8,249 sq km
Population: 450,000
Capital: Port Blair
Temperature: 23oC to 31oC, Humidity 80%
Best time to visit: Mid-November to April
Main languages: Hindi, Bengali, Tamil & other tribal languages.

The cool, blue waters of the Bay of Bengal stretch for miles along the East Coast of India – unbroken except by the sound of waves nudging each other. The waters of the Bay of Bengal silently meet the Indian Ocean somewhere between Ceylon and Myanmar (formerly Burma). Out of the sapphire expanse rise islands with sands the colour of the purest gold. Seemingly virgin country, swaying palm trees and forests dot these golden beaches. Where the sands are not forged of gold, the beaches are stretches of pure white, with sky-blue waters lapping their shores. This is Andaman and Nicobar, a group of 300 islands, of which only 50 are inhabited. Paradise, some might say, but not so about a century ago. For Port Blair, the capital of the Andamans, is where the British built one of the most dreaded penitentiaries in all of India.

The Andaman and Nicobar islands are inhabited by native aboriginals like the Onges, the Shompens, the Sentinelese, the Andamanese, the Jarawas and the Nicobarese. Their numbers are fast dwindling, with the Sentinelese in particular numbering a little over a hundred. However, they are still fighting shy of the outside world and every effort by ‘outsiders’ to colonise them is met with fierce resistance. Similarly, the Jarawas have constantly resisted all contact with the modern world – happy with their ‘sequestered existence’.

The Sentinelese and the Onges tribes paint their naked bodies. Some of them hunt pigs, fish and turtles with harpoons made of metal. Most of the tribes are agriculturists with only a few thousand of them surviving today. Tourists are discouraged to interact with these tribals and the areas in which they live are cordoned off, to ensure nothing untoward occurs.

Tropical rain forests cover the Andaman and Nicobar islands in a dense, green shroud. The archipelago houses more than 3,000 species of plants and fruit. The region is susceptible to flash storms, which makes fishing difficult during the monsoons when high velocity winds sweep the islands. The temperature does not fluctuate too much – it hovers between 20oC-32oC round the year.

However, these islands are not easily accessible. For instance, foreign visitors require a ‘Restricted Area Permit’ that is valid for 30 days. Permits can be obtained from Indian embassies abroad or from Calcutta, Chennai and Port Blair. Initially, a 15-day permit is issued, which can be extended for another 15 days. The permit allows foreigners to stay in South Andaman, Little Andaman, Bharatnag, North Passage, Neil, Havelock and Long Islands. Foreign tourists are barred from visiting the Nicobar islands. On arrival, they need to report their presence to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and while departing, their permits are stamped.

History

There is a reference in the Hindu epic Ramayana, to the monkey-god Hanuman making a stopover in the Andaman while he was en route to Lanka in search of Sita. Aboriginals have inhabited the Islands for thousands of years – but their xenophobia and their belligerence resulted in the area remaining unexplored. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ fame described the islanders in his book, ‘The Sign of Four’, as “perhaps the smallest race upon this earth – fierce, morose and intractable”. Lying on the ancient trade route between Burma and India, the islands were delineated on Ptolemy’s second century a.d. map. The Chinese traveller, I-Tsing who visited India in the seventh century gave a rivetting account of these isles, as did the Venetian explorer Marco Polo (1254-1324).

The place became the naval base of the great Maratha admiral, Kanhoji Angre in the early 18th century. He frequently crossed swords with the Europeans – the British, the Dutch and the Portugese. In 1713, he captured the yacht of the British governor of Bombay, releasing it only after obtaining a hefty ransom. Though attacked later by a combined British/Portugese naval task force, Angre remained undefeated until his death in 1729. The first westerners to set foot on these isles were the Danes in the mid-18th century.

However, these offshore islands had not escaped the eyes of the British. In 1789, they established a penal colony on South Andaman Island, but had to abandon it seven years later because of the unhygienic living conditions. Finally in 1872, they annexed both groups of islands. However, the only point of settlement developed by the British was Port Blair, which was converted into a prison for convicts serving life terms. For the next 70 years, the atolls remained untouched by time until the Japanese occupied them in World War II. In December 1943, the Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose, who was working in tandem with the Japanese, unfurled the Indian tricolour at Port Blair. However, the territory reverted to the British after the defeat of the Japanese in World War II. Come August 1947, and the English left our shores to go back to their island-nation, while Andaman and Nicobar became part of the dominion of India.

