A complete guide to visit Andaman Islands, India

Located off the mainland of India in the Bay of Bengal are the Andaman Islands – a cluster of islands with the most dense tropical rainforests, most pristine white sand beaches and beautiful coral reefs. As you set foot on these, they will immediate remind you of the vibes of most pristine beaches & Islands of South East Asia! including the offbeat beaches of Thailand, the beautiful beaches and islands of Philippines and the family friendly Vietnam islands ! Nevertheless, these are remote from the main land, least crowded and much more offbeat compared to the above ones, which is why we totally fell in love with them in the first place.

While we were wondering where to head next after our recent trip to Indore, Ujjain & Mandu, Andaman & Nicobar islands came on our radar. In fact, it was one of the dream destinations that we wanted to visit since a long time. But somehow it never happened so far. Finally, the plan materialized. Due to lack of leaves & a hectic schedule, we kept it a simple 7 days trip only. Otherwise 10-12 days will be idle to visit Andaman Islands. But we couldn’t wait any longer. So, we decided to make the most of these 7 days in Andaman like we did during our two weeks Europe trip or our days in Rajasthan visiting Udaipur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer & Jodhpur wherein we lived in a desert camp, explored the Jaisalmer Fort inside out, visited the mighty Mehtangarh Fort and did a lot of other things in just a short duration of one week. Here, we present to our readers all the information required to plan a visit to Andaman islands in the form of this guide to visit Andaman Islands.

When to visit the Andaman Islands

The first thing that we will like to highlight in our guide to visit Andaman Islands is the best time to visit. Although the climate in Andaman Islands is tropical, and the temperature remains more or less the same all through the year. Yet the tourist season is the winter season – from November till February – when there is little respite from the typical hot and humid climate when compared to other months. While October & March form the shoulder season. In Monsoon season, better don’t visit as many a times the ferry schedules are disturbed and even cancelled due to heavy rains. And many water sports & activities are also cancelled. Some islands are also open at specific times only. For example, when we visited in October, the red skin island was open. But Jolly Buoy island gets available only November onwards.

How to visit the Andaman Islands

One can take guided tour or travel independently to Andaman Islands. As per our guide to visit Andaman Islands,  here’s some insight into commuting to the islands. The capital of the Andaman Islands, Port Blair, is connected via air to major cities of India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. We flew from Bangalore using a direct flight whose duration was around 2.5 hrs. One should book the flight well in advance (One of our best tricks to get economical flight tickets booked) as not many options are there and the prices start escalating as demand rises. We booked our flight via makemytrip.com almost 4 months before the actual visit. Once in Port Blair, one can take boats and cruises to other islands as planned.

Indian residents do not require any permits to visit Andaman. However foreign nationals require special permits to visit Andaman as it comes under restricted zone. The permit can be obtained either from the tourism office in Port Blair upon arrival, or from other major cities of India like Delhi & Chennai. Even tour operators help obtain the permits. It is not permitted to visit many islands in Andaman, which are native to endangered tribals. Visit to islands like Baratang is only permitted in convoy which go along with forest officials.

Where to stay in the Andaman Islands

Our guide to visit Andaman Islands has the following recommendation for accommodation in Andaman. Port Blair is abundant in all kind of hotels & resorts. Top ones like Sea Shell to economical hostels are all present here. You can check the hotel reviews at tripadvisor and book your hotel via booking.com or agoda.com like we did. We booked Hotel De Marina in Port Blair. The hotel was simple, nothing fancy. But rooms were neat and clean. Reception helpful, staff courteous and food tasty. Overall, we had a pleasant stay  here.  The location of the hotel was excellent. At walking distance to the Cellular Jail, Abardeen Market, Rajiv Gandhi water sports Complex and Abardeen Jetty from where boats leave for Ross Island and North Bay Island etc.

Travelers mainly stay in Port Blair and then for couple of nights in Havelock Island and maybe one night in Neil Island. Both these islands are smaller, with lesser number of hotels & resorts. So, need to be booked in advance, particularly in peak season. We stayed in Symphony Palm Resort in Havelock Island, which is located right on the Vijaynagar beach and is around 11km from Radhanagar beach. While on Neil island, we stayed with Silver Sand Beach Resort.

