey lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes that we take advantage of to read and see the landscape.
The remote Andaman Islands are a great destination for scuba divers and nature lovers. This archipelago shelters extensive and virgin coral reefs, jungles with wild animals, mangroves and impressive empty beaches. Of the 550 islands, only 26 are inhabited, originally by Adivasi indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Although at present most of the inhabitants of the islands are immigrants from mainland India, leaving only about 1,000 people of indigenous origin.
Arriving at the port, we pass through an open-air office. After crossing the ramp, we arrive at the island where the thrishaw try to take us to our hostel. We go to our resort and we arrive promptly. The place is beautiful. In all this part of the island the low tide is towards 12 and it returns to raise and to be apt for the bathe towards 5 in the afternoon.
The little cabins are very simple, with shower and sink, but without a bathroom. The beds are on a higher floor, so it is very practical to enter and exit without leaving everything full of sand. In the central area there is a restaurant, and a meeting place for guests. The bar does not serve alcohol, but they allow to bring it from the alcohol store in the main town.
The beach is quiet, and very beautiful. The trees remain above the water at high tide. At the beach number 5, is where most of the resorts are. We ate on the same road of the resort with rolls, pakoras and noodles. Then we went to the wine shop in the town to stock up before returning to take another swim.
We rent a motorbike to go Radhanager beach number 7. It is about 14 km from the other side of the island. The beach, chosen several times as the most beautiful in Asia, is certainly beautiful, although under the grass and vegetation proliferate plastic bottles and dirt, something sadly common in too many Asian beaches. The forest behind the beach with its tall trees is beautiful.
The wind blows strong and the waves beat in the sand. We walk through Radhanager until we reach Neil Cave, a kind of lagoon at the end of the beach that we see but where we did not stay, since there are warnings that there may be crocodiles.
On the way back we tried to go to Elephant Beach, but we did not enter as some let us know that there is still an hour to walk. So we go back and decided to see her when we go snorkeling there. With the motorcycle, we continue to town 6, where there is a quiet village completely foreign to the tourism of the coast.
We eat soups, shrimp fritters, chicken, vegetable rolls. There we met a French couple who came with us on the ferry and they tell us that they have stayed to go snorkeling the next day. From there we went to the port to buy the return tickets, but they do not sell them to us because they say it is closed at 16:15, with them inside.
We go to the south of the island, where there is supposedly an elephant farm but when we arrive they tell us that they are in the hotel on the beach number 7. On the way to the south we see deserted little beaches of white sand and always, in the background, the intense green of the jungle. When we arrived we bathed in the moonlight before going to have dinner with the friends. We have fish, lasagna, rice, rotis, tuna. Here they also let us open the wine since they do not serve alcohol.
Day 3
We get up early. The snorkel is not good, and Elephant Beach is not (it seems that it was before the tsunami) but we still enjoy the day and see a sea snake! We eat and from there we go to the port to process the return tickets. As it rains we decided to return the rented motorbike. Even so we dedicate to walk and buy shirts for nephews, before going to bathe with jellyfish and go back to eat.
In the afternoon, we give ourselves a Ayurveda massage. And at night we dined with the dignified Indian wine, to say goodbye to that fantastic place.
Day 4
In the morning, at 9, we take ferry to Port Blair. We arrived and we moved to the hotel, which must be the best of the town. The place, on top of a small hill on the sea, is privileged and it is close to the restaurant and the town. Port Blair has a large boulevard full of shops where we can shop comfortably and more pleasantly than in other parts of India.
In the afternoon we go to the town. We visit Cellullar Jail. It is an interesting visit, both for what it represented for the island and for the prisoners, as well as for the type of penitentiary architecture.
The dinner takes an eternity with chicken, rice, prawns but the restaurant has a great terrace full of men who drink alcohol. Back to the hotel, we extend the night in the bar that closes at 11.
We arrived at Port Blair at 13:40. We get a prepaid taxi to the port with two more guys, but we do not have time to catch the ferry. In August, only the government ferry operates, at 6:30 in the morning and at 2:00 pm. Another slightly more expensive and faster operates in high season.
We go to the hostel that is very close to the ferry dock. It is not good but it is quite clean and we are interested in its location. We have lunch in an excellent restaurant recommended by the hostel and also some locals with tiger prawns, squid (also soup, rice, drinks).