Middle and North Andamans
Mayabunder, which is 157 kilometres by sea from Port Blair, is the administrative capital of the Middle and North Andamans. The only place where decent accommodation is available in Middle Andaman is Rangat. Eight kilometres from here is the Amkunj Beach, which has good facilities for snorkelling – off the rocks at the top end of the beach. Karmateng Beach, the other notable beach in the area is 25 minutes by bus from Rangat.

North Andaman has some the prettiest beaches in the entire chain of islands. Lamia Bay has a pebble beach that is perfect for an overnight camping trip. To its north are small bays strewn with large eroded boulders, while to its south lies the Saddle Peak, which stands 730 metres tall.

Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are to the south of the Andamans, deep in the Indian Ocean. Separated from the Andamans by the Ten Degree Channel – the major islands in the chain are Car Nicobar, Little Nicobar, Great Nicobar and Katchal. Indira Point in Great Nicobar represents the southernmost tip of India. The islands are inaccessible and house a significant tribal population. The infrastructure is quite primitive and the people live in distinctive huts, which are raised on stilts and have large, thatched domes. Most of the islands are out of bounds for foreign tourists, while Indians can visit Car Nicobar with a permit. The Nicobarese love wrestling, canoeing, fishing and swimming but are best known for their love of music. Every festival is marked by competitions in traditional dancing and singing, in which the villagers participate enthusiastically.

South Andaman
Chiriya Tapu located at the southern tip of South Andaman is only an hour by road from Port Blair. It is a haven for bird-watchers and an excellent destination for snorkelling and scuba diving. Trekkers will love clambering up Mount Harriet, which is only 365 metres to the top. Two kilometres from Mount Harriet lies Kalapathar (Black Rocks) – the spot from where prisoners were pushed to their death. On the eastern side of South Andaman lies the Madhuban Beach – the most picturesque spot in the island. In addition, South Andaman houses the Marine National Park – which is rich not just in marine life, but also in the variety of tropical flowers and birds it houses.

CLIMATE
The continuous breeze from the sea maintains weather of the Andamans very humid though it is not so hot. The temperature variation is very less. It rains on the islands almost every day. The south west monsoon touches the Indian soil first here then proceeds towards the mainland. This monsoon comes between May to October. The north east monsoon arrives here between November and January. The best item to visit these islands is between Mid November to April. December and January are the peak seasons to come here.

SHOPPING
Andamans is not really a place to go shopping. Here one comes to relax. Clear gentle water of sea, pollution free environment every thing is for a perfect retirement from the hectic city life. Here one forgets about the shopping sprees; one cares more about swimming in the sea and observing marine flora fauna in their natural environment.

Nevertheless, Port Blair is fast becoming like any other Indian city with some good markets. Here mostly products made from corals and sea shells can be seen. All other items are brought from the main land so nothing as such is the speciality of the islands. The tribals are away from the civilised world so their handicrafts and traditional crafts do not come into the market. In Andamans look out for decorative items and thingsmade from the sea shells. Corals are also sold in the market in various sizes and colours.

FORESTS
These islands cover an area of 8249 Sq. Km. 6408 Sq. km. in Andaman group and 1841 Sq. km. in Nicobar group of islands. The topography of these islands is undulating and hilly, level land being rare, found only in narrow valleys or along the sea coast. Being exposed to both south-west as well as the north-east monsoons, it rains for almost 200 days in the year maintaining a variation of soothing and balmy temperature between 22° to 34° C and an average relative humidity of 80%. Heavy down-pours are experienced during July to September because of the south-west monsoons. The Forest of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been categorised as one of the highest potential productivity zones in India owing to a favourable climate and edaphic factors present in these islands. Forests area is nearly 86% of its geographical area and the forest cover is about 92%. The non-forest area is also frequently covered with trees. Out of the 86% forest area, 56% is still maintained in its pristine / virgin glory in the form of coastal forest belts (13%), small islets and protected areas (7%), Tribal Reserves (36%), National Parks and Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves (Over-lapping).

