[jaygeetee]

Originally Posted by aryasanyal

Thanks jaygeetee!
By the way, if you notice I have already provided the website of the hotels in my posting above.

January is a good time to go - all the best for your trip!!

Sorry, was too enamoured by the photos and the write-up. Didn't realise the names were links

Waiting for the culmination of the travelogue.

[v&v]

WOW , Beautiful log and clicks. I am also planning a similar kind of trip. Not happening. Every time there is a vacation, driving holidays get preference over these kind of trips.
Now i would like to give a serious thought and materialise the trip.

By the way did you have info about Self drive car rentals at Port Blair .

[motomaverick]

Nice clicks and a beautiful travelog, how about some pics from the under water camera you said you had purchased in Havelock?

[amitkb]

I have made up my mind to go to A&N this January. I would prefer to go on a package tour, so will look those up and book right away. Thanks for the wonderful travelogue.

[rk_sans]

Wonderful narration with facts and information. Reminded my trip to Andaman which we did last year.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...net-earth.html

I believe, one thing you missed out is, exploring Havelock island. There are couple of places good to eat like RedSnapper,etc and lot of secluded beaches further up from Barefoot Scuba Resort.

[aryasanyal]

Originally Posted by navan49

A great travelogue to this island. Pictures are so nice. I really eager to see the sea where I can see the fishes under water from the ground.You should be appreciated for taking the trouble posting all details and pictures.

Thanks navan49.
You won't be able to see the fishes from the ground though. We saw them from the glass-bottom boats that we hired in Jolly Buoy.

Originally Posted by jaygeetee

Sorry, was too enamoured by the photos and the write-up. Didn't realise the names were links

Waiting for the culmination of the travelogue.

Thanks again, jaygeetee!

Originally Posted by v&v

WOW , Beautiful log and clicks.

Now i would like to give a serious thought and materialise the trip.

By the way did you have info about Self drive car rentals at Port Blair .

Thanks v&v!
Do try to visit the Andamans at least once - it's a beautiful place.

No - I didn't inquire about any self-drive rentals. I simply wanted to be driven around so that I can concentrate on the sights and sounds rather than the traffic and routes.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Nice clicks and a beautiful travelog, how about some pics from the under water camera you said you had purchased in Havelock?

Thanks motomaverick!

The underwater clicks turned out to be real bad - so bad that I don't feel like posting them here. The camera was a cheapo and the photos came out as cheapos.
Anyway, let me see if any of them are worth posting.

Originally Posted by amitkb

I have made up my mind to go to A&N this January. I would prefer to go on a package tour, so will look those up and book right away. Thanks for the wonderful travelogue.

Thanks amitkb!

I would still say that book on your own and maybe follow the same itinerary as the conducted tour operators. Works out much cheaper and exciting as you explore things on your own.

Originally Posted by rk_sans

Wonderful narration with facts and information. Reminded my trip to Andaman which we did last year.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...net-earth.html

I believe, one thing you missed out is, exploring Havelock island. There are couple of places good to eat like RedSnapper,etc and lot of secluded beaches further up from Barefoot Scuba Resort.

Thanks rk_sans!
Your travelog is a wonderful one as well!!

Now, you have stepped on a raw nerve there. I did want to do much more than just spend time at Beach No.7, but with a small kid and my elderly mother to manage - it didn't work out.

All the more reason to plan for a 2nd outing to the islands, what say?

[aryasanyal]

As motomaverick suggested in his post above, I am uploading some photos that I took while snorkeling in Havelock and Jolly Buoy using the underwater camera that I purchased in Barefoot Scuba.

Please forgive the noisy nature of the photos as there wasn't anything I could do about it. All were clicked on the spur of the moment without a thought for anything else.

Also the names of the fish maybe incorrect. I had noted them down while the guide was telling me - might have mixed up some.

First look of the corals at Lighthouse site, Havelock Island. We sight a Humphead Parrotfish towards the left (seems like a silhouette) and start tailing it.


The Humphead Parrotfish - it is huge.


A Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse - the white colored fish towards the center-right of the photo.


Don't know the name of this one.


No idea about this one too. Notice the blue-colored Boring Clam to the right sitting on the Lobed Pore Coral.


An Emperor Angelfish.


Another Boring Clam sitting on a coral.


The right ones seem like Emperor Angelfishes. Not sure about the ones on the left and the blue one in the center.


Looks like a sponge, or is it a Giant Clam?


Lobed Pore Coral.


More corals - wish they were alive.




A Butterfly Fish.


An Adhesive Anemone.

[suhaas307]

Great photographs and a great log, Arya!

I've always wanted to visit the Islands. I guess I will in a few years. i don't know much about Andaman & Nicobar, and that's why i will be book-marking this thread for future reference!

Could you provide us with a costs involved for the entire trip, if you don't mind? I'd like to know the hotel-tariff. the barefoot resort where you were accommodated seems to be brilliant! Is it reasonable for students? Could you give us a break-up of the expenses, please?

