The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the east of the Indian mainland, float in splendid isolation in the Bay of Bengal. Andaman is becoming a very pupolar tourist destination and sometimes being compared with Maldives. However, it does have more to offer than Maldives. Gorgeours beaches including India's top rate Radhanagar beach, world calss scuba dive sites, mini treks, heritage buildings, sunrise and sunset on the same beach and many other things. This blog will give you a heads-up if you are planning Andaman trip with your loved one, friends or family.
Best Time to Visit:
Perfect answer to that question largely depends on what one wants to do in Andaman, how much would one be willing to spend there and whether you prefer the bright sunny day or cloudy day with little showers.
Peak Season - I:
The peak season in Andaman is October to February. Since this period coincides with festivals like Diwali / Durga Puja / Xmas / New Year, it is advisable to plan the trip at least two months in advance. As soon as you confirm your dates first book the ferry, then your hotels and lastly flights. Many times you do not get a ferry and there is no other cheaper option to travel inter island. Also, these are tiny islands and there is always chance of getting all good hotels sold out.
Peak Season - II:
March - May: Peak Summer coinciding with school vacation, it is also considered as peak season. However, people who don't like scorching sun over the head should avoid this season.
Time to Avoid:
June - Aug: Andaman receives heavy rainfall in these months, might not be the best time for water activities and other outdoor activities. Everything is unpredictable starting from your flight, ferry, local conveyance availability. Need to stick to indoors and better to be avoided.
My personal suggestion:
Being a slow traveller and admirer of cloudy weather with little showers over bright sunny days, I will suggest September second half as the ideal month for traveling to Andaman. Reduced rain, less crowded beaches, affordable rates across everything, better service, no photo bombings, avoiding the scorching sun are few benefits of travelling in this month. It doesn't rain all the time during September allowing you to roam outside. Also, during the day it will be cloudy most of the time so it is easy to roam without worrying about getting irritated by bright sun. You will not get sunrise and sunset on all days but definitely for 1-2 days you can catch it. This is the only disadvantage of traveling in September. However, you can check for the weather well in advance and select the week accordingly. Plan your trip during this month for golden moments of silence, solitude and bliss. No issues with water sports during September except sea walking which might be closed. Scuba and regular water sports like jet skis and rides are operational.
How to Reach:
During all the seasons, travelling to Andaman ‘By Air’ is the best option. With several airlines across all the major cities offering direct or connecting flights to Veer Savarkar Airport in Port Blaire. Travelling to this paradise is never a problem.
Internal travel between Port Blaire - Havelock - Neil to be done via ferry. You should book your ferry first and then flights as during peak season ferries sold out very fast leaving no other cheaper way to travel between these islands. Makruzz, Nautica, Green Ocean are three major tourist ferries operating and can be booked online.
Give first preference to Makruzz for their professionalism. Lower deck to be booked for great view and upper deck to be booked for free snacks and it is less crowded. Views for the upper deck are restricted due to the adjacent lifeboats.
Budget:
Budget for Andaman trip hugely depends on the season you are traveling. Couple Budget for early season and peak season compared as under:
Expense Category | September | Peak Season |
Flights | 30k | 50k |
7 Night Stay (3 star hotels) | 28k | 35k |
Ferry (Premium Class) | 6k | 8k |
Water Sports | 10k | 15k |
8 Days F & B | 12k | 15k |
Local Conveyance | 7k | 7k |
Other Optional Expenses (Shopping / Photoshoot) | 7k | 10k |
Total | 100k | 140k |
Overall budget for the trip will be between Rs. 90k - 130k per couple. To cut down the budget the only option is to choose lower end hotels. Rest charges are mandatory and cannot be avoided.
Where to Stay:
Various things to keep in mind when you are booking your hotels like proximity to the airport / jetty, sunrise / sunset beach, meal plan included or not and last but not least your budget. I will suggest below areas and hotels which I preferred:
Port Blair: Choose hotel near the Cellular Jail. Majority of the attractions like Jail, Marina Park, Market, Museums, Airport, Jetty are in this vicinity only. Airport transfer will cost you Rs. 100-200 and local rickshaw to major attractions will cost you Rs. 50. Also, you can save your budget by selecting small hotels (Hotel Serene Palace) and choose better resorts in Havelock / Neil.