Which Islands to visit as a part of your trip

Port Blair is the main island, the capital that connects the Andaman Islands from rest of the world. It has flights operating from most of the major cities of India. And ferries also operate between Port Blair and other major cities. Then, there are cruises and ferries to other islands of Andaman like Havelock Island and Neil Island. And day trips can be done from Port Blair to several other islands, like Jolly Buoy Island, Red Skin Island, North Bay Island, Ross Island, Baratang Island and other such Islands.

What activities to do in the Andaman Islands

Now this is where the range of choices gets really wide. There is plethora of activities to do here in Andaman. Water sports like scuba diving, snorkeling, paraselling, sea walk, riding a sea plane, banana boat ride and what not. And riding a glass bottom boat or a semi-submarine. For the romantic souls, the beaches of Havelock and Neil are nothing less than paradise. And the resorts on the side of these beaches provide the perfect relaxing atmosphere with beach side candle light dinners arranged on request, dimly lit atmosphere, spas and relaxing settings. One can either take long walks on the beaches, or watch the sunrise and sunsets, simply laze around or read a book. Or go swimming in the waters. Hop between the islands. And history lovers can indulge into the past through the Cellular Jail and the Ross Island.

Food guide to visit Andaman Islands

Food options are abundant in Port Blair with many restaurants. The restaurant options are limited in Havelock and Neil islands. But then these are smaller islands also. Almost all hotels and resorts have in house restaurants. And mostly the hotel room package includes complementary breakfast. The breakfast is not often lavish but does include a few items from continental, north Indian and south Indian recipes. We saw this trend across all hotels and resorts that we stayed in.

The breakfast included cornflakes with milk, boiled eggs, bread with butter and jam, puri with a north Indian curry, stuffed Indian bread (paratha), idli or dosa, sometimes poha, one juice etc. While lunch and dinner have both a la carta and buffet options. Vegetarian options are more limited compared to non vegetarian. But there are decent number of options. Sea food is a speciality. (No surprises here!!)

Currency & Language in the Andaman Islands

Andaman & Nicobar Islands group are a part of India. So, Indian currency is accepted. Get your currency exchanged at one of the major cities in India before taking a flight to Port Blair. There are ATMs in Port Blair, but didn’t spot many in Havelock and none while in Neil so there must be very less. Most of the establishments accept cash. So, do carry enough cash with you. How much cash should you carry? Refer to our last section on cost of visiting the Andaman Islands for a rough estimation.

English & Hindi are widely spoken. Most of the people are well versed in Hindi which was a surprise to me. Because the Islands are closer to Bengal and Tamil Nadu, I was expecting to hear more of Tamil & Bangla. While there is a substantial Bangla population in the Andamans, they all seem to converse comfortably in Hindi and to a great extent in English as well. Bengali is the next prevalent language as expected.

Commute options in the Andaman Islands

Our guide to visit Andaman Islands recommends the following commute options: Port Blair is once again, the best island in terms of commute options. There are public transports like buses and autos connecting different parts of the city – island. The autos are fare with their rates unlike most other cities in India. And the bus tickets are very minimal. Taxis can also be availed. Either you can note down the contact number of the taxi driver or you can connect to one through your hotel. In other islands, the best option is to call a taxi as needed either by contacting the driver directly or through your hotel. In Neil Island, autos and taxis were a rare site a few years back. However, now they are prevalent.

To commute between bigger islands at larger distance like between Port Blair & Neil, or Neil & Havelock or Port Blair & Havelock, we need to book either government ferries or privately operated cruises. The private cruises like Makruzz need to be booked in advance and online. To commute to other islands for day trips – like Ross Island, North Bay Island, Baratang Island, Jolly Buoy Island and Red Skin Island etc. ferries can be booked on the spot from the right jetty in Port Blair. Following are the boat booking details:

Boats from Port Blair

• Boat to Ross Island can be booked from Abardeen Jetty (reachable from Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex)
• Boat to North Bay Island can be booked from Abardeen Jetty
• Ferry to Baratang Island is booked on the spot at the ferry boarding point where one reaches in convoy
• Boat to Jolly Buoy and red skin islands is taken from Wandoor Beach, from inside Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. A permit is required to visit the same. Which can be obtained one day in advance from the tourism office in Port Blair

How to stay connected in the Andaman Islands

As per our guide to visit Andaman Islands, mobile network connectivity is very weak all over Andaman Islands. The best way to stay connected is to have face to face communication. When we arrived at Port Blair, we took a pre paid taxi to our hotel, hotel de Merina. We then noted down the phone number of the taxi driver in case we needed him again. But the phone was not reachable. Only after trying 50 times we were able to get through to him. So, we learnt our lesson. And next time onwards, we used to fix the day and timing with the driver when we needed the taxi, instead of relying on the phone.

