[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Rolling_Stock

Are there any Cruise services available, that also accommodates our car part of the commute between Chennai and Port Blair ?

We'd checked (just for fun) when we were travelling; there are ships from Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair. But they're once a week/fortnight or so, and the journey typically takes ~3 days. And private cars not allowed. The ships are just about basic, luxury not being even remotely their forte.

You can check if you can ship the car there (Gati / Agarwal).

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Overall, this was a marvelous trip to one of India’s understated gems. The pristine beaches and the green water are truly mesmerizing!

Thanks for this well-documented travelogue.

I'm also planning a trip to Andaman but thinking of a more relaxed do-nothing-but-lie-on-the-beach type of holiday. I'd also like to avoid crowds and get some peace and quiet. If you had to pick a single island that was not crowded with tourists, clean and had a good beach, which part of Andaman would you recommend?

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Thanks for this well-documented travelogue.

I'm also planning a trip to Andaman but thinking of a more relaxed do-nothing-but-lie-on-the-beach type of holiday. I'd also like to avoid crowds and get some peace and quiet. If you had to pick a single island that was not crowded with tourists, clean and had a good beach, which part of Andaman would you recommend?

Thanks!

Havelock is immensely beautiful, and large enough with several resorts all around so you have the beach mostly to yourselves / resort guests. Radhanagar is the most popular / crowded beach but it is a visit-only beach, there aren't too many resorts right on that shore.

We stayed at Dolphin, do take a look at it. They have a wide range of rooms and the top-tier rooms are really good. We were the only ones on the beach adjoining the resort all three days.

Check Neil Island, you may find some stay options there. Most tourist visit Neil island for a day (rather, between the two ferries).

[Kruz Nhux]

The Great Andamans are one of the best places I have ever been to and I am so glad you made all the right choices like choosing non-seasonal months to travel, opting for a window seat, doing scuba diving in Havelock rather than North Bay and not missing the Redskin Island. Adding Chidiyatapu Biological Park to this would make the perfect itinerary for me.


Let me add a few things to this thread

1. Please try to visit in non seasonal months. You cant fully enjoy the beauty if everywhere we go is crowded and we spend our energy beating the crowd.

2. Even though Andaman follows IST , its in a different time zone. So Sun rises early and sets early. Plan accordingly

3. Avoid Scuba Diving in North Bay where the water is comparatively less clear and the corals are dying out thereby less fish too. Do it in either Havelock or Elephant Beach where its much more vibrant. Elephant Island even has sea walking ( no need to wear suit or carry tank, you wear just a helmet but you don't go as deep as scuba diving). Aparupa Sands marina resort is a good clean place to stay in Havelock.

4.The appeal for Baratang Island is less about the limestone cave itself and more on seeing the Jarawa people on the way. The ethics of that is being debated for many years. That being said before entering the Jarawa forest reserve through the checkpost , the driver will collect your phones and camera. Strictly no photography, stopping in between or overtaking and most importantly no opening windows to interact/hand things to the tribal people . Failing this will lead to serious trouble with the police and your driver will lose his license or even his vehicle sometimes ( according to our driver/guide).

5. Redskin Island and Jolly Bouy Island are closed alternatively for 6 months to preserve the ecosystem. Among the two, Redskin is preferred for its shallow beach , pristine water and plenty of corals at shallow areas that make for a amazing snorkeling experience.

6. Chidiyatapu Biological Park will give your eyes all the green you will ever need in a ocean of blue.

7. There is a Jogger's Park in Port Blair from where you have whole view of the airport and spend time looking at flights take off and land if that's your thing.

8. Veer Savarkar International Airport is controlled by Indian Navy. I was lucky to see two fighter jets take off while waiting for the runway. Maybe you will be lucky too.

9. And finally definitely get the window seat for your flight. Its so worth it.

Let me conclude this post with a few photos.

Cellular jail lit up as the national flag in light and sound show


View from Jogger's park


Blue, white and green at Radhanagar beach


Radhanagar beach with presumably two navy ships in the distance


Glimpses of Chidiyatapu Biological Park



Pristine Waters of Redskin Island

https://youtu.be/aqRNfvPbahE

Baratang Ferry (Click the youtube link for a timelapse)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gL9Gui-icuA?feature=share

Saltwater crocodile at Baratang


Entrance to Limestone Caves

[rag_nfs]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Thanks!

