Introduction
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a territory of India although they are actually closer to Myanmar and Thailand geographically speaking. Although badly hit in the 2004 tsunami, most of the tourist destinations are back up and running and the 600 islands offer beautiful sand beaches and a haven for nature lovers. The capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands is Port Blair.
Overseas visitors, Indians aside, will need a special permit to visit the islands which can be obtained easily in Port Blair. The permit does not give you access to all islands. For the Nicobar Islands you need a separate tribal area entry permit and this can be hard to get. Still, there is enough to keep you busy on the Andaman Islands.
Geography
Sights and Activities
Sights to take in in Port Blair include the Cellular Jail, a large prison from the early 1900’s which has become a monument to Indian freedom fighters who were emprisoned here. Other sights in Port Blair are the Marine Museum, the Anthropological Museum, and the Chatham Sawmill.
Events and Festivals
Getting There
By Plane
Port Blair can can be reached from Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai by air.
By Boat
You can travel over sea to Port Blair from Kolkata, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam. In total, there are usually 4 to 6 sailings a month between Port Blair and the Indian mainland – once every two weeks to/from Kolkata (56 hours) and weekly (in high season) to/from Chennai (60 hours) on four vessels operated by SCI. The schedule is erratic though, so check with the SCI in advance or check the official tourism website (see below), which usually posts an up-to-date schedule. Delays are common though, so with hold-ups, and variable weather and sea conditions, the trip can take three full days or more. The service from Chennai goes via Cap Nicobar once a month, taking an extra two days, but only residents may disembark. There is usually a service once a month from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Contributors
Utrecht (68%)
from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
Sam I Am (32%)
from Sam's Blog
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Andaman and Nicobar Islands Travel Helpers
andamantrips
Ask andamantrips a question about Andaman and Nicobar IslandsI have been there many times and enjoyed all the inhabited island.
Murli
Ask Murli a question about Andaman and Nicobar IslandsI am a resident of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, born and grown up in these islands. I know this place very well and have good relationship with the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, mostly all the travel agents and hoteliers and boat owners of Andaman know me
This is version 8. Last edited at 10:35 on Aug 18, 10 by Utrecht. 6 articles link to this page.
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