About Andamans

Country: India | State: Andaman & Nicobar

Ideal Trip Duration: 3-5 Days

Nearest City to Andamans: Port Blair (0 Kms)

Best Time to Visit Andamans: November to March

Peak Season: December to February

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands form an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal between India and Myanmar. Most part of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a Union Territory of India, while a small part in the north of the archipelago, including the Coco Islands, belongs to Myanmar. Port Blair is the capital town and the tourist hub in Andaman Islands. Andamans are one of the popular destinations for honeymoon tours.

The archipelago is divided into two groups of islands - the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands. Andaman & Nicobar Islands stretch over a length of more than 800 km from North to South. It consists of about 572 islands out of which only around 36 islands are inhabited. Of these, only 9 islands in the Andaman Islands are open for tourists while the Nicobar Islands are inaccessible to tourists. Non-Indian nationals need special permit to visit Andaman Islands.

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands have been inhabited for several thousand years. The original inhabitants of the islands are many tribal groups like Great Andamanese, Jarawa, Onge and Sentinelese people, who have had no contact with any other people. The Marathas annexed the islands in the late 17th century AD. In the early 18th century, the islands were the naval bases of Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre. The British finally annexed Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the 19th century who used it as the prison for Indian freedom fighters. During British Raj, the islands were referred to as Kalapani for their notorious penal settlement.

The Andaman Islands are divided into South, Middle and North Andaman. The islands are important for their unique ecosystem and are known for their evergreen tropical rainforests, pristine beaches, gorgeous corals, fascinating marine life, and adventurous water sports. The Cellular Jail, Chatham Saw Mill, Mount Harriet, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Radhanagar Beach in Havelock Island, Neil Island, Long Island, Baratang, and North Bay Island are the important tourist attractions of Andamans.

The sea around the Andaman Islands offers excellent scope for water sports. Andaman Water Sports Complex offers water surfing, skiing, water scooters, snorkeling, scuba diving, etc. These Islands are also famous for adventure tourism like trekking and camping.

The Veer Savarkar International Airport is located in the capital town of Port Blair, which is about 3 km from Port Blair Central Bus Stand. Port Blair has direct flights from Chennai, Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. Regular passenger ship services are available to Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. There are three to four sailings every month from Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair and only one sailing for Visakhapatnam in a month. The voyage through ship takes about 50 to 60 hours during fair weather.

There are several accommodation options in Andaman & Nicobar Islands to cater all types of vacation budgets and tastes. There are luxury hotels, premium hotels, budget accommodation, private and government lodges at affordable rate.

The climate of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is tropical and humid throughout the year. The best time to visit the Andaman & Nicobar Islands is from November to March while the peak season is from December to February.

Ferry Timings:

Havelock to Port Blair: 9 AM & 4.30 PM

Port Blair to Havelock: 6.20 AM & 2 PM

Havelock to Neil Island: 2.45 PM

Ferry Cost: Rs. 500 for Adults & Rs. 100 for Child (0 - 2 Years)

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Other Info
Internet Availability: Good
STD Code: 03192
Languages Spoken: Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi & English
Major Festivals: Island Tourism Festival (Jan), Beach Festival (April), Music Festival (Aug), & Film Festival (Nov)
Notes/Tips:
No permit is needed for Indians to visit Andamans while all Foreign Nationals need a Restricted Area Permit (RAP). Permits can be obtained from Indian Missions Overseas; Immigration Offices at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi. The permit is usually valid for 30 days.

How to Reach Andamans

By Air

Nearest Airport: Port Blair - Veer Savarkar International Airport (3 Kms)

By Train

Nearest Train Station: No Train Station (0 Kms)

By Bus

Nearest Bus Station: Port Blair Central Bus Stand (0 Kms)

Top 12 Places to Visit in Andamans

Beach

#1 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 65 km from Port Blair Central Bus Stand (road + ferry) and 11 km from Havelock Ferry Ghat, Radhanagar Beach, also known as Beach #7, is situated on the south coast of Havelock Island and is the most famous Andaman Beach. Radhanagar Beach is counted among the top 10 beautiful beaches of Asia and among best beaches in the world by Time Magazine.

The most visited place in Andamans, Radhanagar is a long white sandy beach that sprawls across 2 km length and an average width of 30 to 40 m. Known for its picturesque sunset, white sand and turquoise blue waters, the beach is a very popular hub lying on the western coast of Havelock Island. The sand is white and very fine in grain. The lush and verdant trees on the side of beach offer tourists an opportunity to unwind and relish the serenity and nature's charm. The breathtaking sight of sunset on this beach makes the tourists forget all the woes of life.

Due to its reputation and popularity one would expect large crowd .....

