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Preparations:
Even very efficient pre planning may deride you in Andamans. I am not only referring to the logistics problem here but also our own love affairs with each of the exotic beaches and virgin forests. You just can not follow the watch even calendar in Andamans. So plan for a longer holiday if possible with sufficient cushion in between the travel windows / Island Skipping cruises. Please do some research and finalise the program well in advance. Please talk to the locals and explore new places .
You may be lured by the pristine purity of the places and the crystal clarity of the waters to stay longer in each island. If your emphasis is more on leisure and not on visiting max. no. of places, it is better to stay at one place like Havelock for longer period and relax. Each island has exotic nooks, some of them unseen by humans for long.
Air Tickets:
The inaugural shock of your trip may jolt you hard. You can reach Port Blair (Capital of Andamans and the only civilian Airport) only from Chennai and Kolkotha. You also have very limited flights and you are at the mercy of the airline operators. If you are planning your holidays during annual vacation / Holiday seasons, it is better to book well in advance I mean a few months in advance!!! No Jokes! These airline operators announced that all the tickets were sold out up to May end way back in February.
Then the mother of all bargains starts. You are induced to fly into Port Blair with a normal looking fare. But the return outward fare costs you 3 times the inward fare. You can not find any alternative unless you are ready to catch a ferry across the Bay of Bengal and have sufficient extra time on your side ( and of course battling the sea sickness). Eventually, you have to give in and buy at the prevailing rates. Please also make sure that you check in early (if possible web check in) so that you are not caught in the last minute replacement juggles esp. during the Port Blair to Main Land trip. Since the Govt. Babus the so called VVIPs may snatch your seats at the last minute. Beware of the touts who promise you every thing from ferry seats to hotel rooms to air tickets.
Hotel Booking:
Please google and finalise your hotels in Port Blair as well as in other islands, based on the budget, location and service needs. Back Packers can afford to go without prior booking as they may even sleep in hammocks tied between two trees along the coast (if they can manage the mosquitoes & Flies). They may even get those small Nicobari huts on the coast at very cheap rates. But people with families and esp. with small children have to book the hotels well in advance. Getting a good accommodation during vacation / holiday season is very difficult esp. in Havelock and other islands.
You can not book these hotels in the smaller islands through internet and the booking has to be done only from Port Blair. So it is better to go through an agent at Port Blair with internet access and plan a package as per your needs. Most of the budget accommodation may be run by the island admin. and so you may have to pay the room rent in advance by DD. Most of the Indian tourists are from the central govt. services ( mostly on LTC). If you are also from the services, it will be better if you inform your agent or hotel about LTC reimbursement conditions in advance. Please check the CHECK OUT timings in each hotel at the time of checking in so that you can plan your time accordingly. The Ferry departure timings will govern your travel program. So if you plan well, you need not pay unnecessary rent for the rooms, not utilized for the night stays.
The service levels in the hotels esp the govt. run ones may be wanting and do not expect much from them. If you are so sensitive about good services, it is better to pay more and book in high end hotels. Even there, the attitude of the people may be almost same. Do not expect metro level services. You can learn to be bare feet and relax. Clocks dont run in Andamans and dont try to speed up. Once you get into the groove, you may actually start enjoying the speed, rather lack of it. Those who visit Andamans for Game Fishing, Snorkeling & Diving, it is better to go straight for the other islands, instead of wasting time in Port Blair.
Food:
If you have special needs like Jain Food or Vegetarian Food, it is better to inform your agent about the same in advance. As most of the hotels & restaurants offer sea food as their main menu, Vegetarians and Jains may find very limited items on offer. But the Non Vegetarians can relish on exotic Sea Food platter. Families with small children may buy and stock enough food at Port Blair itself since the shops in the smaller islands may not have much of your choice. Big islands such as Havelock are having a few bigger shops and restaurants. But if you are brand conscious, it is better to buy and stock at Chennai / Kolkotha itself. Coke / Pepsi and Lays Chips are available everywhere.
Since the islands are in the tropics, you may need to drink lots of water. It is better to stock enough for your stay, trekking, ferry rides and island hopping cruises. You can get Coconut water near all the popular places.
Local Transport:
Except in Port Blair, it is almost impossible to visit places and catch your ferries in time if you do not have pre arranged transport especially in the smaller islands. Local buses and vans are available but you may not get them when you want. If you are planning to stay in a single place for long stay, then you may rely on these. These buses and vans stop anywhere and the drivers are so courteseous. But you may have to be well trained either in circus or yoga to endure these trips. Vehicles plying at Breakneck (or Break Back?) speed with rickety bodies are the norms. Be prepared for bone rattling experiences on these roads. Try to wear cushions all over your bodies to avoid getting hit. Those sitting or standing near the open doors of these vehicles may better tie themselves to the nearby seats.
