MUST VISIT TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS

Port Blair

• Carbyn Cove Beach is a small haunt for beach walks, bathing in the salty waters, shop for small knick-knacks, slurp down juicy and fresh green coconuts, and watching the hundreds of beautiful small shells that turn 90 degrees as the saltwater recede and bury themselves in loose wet and white sands.

• Cellular Jail is a living saga of the struggle and pain of thousands of Indian freedom fighters. Each prison cell shrieks of the inhuman torture that the heroes have met and the sacrifice they made to earn freedom for this great nation. The light and sound show conducted every evening for an hour makes the hairs stand on end. A chill climbs down the spine when we hear the stories in Om Puri’s voice of the inhuman punishment and the inhuman labor that was forced upon the brave sons of the soil. Each cell is lighted up with a weird hue and the narrative brings to life the spirits of the agonized souls. Each parapet and each stone of the seven-winged pronged structure of the Cellular Jail stands a proud witness proclaiming the glory of the illustrious dissidents of proud motherland India.

• Fisheries Museum is a lively attraction of the colorful and fascinating species of endemic marine life.

• Chatham Saw Mill offers you the chance to see the huge and mighty logs being worked upon to carve beautiful wooden articles of utility and aesthetic beauty.

• Naval Marine Museum/Samudrika baffles the senses with the variety of preserved species of sea flora and fauna. Relevant information and labeling introduce us to the wide and unending vastness of the underwater world.

• Anthropological Museum is a vibrant exhibition of the varied and mysterious ways of the Negrito Tribes of the Jarawas, Onges, Sentinelese, and Great Andamanese.

• Chidia Tapu/Chidiya tappu is situated about 30 km from the main habitation of Part Blair and is famous for bird watching and rosy, unforgettable sunset. It also leads the adventure seekers to the Munda Pahad through a forest trail cutting across a dense and deep forest.

Neil Island

• Bharatpur is a lively beach offering coral viewing through glass bottom boats and a variety of water sports and adventure options for the young at heart.

• Laxmanpur Beach draws considerable attention because of its stupendous natural bridge, which is a treat to the eyes. The receding water currents reveal the mysterious underwater creatures trapped in the rocky crags. It’s a thrill to spot the endangered jet-black Sea Cucumber, designer starfishes, colorful spritely small fishes, and mollusks of every size and shape. It is also known for being a snorkeling site because of its clear waters and variegated water world of corals and colorful fishes.

• Sitapur Beach offers spectacular sunrise apart from the alluring beach beauty complete with white sands and blue waters.

Havelock

• Radhanagar Beach offers solitary walks by night and day along the smooth white sands, watching the sea creatures come alive in small water puddles, crawling and creeping on the small rocks that dotted the shores was pleasure unlimited. Snails and mollusks of every shape, size, design, and color pulsate and vibrate on the white sands egging their way to the salty waters to be washed again to the sands with every breaking wave.

• Elephant Beach offers an excellent scuba diving venture. A mesmerizing experience of the deep blue sea that looks lighter and brighter with the filtering sun rays. The vast conglomeration of corals and colored fishes, big and small, needle-like and disc-like, the little families of clownfishes shyly peeping out of the sea anemones, the deep mix of violet and indigo of the clams that shut determinedly when you float past them transports you to a land of a fairy tale, of animated graphics. The huge shoals of miniature fishes swimming in thick bunches and the angry puffy fishes like the Puffer provide a simply mind-blowing experience.

• Kalapathar Beach is another exotic and secluded beauty neatly tucked in nature’s folds. It is an amazing beach to unwind and relax, take in the quiet sea breeze and laze in the warm sand and sun. A beach to lay sunbathing, reading, or even wrapping up a soulful story!

• Inglis Island is known for its natural beauty, peace and solitude, and game fishing.

• Vijaynagar Beach is a secluded sea destination with photograph-friendly wide and tall mahua trees and the continuous soothing lullaby of the crashing waves.

Little Andamans

Little Andamans is another secluded and pristine island that is located remotely (101 km from Portblair). It is a splendid combination of wondrous beaches, gushing waterfalls, dense forests, oil palm plantations coupled with budget food, alcohol, and accommodation. Ferries travel from Port Blair to Hut Bay in Little Andamans. The slower and bigger ferries take around 8.5 hours while the speedboat takes about 6 hours. Elephant safari, elephant lumbering, and elephant calves training form an important aspect of this island. The evergreen rain forest shelters and nurtures rich biodiversity.

• Butler Bay Beach and Netaji Nagar Beach both are equally attractive destinations for sunbathing and unwinding, relaxing, and sea surfing.
• White Surf Waterfall entices tourists with its white foamy waters tumbling down in a gush. Whisper Cave also attracts a lot of nature lovers.
• Oil Palm Plantation offers the unique opportunity to observe the detailed stages of oil extraction.

Baratang

Baratang has located approximately 100 km from Port Blair by road. The special tourist attractions of Baratang include splendid beaches, mystic mangrove creeks, the very exotic limestone caves formed at the bottom of the sea from the century-old deposition of marine life, corals, skeletons and varied types of shells and thrilling mud volcanoes, oozing mud overflowing out of the edges. Parrot Island, the home of thousands of parakeets that flock together and roost in this island every evening and fly off the next morning, leaves the tourists in awe wondering why this particular island.

