Veni Vidi Amavi – We Came. We Saw. We Loved

— A Roman Proverb

If you love beaches and enjoy water sports and the thought of shades of blue across the sky and water comes to your mind, the gorgeous and amazingly stunning Andaman is where you ought to be! Mukul and I are not much into history and art. A place where one can enjoy the scenery, the beach and some sort of sports was our lookout and Andaman was just all of that!

This is my blog where I share the details of a 7 day visit to the Andaman, every detail planned by Mukul and me.

Keep reading if you are planning a trip to the Andamans and are looking for some tips and suggestions. 

Tip #1: Do not visit any travel agency to plan this trip because you will not be able to enjoy the underwater life to the fullest and you will be tied to their plans wherein you will also end up spending more.

Day 1:

We left from Pune airport at 1.50 AM via SpiceJet. I would not say it the best time given we had a long layover at Chennai, but we did want to make the most of the time at Andaman. We reached Port Blair at 10.30 AM. Port Blair has a huge historical significance owing to the Cellular Jail. 

We had booked the on-ground transport online. The company’s name is ANDAMAN WORLD TRAVELS. They picked us up from the airport at 11 AM and I must say we had no hassle with this company. I was a bit anxious whether we will be cheated as we had paid half the money online but all was well. They were extremely patient while accommodating our requests while we were planning our itinerary and made our travel extremely smooth.

On ground transport is extremely important and can either make or break your trip. So plan well.

We booked the Nicobari Cottage in Megapode resort. We could see the Port Blair port from the room. Lovely and relaxing view and the overall ambience of the resort was beautiful.

Tip #2: If you do book a room in Megapode, never book any other than the Nicobari Cottage. The other type of rooms (we booked it for the day when we had to leave from Port Blair back to Pune) are not well kept. A complete opposite to the experience in the Nicobari Cottage.

Tip #3: We booked hotels through MakeMyTrip. Their user interface is very intuitive and one can book activities and ground transport too. We just booked our stay though. 

Once we freshened up, we left for lunch at a local restaurant named Annapurna where we ordered Biryani. The food we had in Andaman was delicious – let it be any cuisine. All the food was made with a typical local spice and it was delicious!  Anyway post that we headed for Cellular Jail. The history of Veer Savarkar and the horror our freedom fighters had to go through has been depicted in detail. The architecture and the light and sound show is a must too. Very well executed and helped us get more insights into the struggle and the era of independence. The view of the sea from the jail is spectacular.

There is a gift shop at the exit point of the Cellular Jail. You could pick up wooden or shell souvenirs like artificial jewellery, hair accessories, stand for agarbattis at a decent price

The gap between the visit to Cellular Jail and the light & sound show in the evening was spent at Corbyn’s Cove beach. It is a muddy beach and we had no prior plan of swimming or playing in the water. So we just sat on the wall filling ourselves with Banana Pakoda and Coconut Water while witnessing the setting of the sun amidst the sound of the waves. The road to Corbyn Cove beach is serene though. I would say that this need not be on your to-visit list and only if you want to kill time, you could spend it at this beach.

Post the light & sound show at the Cellular Jail, we went for a walk at the Marina Park. It is a bridge amidst low lights and the walk was definitely romantic. If you have experienced Marine Drive in Mumbai, just minus the crowd and chatter and that is Marina Park for you. We spent time just strolling on the bridge while warming ourselves for all the sport activities lined up for the next few days 🙂

The next day we were to return to Marina Park itself to board the boat for North Bay for the sea walk 🙂 Yay!
As we had a really early start, we decided to retire early for a day with a quick meal at a local place – nothing fancy!

Cost:
PNQ to PORT BLAIR via Chennai – Rs.15000 for two
Snacks at Corbyn’s Cove Beach – Rs. 135 for two
Lunch at Annapurna – Rs. 280 for two
Dinner at a Chinese place – Rs. 390 for two

Day 2:

We were booked for a few water activities on Day 2. We were driven to Rajiv Gandhi Water Complex (the Marina Park) to board the boat to North Bay island. We could choose Sea Walk & Snorkelling but we picked only Sea Walk. Sea Walk tickets were bought at the Rajiv Gandhi Water Complex.