[mercedised]

Amazing! Loved it from every angle. Could you tell for a layman what are the necessary documents one should apply for (like VISA when travelling abroad, not in this case though.). Or its just a 'pack and go' kind of place. I am looking forward to it now.

[aryasanyal]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Great photographs and a great log, Arya!

Could you provide us with a costs involved for the entire trip, if you don't mind? I'd like to know the hotel-tariff. the barefoot resort where you were accommodated seems to be brilliant! Is it reasonable for students? Could you give us a break-up of the expenses, please?

Thanks suhaas307!
The Barefoot@Havelock is on the pricier side. You may do well to check up their website (link provided on the hotel booking log) to check for the latest rates.

I shall provide the expenses list at the end of the travelogue. Please bear with me till then.

Originally Posted by mercedised

Amazing! Loved it from every angle. Could you tell for a layman what are the necessary documents one should apply for (like VISA when travelling abroad, not in this case though.). Or its just a 'pack and go' kind of place. I am looking forward to it now.

Thanks mercedised!

No visa, no documents for the Andamans. It's like visiting any other part of the country. Just 'pack and go' as you mention.
Only the Nicobar Islands need permits which are issued at Port Blair after lots of scurrying about the offices. We didn't visit the Nicobars.


Day 5 log continues...

As we enter the city, we ask the driver to take us to the famous Anthropological Museum near the Bengali Club junction.


From Anthropological Museum -

Anthropological Museum

Started in the year 1975-76, the Anthropological museum near the Directorate of Tourism, Port Blair is an ethnographic museum. It illustrates the four Negrito Tribes of the Andamans viz. the Jarawas, Sentinelese, Great Andamanese and the Onges and two Mongoloid tribes of the Nicobar viz. the Nicobarese and the Shompens.

Entry Fee:Rs.10/-, Rs.3/- for Children.
Timings:8.30 AM to 1.00 PM, 1.30 PM to 4.30 PM.
It is closed on Thursdays & Govt. Holidays.

Ph. 03192-232291.

From Museum Port Blair -

The small Museum is run by the Anthropological Survey (ASI) of India shows a wide selection of Andamanese tribal weapons, tools, including an entire canoe from Little Andaman. There are also many photographs on display.

The Museum is interesting and a visit should be a Must for anyone finding himself or herself at Port Blair - whether specially interested in the Andamanese or not. The selection of items on display is excellent and the way they are displayed is delightfully unpretentious and clear.

Since we have the time we decide to visit the Anthropological Museum.
The next couple of hours are spent at the museum. I'd rather let the photos do the talking.

We reach our hotel around 7:00PM and after dinner we drop in our beds exhausted.





A Sentinelese hut with artifacts.


Note the spear kept in the roof of the hut.


Map showing the spread of the Andamanese tribes in the islands.




Great Andamanese and their hut in the 19th Century.


An Onge hut from Little Andaman.






A Nicobarese Luang (canoe) from the Kondul Island.


A Nicobarese Hinngian (canoe) from the Katchal Island.




Tools of the Onge tribe.






A Jarawa fishing with bow and arrow, Middle Andaman.






A Jarawa woman with her collection of fish and shells.


A Karen hut.


A Karen Khlee (boat).


A Nole-Pathan (bow) from the Karen people.


Map showing inter-island barter trade among the Nicobarese.


Food distribution of the Shompens.


A hut model of the Shompens.


A Shompen and his hut.


A Kunhiol Kuk (scraper) of the Shompens.




A Husual (mortar) of the Shompens.

[aryasanyal]

Request to Mods -
Previous post reached it's photo limit. So posting back-to-back. If possible, please merge with the previous post.

Some more photos from our visit to the Anthropological Museum -








Head dress of the Nicobarese tribe.


Models of outriggers used by the Andamanese tribes.




All about the Nicobarese tribes.








A Jarawa community hut.

[prabingade]

Excellent narration and very useful information for planning. Waiting for the price information to see if I can visit in this Jan or need to postpone it by 1 year

[marinegopi]

Hey guys

I live in Andaman and would like to be of help to members of this group. If any one is planning to come to these islands and need any sort of help do let me know. I will do what I can.

Gopi

[navan49]

Originally Posted by marinegopi

Hey guys

I live in Andaman and would like to be of help to members of this group. If any one is planning to come to these islands and need any sort of help do let me know. I will do what I can.

Gopi

Thanks for the offer. I have and idea to travel by sea. Can you clarify whether the ship service from Chennai is regular or only some season only. Can you tell how long it will take in the sea. What is the frequency of the service.

[aryasanyal]

Originally Posted by navan49

Can you clarify whether the ship service from Chennai is regular or only some season only. Can you tell how long it will take in the sea. What is the frequency of the service.

You may want to take a look at this page for starters -

http://tourism.andaman.nic.in/traveltips.htm#sea