7 days Complete Travel Guide to the Andaman Islands 2022 | Port Blair, Havelock and Neil Island
Hey guys! I am Sohini from Hojoborolo films and this time we are here with a very very interesting and a much requested video for all of you. If you're looking to explore a place in India that is rich in tropical evergreen forests, pristine sandy beaches, marine life abounding with rare species of plants animals and corals then Andaman and Nicobar islands in india is the perfect place to visit. So if you have five to seven days in your hands you can easily plan a trip to the beautiful islands of port blair, havelock and neil in Andaman. We had recently visited Andaman and Nicobar islands and absolutely had a great experience in our trip and in this video I'm going to share with you details like how you can reach Andaman, what places to explore in Andaman, where to eat, where to stay, what is the best time to visit Andaman and more such details so that you can plan your trip to this beautiful beautiful archipelago and most importantly we will also share a detailed budget breakup of our trip so watch the video till the end. This video will have all the information about planning a trip to Andaman so you can consider this video as a complete travel guide to the Andamans but before we start with the video don't forget to subscribe to our channel if you like our videos hit the like button let us know in the comments about our videos share it with your friends and don't forget to hit the bell icon for future notifications.
So the first thing is where is Andaman located on the map Andaman islands are a group of islands located on the Bay of Bengal in India, it is a union territory of India but is far away from the mainland. Andaman islands are comprised of 500 different islands out of which only 38 are inhabited but not all are open for tourism. Now that you know where Andamans is located the next question that probably comes onto your mind is what is the best time to visit Andamans. Andamans is a year-round destination but we would recommend to avoid the monsoon season so if you're planning a trip it is best if you plan your trip between mid october to mid may. We had visited Andamans in the first week of March and found the weather to be warm but pleasant enough to have a great vacation. However don't forget to carry your sunscreens, sunglasses
and hats to have a pleasant vacation. Okay! Now that you know where Andaman and Nicobar islands are located, the next question that probably comes to your mind is how to reach Andamans. There are two ways you can reach Andamans first by flight and the second is by cruise. Right now we won't be able to give you much information about cruise facilities because at the time we had planned our trip the cruise facilities was not operational due to covid. Andaman and Nicobar islands has an airport in Port Blair which also happens to be the capital city. There are direct flights available from most metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and
Bangalore. As we had traveled from Kolkata we had booked a direct flight from Kolkata to Port Blair. Now that you know that Andaman is located in the Bay of Bengal so obviously it is surrounded by water and the only way to reach from one island to another is either by government ferries, private cruises or speed boats. Locals here travel mostly using ferries and speed boats and tourists can also use the facilities of ferries to travel from one island to another. Phoenix Bay jetty is the main jetty in Port Blair and it is hardly five kilometers from the airport. In Andaman you will get access to ferries as well as private cruises. The plus point of traveling in ferries is that obviously the charges are less and also you get to interact with the locals there.
There are two kinds of private cruises available in Andamans, the Green Ocean One and Makruzz. Obviously in this private cruises the charge is a little more because obviously the look and feel of the cruise is luxurious, you get food and beverages service and much more. But it is important to note that not all private cruises allow their passengers on the deck, the Green Ocean One does allow their passengers on the deck but the Makruzz does not so it is vital that you mention that before you're purchasing your cruise tickets. We would suggest you to experience both the cruises, we really enjoyed our trip to Havelock and Neil island because of the open deck access, the beautiful views of the ocean the waves and the flying fishes that we occasionally got to see really really elevated our journey. Now you must be wondering how do i book the tickets for the cruises? You can book the tickets online or like us can ask the hotel to help you with the booking that way you will have a stress-free travel experience. One very important detail that we would like to mention here is that only Airtel and BSNLnetwork work in Andaman but the thing that we had noticed is that BSNL works the best because in almost all the locations BSNL allowed us to make calls. However, for internet only 3G connection is available.