NATURAL RESOURCES
Nature has endowed these islands with tropical sylvan wealth covering almost everything from water's edge to hill tops. Sir Harry Champion, a noted world authority on forestry has aptly remarked - "Forests in its pristine glory, if it is found anywhere in south-east Asia, it is in Andaman Islands". At the first sight, these forests look like a chaotic mass of vegetation in which leaves and stems are packed together closely, occupying almost every inch of space; huge trees jostle with one another for room to spread out, slender growths of cane and other plants stretch upwards, as though in agony, towards sunlight and life.

BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Both compositionally and taxonomically, the forests present a variety, unmatched anywhere else, in the world. The vegetation and its dependent fauna have Polynesian, Indo-Malaysian and Assam-Burmese affinities, besides unique characteristics of oceanic islands. The general forest composition is characterised by the presence (or absence) of certain species as one travels from north to south. For example, occurrence of Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides), an endemic species in the islands, is limited to the main Andaman group of islands excluding the Little Andaman Islands. Similarly Gurjan (Dipterocarpus sp.) does not occur in the Nicobar group of islands. Considering the diversity and uniqueness of fauna and flora and the fragile nature of eco-system, the Administration has established 96 Sanctuaries [466.218 sq.km] and 9 National Parks [1153.938 sq. km.] with a view to protect and preserve these rare assets. One Biosphere Reserve has also been established over an area of 885 Sq. km. at Great Nicobar which covers two National Parks viz. Galathia Bay and Campbell Bay National Parks with a view to protect the virgin luxuriant tropical rain forest systems and several rare and endemic species of animals and plants of the islands.

The other important area of conservation are the Narcondum Hornbill Sanctuary, the North Reef Sanctuary (for water birds), Megapode Sanctuary, Nicobar Pigeon Sanctuary, South Sentinel island Sanctuary (for Giant Robber Crabs) and Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Wandoor. Important fauna of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are Crab-Eating Macaque, Wild Pig, Palm Civet, Chital, Barking Deer, Feral Goat, Terrestrial Shrews, Squirrel, Dolphin, Dugongs, Bats, Rats, large varieties of birds, snakes, lizards and crocodiles. Elephants were brought from mainland. The islands also have a great variety and number of marine animals.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

By air
Port Blair is connected to Chennai and Calcutta by Air. Presently flights are operated by Indian Airlines on Calcutta-Port Blair-Calcutta sector on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and on Chennai-Port Blair-Chennai sector on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The journey time is approximately 2 hrs. for both sectors. Jet Airways has also started their services every day of the week on Chennai-Port Blair-Chennai sector.

By Sea
Regular passenger ship services are available to Port Blair from Chennai, Calcutta and Vishakhapatnam. There are three to four sailings every month respectively from Chennai and Calcutta to Port Blair and vice-versa and from Vishakhapatnam once in every two months. The voyage takes about three days and ships normally berth at Port Blair for about two days.

ENTRY FORMALITIES
Indian Nationals need no permit to visit Andamans except for reserve area. However, permit is required to visit Nicobar and other restricted areas, which are granted only in special cases. Application on a prescribed form may be addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Andaman District at Port Blair for visit to Nicobars. All foreign nationals can stay in these islands for 30 days. They require a permit to visit these islands, which can easily be obtained on arrival at Port Blair from the immigration authorities. In addition, permits can also be obtained from :
1. Indian Missions Overseas.
2. Foreigners Registration Offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.
3. The immigration authorities at the Air Port at Port Blair, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Chennai.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands being the restricted area under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963, no foreigner can enter or stay in the Islands without obtaining permit from the competent authority. At present foreigners can visit the following places for thirty days after obtaining Restricted Areas permit from the competent authority

1. South Andaman Island (except tribal reserve)
2. Middle Andaman Island (except tribal reserve)
3. Little Andaman Island (except tribal reserve)
4. Baratang
5. Neil island
6. Havelock island
7. Long island
8. North Passage island
9. Selected islands in the Marine National Park
10. Wandoor (with special permission)
11. Diglipur (North Andaman).