Havelock is immensely beautiful, and large enough with several resorts all around so you have the beach mostly to yourselves / resort guests. Radhanagar is the most popular / crowded beach but it is a visit-only beach, there aren't too many resorts right on that shore.

Thanks for the great travelogue. We are planning to go to Andaman this month (June). Is June a good month to visit, or does the place experience heavy rainfall during this month? There are conflicting reports on the internet. We are looking to mostly relax and chill out at the beach, will plan some sightseeing and some water sports.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by rag_nfs

Is June a good month to visit, or does the place experience heavy rainfall during this month?

Monsoon has already made its way to Andaman. Now would be a very inopportune time to go.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...le65420033.ece

If you want less crowds, try Sept - Oct; although you'll still run the risk of occasional showers. Peak tourist seasons starts Nov - Dec.

I'd say, avoid going now. You wouldn't want to miss out on activities, not be able to explore the islands fully because of inclement weather. And when it's inclement, it really is. Water sports, esp. scuba diving, may be inoperational due to rough seas and small boats (glass bottom boat etc.) will definitely be out of commission.

Originally Posted by Kruz Nhux

4.The appeal for Baratang Island is less about the limestone cave itself and more on seeing the Jarawa people on the way. The ethics of that is being debated for many years. That being said before entering the Jarawa forest reserve through the checkpost , the driver will collect your phones and camera. Strictly no photography, stopping in between or overtaking and most importantly no opening windows to interact/hand things to the tribal people .

Looks like this is a fairly new development. We had our cameras/phones with us throughout the ride and weren't restricted from taking pictures. Yes, strictly no stopping or interaction with the tribes. Heck, drivers drove as fast as they could, even at times with almost-flat tyres, because of the strict timelines between the two checkposts.

Also, the Jarawa tribe, esp. the one on this stretch has had a lot of human interaction. Most we saw were wearing clothes you'd wear in cities, and our driver mentioned that several of them are routinely examined in case of medical issues.

Cellular jail lit up as the national flag in light and sound show

What an incredible place this really is. Heart wrenching.

[TheCatalyst]

I am planning a family trip (kids 9 and 4yo) to Andamans in the first week of May. Could someone please advise if it will be too hot and humid?

The weather forecasts show average temperatures around 30C, but the humidity seems high. Hence the real feel shown on weather websites is quite high.

P.S. I am used to Mumbai summers, but May is not favoured for any daytime activities here.

[warrioraks]

Can someone suggest on what would be a good day trip after staying 3 days at Havelock. Should I go for Neil island or Ross Island? Not keen on Baratang due to the gruelling schedule and below average reviews of mud volcano.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Can someone suggest on what would be a good day trip after staying 3 days at Havelock. Should I go for Neil island or Ross Island?

I'd suggest skipping Neil island, I didn't find it worth the trip. There's just that one rock arch, and a beach full of dead corals.

I'd recommend staying in Port Blair and doing a day trip of Ross island. Do note that everyone who's seen both say that the light and sound show at Ross island is much better than the one at Cellular Jail, while both are must-see. Unfortunately, we missed Ross island as boats were plying there through the duration of our stay due to stormy waters.

I'm assuming you've already done a tour of Cellular Jail. You can visit Chatham Saw Mill in Port Blair, there are a few remnants of the war with the Japanese.

The third option is, visiting Red Skin / Jolly Buoy island (depending on which one is open right now; they alternate six months each). That'll make for a good half day trip within Port Blair.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I'd suggest skipping Neil island, I didn't find it worth the trip. There's just that one rock arch, and a beach full of dead corals.

I'd recommend staying in Port Blair and doing a day trip of Ross island. Do note that everyone who's seen both say that the light and sound show at Ross island is much better than the one at Cellular Jail, while both are must-see. Unfortunately, we missed Ross island as boats were plying there through the duration of our stay due to stormy waters.

I'm assuming you've already done a tour of Cellular Jail. You can visit Chatham Saw Mill in Port Blair, there are a few remnants of the war with the Japanese.

The third option is, visiting Red Skin / Jolly Buoy island (depending on which one is open right now; they alternate six months each). That'll make for a good half day trip within Port Blair.