Let me share with you a quick itinerary that we had followed. Day one reach Port Blair, Day 2 explore Port Blair, Day 3 reach Havelock, Day 4 explore Havelock, Day 5 reach Niel Island and explore Neil Island, Day 6 return back to Port Blair, Day 7 return back to your home location. Now that you know the basics let's get into the itinerary in more detail, Port Blair is a small city therefore traveling from one place to another can easily be done by scooty, private cab or taxi. However, we would recommend you to stay near Marina Park because most of the attractions are located in and around the park. In Port Blair, we had stayed
in Hotel Mainak and it was very close to the Marina Park. We had used a private cab to roam in and around Port Blair. After reaching Port Blair you can start your trip by visiting the Cellular Jail. The Cellular Jail plays an important role in the freedom struggle of India as it has witnessed the inhuman atrocities faced by the freedom fighters in the hands of Britishers. The jail is
now dedicated to the nation as a national memorial and is open for visitors from 9 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 5 pm. However, the jail is closed on mondays and on national holidays. It takes about two to three hours to complete the entire tour of the Cellular Jail and the ticket prices are charged around 30 rupees for indians and for foreigners 100 rupees. However, if you are planning to take your camera inside then an additional fee is charged. The light and sound show happens every evening and is a must watch as it brings alive the inhuman atrocities that the jail had witnessed.
Close to the Cellular Jail is Marina Park. Marina Park is a small park situated right onto the seashore so you can sit there and enjoy the scenic views of the waves hitting the shore. After Marina Park visit Corbyn's Cove beach, it's a beautiful beach and you can try a lot of water sport activities there or just like us and just chill and enjoy the beach. Ross island and North Bay island are two of the major attractions and are a must visit if you're in Port Blair. For visiting both of the islands one needs to book a ferry from Marina Park. The tickets for these ferries can be available in Marina Park and guides are
present there to help you with the ticket booking. The ferry charges around 700 rupees per person and the ferry will first take you to Ross island and from there it will take you to North Bay island. The unique thing about Ross island is that all the other beaches in Andaman are known for their pristine beaches and beautiful views but Ross island brings a bit of history in the mix. The Japanese and British way of life are really really well preserved in the island.
The entire Ross island can be explored on foot but if you do not want to walk that much there is an option of those golf carts I don't know what exactly it's called but that option is there. We chose to explore the island by foot and we loved feeding the deers there and we also got very lucky as we got the chance to see the Indian Navy doing their rescue operational drill right in the middle of the ocean. After exploring Ross island the same cruise will take you to North Bay island. So in North Bay island it has a very chilled out vibe you can spend the rest of the day doing a lot of water sport activities. We had tried the Dolphin boat ride which was a little different I mean the boat had a glass bottom which allowed us to see underwater all the animals and fishes moving in under water but what we would recommend is that if you're planning to do scuba diving or snorkeling I think you can give this one a miss because the charges were a little high it charges around 900 rupees per person which I think is a little too much for the kind of experience that they give. We got several recommendations for places to eat in Port Blair but the one that stood out to us the most is the New Lighthouse Restaurant near Marina Park.
The restaurant offers a wide range of seafoods within a budget and also offers chilled beers in the evening. If you're looking to experience the nightlife in Port Blair we hear that there are a lot of options you can go to Tripadvisor and search it for yourself. We had given it a miss and decided that we should be chilling in our hotel room a bit. For the second day we would recommend you to have your lunch in North Bay island because North Bay island has a lot more options than Ross island and this is what typically tourists do. North Bay island has a wide wide range of shacks and seafood options from lobsters to bangra fries to fresh prawns you get everything there but when you're in Andaman do not give coconut water a miss, the taste is just so refreshing and fresh I just can't describe it. Next on our itinerary is Havelock. Qur honourable prime minister Narendra
Modi has renamed Havelock into Swaraj Deep in the honor of Netaji Shubash Chandra Bose. The only way to reach Havelock from Port Blair is by a cruise. You can book the tickets online or also can ask your hotels to do the booking for you. We had booked the Green Ocean One Economy class and it charged us around 1500 per person. The journey to Havelock takes about two hours and the beautiful views that it offers is just so amazing that you won't realize how these two hours will just fly by.