Foreigners are allowed day long visits at places like Ross Island, Narcondum Island, Interview Island, Brother Island, Sister Island and Barren Island (Visit on board vessels only and landing is prohibited

ACTIVITIES IN ANDAMAN ISLANDS

SCUBA DIVINGM
Andaman waters offer a fascinating world of under-water marine life, varieties of colorful fishes, rarest of the coral reefs in the the world, mysterious remains of sunken ships, etc. All these can be explored through Scuba diving. Andaman & Nicobar Scuba Diving Society situated at Wandoor provides Scuba Diving opportunities. Private divers are also available.

SNORKELING
One can enjoy the under-water marine life and view the rarest varieties of corals by snorkeling near the Andaman Water Sports Complex, Corbyn's Cove Tourism Complex, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Havelock and other islands on all days from dawn to dusk depending on weather.

TREKKING
One can go trekking through the nature trail from Mt. Harriet to Madhuban and enjoy the rare forest life, flora and fauna. There are other trekking routes also.Trekking equipment and tents are available on hire from Andaman Teal House.

ISLAND CAMPING
Island camps are just the right choice for the nature lovers, who wish to enjoy sun, sea and pristine beauty of nature by spending quiet holidays right on the beach. Tents are available locally on hire from October to May.

PLACES TO VISIT

CELLULAR JAIL (National Memorial):
The penal settlement established here by the British after the First War of Independence in 1857 was the beginning of the agonizing story of the massive and awful Jail at Viper Island followed by the Cellular Jail. The patriots who raised their voice against the British Raj were sent to this Jail, where many perished. The saga of the heroic freedom struggle is brought alive in a moving Son-et-Lumiere' shown daily at 6.00 PM (Hindi) and 7.15 PM (English). Also there is a Museum and an Art Gallery which is open on all days except Monday from 9.00 AM to 12 Noon and 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM.

ANDAMAN WATER SPORTS COMPLEX
This is a unique sports complex in India in its own kind. There are facilities for safe Water Sports such as Rowing Boats, Paddle Boats, Kayaks, Aqua-cycle, Aqua-glide, Bumper boats, etc., and Adventure water sports such as Water-skiing, Water scooters, Gemini boats, Para-sailing, Sail boats, Wind-surfers, Speed boats, Glass-bottom boats, etc., There are Saline Water Swimming Pool, Nature-walk, Change Room, Food Plaza, also. There is a Memorial built to commemorate the Battle of Aberdeen, fought between the British and Andamane aborigines in May, 1859, in which many Andamanese died. There is an artificial water-fall nearby.

CHILDREN'S TRAFFIC PARK
This park near Aberdeen Water Sports Complex, is set up by the Traffic Police to educate young children about the traffic rules. There is a Toy Train nearby.

GANDHI PARK
This beautiful Park at Port Blair has facilities like children's park, amusement park, entertainment park, deer and bird park, water sports, nature trail,, lake, garden, restaurant and Japanese temple, as well as a bunker. The erstwhile Dilthaman Tank, which was the only source of drinking water to Port Blair has been developed into Gandhi Park in an unbelievably short time of 13 days.

Corbyn's Cove, 7 Kms., from the town, is the coconut-palm fringed beach, ideal for swimming, surfing and sun-basking. Facilities like water sports, restaurant and bar, change room, etc., are also available.

THE CHATHAM SAW MILL
The Chatham Saw Mill, one of the oldest and largest mills in Asia, built on a tiny island, is connected to Port Blair by a bridge. It is a store-house of timber like Padauk, Gurjan, Marble, Satin Wood, etc. The island has the second largest wharf of these islands, where island-mainland ships can berth. Samudrika Marine Museum - The five sections of this unique museum display history and geography of the Andaman & Nicobar islands. The displays include islands, the people, the tribals, their life-style, marine life and archaeology. There museum also has a sizable collection of shells and corals.

