The Heaven in India – The Andaman and Nicobar Islands

 

Vacation is an absolute need for humans to take a break from the mundane or even the exciting routine to care for themselves and their families. But choosing the right place to spend your valuable time is a stress in itself. Fret not! I have been to a location where you would enjoy it a lot. And guess what, this is my second time being there. I am not boasting but that place is really worth a second look.

Are you curious about what it is? There will be a part of you wanting to confirm whether you have been to that place or not. But this is no competition, but a spot where we can share our adventures and love for travel.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands – the Union Territory of India aka the paradise. A most budgeted vacation for Indians and also for people abroad.

My family and I had chosen a 6 days and 5 nights package with Andaman Ocean Marvel to explore the islands in the Bay of Bengal. We packed all our stuff and did a web check-in for the morning 11:15 am flight from Chennai to Port Blair. But I could hardly bring myself to sleep for 6 to 7 hours because of the excitement. However, I had no choice left so I slept for about 4 to 5 hours. Well, who wants to spend their vacation with fatigue?

This was not my first time traveling but I was not used to packing my own stuff and checking every document needed for a seamless boarding. This time, I had to do it all myself. I had a checklist, in which I had stricken out each thing as I had my hands on them. Our guide and the founder of Andaman Ocean Marvel, Vignesh, also sent us a list to help us get all ready and also double-check our stuff.

The next day morning, the flight travel through a sea of clouds was as smooth as speeding with a luxury car on a no-bump road.

Day 1: Love at Corbyn’s Cove Beach

We reached there in the afternoon around 1:30 pm, and we rested sometime in the Bayleaf Inn, which had a bright city view in its dining area. Though the Inn was newly-built and we were the first customers of Andaman Ocean Marvel to check the comfort of the premium rooms, the service was top notch and the rooms were, definitely not exaggerating, comfortable enough to persuade you to stay in the room instead of going on your planned local trips. But we do not go that far to stay in the room and watch a movie. So, we did as per the itinerary.

We visited Corbyn’s Cove beach, which is 8 kilometres away from the centre of the city. The busiest beach during the season is well-maintained and the cleanest. The waters are the fence along the route to the beach, and we saw the Japanese bunkers and a huge pole with the Indian flag on our way. These were in the vicinity of the inn as well.

The tourist agency had arranged a photo shoot for us with the sea and its calm and cool breeze as the background. The fallen tree was our floor during the photo shoot. And the palm and coconut trees were also willing to help out the photographers in giving out their best shots.

Light and Sound Show at the Cellular Jail

After a lovely time at the beach, we went to the cellular jail show. The light and sound show, which is for an hour, will be played in two languages (English or Hindi) during the evenings. The confinement cells, even from a distance, revealed the brutal crimes committed against their inhabiters in the past. How heartbreaking! The only solace is that we still remember and never intend to forget the blood spilled on the soils of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

We returned to our rooms, which did not take much time as the jail was not too far from our Inn, and was at leisure for the rest of the evening.

Day 2 – Ross Island & North Bay Island

The best day of the whole vacation but the other part of my heart says that all the five days were worth it. It is really hard to decide which was the best. Andaman Ocean Marvel had arranged the cab and our tickets to Ross Island were ready. All we had to do is start at the right time. However, we delayed a bit as we had a movie night the previous day. But, the other days, we started early.

Ross Island

The ruins are all that is left behind by the invaders at Ross Island or Netaji Shubash Chandra Bose Dweep. The buildings built with red bricks by the Indian prisoners under the command of Britishers stand destroyed today, giving the vibes of entering a warzone. The dilapidated church that was at a distance from the rest of the ruins reminded us of a horror movie. When we entered the barracks for the British officers, there was only the basement with elevated narrow paths to walk on, which were entirely invaded by the natural plants and occupied.

Yet another fascinating beauty of Ross Island is how nature has taken its kingdom back. The deers majestically walk beside us as if it is the only king there with no predator to hide from. Ross Island is a visual treat.

 

North Bay Island

This island made our day. This is where we went scuba diving. I was taken 9 meters into the sea. I saw the clown fish, oyster, many I-don’t-know-the-names beautiful fishes and a different world down there. They wondered who I was yet kissed me and gave me a warm welcome to their awe-filling world. When the sun’s rays enter the waters, everything glows inside and reveals the hiding beauty of the underworld. Scuba gave me the most cherishable memory.

We came back to Aberdeen Jetty in Port Blair, where we undertook another fun adventure. Jet Ski can be expressed with no other word other than just WOW. The bottom of the water scooter hitting the bluish waves at an extraordinary speed and the view that you get to see; it is like flying at a high velocity just above the water.

Day 3 – Havelock (Radhanagar Beach and Kalapathar beach)

We went to Havelock Island on a government ferry and the agency suggested it as we can go on to the top of the ferry to take a good look at the sea and enjoy the cool breeze. If you are a person who gets sea sickness easily, then you should prefer the cruise, through which we returned to Port Blair. The cruise reminded me of a smooth roller-coaster ride, where you need not close your eyes out of fear but just enjoy the ride.

Kalapathar Beach

The drive to the Kalapathar beach is greenish with many trees on either side of the road. The beauty of an island is that the roads are always lined with the waters of the ocean on one side and the vegetation on the other side. The beach of Kalapathar is small, a little rocky and covered with white sand. It is safe to stay on the shores and not to go deep into the water as the bed is not consistently equal. But the lifeguards are always there to protect us.
Andaman is all about experiencing Nature’s wonders, and this beach is a perfect example of a fantastic creation.

Radhanagar Beach

Have you ever gone far into the water? But you can do it here. At one particular place, the sea bed is uniform and not too deep. This is one of the best tourist spots for sea lovers. One of the best facts about this green-colored sea is that the waves hit the shore in a straight line unlike other beaches, where the waves hit the shore at their own paces. We spent more than two hours at this beach and had a fabulous time.

Day 4 – Rain Rain Go Away!

The second day at Havelock is a bit unfortunate as it was raining, and we could not go on with our plans of visiting Elephant beach. But Haywizz, where we stayed, had a lengthy swimming pool. We just loved it and spent the afternoon swimming and playing some games in the pool.

Day 5 – Chidiya Tapu

Chidiya Tapu or bird island is a great birdwatching spot, where the tourists can see the mesmerizing sunset too. The beach is the least visited by the tourists and hence the few tourists can enjoy the undisturbed natural sceneries around them. A large fallen tree on the beach with its roots that seem like a huge crown adds to the Chidiya Tapu’s captivating beauty.

Day 6 – Cellular Jail, Aquarium, Lobster, Beach Party at Corbyn’s Cove, Parasailing

During the daytime, we are allowed to take a tour of the jail and enter the cells, workplace and gallows, where some freedom fighters lived and ended their lives. With a heavy heart, we visited the aquarium. But the sight of different fishes and corals brought us back into the tour vibes. Then, we had Andaman’s unique seafood lobster lunch and went on our way to Corbyn’s Cove beach for parasailing. The tour is the best decision that we took this year!

Day 7 – Departure

We reached the airport with memories that we would treasure till the end of time. Thanks to Andaman Ocean Marvel. (This is no promotion)