Thanks libranof1987 for sharing your experience. My itinerary is:

Day 1 - Reach PortBlair at 2 pm. Check in to the hotel and visit Cellular Jail.
Day 2,3, 4 - Havelock islands
Day 5 - Back to PortBlair in the morning. Check in to the hotel [Venture out and explore something]
Day 6 - Flight out of PortBlair around 2 pm

So Day 5 is when I would have some time. It seems RedSkin/Jolly Buoy are no longer open for tourists post-Covid. So Ross Island seems to be a good bet.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Day 1 - Reach PortBlair at 2 pm. Check in to the hotel and visit Cellular Jail.

You'll have to visit the Cellular Jail twice; once for the tour, and I highly recommend hiring a guide, and then in the evening for the light and sound show. I believe they vacate the entire premises before the show, and then let those with tickets in.

Day 2,3, 4 - Havelock islands

I assume your ferry is in the morning; so you should be checked in at the Havelock hotel latest by noon. Are you doing scuba diving?

Depending on what plans for Havelock, you can consider a day trip to Elephant beach or Neil island, from Havelock. Or if your plan is flexible, you can do Havelock - Neil - Port Blair on day 5.

It seems RedSkin/Jolly Buoy are no longer open for tourists post-Covid.

Oh, that's unfortunate. They've possibly done this to conserve the two islands; in fact, tourism is alternated between these two islands for six months each every year to ensure over-tourism doesn't affect them.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

You'll have to visit the Cellular Jail twice; once for the tour, and I highly recommend hiring a guide, and then in the evening for the light and sound show. I believe they vacate the entire premises before the show, and then let those with tickets in.

Thanks for this info.

I assume your ferry is in the morning; so you should be checked in at the Havelock hotel latest by noon. Are you doing scuba diving?

We want to maximize our time on Havelock so would take the earliest ferry. On scuba, have shortlisted Barefoot Scuba for now. There are some butterflies in the stomach thinking of it but definitely want to give it a shot. Any recommendations or do-s & dont's that we should follow?

Depending on what plans for Havelock, you can consider a day trip to Elephant beach or Neil island, from Havelock. Or if your plan is flexible, you can do Havelock - Neil - Port Blair on day 5.

On Havelock, the idea is to just laze around.
Radhanagar, Elephant and Kalapathar beach are on our list to explore. Dropped Neil because we heard mixed feedback. So planning to come back to PortBlair on day 5 and most probably visit Ross island as per your earlier suggestion. Planning to keep it open for now and decide based on the first 2-3 days.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

On scuba, have shortlisted Barefoot Scuba for now. There are some butterflies in the stomach thinking of it but definitely want to give it a shot. Any recommendations or do-s & dont's that we should follow?

Will you be doing scuba diving at Nemo Bay/Reef?

You'll be fine, they're very good at what they do and take ample precautions and safety measures. The most important thing is to remember:

a) breathe through your mouth, not nose
b) don't show the thumbs up sign when you're doing okay, because that means there's a problem and you want to go up

Most importantly, you don't have to know how to swim when you're doing guided scuba diving.

Lastly, you can either wear the goggles that have integrated nose flaps, or full face mask. For those that feel uneasy with the first, highly recommend the full face mask. They make you practice ample no. of times above the surface of water to get you familiar, so you'll figure it out.

Just trust those guys, and enjoy the show.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Will you be doing scuba diving at Nemo Bay/Reef?

Haven't booked yet. Are these the best spots? Should I insist on getting these spots?

Lastly, you can either wear the goggles that have integrated nose flaps, or full face mask. For those that feel uneasy with the first, highly recommend the full face mask.

Thank you for all the tips. Interestingly you brought up the mask which now makes me ask another question. Do these masks accommodate spectacles? I am a near sighted guy practically blind without my specs so having them on during scuba is important for me.

I did snorkelling in Gulf of Mexico once and water seeped in to the mask through the sides because I did not remove the specs. Eventually had to remove the specs but that reduced the fun significantly. All I could see was a hazy sea bed!

[am1m]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Do these masks accommodate spectacles? I am a near sighted guy practically blind without my specs so having them on during scuba is important for me.

Can you wear contact lenses? I've surfed and also gone sea swimming with contacts (used swimming goggles while swimming), with no issues. I usually wear glasses and with a pretty high power for short-sight. I too hate not being able to see clearly while indulging in water sports. Check with an ophthalmologist, you can get disposable contacts for the few hours you'll be doing the underwater activity and it'll make it so much more enjoyable!