Havelock: Gobind Nagar is the ideal place for your stay in Havelock. Most of the resorts here are beach front. Aquayas Hotel is the one we chose.
Neil Island: Sitapur beach is greatly known for its beautiful sunrise. There is only one resort (TSG Aura)which is right on the beach and 1 min walk to Sunrise.
Summary of 8-day itinerary:
Port Blaire Stay
Day 1: Reach Port Blair by afternoon 2 pm. Cellular Jail, Light Show and Marina Park.
Day 2: Mund Pahar Beach and View point, Sunset at Chidiya Tapu Beach
Havelock Island Stay
Day 3: 8 am Port Blair to Havelock Ferry. Radhanagar Beach Sunset and Swimming.
Day 4: Kala Pathar Beach Sunrise, Scuba Dive, Elephant Beach Water Sports
Neil Island Stay
Day 5: 10 am Havelock to Neil Ferry. Bharatpur Beach and Laxmanpur Beach Sunset.
Day 6: Sitapur Beach Sunrise, Natural Bridge (timing will be according to the low tide), one more time sunset on Laxmanpur Beach
Port Blaire Stay
Day 7: 11 am Neil to Port Blair Ferry. Ross island in the evening, Shopping / Museums
Day 8: Checkout and return flight
I have added one extra day stay at Neil Island as I belive one day stay at any place is always hectic and it becomes only a checkbox thing during your travel. Also, if you have additional day in hand, below are few options:
Extra day in Port Blair - Bartang Island Visit (detailed blog)
Extra day in Port Blaire - North bay island and Museum visits
Extra day at Havelock - Just relaxing on the Beach
Day 1: Port Blaire (Cellular Jail / Marina Park)
Your day starts at around 3 pm after a tiring journey via connecting flights. The first attraction for the day will be Cellular Jail, a British era historic place. Make sure to enter before 4 pm as after that entry is closed. They charge an entry fee of Rs. 30 per person. Do spend enough time reading in the museum at the entrance. Guide is not required if you go through the museum. After 5 pm Light and Sound shows are arranged at around Rs. 300 per person which is a must to understand the brief history on the struggle of freedom fighters.
Once completed you can walk to nearby Marina Park. Various food trucks are available there for a quick snacks or dinner. However, most of the time the full menu is not available and prices are also on the higher side.
Day 2: Port Blaire (Munda Pahad Beach & View Point / Chidiya Tapu)
Today's attraction is Munda Pahad Beach which is located around 25 km from the city centre. The place is famous for the mini trek to view point and sunset. Hiring a scooter is must if you want to save money and roam at your will and not cab drivers schedule. Hotel reception will help you with this and scooter will be arranged at your hotel itself. This will charge you Rs. 500 per day (24 hours) and petrol of around Rs. 200-250.
Start at around 10-11 am from your hotel after a heavy breakfast and carry enough packed food items. There is no decent place for lunch there, however, many snacks places are available. You get to the beach after crossing a lush green forest en route. It will take 1 hr to reach the place.
Once you reach the forest gate, spend some time doing the photo session at the beach. Later, you can start your trek to Munda Pahad View Point which is an exquisite experience. The trek is of moderate difficulty and will take 45 min to reach the top with a moderate pace. There is a time to keep up for visiting this place. Trek is not allowed after 3.30 pm. Please make sure you have some snacks and water bottle before going on the trek as there are no shops en route. The overall time will be minimum 3 hrs. If you start by 1 pm you will be back to the beach by 4 pm. Path for the trek is covered with dense forest and starts from the end of th beach, so no worrying about the sun.
Once you come back, pick a spot for sunset as most of the time good spots are occupied. The forest gate closes at 5 pm, though it allows a little bit of lingering time. After sunset you can start your return journey to your hotel.
Day 3: Havelock (Radhanagr Beach)
Today you will travel from Port Blair to Havelock. I suggest to book a morning ferry instead of afternoon. If you book an afternoon 2 pm ferry then, the whole day will be divided between Port Blair and Havelock and you cannot cover places at either of the location.
For the morning 8 am ferry you have to wake up at around 6 am so that you can reach the jetty by 7.15 am. You will reach your hotel in Havelock by 11 am. After breakfast cum lunch, head towards Radhanagar Beach. You can again hire a scooter at Rs. 500 per day arranged at your hotel.