Mayabundar

Mayabundar’s magical beauty is in the mangrove swamps all around. Primary attractions are Karmatang Beach and Rampur Beach and German Jetty. The quaint village populated by the Karen Tribe of former Burma undoubtedly commands a lot of curiosity of inquisitive travelers.

Long Island

Long Island presents a unique habitat complete with all modern facilities such as schools, banks, wireless connection, boat building yard but surprisingly thrives without any road network. The swampy tidal forests, the iridescent beaches, the magical sunsets, the mysterious caves, the luscious mangroves make this island a coveted tourist destination.

Rangat

Rangat is quite a large island primarily inhabited by people from Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Interesting tourist attractions make this destination a sought-after travel hub. The primary and unique attractions of this destination are as follows:

• Moricedera offers undefined forest on one side and beautiful blue season on the other side.

• Dhaninallah Mangrove habitat has the most beautiful walkway leading to the beautiful Dhaninallah Beach.

• Yerrata Mangrove Park with dense, deep, verdant diverse species of mangrove complete with a watchtower that offers a panoramic view of the soothing greenery.

• Amkunj Beach, the beautiful beach, is known for its serene relaxing environs with eco-friendly benches and eco-friendly huts.

• Cuthbert Bay Beach is famous for nesting turtles in the season from December to February.

• Panchavati Hills allures with a waterfall that is gentle and picturesque.

Barren Island

Barren Island is the fiery heart of Andamans, the home to the only active volcano of India. It is situated around 135 km northeast of Port Blair. It has been known to erupt as recently as in May 2006 and has a record of erupting at least six times. Barren Island as the name signifies is uninhabited apart from some rodent species, some goats, bats, and birds.

North Bay Island

North Bay Island provides unparalleled fun and adventure associated with the beautiful Andaman seas. All kinds of water sports are concentrated in the North Bay Island which is 10 km away from Portblair and can be covered in a day trip. There are ferries connecting Portblair to North Bay Island and it takes approximately half an hour to reach the hub of various exciting water adventures.

There are several options to choose from, such as the following:

• Dolphin ride – Presents an exclusive boat built using Russian technology, known to be the only one in Asia. It is provided with a glass bottom and glides on the coral reef and gives you a glimpse of the colorful and mysterious underwater life till the depth as far as the sunlight can penetrate. So it unfolds before you approximately 20 feet of deep-sea experience even without wetting your nails. This is especially attractive for people who are not courageous or fit enough to go for the more adventurous scuba diving, sea walking, or snorkeling.

• Banana boat ride – A long air-filled raft that carries around six or more people and is pulled by a speed boat for a bumpy ride cutting through the waves and surf. You sit with your teeth gritted and try your best to keep your balance till the speed boat swerves playfully dipping you into the refreshing waters.

• Glass-bottom boat ride – These are small fancy boats fitted with glass bottoms that glide past the coral reef and gives you a chance to peep into the colorful and exotic rich sea life of the beautiful blue Andaman Seas.

• Jet ride – These are the master thrillers with a speed that kills. Go for a jet ride leaving a zooming white froth and take in the salty breeze and fill your senses. Hang on for dear life as the boat etches 45 degrees swerves. Not for the faint-hearted!

• Tube ride – Where you are perched precariously in a tube and you are again pulled by a speed boat. You bob up and down and gush through a white froth and trails behind a speeding motorboat crying for life and balance.

Ross Island

Ross Island is a small island extending over an area of 460 km square but occupies a big role in the history of India. It is situated 3 km from Portblair downtown. The island showcases significant remnants of British occupation. Ross Island was the administrative headquarters of the Andaman group of islands for 85 long years till a major earthquake tore it apart in 1941. The remnants of the rich heritage, the ruins of the great and notorious past still exist to tell tales of atrocities, sufferings, war, and patriotism. The abandoned structures, the British clubhouses, the dilapidated churches, swimming pools, hospitals, shops, and bazaars all unfold the ghost city of the past. The brick structures look deeply mysterious imprisoned and tightly gripped by the ever-growing giant ancient banyan roots. The huge trees and an unearthly silence prevail all over barring the constant roar of the seas creating magic, forbidden, and forlorn ambiance.

Diglipur

Diglipur provides tourists and travelers the unique opportunity to feel the richness of diversity. The remarkable attractions create a fierce attraction for this place.

• Lamiya Bay Beach attracts with its peace and solitude that it offers to the nature-loving souls treading its sand and waters.

• Mud Volcano of Shyam Nagar meets the eyes with the special treat of a fresh emitting mud volcano and the dormant ones that can view closely to satisfy all curiousness.

• Kalipur and Ramnagar Beaches are famously known for being the nesting grounds of thousands of turtles belonging to the endangered species which is a nature’s miracle worth watching under the protective supervision of the Forest Department.

• Ross and Smith Islands, the twins joined by a sand patch, showcase the crystal clear azure waters with beautiful coral reefs and look magnificent.

• Alfred Caves near Ramnagar Beach presents an amazing group of 41 caves mysterious, dark and deep, nurturing swiftlets and fruit-eating bats is a day-long trek.

• Saddle Peak is the highest peak of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands known for its oranges, rice and rich marine life, and varied forest wealth.

Jolly Bouy

Jolly Bouy is known for the coral viewing via glass-bottom boats at high tide and also stands as a sad witness to the ravages of nature exhibiting the twisted tree trucks destroyed and struck by the innumerable annual cyclones.

Mount Harriet

Mount Harriet is a National Park and contains Mount Harriet, which is the third highest peak in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and presents a richness of diverse flora and fauna species.