The eco friendly alternative is the Bicycle. You can get them on rent and it is so refreshing to cycle across those pure virgin lands. It is better to avoid crossing the paths of the above said vehicles. In Havelock, you also get motorbikes on hire. But it is heavenly to remove your shoes and walk bare foot across the white sands and stand in the wavy waters. (Beware of the rocks, shells and fallen wood pieces that are buried in the sands)
Other Needs:
Only BSNL mobile network has a better coverage in many of the islands. It is better to have a back pack for short trips, instead of lugging all your luggages. Since it will be very difficult to find lockers to keep your valuables, it is better if you carry them along. All your food and water can also be packed inside. Do take UV resistant Sun Glasses, Caps, Swimwear, under water caps, shoes & goggles, change - dresses (minimum) etc. where ever you go. Most of the times, Hawaai chappals may be the better choice than shoes. The fine sand gets into your shoes and chappals and some may find it irritating.
There will be hardly any changing room except at the popular spots like Elephant beach, Beach No 7 etc, but at most of the places, there will be no one to see you changing also.
There will be no fresh water showers along the beach and so after frolicking in the sea / beach, you have to endure the sticky feeling till you come back to your hotel room.
If you have sensitive skin, it will be better to pack loads of Sunscreen lotion. You will be parched within a few hours if you are exposed. Esp. the children have to be forced to apply sun screen lotion and drink lots of water as they wander too much in the sun.
If you plan to spend your time on the beach or outside before sunrise or after the sunset, please apply odomos or any mosquito repellent all over your exposed body. Mosquitoes and Flies swarm you everywhere during dawn and dusk. Children especially have to be protected more.Please carry balls, Frisbees or any other play things so that you and your family can have a whale of a time on the coast. If you are seriously into Snorkeling / Diving, please carry your own equipments. The equipments that are available on rent do not look hygienic and are not washed in between uses. Wear a suitable rubber shoe if you are a first timer in snorkeling. If you land your legs on the corals or the rocks that are underneath the water, your feet get bruised.
Dive India seems to be a reputed institute for Deep Sea Diving and their equipments look sparkling clean. Most of the foreign tourists use the services of Dive India. There are some private foreign nationals who are into renting the diving equipments.
Please carry swiss knife, torch, spoons, medicines, vanity bag and diapers (if you have small kids) where ever you go as you may not find shops that sell them.
Except Port Blair, you may not find Doctors and Hospitals anywhere else. Bigger islands may have primary health centres. In case of emergency, depending on the regular ferry may be a risk. Helicopter services are available but only from Port Blair. It is better to carry all the required general medicines needed for a few days. Chronic patients should carry all their medical needs where ever they go.
Though Andamans follow IST (time), it is almost 90 minutes ahead. You will find sunrise at 4.30 am and sunset at 4.30 pm. If possible, try to tune your body clock accordingly so that you do not waste time inside the hotel room when it is all sunshine outside.
Even very efficient pre planning may deride you in Andamans. I am not only referring to the logistics problem here but also our own love affairs with each of the exotic beaches and virgin forests. You just can not follow the watch even calendar in Andamans. So plan for a longer holiday if possible with sufficient cushion in between the travel windows / Island Skipping cruises. Please do some research and finalise the program well in advance. Please talk to the locals and explore new places .
You may be lured by the pristine purity of the places and the crystal clarity of the waters to stay longer in each island. If your emphasis is more on leisure and not on visiting max. no. of places, it is better to stay at one place like Havelock for longer period and relax. Each island has exotic nooks, some of them unseen by humans for long.
Air Tickets:
The inaugural shock of your trip may jolt you hard. You can reach Port Blair (Capital of Andamans and the only civilian Airport) only from Chennai and Kolkotha. You also have very limited flights and you are at the mercy of the airline operators. If you are planning your holidays during annual vacation / Holiday seasons, it is better to book well in advance I mean a few months in advance!!! No Jokes! These airline operators announced that all the tickets were sold out up to May end way back in February.
Then the mother of all bargains starts. You are induced to fly into Port Blair with a normal looking fare. But the return outward fare costs you 3 times the inward fare. You can not find any alternative unless you are ready to catch a ferry across the Bay of Bengal and have sufficient extra time on your side ( and of course battling the sea sickness). Eventually, you have to give in and buy at the prevailing rates. Please also make sure that you check in early (if possible web check in) so that you are not caught in the last minute replacement juggles esp. during the Port Blair to Main Land trip. Since the Govt. Babus the so called VVIPs may snatch your seats at the last minute. Beware of the touts who promise you every thing from ferry seats to hotel rooms to air tickets.
Hotel Booking:
Please google and finalise your hotels in Port Blair as well as in other islands, based on the budget, location and service needs. Back Packers can afford to go without prior booking as they may even sleep in hammocks tied between two trees along the coast (if they can manage the mosquitoes & Flies). They may even get those small Nicobari huts on the coast at very cheap rates. But people with families and esp. with small children have to book the hotels well in advance. Getting a good accommodation during vacation / holiday season is very difficult esp. in Havelock and other islands.
You can not book these hotels in the smaller islands through internet and the booking has to be done only from Port Blair. So it is better to go through an agent at Port Blair with internet access and plan a package as per your needs. Most of the budget accommodation may be run by the island admin. and so you may have to pay the room rent in advance by DD. Most of the Indian tourists are from the central govt. services ( mostly on LTC). If you are also from the services, it will be better if you inform your agent or hotel about LTC reimbursement conditions in advance. Please check the CHECK OUT timings in each hotel at the time of checking in so that you can plan your time accordingly. The Ferry departure timings will govern your travel program. So if you plan well, you need not pay unnecessary rent for the rooms, not utilized for the night stays.