The boat ride was serene as the water was so blue, just the reflection of the blue sky. Got some lovely pics during the ride. The wait for the boat was a long one but the ride made it up.

Once we touched North Bay, we were transferred to another boat to take us to the setup for Sea Walk. One has to wear a big oxygen bowl over the head and is suspended by the pipe and one is taken down to the sea bed. The feeling was just amazing to walk with your bare feet and feel the sea bed. We were accompanied by the professionals but as it was my first water activity 30 feet deep, I was a bit scared. The ears pain a bit but it is extremely safe and so serene and quiet and close to nature. 

We walked a bit, a few pics were taken, tried touching the clown fish, feeding a few fish and then we returned back. All in all, totally worth it. I do wish that the sky was a less cloudy that day so the sunlight would penetrate more and we could see things even clearer.

We had to buy a bucket of water for a quick bath. The huts are just rudimentary and have sheets as a separator. So you have to be quick. 

Tip #4: Carry a change of clothes that you can easily slip into like a dress to wear over swimming pants or a simple one piece – easy to dry and easy to slip into! Carry towels that dry easily.

Post freshening up, we took a quick stroll to look for souvenirs. You will find all shell and wooden products. We then left for Ross Island.

Ross Island was full of deer (not in cages but freely roaming around). One could play with them given they did not feel attacked.

The bunkers of the Japanese Army, the areas that were kept as hospital are still visible. The ruins on Ross Island is one of the key aspects.

The island overlooking the Bay of Bengal has breathtaking view. We perched ourselves on a stone seat and we just spent time looking at the infinite view of the Indian Ocean.

Cost:
SeaWalk at NorthBay Rs.3500 per person
Bathing Water at NorthBay – Rs.10 for two

Day 3:

We had early morning days as we had to catch the boat rides taking us to the various islands. Today was the day for glass bottom ride and snorkeling at Jolly Buoy. Unfortunately, there had been a crocodile attack the previous day and hence we could not avail the opportunity of snorkeling. Nevertheless, the glass bottom ride turned out to be so beautiful and educational at the same time.

The boat has a magnifier at the bottom to see the underwater beauty at the depth of 30ft and our guide pointed out the various corals to name a few; brain coral, mushroom coral, cauliflower coral. I was amazed when I got to see the coral that produces oyster and it moves very slowly. A very humbling experience. The clown fish were visible too happily playing within the sea anemone.

Red skin island and Jolly Buoy are open for 6 months each and preserved for next 6 months so you may get to visit one of these in your visit only.

Tip #5: An important point to note is the ban of any type of plastic bag to any island from Wandoor. Bags are thoroughly checked for any plastic.
As one cannot carry any plastic bags to these islands, you can keep some snacks in a steel box and satiate your hunger as there is nothing to eat once you reach the island. Please make sure you do not litter anything.

Tip #6: We skipped Chidiya Tapu as it had started drizzling and we felt lazy due to the early start each day. You can plan a day visit to Chidiya Tapu followed by KalaPathar Beach if you can accommodate an extra day in your itinerary.

Cost: 
Glass bottom ride –  Rs 1000 per person

Day 4:

Finally the much awaited Havelock for scuba diving in the crystal clear waters of Havelock Island. I can still feel the adrenaline rush as I write this.

Again an early morning start as we had to board the cruise to Havelock Island. All the transport bookings were done beforehand itself. Well, the ride was pretty bumpy even for me who is used to the turbulence. I suppose eggs and bread for breakfast did not suit us well.

We had booked Seashells Resort and what a beautiful ambience. The cottage and the swimming pool besides the beach was a relaxing sight.

We headed to Radhanagar beach. We had crab for lunch at a small shack near the beach and then took a dip in the water and played to our heart’s content. The silky white sand beach is just beautiful and the water is very clear. The surrounding is beautiful. We then retired to our hotel. 

