Spend four days in Andaman, it's heaven

They say, everything material has a thought at its root. And, perhaps, it was one such thought of mine that started materialising in an autumn afternoon when I landed at the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, the capital of India’s own "Hope Spots", the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands. These "Jewels of the Sea" are extolled as spots of hope as they, among many others in the world, are so critical to the health of the Ocean, Mother Earth’s "Blue Heart" that breathes life into the planet.

Morning shows the day. Outside the airport, I was greeted with a mystic smile by a handsome young man, my host. It dawns on me there’s something surreal about this place, its clear blue skies with white clouds floating and the wind creating a sweet symphony. Amazing, I think to myself as I step into the waiting car.

DAY ONE: A trip to Andaman should not begin without first visiting the sinister Cellular Jail, known as Kalapani. Built between 1896 and 1906 by the British, this jail was used to exile mostly political prisoners during the freedom movement. One of the most high-profile prisoners of the Cellular Jail was Veer Savarkar, who spent 10 years of his chequered life in a second-floor corner cell overlooking the gallows. His cell was consciously chosen by the jail authorities so that shivers could be sent down his spine by the spectacle of his fellow men being dragged out to be hanged.

There’s a “Light and Sound” show on the jail premises in the evening. We have an hour or so in hand. So, we head for a nearby beach, Carbyn’s Cove. Being in the Union Territory’s capital, this beach attracts many footfalls and, hence, is no different from other Indian beaches frequented by irresponsible tourists who mindlessly litter and deface such natural beauties. Drat! It is a disappointment.

Soon, we are back for the “Light and Sound” show. A century-and-half-old peepal tree, which somehow escaped the axe of the British when they were laying the foundation for the Cellular Jail, bears testimony to the colonial barbarism. And today, the peepal speaks in the powerful voice of Om Puri during the hour-long show that transports the audience back into the past of brutality and struggle. The show ends and I come out with a lungful of patriotism.

DAY TWO: Havelock holds the key to the storehouse of fun and adventure. It is a picturesque natural paradise with beautiful white beaches, rich coral reefs and lush green forests. It is one of the populated islands in the Andaman group with an area of 113 square kilometres. It is located 39 km northeast of Port Blair, a 90-minute cruise away. This island houses the famed Elephant Beach and Radhanagar Beach. The latter was adjudged “Asia’s Best Beach” by the Time magazine in 2004.

The stunning Elephant Beach can be reached by small boats, cruising through the dark blue sea. Alternatively, one can trek from the forest camp on the way to Radhanagar, which would take about 45 minutes. Snorkelling and sea-walking here are a memorable experience. Glass-bottom boats are also available for the tourists to enjoy under-water corals. Though this beach attracts a good number of tourists, it doesn’t have adequate basic facilities like toilets and changing rooms. This coupled with the government’s stinginess in allocating a larger area for snorkelling is perhaps responsible for many tourists not returning here the second time. Local boatmen say the area demarcated for snorkelling is too small and that there is hardly anything under water for the tourists to see. Real coral reefs start from where their border ends, they say.

However, the beach is squeaky clean with white sand and cyan waters. It’s here at the Elephant Beach I see my Carbyn’s Cove disappointment disappear. And here I also realise how perfectly planned was my visit first to Carbyn’s Cove, without whose muck and squalor I probably couldn’t have enjoyed the cleanliness of the Elephant Beach so much. Next, I find myself on the Radhanagar Beach, whose unparalleled beauty is beyond words. Famous for the spectacle that it presents during sunset, this expansive beach prods me to take a long walk into the setting sun and fall asleep in the lap of Mother Nature.

DAY THREE: While having a quick breakfast in the morning at Havelock’s Barefoot Scuba, little did I know that the third day is going to be so exciting and adventurous. Our next destination is South Button, a rocky islet some 45 minutes’ away from Havelock on a speedboat. The sky opens up as our boat races ahead, dancing on the undulating waters of the Bay of Bengal. Not long before the beautiful South Button comes into view, our divers-cum-guide, Neel and KK, announce that we are going to snorkel a full round of the islet in 90 minutes. As our boat slows down at the foot of the islet, Neel points at a nest atop a tall tree on its fringe and tells us about a natural wonder. He says if we are lucky, we’ll get to see this pelagic bird that needs a few hundred square kilometres to breed. For if another pair transgresses, neither can breed! As if in response to our conversation, the magnificent winged creature arrives with a full-throated caw... caw..., sweeping us off our feet. Well augury.

