Travelling is like being a little tipsy all the time as one is relaxed and open to new things. And Andaman islands are surely the best place to experience the same. I got a chance to enjoy the mesmeric beauty with my family; after all the family that travels together stays together.
Whether one is fond of travel or not, one should always plan a trip to Andamans, and experience a true heaven on earth. We made our own itinerary and did all the bookings on our own, and I guess due to this, we were able to enjoy more. Also, this is my first blog, hope you guys will like it!
On day 1, we reached the capital city in the afternoon, and as soon as we landed there, we could feel the freshness in the air. We stayed at Hotel SKS Goldmine which was 10 mins away from the airport, and it was okayish.
Cost of hotel: ₹2600 for 3 people via oyo rooms
We first headed to the museum and spent approx an hour. It is run by Indian Navy and has displays of their marine life, their anthropology, and history of the place. Though there is not much in the museum, the tour was educative to know the history of the islands.
Cost of the ticket: ₹50 per adult
NOTE: This place is closed on Monday, so it's better to plan the trip accordingly.
Also called as kaali paani, this is a must-visit place for everyone. It gives you the feeling of pride of being Indian along with the pain that our freedom fighters had gone through during the British Raj. Even though the queue for the ticket was big, but it was worth it.
Light and sound show which happens in the evenings is must watch. The show is approx for 1 hr, but if this show doesn't give you goosebumps, then nothing can. Either one can opt for shows in Hindi or English (we opted for the Hindi show).
Entry fees for cellular jail: ₹30 per adult
Light and sound show fees: ₹50 per adult
The last place that we visited here is chidiya tapu to view the sunset. It is 25 km away from the city, and I would recommend avoiding this place if the weather is cloudy. Also, the beach is rocky, and there are far better beaches than this one. Unfortunately, the time when we reached there, the sky was unclear, and hence we did not see the sunset.
We had dinner at Icy Spicy, which is a pure veg restaurant, and food was yummy and was budget friendly. After the dinner, we called it a day off.
Next day we headed to Neil island via ferry. One needs to be careful to book the ferry in advance because, in the end, one might not get the tickets, and the complete trip can be spoiled. We booked our tickets from makruzz online in advance.
Cost of ferry from Port Blair to Neil Island: ₹700 per person
After the jetty ride of 90 minutes, we reached the stunning place. The turquoise water took our breaths, literally!
Neil Island is a small island, and 1 day is enough to explore the place. One can book a cab or hire a bicycle to enjoy the beauty at your own pace. I would recommend going for bicycle trip as it will give you altogether a whole new experience.
Tip: Have light breakfast before taking the ferry as many people feel puckish while traveling in ferry.
Calm and beautiful rocky beach. After spending approx 30 minutes, we had our lunch at a nearby dhaba.
This second destination is a picturesque beach popular for the water activities. One can choose glass boat ride, snorkeling, banana ride and so on. We did glass boat ride in which you will ride in a boat which has a glass at the bottom to view corals and fishes in the ocean. Snorkeling is a must do activity to experience the splendid marine life closer. The vendors might ask you to do scuba diving as well, but if you plan to do it once, do it in Havelock island. One can also do shopping from the stalls, or just do nothing but relax.
Cost for glass boat ride: ₹300 per person
Snorkeling: ₹400 per person
NOTE: Make sure to carry ample cash as none of the vendors of activities and eateries can accept payment via card or wallet because there is no network connectivity.
As soon as we reached here, this place trapped us in its beauty. The place is simply spectacular. If you are an insta person, this place will certainly add few gems to your Instagram account. We hired a guide who told showed us various corals(dead and alive) and gave us brief about this place.
Guide charges: ₹100
Note: Do not try to touch any coral because if one touches any live coral, it will die, and you might end up paying penalty. Also, DO NOT try to take any coral, else you'll have to pay a huge fine(the government here is really strict about this).
This was the last beach, and mostly all the resorts are nearby it. The white sand, vast ocean, calm air and lush green trees will give happy vibes. Nothing to do here, but sometimes, all you need to do is nothing. One can grab a book, take stroll, chat or just enjoy the serene beauty!
We stayed here, and the resort is beautiful. The dinner was good, and after dinner, we sat near the sea for about an hour, and just felt the sound of the waves, and I wished we could just stay here!
Cost for 3 people: ₹ 4400(without breakfast)
Tip: If you are an early riser, do take a stroll down the Laxmanpur Beach to see the beautiful sunrise. Trust me, it is worth an experience.
Check out complete blog for details of this stunning island here.
We went to the last place(a must visit) of our trip in the morning by ferry, and it took us around 90 min to reach. It would be an understatement to call this place beautiful.
The people are very friendly, and the this place is very safe, that you can roam around even at night all alone, and no one will bother you.
Cost of ferry from Neil island to Havelock: ₹1200 per person
The resort is beautiful, with an amazing restaurant(they have good collections of books too!), and nice rooms. The food here is also amazing!
Cost for 3 people: ₹7627 per night including breakfast
The pristine beauty of this beach will amaze you. Swimming and relaxing are the activities that you can do here. We used local bus to reach which charged ₹30(round trip for 3 people) as opposed to 2500 for a cab!
We had dinner at our hotel, and ended our day.
After breakfast, we headed to our next beach. Please note that the only way to reach is via ferry that is run by one organization, and it takes approx 15 min to reach there. There are many water sports activities like jet ski, banana, speed boats and many more rides. Also, there are bio-degradable huts to change, will surely give you heart-attack as they are not at all clean. But this is the only option.
Cost for ferry: ₹700 per person(includes commute to and fro along with snorkeling)
Cost for water sports activities: ₹400-500 per activity per person
Note: Make sure to carry enough cash, and carry something to eat as there are no places to eat. Also, if you own swimming costume, do carry it.
We had our lunch at local dhaba, and food was delicious.
This was the last stop which is approx 6km away from the city, and the route it amazing with beach at one side and mountains at other. I would recommend renting a scooty(₹500 per day) or bicycle(₹150 per day) and be trapped in the nature's beauty.
We had our dinner at this amazing café called Full moon café(I read really great reviews of this place). Amazing ambiance, food, booze with soothing waves sound is all you need after tiring trip.
We kept our last day for scuba diving, which is a must-do activity here. DO NOT miss to for anything, because missing it is a sin. Although there are many centres, but make sure you do some research beforehand. We opted for Andaman bubbles , and they were experienced, and we really had a nice dive. For 60 mins, they trained us, and then we had an experience of lifetime.
Cost for scuba diving: ₹4000 per person(includes underwater photography)
After having lunch from a local dhaba, we headed back to Port Blair for our flight with lots of beautiful memories!
At last, some important tips:
1. Carry cash
2. Carry BSNL sim because any other network would hardly work.
3. Do not take anything (even shells) because it will be confiscated at the airport.
4. Most importantly, have lots of fun, and bring back nothing but beautiful memories. Happy travel!