An HR professional and Budding Makeup artist from Kolkata.
I dreamt of aquamarine blues all through my childhood. My dreams were always surrounded by seaweed, blue water, and the occasional starfish. Did this place exist in reality? That was my question to the universe and today after so many years that has been answered. My family and I were looking for a destination for a summer holiday, when we stumbled upon this group of Islands– the Andaman & Nicobar.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of 572 islands, lying at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Out of these islands, only 38 are inhabited. Tourists are allowed to visit the Andaman Islands only. Nicobar is out of bounds for tourists, because of the tribal inhabitation. The Andaman Islands are further divided into North, South and Middle Andaman. Before we explore further, let us search the answer to the question where the name ‘Andaman’ came from. A theory that did the rounds in the 19th century derives the name from Hanuman – the Indian mythological god.
The picturesque beaches, aquamarine waters, and history is what you should visit this place for. It houses the third most populated coral reef in the world. The place is untouched to a large extent. If you are bored with your daily schedule, phone calls and e-mails, this is the place to be. Few telecom companies work in the islands and the internet is mostly out of bounds. People visit the Andaman’s for various reasons. Some prefer, relaxing, some are on their honeymoon, some are adventure tourists and some love to explore the place. Whatever, your need is
, the island will satisfy all of them.
The most visited places in the Andamans are Port Blair, Havelock Islands, Neil Island, and Ross Island. 3-4 days’ trips should never be planned, as it is not sufficient. Trips of 6-7 days may still quench your thirst. Ours was a 6-day trip. The above islands are what we covered. However, there is more to Andamans than what we could cover. Other places worth visiting are the Baratang Islands, Rangat, North Andaman, Long Island, and Little Andaman as well.
The airport is located in Port Blair, the capital city. We had a short stay at one of the hotels on Day 1. We visited the Anthropological Museum and Fisheries Museum in the afternoon. You can have a fair idea of the inhabitation, tribal population, and lifestyle of the tribals here. The museum throws light on the livelihood of Jarawas, Sentinelese, Shompens, Onges, and Nicobarese – the main tribes inhabiting the islands. We actually lived their lives through the experience. Exhibits in the museum comprise huts, boats, canoes, fishing rods, utensils and jewelry amongst others. The Fisheries Museum houses the samples of the fauna found in the region. You can even get yourself clicked with the skeleton of the sperm whale, which is put on exhibit in the garden outside the museum.
In the evening, we visited Cellular Jain or Saza-e –Kala pani (we have heard of it in movies till then) as the British called it. The place is directly linked to our war for freedom. Many freedom fighters have shed blood at this very place to get India independence. We were taken through the Light and Sound Show, which brought tears to our eyes. We could actually feel the pain of the prisoners. The event brought back nostalgic memories and tears of respect.
On Day 2, we headed towards Havelock Islands on the ferry Green Ocean. The cool breeze and vast expanse of water surrounded us in the 2-hour long trip. We even had a small dance party on the upper deck, for a significant part of the journey. The island greeted us amidst a sunny weather. As, we were moving towards inland from the port, we were welcomed by a school of fish on either side of the jetty. The attractive colours of their bodies, gave us some respite in the hot and humid atmosphere. We headed to our Resort to freshen up and relax for a while.
The island, approximately 27 kms in length and breadth was surrounded by serene, calm waters on all sides. You 
could spend the entire day, just lying on the deck chairs and staring at the vast expanse of water. Well, we were the active kind and so ventured out to explore in the afternoon after lunch.
First, we headed to Radhanagar Beach a short drive away. The white sands and crystal clear, blue waters can put any foreign beach to shame. It is more beautiful than depicted on television or videos. The beaches being surrounded by tropical forests lent an air of greenery and coolness to the air. The waves did not dash at you, but maintained a calmness of its own. It just sweeps you off your feet and de-mystifies. After spending an afternoon at the beach, we headed back to our resort in the evening. You can even hire a scooter and drive around the place and we did just that. We explored the market and eateries around drew us to the much awaited seafood.
(to be continued…)