The service levels in the hotels esp the govt. run ones may be wanting and do not expect much from them. If you are so sensitive about good services, it is better to pay more and book in high end hotels. Even there, the attitude of the people may be almost same. Do not expect metro level services. You can learn to be bare feet and relax. Clocks dont run in Andamans and dont try to speed up. Once you get into the groove, you may actually start enjoying the speed, rather lack of it. Those who visit Andamans for Game Fishing, Snorkeling & Diving, it is better to go straight for the other islands, instead of wasting time in Port Blair.
Food:
If you have special needs like Jain Food or Vegetarian Food, it is better to inform your agent about the same in advance. As most of the hotels & restaurants offer sea food as their main menu, Vegetarians and Jains may find very limited items on offer. But the Non Vegetarians can relish on exotic Sea Food platter. Families with small children may buy and stock enough food at Port Blair itself since the shops in the smaller islands may not have much of your choice. Big islands such as Havelock are having a few bigger shops and restaurants. But if you are brand conscious, it is better to buy and stock at Chennai / Kolkotha itself. Coke / Pepsi and Lays Chips are available everywhere.
Since the islands are in the tropics, you may need to drink lots of water. It is better to stock enough for your stay, trekking, ferry rides and island hopping cruises. You can get Coconut water near all the popular places.
Local Transport:
Except in Port Blair, it is almost impossible to visit places and catch your ferries in time if you do not have pre arranged transport especially in the smaller islands. Local buses and vans are available but you may not get them when you want. If you are planning to stay in a single place for long stay, then you may rely on these. These buses and vans stop anywhere and the drivers are so courteseous. But you may have to be well trained either in circus or yoga to endure these trips. Vehicles plying at Breakneck (or Break Back?) speed with rickety bodies are the norms. Be prepared for bone rattling experiences on these roads. Try to wear cushions all over your bodies to avoid getting hit. Those sitting or standing near the open doors of these vehicles may better tie themselves to the nearby seats.
The eco friendly alternative is the Bicycle. You can get them on rent and it is so refreshing to cycle across those pure virgin lands. It is better to avoid crossing the paths of the above said vehicles. In Havelock, you also get motorbikes on hire. But it is heavenly to remove your shoes and walk bare foot across the white sands and stand in the wavy waters. (Beware of the rocks, shells and fallen wood pieces that are buried in the sands)
Other Needs:
Only BSNL mobile network has a better coverage in many of the islands. It is better to have a back pack for short trips, instead of lugging all your luggages. Since it will be very difficult to find lockers to keep your valuables, it is better if you carry them along. All your food and water can also be packed inside. Do take UV resistant Sun Glasses, Caps, Swimwear, under water caps, shoes & goggles, change - dresses (minimum) etc. where ever you go. Most of the times, Hawaai chappals may be the better choice than shoes. The fine sand gets into your shoes and chappals and some may find it irritating.
There will be hardly any changing room except at the popular spots like Elephant beach, Beach No 7 etc, but at most of the places, there will be no one to see you changing also.
There will be no fresh water showers along the beach and so after frolicking in the sea / beach, you have to endure the sticky feeling till you come back to your hotel room.
If you have sensitive skin, it will be better to pack loads of Sunscreen lotion. You will be parched within a few hours if you are exposed. Esp. the children have to be forced to apply sun screen lotion and drink lots of water as they wander too much in the sun.
If you plan to spend your time on the beach or outside before sunrise or after the sunset, please apply odomos or any mosquito repellent all over your exposed body. Mosquitoes and Flies swarm you everywhere during dawn and dusk. Children especially have to be protected more.Please carry balls, Frisbees or any other play things so that you and your family can have a whale of a time on the coast. If you are seriously into Snorkeling / Diving, please carry your own equipments. The equipments that are available on rent do not look hygienic and are not washed in between uses. Wear a suitable rubber shoe if you are a first timer in snorkeling. If you land your legs on the corals or the rocks that are underneath the water, your feet get bruised.
Dive India seems to be a reputed institute for Deep Sea Diving and their equipments look sparkling clean. Most of the foreign tourists use the services of Dive India. There are some private foreign nationals who are into renting the diving equipments.
Please carry swiss knife, torch, spoons, medicines, vanity bag and diapers (if you have small kids) where ever you go as you may not find shops that sell them.
Except Port Blair, you may not find Doctors and Hospitals anywhere else. Bigger islands may have primary health centres. In case of emergency, depending on the regular ferry may be a risk. Helicopter services are available but only from Port Blair. It is better to carry all the required general medicines needed for a few days. Chronic patients should carry all their medical needs where ever they go.
Though Andamans follow IST (time), it is almost 90 minutes ahead. You will find sunrise at 4.30 am and sunset at 4.30 pm. If possible, try to tune your body clock accordingly so that you do not waste time inside the hotel room when it is all sunshine outside.
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