Havelock has a lot of options for resorts and hotels but it is recommended that you take a beachfront property to get the most out of the beautiful beaches and Havelock. We had stayed in Aparupa Sands Marina in Havelock and had a beautiful beachfront. Now coming back to things to do in Havelock. The journey to Havelock was not very exhausting
that is why we decided to do scuba diving in the first day itself. Now in Havelock most of the resorts and hotels have their own scuba diving centers ours also had one but we had opted to do scuba diving from Continental Scuba center on a friend's recommendation. Okay! Now before I share with you our scuba diving experience let me inform you about some of the common misconceptions that people often have about scuba diving. Number one you have to be a good swimmer. No! Infact you do not have to know swimming at all. Soham does not know swimming and he had a far better experience in scuba diving than what I had and yes I know how to swim. Now you must be thinking if I don't swim I will drown a very apt concern but guess what there will be a professional scuba diver with you at all times and he or she will be the one who will be taking you around. You just basically have to float
and enjoy yes it is as simple as that and guess what if you're lucky enough like Soham you might get to see the entire family of Nemo and not just Nemo. Can you imagine how amazing that would be? Another common misconception is that you won't be able to do scuba diving if you are wearing glasses. It is true to some extent but you will still be able to do so if you wear contact lenses. Both of us have glasses but we decided to wear contact lenses underwater and face no problem with our vision whatsoever. Some centers do have power lens glasses for diving
but then again it depends on availability. Hence, please please carry your contact lenses even if you're not used to it. Before you start with your scuba session there is a 15 to 20 minute training session provided by the center itself where they teach you all the signals and sign that will be used to communicate underwater. Remember Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara? Exactly like that! We paid around 3500 rupees per person for scuba diving in Havelock which included pickup and drop, photos and videos of underwater. It may sound a little bit costly but trust me guys you should definitely definitely try scuba diving in Havelock because the crystal clear water of Havelock island makes it one of the best places to enjoy scuba diving in the world.
The scuba diving is actually very exhausting that is why we decided to have a quick lunch after our session and decided to spend the rest of the day chilling in our resort. So this brings us to the end of your first day in Havelock, the next day start your trip by going to the Elephant beach. The ticket for the speedboat ride was available from the Havelock jetty itself and they charged us around 2000 rupees for two people. The cost may seem a little bit high but it is not a one-way service so the speedboat will take you from Havelock jetty to Elephant beach, wait for you there and then get you back and drop you in the Havelock jetty. The white beaches and crystal clear water of Elephant beach will make you want to live there permanently but sadly we'll get about three hours to enjoy and relax on the beach after which we'll have to come back. Like all major beaches in Andaman, Elephant beach also has a wide
range of water sport activities you can choose to do that or like us just still on the beach. The next place on our list is very special guys because this is where we had witnessed one of the most beautiful sunset of our lives the place is Radhanagar beach. Out of all the beaches in Andaman, Radhanagar beach stood out the most for us because of how the beach was maintained. No it does not mean that all other beaches in Andaman are not well maintained or are not beautiful they equally are but Radhanagar beach is a striking beauty so much so that Radhanagar beach is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches in Asia and it has also received the title of being the seventh most beautiful beach in the world. Imagine guys how beautiful it is! Now what are the places to eat in Havelock? If you're someone who likes a restaurant that has a laid back vibe, play some really good music, offer some lip smacking delicacies and chilled beer then we recommend you to try Something Different. What Something Different? No no the restaurant's name is Something Different. The restaurant has
a very laid back vibe and offers some of the most lip smacking continental dishes. Do try out their grilled silver jack if you're a fish lover that with chilled beer the combination is just heavenly. I am salivating as I am telling you this. Alternatively you can also try Bonobo cafe for some really good crabs and tasty calamari.
The food there is also really good but we like the vibe of Something Different so much that we ended up going there for both the days. Now one of the most great things about the hotels and resorts in Andaman is that they offer candle light dinner facilities on the beach. For an extra price, pamper your loved ones and make them feel special. So it's day five and now it's time for you to leave Havelock and go to Neil island. As per our experience two days is more than enough to roam and explore havelock but then again if we have more time in your hands you can extend your trip by one or two days and explore Havelock a little more. Just like Havelock you also have to book a cruise to reach Neil island from Havelock island. Like before we had asked our hotel also this
time to make the bookings for us and we got booked again into the Green Ocean Economy class and the charges were around 1300 per person this time. Also we got deck access so yay! The journey to Neil island from Havelock island takes about one and a half hours and the views are equally beautiful as Havelock island. So I'm sure you guys are going to enjoy it very much. Once you reach Neil island you will be greeted with an island that is surrounded by the most beautiful blue water that has three distinct colors. Can you imagine how beautiful it is? Neil island also has a lot of options for hotels and resorts and as the island is not big enough there is no problem for travelling from one place to another. We have stayed in Aquays hotels and
resorts in Neil island and opted for a private cab to explore the in and around of Neil island. Now what are the places to visit in Neil island? The first place you should visit in Neil island is Bharatpur beach. The beach is again very beautiful and clean but very different from Havelock. You can spend some time here and relax next head to Laxmanpur beach one to enjoy the beautiful sunset. The beautiful sunset of Laxmanpur beach one helped us revisit the memories that we had created over our Andaman trip.
