Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Life in Andaman is quiet and serene, redolent with a sleepy charm – beyond the grasp of urban restlessness. With no deadlines to meet and a meditating calmness enveloping your senses, time seems to stand still here. Discover Andaman, the place has something for everyone. Located approximately 1200 km east of the Indian mainland. The Islands have a tropical climate. The South West Monsoon sets in Andaman Nicobar islands towards the end of May and the North East Monsoon in November. There is no fury of hot summer, no chilling winter, no water clogging or traffic jams. For those who want to enjoy boating, swimming, snorkelling, sightseeing all 12 months is season. North Indians find relief from burning heat and chilling winter if they visit the island from May/June/July and in December/January. Season for nature lovers is May to December when forest is lush green and waterfalls are at their prime. Divers can enjoy the best during December to April and bird watchers during winter times.

Port Blair, the gateway to A&N islands is connected with Chennai and Kolkata by air, Air India, Jet Spice Jet and Go Air operate regular flights. Regular passenger ship services are available to Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam and back. The voyage takes about 50 to 60 hours and ship normally berths at Port Blair for about two to four days. There is regular ferry services from Phoenix Bay Jetty, Port Blair in the inter island, foreshore sectors connecting all populated islands/tourist places. Besides, three private luxury catamarans/boats are also operated from Port Blair to important destinations like Havelock, Neil etc. In and around Port Blair, Corbyn’s cove, North Bay, Chidyatapu, Wandoor, Kurmadera beaches attract tourists. City sightseeing has Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, Marina Park, Gandhi Park, Chidiya Tapu, Sippighat Agri. Farm, Chatham, Science centre etc to explore. With Port Blair as base, one can go for Island hopping. Havelock, Neil Island, Long Island, Baratang, Rangat, Mayabunder, diglipur, Hut bay are some of the destinations one can cover in Island hopping. All these places offer varied attracts.

There is no better adventure than diving. Diving in Andaman’s is a unique lifetime experience. The coastal water surrounding these islands abode of one of the richest coral reef ecosystem in the world. The speciality is that, here the coral-reefs and underwater formation are undamaged by human activity. The best season for diving is from December to April. Many of the islands are surrounded by fringing reefs, often several hundred meters wide and separated from the shore by a lagoon of similar width. There are also more steeply undulating hills of volcanic lava, which makes for some unusual diving. There are plenty of steeply sloping and shallow reefs suitable for snorkelling. One can enjoy the underwater marine life and view the rarest of corals by snorkelling near the Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, Carbyn’s Cove a Tourism Complex, Chidiya Tapu, North Bay, Islands Havelock and Ross & smith Island. Under Sea-Walk of underwater helmet diving is a recent activity that has attracted many tourists to Andaman Nicobar Islands. In this recreational activity, the person walk on the sea floor at maximum depth 7 mtrs. With the assistance of overhead helmet and hose connected to a free flow supply of fresh compressed air provided from an air compressor on a pressure craft. The tourists are taken to an underwater guided tour on the sea bed to view the marine life fishes, corals etc. in its natural habited.