Top places to visit in Andaman and Nicobar islands

Radhanagar Beach, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Awarded with the title of ‘Asia’s Best Beach’ by the TIMES magazine in 2004, Radhanagar Beach in Havelock Island with its turquoise blue waters and powdery white sands lives up to the moniker. Its vast shores of endless white grains stretch across 2 kilometres, making it a prime attraction of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Food stalls and vendors can be seen on the fringes of the shore, keeping travellers refreshed with the provision of fresh and delicious seafood as well as beverages. You can also book beach beds, parasols, and umbrellas while they spend hours merely lounging at this exquisite wonderland. Radhanagar Beach Andaman is just adjacent to Elephant beach, so you may find mahouts taking out their elephants for a joyride to the tourists. The beach is also secure with patrolling lifeguards ready for rescue.

Cellular Jail, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The Cellular Jail, also known as ‘Kala Pani’ is an old colonial prison situated in Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar islands. Constructed by the Britishers during their colonial rule in India, the jail was used particularly to exile Indian political prisoners. It was used to house many notable freedom fighters such as Batukeshwar Dutt, Yogendra Shukla and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

The jail complex is now owned by the Government of India and it is recognised as the national memorial monument that showcases the life of prisoners during the British era. Cellular Jail stands as a prominent tourist attraction in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where visitors can learn about its history and also enjoy a light show held in memory of all the prisoners who were imprisoned here.

Today, the Cellular Jail is a solemn reminder of all the struggles the Indian freedom fighters undertook while fighting for independence, and is an integral part of India’s history.

Elephant Beach, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

With its brilliant coral reefs and alluring cyan waters, the Elephant beach is one of the locations that add to the beach paradise reputation of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These waters are a prime destination for tourists wishing to engage in water sports like snorkelling, swimming, banana boat rides, speed boats and diving. There are two ways to reach Elephant Beach: Take a ferry from Havelock Jetty to Elephant Beach (1000 INR per person) or trek for half an hour with a guide (INR 500). The trek starts at a distance of 2km from Radhanagar Beach.

For those who are here to relax, the beach offers some exciting food and drink options while one lounges leisurely on the sands. One could also engage in other adventurous activities like bird-watching, trekking and kayaking. As this area is famous for its coral reefs, sea walking is a major activity undertaken by almost every visitor to this beach, making this one of the best beaches of India.

Ross Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Located just 2 kilometres east of Port Blair is Ross Island (now known as Netaji Subhash Bose Island); an island which was once the administrative headquarters of the British, but today is only an uninhabited island. Following an earthquake that hit Ross Island in the year 1941, the British left the island and shifted their settlement to Port Blair.

At first sight of the island, it is tough to believe that this abandoned place was once the seat of British power and housed everything from a bazaar, a church, stores, bakery, a water treatment plant, tennis court, printing press, secretariat, hospital, cemetery and other vital institutions.
Today, everything has disappeared except a few buildings, which housed some of these landmarks. The Indian Navy has managed to rebuild some old buildings, such as the local stores and the bakery, to provide the visitors with a feel of the bygone era. Souvenirs can also be purchased from these shops.

North Bay Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

North Bay Island in Andaman is most preferred by tourists for its breathtaking coral reefs and exhilarating adventure activities. Interestingly, the picture of an island on the back of a 20 Rupee note is of North Bay Island.

North Bay Island competes with some of the most beautiful islands all over the world when it comes to attracting tourists. Activities like scuba diving, snorkelling, sea walking, and glass boat rides are what allures tourists the most. You will find more things to do here than at Neil Island or Havelock.

Night Kayaking in Andaman, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ mesmerising natural beauty, featuring lagoons, mangroves, beaches, flora and fauna, makes for a unique night kayaking experience. Havelock and Port Blair are famous for their night kayaking or bioluminescence tours through mangroves, small islets, lagoons and more. Under the guidance of expert instructors, people get a chance to experience nature a little differently; see its slightly eerie side.

Exploring the bioluminescence caused by the organic activity of phytoplankton is a significant highlight of night kayaking in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Other highlights of the activity include hearing the crickets chirping, stargazing and trying to identify constellations.
Tours begin around sunset, and people can opt to ride single or double person kayaks.
Veer Savarkar Park (Port Blair) and Havelock Ferry Ghat (Havelock) are the most common locations to begin night kayaking tours from.

Scuba Diving in Andamans

The clear waters of Andaman island host incredible marine life and state-of-the-art equipment and expertise. Over the years, scuba diving in the Andaman Islands has seen tourists flocking from different parts of the world, and this tradition never ceases to provide anything short of an awestruck experience. Indonesia, Micronesia, Cayman Islands, are some of the internationally acclaimed sites for scuba diving sites, however, being a little heavy on the pocket which is where scuba diving in Andamans is a more preferred option. Here are more insights on the same.

Bharatpur Beach, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Located just half a kilometre from the jetty at Neil Island, Bharatpur Beach is a stunning shoreline famous for water sports like snorkelling, glass-bottom rides, and scuba diving other than beach exploration and sunbathing. The shore has shallow water with coral reefs. If you wish to spend some time away from the crowd then one can easily find a peaceful stretch at this place.

Kalapathar Beach, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Kalapathar beach is a long stretch of white silky sand with big black rocks beside the blue sea and is one the most popular beaches of Havelock Island. Being located on the one tip of Havelock Island, Kalapathar Beach is named after a Black Road (Kalapathar in Hindi) which runs parallel to the seashore. The beach is small but the way to the beach is very good. Mesmerizing views of sunset at this beach makes it a perfect destination to spend some peaceful time and also the beach is not so crowded which has kept it clean till date. The turquoise coloured water can actually be seen during the drive to the beach which makes it look even more mesmerizing. The black rocks the lie along the seashores make a bright contrast with silver sand. Green dense forests surround the beach from all the sides.

Being a relatively isolated and protected beach, Kalapathar does not have the usual shacks and resorts that other beaches do and hence can be visited as a stopover attraction. The whole beach is lined up with rich greenery and one of the best features about the beach is that it is comparatively silent and has less crowd which becomes a reason for why it sticks close to the visitor’s heart. As the number of people is lesser, Kalapathar Beach is very special for couples and families who would like to spend time in peace and utmost calmness.

Neil Island

Neill Island is a part of the South Andaman Administrative District and belongs to Ritchie’s Archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. A part of the massive ocean separates it from Ross Island and Havelock Island, Tourists visiting Havelock often make a day-long trip to Neill Island.

Perhaps the most endearing feature of this island is its three sandy beaches, namely Bharatpur Beach, Sitapur Beach and Lakshmanpur Beach. The forest cover has reduced considerably due to the cultivation of rice but a section in the north-west of the island is being preserved actively.

The regions where the forest cover is lost has a couple of degrees or so higher temperature than the region with enough flora. Nonetheless, Neill Island is the major supplier of vegetables to most regions of the Andaman Islands.
Due to its limited area, Neill Island can be covered with a simple walk. All three beaches are exquisite and extraordinarily clean and are well-connected to the mainland as well.