I am a true mountain person and beaches do not attract me at all. I get scared of the infinity of the water and the strength it carries, I shouldn’t even talk about the mystery of under the water that scares everything out of me. And so when my mom offered a 4 days trip to Andaman and Nicobar Islands; my instant reply was, ‘kahin pahado me chalte hai (let’s go somewhere in the mountains!).’ Then within few days I got to know that all her friends have already visited the Islands and are bragging about how much they enjoyed the place and how beautiful it was. So, this time I told her to pack her bags and mom, my sister and I went on a vacay to the islands.
The trip was for 3N/4D and our site seeing started the minute we got out of the airport, with mountains on one side and water on the other. We reached our hotel, the driver told us to get ready within an hour and he’ll take us to some place. We’ve already had food so we were all ready within 45 minutes. He then took us to a small beach on the Andaman Island where we were staying. We enjoyed the waves and I obviously freaked out several times even with a small beach and even smaller waves that were merely touching my feet. We ate some snacks over there and within couple of hours, as the sun set we went back to our hotel. Our tummies were full and so we skipped the dinner and went straight to bed.
ROSS ISLAND
Next day, we got ready and started our journey to Ross Island. Till now I was not very excited but this Island was so ready to blow my mind. We had to wait for a big boat for some 15 – 20 minutes to take us to the Island. We reached there and found out that there are no natives on that island but... A group of British in the colonial times had stayed there with their families, though not even for very long time and still they had built a proper church, a bakery, an amphitheatre and rooms for themselves. All of these things got ruined obviously but they still very much visible there. And it got me thinking how strongly they believed in their civilization and the manner in which they lived. I can easily see the amount of pain and effort it would have been to carry all the resources to this island which is quite far and then build everything. Obviously they didn’t do it by themselves but still salute to their dedication.
NORTH BAY ISLAND & CELLULAR JAIL
After spending about an hour on Ross Island, our boat arrived and took us to an Island nearby called North Bay Island. This island is exclusively known for water sports like Scuba Diving, Sea Walk, Coral Watch Boat and Submarine. Out of these, coral watch boat and submarine is open for all, however if one is a heart patient, has BP, asthma or/& is pregnant, scuba diving and sea walk is something you should totally avoid. The instructors there suggest the same. My sister and I went for sea walk which was scary at first due to the air pressure but the view with so many fishes around is worth it. One suggestion, if you are planning to do water sports carry one set of swimming costume with you. They provide costumes on pay but these are worn by several people, not at all hygienic and it’s just better to carry your own. Another suggestion would be to eat something couple of hours before the visit as it takes hell of your energy. My mom was waiting for us on the boat after finishing her coral watch tour. We came back and had our lunch. It was already evening and so the driver took us to the Cellular Jail AKA Kaala Paani which was such a terror in the colonial days. In morning anyone can visit the jail and just one small part is open for visitors. There is a small museum just after you enter. It has information about some of the famous and important freedom fighters who stayed there after revolting against colonial rule, the clothes inmates used to wear and there’s a mini version of the whole jail which shows how big it actually was. In the evening, there’s a light show with the narration of someone who’s seen it all and still exists in the jail. The narration is about the life in jail, how badly inmates were treated and those who died there fighting for our freedom.
After that, we were so tired and we headed back to our hotel. We had our buffet dinner and slept peacefully.
SWARAJ (HAVELOCK) ISLAND
Next day, it was a whole another level of fun. We had breakfast at our hotel and went for Havelock Island. We had to stay there for a night so we packed some clothes with us. The journey started with us getting in a mini ship which would take us from Andaman to Havelock Island. The view was great. For those who get sea sick, little suggestion is to have light breakfast and carry some sour toffees, or drinks or lemonade with you. The ride is for couple of hours and one can feel ‘not so good.’ There are two kind of these mini ships, one is of govt.’s so it’s quite simple with underground seating and no windows. I didn’t feel much scared but people who have claustrophobia would feel a lot. The other mini ship is the fancy one with windows and mini pantry to buy something to eat. Of course the prices differ accordingly so make a wise decision.
After reaching the port, we were taken to our hotel and we were told to rest for the day. We relaxed and ate there. Little information about this island, it is quite far from land and it is very difficult to transfer fancy food etc to the place. With population less than 10,000, people struggle each day. So, don’t expect a very fancy buffet with lots to eat and drink. And please try not to waste anything. These people pay way more to transfer the resources than they actually make.
Next day, we got all ready, had our breakfast and headed for one of the beautiful views I had experienced from my own naked eye. The Kaala Paththar beach, with its blue water and peaceful surrounding just made my day. There were no people and the only sound you could hear was the waves coming and going back. I think it’s better to visit the beach in evening but it would also be crowded at that time. We were on a very tight schedule so we didn’t have a choice but to visit in morning. We then were supposed to go to elephant beach but the driver told us that it is closed due to bad weather conditions. Another suggestion, please check the weather conditions before you plan. We then directly went to ‘The best beach in Asia’ by Time , The Radha Nagar beach. It is crescent in shape and carries big waves. So obviously I didn’t go to the water at all. My sister and mom enjoyed a lot and we stayed there for around 4 hours. We had our lunch around that beach only. There are many stalls and small hotels. Again, suggestion, carry extra clothes with you as it is very likely that one would want to enjoy the waves and the water. But after you are finished enjoying the sand inside your clothes will not only irritate you but also can easily become allergy on the skin. There are bathrooms there to change. After that, we went straight to the boat and reached Andaman. Our driver was waiting and he dropped us at our hotel. We had food in the room only and slept peacefully.
The last day, we checked out of our hotel thanked them for their great service. We had some time to kill so we visited an aquarium cum museum of sea creatures. From evolution of a particular creature to different kinds of fishes, there was so much to learn there. We then headed to the airport for our flight to Delhi.
The biggest lesson I learned apart from knowing the fact that actual coconuts can as be as big and can be equal to an entire meal of the day is so what if I don’t like water and beaches that much, every place carries so many stories that could only be heard and understood only when one visit it and live it.
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