From there we go to the nearby Carbyns Cove Beach, 7 km from the city. It is not a beach comparable to those of Havelock, but it is pleasant and we spent the afternoon with the new friends. Between beers we decided that we will take together the ferry that leaves at 6:30 in the morning. So we all go to dinner and to sleep soon, as tomorrow we will have to get up early.
Day 2
At 5:30 we go to the port to buy the tickets. At 6:30, the ferry leaves for Havelock. Having bought them on the same day, the part of the boat with seats is already full, and we have to go on the deck. The journey lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes that we take advantage of to read and see the landscape.
The remote Andaman Islands are a great destination for scuba divers and nature lovers. This archipelago shelters extensive and virgin coral reefs, jungles with wild animals, mangroves and impressive empty beaches. Of the 550 islands, only 26 are inhabited, originally by Adivasi indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Although at present most of the inhabitants of the islands are immigrants from mainland India, leaving only about 1,000 people of indigenous origin.
Arriving at the port, we pass through an open-air office. After crossing the ramp, we arrive at the island where the thrishaw try to take us to our hostel. We go to our resort and we arrive promptly. The place is beautiful. In all this part of the island the low tide is towards 12 and it returns to raise and to be apt for the bathe towards 5 in the afternoon.
The little cabins are very simple, with shower and sink, but without a bathroom. The beds are on a higher floor, so it is very practical to enter and exit without leaving everything full of sand. In the central area there is a restaurant, and a meeting place for guests. The bar does not serve alcohol, but they allow to bring it from the alcohol store in the main town.
The beach is quiet, and very beautiful. The trees remain above the water at high tide. At the beach number 5, is where most of the resorts are. We ate on the same road of the resort with rolls, pakoras and noodles. Then we went to the wine shop in the town to stock up before returning to take another swim.
We rent a motorbike to go Radhanager beach number 7. It is about 14 km from the other side of the island. The beach, chosen several times as the most beautiful in Asia, is certainly beautiful, although under the grass and vegetation proliferate plastic bottles and dirt, something sadly common in too many Asian beaches. The forest behind the beach with its tall trees is beautiful.
The wind blows strong and the waves beat in the sand. We walk through Radhanager until we reach Neil Cave, a kind of lagoon at the end of the beach that we see but where we did not stay, since there are warnings that there may be crocodiles.
On the way back we tried to go to Elephant Beach, but we did not enter as some let us know that there is still an hour to walk. So we go back and decided to see her when we go snorkeling there. With the motorcycle, we continue to town 6, where there is a quiet village completely foreign to the tourism of the coast.
We eat soups, shrimp fritters, chicken, vegetable rolls. There we met a French couple who came with us on the ferry and they tell us that they have stayed to go snorkeling the next day. From there we went to the port to buy the return tickets, but they do not sell them to us because they say it is closed at 16:15, with them inside.
We go to the south of the island, where there is supposedly an elephant farm but when we arrive they tell us that they are in the hotel on the beach number 7. On the way to the south we see deserted little beaches of white sand and always, in the background, the intense green of the jungle. When we arrived we bathed in the moonlight before going to have dinner with the friends. We have fish, lasagna, rice, rotis, tuna. Here they also let us open the wine since they do not serve alcohol.
Day 3
We get up early. The snorkel is not good, and Elephant Beach is not (it seems that it was before the tsunami) but we still enjoy the day and see a sea snake! We eat and from there we go to the port to process the return tickets. As it rains we decided to return the rented motorbike. Even so we dedicate to walk and buy shirts for nephews, before going to bathe with jellyfish and go back to eat.
In the afternoon, we give ourselves a Ayurveda massage. And at night we dined with the dignified Indian wine, to say goodbye to that fantastic place.
Day 4
In the morning, at 9, we take ferry to Port Blair. We arrived and we moved to the hotel, which must be the best of the town. The place, on top of a small hill on the sea, is privileged and it is close to the restaurant and the town. Port Blair has a large boulevard full of shops where we can shop comfortably and more pleasantly than in other parts of India.
In the afternoon we go to the town. We visit Cellullar Jail. It is an interesting visit, both for what it represented for the island and for the prisoners, as well as for the type of penitentiary architecture.
The dinner takes an eternity with chicken, rice, prawns but the restaurant has a great terrace full of men who drink alcohol. Back to the hotel, we extend the night in the bar that closes at 11.
Kalyan Panja
Kalyan Panja is a photographer and a travel writer sharing stories and experiences through photographs and words