Radhanagar beach is one of the best beaches in India as well as in Asia. The coastline is very big and it offers you a lot of privacy even in a public place. The forest track runs alongside the beach coastline. Waters are turquoise blue with white sand and watching the sunset is highly recommended. This is the beach where you can play in the water for hours. However, there are no water sports here. You can also indulge in photography. Professional photography is available at a cost of Rs. 1500 (off-season) and prices go up to Rs. 3500 during peak season. Charges will be for a shoot of around 45-60 min. You can connect with Mr. Ashish (7430097755 / 7063968731) for the same. After sunset come back to your hotel and go to bed early as on the next day you will be visiting Kala Pathar Beach for sunrise.
Day 4: Havelock (Kala Pathar Beach / Scuba Diving / Elephant Beach)
Wake up call at 4.30am. Kala Pathar Beach is just more than awesome for sunrise. Perfect silver sands, secluded beach, riding on a beachside road and beautiful ocean colors during sunrise. Watching sunrise in the early morning at 4.45 am is such a great vibe and feel all together. If you are not a morning person and booked your stay at Gobind Nagar Beach then you can also watch sunrise (little bit obstructed by mountains) at your private beach.
After sunrise, you can go to your pre-booked scuba dive shop. If you don't have your scooter then pick up and drop service is included in your package. The overall activity will be of 2-3 hrs and you will be back to your hotel before 9 am. I won't suggest any scuba dive shop as there are 30+ shops here and everyone has their own experiences. Make sure you are confident enough to do the scuba and not afraid of water. As once money is paid there is no refund no matter if you do the scuba or not. Negotiate hard on the price, however, some scuba operators reduce the time or choose nearby place for scuba if the price you are paying is less. Price range starta from Rs. 3.5k till Rs. 10k per person.
After breakfast cum lunch at your hotel, you can head to Elephant Beach. One of the most popular beaches in Havelock Island famous for water sports and colorful underwater coral reefs. You can reach the beach by glass bottom boat (Rs. 1000 per person for return journey) or by a trek of 2 km through the jungle. The guide can be hired for Rs. 500 per group. If you adventurous then guide is not really required. You can follow other people and also the path is laid down clearly.
The beach is placed between dense tropical forests, covered by tall trees and greenery from all sides, complemented by white sand. This is the only beach that offers numerous water sports activities (para sailing, jet skiing, glass boat ride, sea walk, kayaking and snorkeling) on the island. Prices can be negotiated hard.
Day 5: Neil (Bhartpur Beach / Laxampanpur Beach)
Today you will be moving from Havelock to Neil Island. Makruzz ferry is at 10 am from Havelock and reaches Neil by 11 am. You can do the hotel check-in and get arranged for a scooter. After lunch at your resort head to Bharatpur Beach. This is the only beach at Neil island offering water sports activities. There are many beach chairs placed under the shed of thick trees where you can just sit back and relax. Later, move to Laxmanpur Beach I for sunset.
Make sure to reach early and grab a perfect spot for sunset. Many shops arrange for candle light tables. They also serve snacks like maggi, omelette, tea, coffee, non veg starters, etc. End your day with a candle light dinner and witnessing one of the mesmerizing sunset.
Day 6: Neil (Sitapur Beach / Natural Bridge / Ramnagar Beach)
Wake up call at 4.30 am to enjoy the sunrise. Sitapur Beach is known for its beautiful sunrise. Perfect place for photography in the morning. Very few people visit this place and in the afternoon it is deserted. You can do your photoshoots here or just get your beach mat and relax adjacent to the ocean. Swimming to be avoided at this beach due to coral and scary waves. On the way back to you hotel, you can visit Ramnagar Beach for clicking a photo with mangroves.
After sunrise and breakfast you can head to the Natural Bridge. You need to check the low tide timings before visiting the place. The place can be visited only during the low tide. You need to walk for around 1 km from parking on dead corals and rocks to reach the bridge.
The guides will surround you at the entrance. It's totally up to you to choose them. I personally didn't feel like a guide would be necessary for this place as most of the sea creatures were visible to us in naked eyes. However, if you are interested to know their names and specialties you can hire a guide. You will be amazed to see many fishes and crabs that were close and there are few weird creatures as well. It has abundant marine life to explore and definitely can be called a natural museum. Natural bridge is a perfect spot for photography at Neil Island. You can hire a photographer at Rs. 1500 for an hour. There is also a second bridge after the first. However, it got destroyed during tsunami. Very few people go to that side, but there is no harm going there.