It is true that to stay connected with friends and family might be a challenge with such poor network connectivity. But then it also gives one chance to truly unwind. So, I can’t really complain about it.

Internet is a luxury in Andamans – in the words of one of the receptionist at Symphony Palm Resort. And it is understandable. Internet access is mostly limited to the reception area of the resorts. They will either provide you the password, or just enter it in your phone so that you can’t unanimously share it with multiple other people. So in case you really need to check on some urgent mails etc. you can do that sitting at the reception area of your hotel. TV signals also didn’t work in some of the resorts which I really loved 😉

What to pack as per our guide to visit Andaman Islands

As per our guide to visit Andaman Islands,  include the following in your packing list of items :

Andaman Islands have tropical climate which tend to be on the hot and humid side for most part of the year. Accordingly, the below items need to be packed on a trip to Andaman Islands:

1. Light and comfortable cotton cloths. Preferably full sleeves to avoid direct sun exposure and sun burns
2. Swimwear
3. Quick drying towel for the beach
4. A torch because not all pathways and beaches are lit after the dark
5. Sunscreen lotion
6. A hat (either carry or buy there)
7. An umbrella to protect you from both the sun and the unpredictable rain bouts. Even raincoat for kids will help.
8. Waterproof sandals
9. Sunglasses
10. Basic toiletries. Since some hotels might not provide all that you are expecting. Remember it is a remote island and everything needs to be shipped from the main land which adds to the cost
11. Some waterproof bag to carry to the beach, along with some ziplock pouches to put your valuables in
12. An id proof and an address proof per member traveling
13. Downloaded copy or printout of your bookings for hotel and ferries / cruises
14. Some basic snacks. Sometimes when you go to remote islands, there might not be any food option available. It will be good to keep some dry fruits, or other healthy snacks while traveling .
15. Keep your general medicines kit and latest prescriptions, particularly if traveling with elderly and kids.
16. Carry a mosquito repellant. In the lush green tropical forests that Andaman is abundant in, mosquitos might thrive.
17. Other general stuff that you carry to anyplace.

Apart from these, we packed our digital camera, our favorite travel accessories, the travel packing essentials that we always swear by, products that help us travel efficiently with our kid and the medicine kit as pointed above! We also kept an umbrella for the much needed protection from sun and rain.

Shopping in Andaman Islands

In the Andaman Islands you will find some exclusive handicrafts and items that are representative of the locals. These come in varying sizes and start for as low as INR 50. The things that you will find unique to Andaman and can be collected as souvenirs include:

• Items made of sea shell that include decorative handicrafts, jewelry, key chains, toys and show pieces
• Handicrafts made out of wood that include baskets, kitchenware, key chains, toys, show pieces, trays, flower pots etc.
• Tribal figurines made from wood, stone dust and sometimes coral reefs.

If you carry anything that is made of coral reefs or shells, then better to keep your bills intact as these might be questioned at the airport. Although very small quantities don’t bother the officials. It is tempting to buy or carry coral reefs, but do remember, it comes at a cost to the basic constituting material of this island. So, avoid it.

Cost of visiting the Andaman Islands

PS: the cost recommendation in our guide to visit Andaman Islands is based on the cost we ourselves bore, visiting Andaman in October, 2019.

Andaman is not very costly if planned wisely. The hotels in Port Blair are abundant. And range from simple B&Bs to luxury hotels. While the options in Havelock and Neil islands are limited. So, the charges are on the higher side. Following is a cost sheet of the amount we paid for various services to give you an idea of the cost involved. Roughly, our 7 days trip to Andaman cost us around INR 38000 per head including the round trip flight cost from Bangalore. Most of the payments here need to be done in cash. So, you might need to carry more cash that you usually do when visiting other destinations. In case, you want us to plan your trip or even book your trip, you can reach out to us @ [email protected] .

Overall it was a great experience visiting the Andaman Islands. Wish to stay here longer the next time we visit.

Details of the bookings done

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