Next day visit Laxmanpur beach two. Now Laxmanpur beach two in Andaman is also known as the Howarh bridge of Andaman and the reason why it is called so is because there is a bridge formation which is formed entirely by two living corals and as per our experience if you are visiting Neil island Laxmanpur beach two is a must visit because of the abundance of marine life and corals that can be seen on the shore itself during low tide. Our experience in Laxmanpur beach two was really good and that is because we had taken the help of a guide. Now the guides are available in the entrance of the beach itself and the reason why we are recommending you to take a guide is because a lot of animals and marine creatures are seen in the show and you won't be able to identify easily at one glance and the guides there will be able to help you in doing that and that makes it really interesting.
The guide charges around 500 rupees and showed us some really unique marine creatures and colorful animals. We were also very lucky to see a family of Clown fishes who had made their nest in the shore itself. So this is why i'm telling you Laxmanpur beach two is a must visit when you're in Neil island. Now where to eat in Neil island? Laxmanpur beach one and Bharatpur
beach have several shacks that prepared really good indo-chinese seafood preparations and other preparations as well. We had tried the rock lobster and red snapper and fell in love with the taste and freshness of the food there. As Neil island is a small island restaurants and shops close pretty early so that is why we decided to have our dinners in the hotel itself. After Laxmanpur beach 2 head to the jetty for your ride back to Port Blair. After experiencing open decks in both our rides to Havelock on Neil island, this time we thought to give Makruzz a try.
The tickets for the cruise can also be bought from the jetty or you can book them online as well. We had asked our hotel to do the booking for us and the charges for a cruise from Neil island to Port Blair was around 1500 rupees per person. Now the experience in Mazkruzz was very different because the Mazkruzz is a fully air-conditioned premier cruise line. The feel was very luxurious but then again we got no deck access. After reaching Port Blair, you can choose to roam around the city a little more do some souvenir shopping and end your trip to the beautiful islands of Andaman and nicobar. So if you're planning a vacation with lots of
beaches and seafood then Andaman and Nicobar islands in India is the perfect place to visit. Now here is the answer to the question I am sure a lot of you are wondering How much will the trip cost? Now Andaman and Nicobar islands is an exotic place and as the island is located far away from the mainland the cost of items here is probably more than what you would have paid back home. The entire itinerary costs would depend upon your choice of accommodation your food preferences and the kind of activities that you would do in your trip but we will share with you a basic idea of what we had spent on our trip so that you get a basic understanding of what the cost would look like. Since we had no idea about Andamans Hotel Mainak had arranged everything for us.
From hotel bookings to transportations, from ferry transport everything was arranged by Hotel Mainak apart from flight and food that allowed us to have a stress-free travel experience and we are immensely thankful to all the hotel staff of Hotel Mainak for making our Andaman trip so memorable. If you would like to get in touch with Hotel Mainak, we will leave the contact number here. Here is a detailed cost breakup to help you understand how much we had paid and for what. Flight charges for two people was around 16000 rupees for round trip, while hotels, ferry, transport and other transportation came up to around rupees 38000 rupees for two of us. Water sport activities,
we did scuba diving and Dolphin boat ride and it was around 9000 rupees for two people in total. For food as we tried a lot of seafoods our cost was in the higher range and we ended up spending about two to three thousand per meal for two people and for other souvenir shoppings it was around six thousand rupees. So that brings us to the end of our complete travel to Andamans video. If you have any more questions regarding the hotels, the places to visit or anything let us know in the comment section and we will try to help you as much as possible. Also if you have already visited Andamans or you're planning a trip soon do let us know about that in the comment section as well.
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2022-03-19 06:46
