Andaman and Nicobar Islands – The Perfect Locale for an Island Vacation

Looking for a time away from the hustle and bustle of the city life? Want to spend time in a completely calm environment? A vacation on the lush green Andaman and Nicobar Islands can be a wonderful choice.

Located off the eastern coasts of the Indian peninsular, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is an archipelago of as many as almost 600 islands spread in the Bay of Bengal. These islands are a part of India. However, geographically, they are located close to both Myanmar and Thailand. Although the islands mostly lack modern infrastructure, yet the pristine beaches, enchanting forests and the opportunity to spend time close to nature makes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands one of the most popular places of tourist interest in the Indian sub-continent and beyond. It is frequented by a large number of tourists from across the globe every year.

Some of the major islands of the archipelago include:

Long Island

Havelock Island

Little Nicobar

Teressa Island

Neil Island

How to Reach

Andaman and Nicobar Islands boast of some of the most enchanting islands in the Bay of Bengal. Port Blair, capital of this Indian Union Territory, boasts of a modern airport, the Veer Savarkar International Airport. If you are planning your trip to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, you can fly from various cities of India, including Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar. Besides, you can also opt for sailing to this enchanting archipelago. There are ship services from Chennai, Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata. However, if you are looking to save time, taking the aerial route can be a better option.

The Best Time to Visit

Andaman and Nicobar Islands enjoy a tropical climate throughout the year. However, it is hit by severe monsoon from late May to late July, during which the islands experience heavy rainfall and frequent storms. It is advisable to avoid traveling to the islands during this time. However, the weather also deteriorates during winter as well. Hence, it is better not to plan any visit to the islands during December and January. The weather is excellent from the middle of January to mid-May. The sunny days, flat seas reflecting the white clouds and the blue sky above make the time the best for tourists to visit Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Major Tourist Attractions

The islands offer a wide range of attractions for the tourists. These range from museums to beaches, temples to wildlife parks and so on. Some of these include:

Fishery Museum

Murugan Temple

Marina Park and Aquarium

Anthropological Museum

Chidiya Tapu

Mount Harriet National Park

Perfect Place for the Adventure Seekers

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands offer the tourists a wide range of activities to engage in. The islands have their typical tourism plans. The forests and hills of the islands provide the chance to go for trekking and camping. The Andaman Water Sports Complex is known to offer a wide range of sporting activities for the tourists. The tourists can spend swimming in the sea water swimming pools. Besides, they can also enjoy boating on the calm seas in different kinds of vessels, including:

Rowing boats

Paddle boats

Kayaks

Sail boats

Water Sports for the Tourists

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a perfect place for the adventure seeking tourists to find their favourite activities. Being surrounded by the deep blue seas on all sides, the islands offer the best water sport facilities to the visitors. Many of them offer excellent facilities to the tourists to engage in adventure sports. In fact, the islands are a paradise for tourists looking for such activities. Some of the major sporting activities on the waters of the Bay of Bengal surrounding the Andaman and Nicobar Islands include:

Riding water scooters

Parasailing

Scuba diving

Snorkelling

Angling or game fishing

The Islands’ Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants

Being one of the most beautiful places in the Bay of Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been a favourite of the tourists since long. As a result, the islands have experienced the development of different facilities to help it emerge as a major tourist destination. There are quite a few resorts, hotels, and bed and breakfast inns, which offer world-class boarding facilities for the tourists. Some of the major hotels and resorts located on the major islands of this Indian archipelago are:

Silver Sand Havelock

Dolphin Resort

Barefoot at Havelock

Fortune Resort Bay Island

Barefoot Scuba Resort

The Nest Bed & Breakfast

Hornbill Nest Resort

The towns of Andaman and Nicobar Islands also have some enchanting restaurants, which offer delicious dishes for the food loving tourists.

Historical Sites on the Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands witnessed some of the major events in Indian history. It was in these remote islands that the British rulers used to send the prisoners to exile. They were imprisoned in the Cellular Jail, which still stands bearing testimony to those days. The Ross Island used to be the seat of the British rulers earlier. The island still has the ruins of some of the old infrastructure, those of the buildings where the English rulers stayed. The Viper Island also has the ruins of an old prison, where the convicted used to be imprisoned before the Cellular Jail was constructed.

Major Cities and Towns

The Andaman Islands is located at the northern part of the archipelago, while the Nicobar Islands cover the southern parts. The two together stretches almost over 500 kilometre on the Bay of Bengal. Of the two, the Andaman Islands are more developed and majority of the towns are located there. These include:

Port Blair, the capital of the Union Territory

Bombooflat

Mayabunder

Diglipur

With its virgin beaches, dense forests, and amazing flora and fauna, the Nicobar Islands, however, still provide the tourists with the chance of enjoying a primitive wilderness. While you can enjoy walking around on the streets of the towns, you can also book vessels to ply on the bay and go to the nearby islands. A perfectly planned visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands can be the perfect way to feel rejuvenated after feeling exhausted from tight schedules and deadlines.