FISHERIES MUSEUM
This aquarium cum museum has a collection of some
350 species of marine animals found on the island.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL MUSEUM
The islands are inhabited by tribals who are considered to be the original nhabitants of the Andamans. The tools used by them, their dresses and many photographs of their life style have been kept in this museum.

MINI ZOO
Situated in Haddo, Port Blair, it houses some of the species which are found no where in the world. 200 species of animals which includes the Nicobar Pigeon and the Andaman Pig. The salt water crocodile breeding programme has been very successful and the many crocodiles which were bred here are now in wild waters among the dense mangrove forests. Though these waters are also being used by the tourists for swimming but three has been perfect harmony between the swimmers and the crocodiles. Near the zoo is the museum maintained and run by the forest department. This unusual museum displays locally grown woods, including Pad auk which has both light and dark colours are present in the same tree.

MOUNT HARRIT
The summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner during British Raj, it is an ideal place for a nice and fascinating view of the sun, sea and sand. It is 365 meters high, the highest peak in the South Andamans. One can trek upto Madhuban through a nature trail and can find rare flora and fauna, endemic birds, animals and butterflies. Conducted tours to Mt. Harriet are available from Andaman Teal House.

SIPPIGHAT FARM
Sprawling over an area of 80 acres is a Government farm. Research & development programs for cultivation of spices like cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut and Ruins in Ross Island pepper are conducted.
A short boat ride from Phoenix Bay Jetty, Ross Island, was the seat of the British Administration. Important ruins include a Church, Cemetery, Swimming Pool and Chief Commissioner's residence. A small museum of Indian Navy, Smritika, has a good collection of old records. Boats are available from Phoenix Bay Jetty, Port Blair daily except Wednesday

VIPER ISLAND
Viper Island is very near to Port Blair and was the old Jail were British's used to harbor convicts. It has ruins of gallows atop a hillock. The Jail was abandoned when the Cellular Jail was constructed in 1906.

WANDOOR
Just 29 kms from Port Blair is this stunningly beautiful group of islands. The 15 islands form the part of the 280 sq kms Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. If on a tour from Port Blair, Jolly Buoy and Red skin islands are also visited. But very less time is given to enjoy the beauty of these islands. The scenic beauty of the islands is enhanced by mangrove creeks, tropical rainforest and the reef which support almost 50 varieties of corals. There are number of good beaches on Wandoor but watch for the strong currents. Do not venture on the coral reefs asthey might get damaged. In fact many have already been damaged. The marine park of Wandoor includes the uninhabited North and South Cinque. Cinque islands are among the most beautiful islands in the Andamans. It is surrounded by pristine coral reefs. Here only day trips are allowed and permission has to taken from the forest department.

CHIRIYA TAPU
A tiny fishing village with beaches and mangroves, Chiriya Tapu is 30 kms from Port Blair. From Chiriya Tapu there is a beach which is well known for snorkelling.

NEIL ISLANDS
These predominantly Bengali populated islands are 40 kms from Port Blair and offers good beaches for snorkelling. Though some of the corals have been damaged nevertheless it is a very scenic spot to be. Here the beach are numbered and beach number 1 has some lovely hammocks under trees which are very popular among the campers. There is also a fresh water well. One can watch very large fish from these islands. But becomes difficult to cross the corals to the sea during the low tides.

HAVELOCK ISLANDS
Havelock Islands : Again this island is full of Bengali settlers. The main attraction of these islands are not the picturesque white sand beaches or turquoise waters or the coral reefs but the Dolphins, Turtles and very large fishes attract most of the tourists. It is 45 kms from Port Blair.

MIDDLE ANDAMANS
The Andaman trunk which through the Middle Andamans have the Jarawa reserves. Jarawas are the native and are very hostile to visitors. So any vehicle passing beside the reserve carries heavily armed gaurds. Independent travelling in this area is discouraged. But the island is open to the tourists and accommodation & other facilities have been provided. Tourists can also visit Rangat and Mayabunder islands.

NORTH ANDAMANS
Not much is to be seen in North Andamans. Diglipur is the place where one spend his night. Recently Kalipur beach is being developed for tourist purposes.

LITTLE ANDAMANS
Like the Northern Andamans, these islands have been the reserve for the Onge tribe.