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Beach

#2 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 65 km from Port Blair Central Bus Stand (road + ferry) and 10 km from Havelock Ferry Ghat, Elephant Beach is the most secluded beach and also one of the most popular beaches in Havelock Island for day trips. This is one of most popular places of Andaman Tourism.

Elephant Beach is an ideal site for snorkeling. It has a rich coral reef formation and amazing underwater marine life. The corals here remain one of the best on the island with the reef being close to the shore, making this an excellent spot for snorkeling. The beach is also famous for water sports activities like jetski, scuba diving and underwater sea walk. Glass bottom boats are available to watch the coral reefs through these boats. The shoreline of the Elephant Beach was largely swept by the 2004 Tsunami.

One can reach Elephant Beach by small cruise boat from Havelock Jetty in about 30 minutes. By road one can go up to the Forest Camp which is 8 km from the Jetty towards Radhanagar Beach and from .....

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Heritage

#3 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 1.5 km from Port Blair Central Bus Stand, the Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani, was a colonial prison located at Port Blair in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The prison was known to house many notable Indian activists during the struggle for India's independence. Today, the complex serves as a national memorial monument and also one of the top places to visit in Port Blair.

The construction of the Cellular Jail was started by the British in 1896 and was completed in 1906. The penal settlement was established in Andamans by the British after the First War of Independence in 1857. It was the beginning of the agonizing story of freedom fighters in the massive and awful jails at Viper Island followed by the Cellular Jail. The prison was used by the British especially to exile political prisoners to the remote archipelago. Many notable freedom fighters such as Batukeshwar Dutt, Bhagat Singh and Veer Savarkar, among others, were imprisoned here during the struggle .....

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Beach | Wildlife

#4 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 25 km from Port Blair, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, also known as Wandoor National Park, is a national park located near Wandoor in South Andaman district of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This is one of the best places to visit in Andaman Tour and also one of the famous tourist places near Port Blair.

The National Park was established in the year 1983 under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 to protect marine life such as the corals and nesting sea turtles prevalent in the area. Sprawling over an area of 281 sq. km, the landscape of the park is dotted with 15 rocky islands and is covered with tropical forest.

The national park is famous for its rich collection of coral reefs, which include leptoseris, tubipora, gorgonians, porites, acropora, fungia, pocillopora and montipora. The marine life of this national park includes starfish, sharks, coral reefs, fishes and turtles. In addition, it also comprises sea anemones, shells, salt water crocodiles and .....

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Beach

#5 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 25 km from Port Blair Central Bus Stand, Chidiya Tapu, also known as 'Bird Island', is the southernmost tip of South Andaman Island. This is one of the top places to visit in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Chidiya Tapu is a small village with lush green mangroves and tranquil islands. It is famous for bird watching, sunset view, panoramic scenic beauties, and many colours of oceanic view. The area is filled with around 46 species of birds namely, drongos, hanging parrot, scarlet minivet, emerald dove, long-tailed and red-breasted parakeets, white-bellied sea eagles and grey-fronted and imperial green pigeons to name a few.

Popularly known as Sunset Point, Chidiya Tapu is one of the best places to see the sunset in Port Blair, the main hub of the Andaman Islands. The main attractions here include the Chidiya Tapu Biological Park, Chidiya Tapu Beach, the Sylvan Sands and the Munda Pahad beaches. There is also a forest guest house at the top of the hillock that provides .....

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Heritage

#6 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 3 km from Port Blair, Ross Island is a small island situated in the South Andaman district of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Now, the island is under the control of the Indian Navy and also one of the famous places to visit in Andaman tour.

The name of the island was derived from the name of a marine surveyor, Sir Daniel Ross. In 1857, the British took possession of three islands around Port Blair and Ross Island was one of them. This small Ross Island served as the capital of the Andaman Islands from 1858 to 1941 under the British rule. An earthquake in 1941 shook the island and huge buildings collapsed due to the natural calamity. After that, the British shifted their capital to Port Blair, near Ross Island. From 1942 to 1945, the island was under the occupation of Japanese. The British reoccupied the island in 1945 and later abandoned it.

The island presently houses the ruins of old buildings like Ballroom, Chief Commissioner's House, Church, Hospital, Bakery, .....

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Beach

#7 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 37 km from Port Blair, Bharatpur Beach is beautiful beach situated beside Neil Jetty in Neil Island. This is one of the best beach in Neil Island and also one of the popular beaches in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Bharatpur Beach is a serene, calm and white sandy beach. It is well known for its coral reef which is undoubtedly beautiful in Andamans. Another attraction of this beach is the beautiful lush green vegetation and fishes. This is the only place in Neil Island where water sports are being conducted. This beach is ideally recommended for youngsters because of activity options.

