[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

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 intended to type this, and missed. They even have masks with some power on them. Call ahead and ask. Yes, Nemo reef is the best place for scuba diving on Havelock.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by am1m

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. !

Someone tried once to teach me on how to wear and remove lenses. Miserably failed. I am just too scared to touch my eye.
An year back, I purchased powered swimming goggles from Decathlon and that has changed the entire experience of being in water. Not sure if that will be ok to wear under the scuba masks. If that works, then nothing like it!

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I intended to type this, and missed. They even have masks with some power on them. Call ahead and ask. Yes, Nemo reef is the best place for scuba diving on Havelock.

Very valuable advice, thank you

[am1m]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Someone tried once to teach me on how to wear and remove lenses. Miserably failed. I am just too scared to touch my eye.

Ah ok, I understand. It took a few weeks initially for me to get used to contacts too, when I first started wearing them. Now I can put them on anywhere and can wear them comfortably for hours.

If you can get a mask/goggles with a suitable refractive index, then great, nothing like that. But if not, I'd suggest trying disposable contacts again. They are really soft, not intrusive on the eye at all.

[Fx14]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

In hindsight, I think it was a terrific decision.
the services they provide allow you to focus on the thing that matters the most: travel and leave the worry of logistics to them.
1) All hotels taken care of:
2) Logistics:
3) Ferries:
4) Tickets at points of interest:

The above points aptly summarize the benefits of a package deal especially for touring the Andamans with a tight schedule.

Going through your thread brought back memories of a similar trip of 4D/3N, covering:
1. Cellular Jail tour / Light & Sound show.
2. Havelock island / Radhanagar beach.
3. Ross Island / Elephant Island / Lighthouse / boat ride (glass bottom hull) to view corals.

Flight : Suppose all flights from Mumbai would prefer to have a stop at Chennai to refuel for the flight over the sea rather than carry extra fuel right from Mumbai. Fortunately, our flight was not as long as yours - we remained seated in the aircraft for the 40-45 minutes stopover while it refueled and took off again.

Cellular Jail tour and Light & Sound show : Must attend.

Ross Island: The island has deers and peacocks roaming around in the open and tourists can literally touch / feed them. The guides highlight the fact that Ross Island bore the brunt of "That Tsunami" and protected the main island of Port Blair from destruction.

Radhanagar Beach : There were numerous warning boards of crocodiles venturing in the area as well as the guides warned against going in deep, due to the same. There was apparently an incident of a foreigner swimming being dragged away by a crocodile from the nearby estuary right before the eyes of her partner, who reported it.

We put up in a ITC Fortune hotel in Port Blair, the reception lobby of which had a replica of the old 20 rupee note with the lighthouse. The view from the reception lobby team resembles the same image as on those currency notes. The staff at the reception stated that the photo was clicked from their site itself.

[sahil624]

Hi all, we are going to visit Andamans during January end. We will be staying at Port Blair for one night and then proceed to Havelock for four nights and then returning to Port Blair just to catch the flight back.
Can we book Cellular Jail entry and Laser show tickets online?
Also, do we need to book scuba beforehand or we can book at Havelock itself?

Thanks.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by am1m

If you can get a mask/goggles with a suitable refractive index, then great, nothing like that. But if not, I'd suggest trying disposable contacts again. They are really soft, not intrusive on the eye at all.

I confirmed with a few scuba diving shops. Seems all of them provide masks with powered lenses in the range of -2 to -7. That is good enough for me. Also sharing for others who might stumble on this thread later.

Though this solves the problem for my trip, I am thinking again about trying contact lenses in the coming weeks. Have been wearing specs since more than 20 years and it is essentially a part of my body now. But there are definite advantages of atleast being comfortable with wearing lenses occasionally. Especially in situations like these when specs are a show-stopper, or a show-distorter rather.

[sahil624]

Hi all, can anyone provide recommendations and contact number of any good Scuba diving company in Havelock? I called Andaman Bubbles but their phone seems to be out of coverage area.

Thanks.

[deep_blue]

Originally Posted by sahil624

Hi all, can anyone provide recommendations and contact number of any good Scuba diving company in Havelock? I called Andaman Bubbles but their phone seems to be out of coverage area.

Thanks.

I've dived with https://www.barefootscuba.in/ in the past, in fact have done my basic & advanced courses with them. This & https://www.scubalov.in/, both have great reviews, though haven't dived yet with the latter.