Which is the best Andaman Beach for snorkeling?
As authors of the Andaman Islands Travel Guide we have been thinking to answer the question "Which is the best Andaman Beach?" for a while. Recently we have finished my homework and compared 14 Andaman beaches according to different criteria.
We have chosen five criteria on which to compare and rank Andaman beaches: The visual beauty , the ease of swimming, beauty of the underwater world for snorkeling, the freedom of snorkeling and the facilities available at the beach or nearby. A beach can score between zero and one hundred points in each criteria.
4 Andaman Beaches best for snorkeling
The best Andaman beach in terms of the beauty of the underwater world for snorkeling is without a doubt the Jolly Buoy island within the Mahatma Gandhi Marine national park. Craggy Island in the north comes second, followed by Elephanta beach in Havelock. Lalaji bay beach in Long Island is the last of the researched 14 Andaman beach worth mentioning as beach good for snorkeling. The other researched beaches are rather disappointing in terms of the beauty of the underwater world for snorkeling.
Freedom of snorkeling
However, before we shake hands to the winner, it is worth looking not only at the beauty itself, but also at the freedom of snorkeling.
In the overregulated Andaman Islands you are officially only allowed to snorkel with "certified snorkeling instructor". Foreigners find it unacceptable piece of regulation. Let us be honest here. Snorkeling is FREE anywhere and everywhere I happened to be in 25 years of my travels, be it Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Vietnam, Egypt, Oman, to name a few. Taking into the account that we are actually certified divers, holding hand with "snorkeling instructor" is laughable.
The regulation is also enforced at Elephanta beach, where we were informed by Forest department officers, that snorkeling is not allowed. On the way to Ross and Smith, your bags will be searches and your snorkeling gear will be held by police until you return.
A gentle note to Andaman Administration. If you want to compete regionally for foreign tourists, this is the first regulation to cancel.
While we appreciate Jolly buoy’s underwater beauty, this is one of two beaches that is not free. You need to pay the entry fee. Moreover, the permit costs Rs 500 for foreigners, but only Rs 50 for Indian residents. Pretty bad, too!
Combining factor of beauty with factor of freedom, Craggy Island would be the best, followed by Lalaji Bay.
Which bech is the overal winner of the best beach and which are winners in other subcategories?
Please see our detailed article here https://eagleflyfree.com/en/tips-and-recommendations/best-andaman-beaches/ for complete list of winners in categories of the visual beauty, the ease of swimming and the facilities available.
Enjoy,
Roland and Viktoria