After exploring the natural bridge and if you still have time, you can go to Laxmanpur Beach Sunset for one last time. This will be the last sunset you will witness on this trip.
Day 7: Port Blaire (Ross Island / Sagarika Shopping Complex)
Today you move from Neil to Port Blair. If you are a morning person you can visit Sitapur Beach Sunrise for one last time. Your ferry will be at 11.30 am and will reach Port Blair by 1 pm. After hotel check-in and quick lunch head to Ross Island.
This is one of the best attractions near Port Blair. You can reach here by boat from Marina Park jetty. It will cost you Rs. 380 per person for the return journey. No ferries after 3 pm so plan accordingly. This island gives you a private island vibe. Once a British colony where administrative activities were at a peak. It was called Paris of the East and even now you can find the remnants of that colonial period. The ruins of a church, jail, a bakery, barrack and several other buildings are there to be explored.
The moment you land, you will notice a valley of coconut trees along with a large number of deers and peacocks just roaming around. You would feel like spending most of your time there. However, the best point of the island (the lighthouse tower) lies at the opposite end of the island. You can take the ride car. They will also give you some history lessons. You will have to walk about 50-70 stairs for the lighthouse. But the view is worth it. The photos and videos here are truly insta-worthy.
However, you can spend only one hour on the island. Strange rule by the ferry operator. One hour is definitely not enough for the place but you can manage. There is much to explore on this tiny island and no time to cover. You can talk to the ferry operator beforehand and with some extra cost you can spend an additional 1hr on the island.
After the island visit, you can head to Corbyns Cove Beach. However, it's not a beach I would recommend visiting although it is mentioned as one of the major tourist attractions in Port Blair. It is not very well maintained, not much activities to do, no places to eat around, littered with lots of filth and crowded all the time. Also, this beach is nowhere near the beaches you have already visited in Havelock and Neil. Instead of this beach you can spend time shopping at Sagarika Emporium. This is a government owned huge shop selling all the sea shells art. Don't forget to take the bill as it might be asked at the airport if you are purchasing in bulk quantities.
Day 8: Checkout and return flight
This is your last day of the trip. If your flight is scheduled in the afternoon then you can visit few museums in the morning. Below are few options:
Zonal Anthropological Museum - Tribal People and Life on Islands
Naval Marine Museum - Shells and Marine Life of Island
Forest Museum - Wooden artifcats and Forest Products of Island
Things to take care:
Book a hotel near sunrise beach so that you can walk to the beach at 4.30 am. (Port Blair - Corbyn's Cove Beach, Havelock - Kalapathar Beach / Gobind Nagar Beach, Neil Island - Sitapur Beach)
If you are taking sea shells then buy only from Sagarika shops which are owned by the Government. Don't forget to take the bill as it might be asked at the airport if you are carrying in bulk quantities. Keep the shells in cabin luggage.
Don't collect shells from the beach as you are not allowed to carry them with you.
Scuba dive to be done either in Havelock or Neil Island only. To be avoided in Port Blaire (North Bay Island).
Scuba dive to be done in the morning slot only. Avoid afternoon slots as by that time water would have been disturbed a lot.
Don't rush into booking a scuba dive from the first person. Everyone here including waiters, cab drivers, rikshaw guy, shopkeepers will try to book scuba for you to earn their commission. There are 30+ shops in Havelock for scuba. For most of them, scuba sites are the same. However, few of them are very bad with photography. They will just do it for compliance.
Prefer to have buffet breakfast and dinner in your hotel plan as a-la-carte food is costly at most of the places.
Book inter island ferries as soon as you confirm your travel dates. There are limited options and once fully booked there is no cheap way to travel from one island to another.
Keep the first and last stay of your trip at Port Blair as it is a very risky approach to match the timings of flight and ferry from Havelock / Neil due to unpredictable weather.
Pay money for scuba only if you are confident. Once money is paid, there is no refund even if you don't do scuba.
Airtel 4G works fine at all three places. No need to carry BSNL sim.
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