The beach is popular for activities like coral watching and swimming. One can hire glass-bottom boats for viewing the corals under water. Most of the tourists visit this beach in the morning hours and do snorkeling as in the evening they get to watch the sunset at Laxmanpur Beach. This vast sandy stretch and gently curving bay allows for a perfect swim. The water is so shallow that .....

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Beach

#8 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 2 km from Neil Jetty and 39 km from Port Blair, Laxmanpur Beach is situated at Laxmanpur Village of Neil Island in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This is one of the best beach in Neil Island and also one of the top attractions you must include in Honeymoon tour.

Laxmanpur Beach is a beautiful and white sandy beach. The beach is a broad spur of white shell sand with shallow water and offers a good snorkeling option. Sunbathing and swimming are other activities. The beach also gives an impressive sunset view. Corals and sea shells are found in abundance at this seafront, which are often collected as souvenirs by visitors.

The sea is shallow and calm, making it perfect for swimming and snorkeling. This serene beach offers a stunning panorama, especially when the sun sets in the horizon and will be decently crowded during sun sets. There is natural bridge popularly called as Howrah Bridge in Laxmmanpur Beach .....

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Adventure

#9 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

At a distance of 1 km from Port Blair Central Bus Stand, Andaman Water Sports Complex, also known as Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, is a famous sports complex located near the Cellular Jail in the north-west part of Port Blair.

Andaman Water Sports Complex is a well-known sports complex in India. The unique sports complex offers many adventurous water sports activities like sail boats, para sailing, water scooters, rowing boats, kayaks, paddle boats, and water skiing etc. that will surely be a comfortable as well as enjoyable experience to the tourists.

Outboard boat facilities make this complex dynamic in the afternoon. Travellers could boat up to Ross Islands from this complex, which is really an exciting experience. Besides the water activities for all age groups, the monument commemorating the Battle of Aberdeen can be seen within the complex structures. There is an artificial waterfall as well, which is a great attraction among the visitors. A children park and Marina .....

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Adventure

#10 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

The Sea Walk is one of the most unique attractions that one must experience when visiting Andaman Islands. This is one of the best ways to experience underwater marine life. Visitors can enjoy a secure and exciting underwater walk on the sea bed (about 6-7m depth), and witness direct the magnificent marine life in Andamans.

Sea Walking is one of the easiest ways to explore the underwater world at Elephant Beach in Havelock Island. Underwater Sea Walking is the safest underwater fun for the whole family. Anyone can enjoy the Sea Walk from 7 to 70 years. The Sea Walk does not require any knowledge of swimming or diving. Qualified experienced guides will accompany the sea walkers.

The best part of Sea Walk is that it is very convenient and comfortable to undertake. There is no ear pressure as one has to adjust a transparent helmet kind of an apparatus on the head and that saves from the tremendous water pressure of the under current. There is a constant supply of fresh air pumped .....

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Adventure

#11 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling are the great ways to explore the beautiful underwater marine life. Swim among schools of fish, admire the beautiful corals and enjoy the serenity of underwater life. The coastal belt surrounding Andaman & Nicobar Islands is the abode of one of the richest coral reef ecosystem in the world. The coral reefs and under water formation are untouched by human activities. The best season for diving is from December to May.

Havelock Island, Neil Island and Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park - Wandoor, are the popular places for Scuba Diving & Snorkeling in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Elephant Beach is popular for snorkeling. Seduction Point, Aquarium, Lighthouse, Pilot Reef, Mac Point, Minerva Ledge and Turtle Bay are promising areas for diving at Havelock. Other than these, Cinque Island, Rutland Island, and Snake Island are the some important places where one can experience the rich marine life.

There are many diving schools that offer short term diving .....

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Adventure

#12 of 31 Places to Visit in Andaman Islands

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling are the great ways to explore the beautiful underwater marine life. Swim among schools of fish, admire the beautiful corals and enjoy the serenity of underwater life. The coastal belt surrounding Andaman & Nicobar Islands is the abode of one of the richest coral reef ecosystem in the world. The coral reefs and under water formation are untouched by human activities. The best season for diving is from December to May.

Havelock Island, Neil Island and Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park - Wandoor, are the popular places for Scuba Diving & Snorkeling in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Jetty area and Laxmanpur Beach are the popular dive spots and Bharathpur Beach is the best snorkeling place at Neil Island. Other than these, Cinque Island, Rutland Island, and Snake Island are the some important places where one can experience the rich marine life.

There are many diving schools that offer short term diving courses. The Scuba Diving centres have all the facilities .....

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Top 5 Andaman Tour Packages