Cost:
Crab meal for lunch: Rs 1400 for two
Locker Rs 20 per locker

Day 5:

The day for scuba diving was finally arrived. We reached the Dive India spot and after filling a form and changing into the scuba suit, we were taken to the dive spot. We had pre-booked the date beforehand.

We were trained for 20 to 25 mins for underwater breathing by our instructor. Along with breathing exercises, we learnt how to use the oxygen tank and also the sign language to talk underwater in case of distress.

It was so surreal to just experience the quietness and swim with the marine life. My time underwater cannot be explained with words but will just say that the calmness and navigating through the various corals and marine life swimming past you is such a humbling experience.

The cloudy day did not help but atleast due to the crocodile attack, the dive was not cancelled and I am so thankful for that.

Anyway post scuba diving and a lot of pictures and videos of our scuba dive in our pendrive, we looked out for lunch. We stopped at The Squid Restaurant and the fish meal we had here is still etched in my mind. The local fish was steamed in the banana leaf and the marination was mind-blowing. I just had to find the spices that were being used. This was amazing. 

We then spent the evening lazing around in the pool at SeaShell Resort.

Tip #7: Carry a pendrive with you for any underwater activities as they transfer the pics and videos immediately.
Tip #8: Book your scuba dive prior to your travel so your trainer and slot is known and you can plan your other activities accordingly.

Cost:
Lunch at The Squid: Rs 790 for two
Scuba Diving: Rs 3500

Day 6:

We left for Neil Island for a day visit and then we were to travel back to Port Blair on the same day.

Post the cruise to Neil Island, the travel agency picked us up and we visited the Natural Bridge. The Natural Bridge is made of corals (dead now). The walk to the bridge is through small rocks submerged in ankle length water and the entire landscape is very picturesque. Apart from the sight of the bridge, we were lucky to see a baby octopus which is a rare sight. 

It is mandatory to go with a guide.

Post that, we visited the Laxmanpur beach, which is a Rocky beach and you cannot step into the water. The beach is very isolated overall.

Tip #9: It is recommended to visit this beach during the evening to witness the sunset. 

After spending 15 to 20 mins at the beach, we then headed to visit Elephanta beach. We had to wait to take the boat to Elephanta beach. We went snorkeling and played a few water sports.

Overall it is not a must to visit if you have covered snorkelling at any other island but we did have fun. The wait for the boat trip was very long and you have to be ready for the return after a stipulated time.

Once we returned to Neil island, we had lunch at Bharatpur beach and spent the time waiting for the return cruise at this beach itself. The panoramic view of the vast sea is breathtaking! Once back to Port Blair we booked a night stay at the regular room at Megapode resort.

Cost:
Guide for natural bridge – Rs.250
Water sports at Elephanta beach – Rs. 1200 for two
Snorkeling at Elephanta beach – Rs.1200 for two
Lunch at Neil Island – Rs.380 for two

Day 7:

Before arriving at the airport, we visited the marine museum and history museum. We picked up souvenirs from the Marine Museum. We visited a park as we had some more time in our hands before we left for the airport.

This concludes our amazing trip to the Andamans. The serene beaches & clear blue water will always be etched in our minds. 

Below are a few shots of the marine life at Andamans..

Cost:
Ground Transport: Andaman Tours and Travels – Rs.18600 (advance Rs 9300)PORT BLAIR to PNQ via Chennai – Rs.16500 for two
Accommodation at Megapode Resort Port Blair (3 star) cottage room, SeaShell Resort Havelock (4 star) and Megapode Resort Simple double room – Rs. 70000 for two

Overall cost turned out to be Rs.1,50,000 for two people.

Tip #10: You can pick up souvenirs from North Bay (shell and bamboo items), t-shirts and shorts from Elephanta beach, wooden items from a shop in Port Blair
Tip #11: Do carry your sunglasses and do not miss applying sunscreen 
Tip #12: Carry enough cash 
Tip #13: Network is not available unless you have a BSNL simcard.

I picked up suggestions for our trip from here.

Hope you enjoy your time at the Andamans just as we did!!