Life jacket, flipper and snorkel on, we jump into the waters only to discover a beautiful world under, where fish are our friends amid colourful vegetation of sea grass and coral reefs. Here and there you get to see sea cucumbers lying on the surface below the blue waters, shimmering in piercing sunlight. A tour of this vast aquarium makes one realise the existence of two worlds – one submerged and the other floating!

Back to the starting point within Neel’s target of 90 minutes, it’s lunchtime and we head for the Tamarind Camp Beach in an uninhabited island called Andrew Lawrence, some 15 minutes away from South Button. “Please let the shells on the beach enrich the archipelago’s ecology,” requests KK as our boat is anchored. The beach is idyllic and scenic to perfection, strewn with alluring shells of various hues. All hungry, we negotiate our way through an ant-infested walkway to a nearby shed with the food we carried from Havelock. After lunch, we get into the waters for some more snorkelling and swimming. Our speedboat revs up. A day of fun has come to an end, and we head back to Havelock.

DAY FOUR: History beckons, again. Our next destination is Ross Island, for which we have to go to Port Blair via Neil Island. Soon, we cruise into Neil, which is like a country cousin of Havelock. However, Neil is unique in its own way and it boasts of some really beautiful beaches like Neil Kendra, Bharatpur Beach, Lakshmanpur Beach and Sitapur Beach. Though Neil Kendra is considered to be the heart of the island, Bharatpur Beach is supposed to be the best here with a vast sandy stretch. It is ideal for swimming and coral viewing in glass-bottom boats.

In the next one-and-half hours we reach Port Blair, from where we take a speedboat and reach Ross Island in five minutes flat. As we enter the island, we are greeted by a Japanese Bunker. Japanese bunker? Yes, during World War II and shortly before India’s Independence, the Japanese had occupied these islands for a brief while. However, Ross was made famous by high-ranking British officials who used this 0.6 square kilometre island as the residential colony for themselves. Starting from a printing press to water distillation unit to club house to power house to cemetery to swimming pool to church, they had set up almost everything necessary for a comfortable living on this beautiful island, which had acquired the moniker of "Paris of the East". The British-era structures would have vanished into nothingness long ago but for the Hipus SSP trees here. The prop roots of these trees are holding onto the crumbling structures in an Octopus-like grip, as if trying to prevent them from falling so that the world can take note of the brutalities inflicted on hapless Indians by those who built them. While taking a round of the island, I sneak out onto a beach. Waves gently hit the shore and lose their entity as a silent reminder of the passing of time. It is human greed which is at the root of all ills, I reflect.

Now, it’s time to wind up. My host tells me, a trip to Andaman is incomplete without a visit to Sagarika, a government-run cottage industries emporium. The emporium exhibits a wide spectrum of artefacts made of the mother of pearl, sea shells, local wood products, miniatures of Nicobari canoes, palm mats, tablets, furniture etc. This is the right place to take back some souvenirs from.

Next morning, as my flight takes off, I look out of the window into the horizon where a deep blue sea meets a light blue sky, forming a thin line separating the two – two different worlds perhaps. An overwhelming feeling of vastness floods my being. A trip to this archipelago is not just fun but a pilgrimage too!

(Disclaimer: This correspondent was in Andaman at the invitation of MakeMyTrip, which has been doing a commendable job in promoting this archipelago as a tourist destination)

INFO BAR

ABOUT ANDAMAN: The Andaman and Nicobar group of islands have their own distinctive identity. Port Blair in South Andaman Island is the capital of the Union Territory and is a bustling commercial hub. The main landmasses in the northern group – the Andaman group of Islands – are North, Middle and South Andaman Islands, which are separated by narrow waterways. Smaller islands lie dotted around these. Further south across Duncan Passage is Little Andaman. Northeast of Port Blair is Ritchie’s Archipelago, in which lies Havelock Island. Rising from the azure waters northeast of Ritchie’s Archipelago are two islands of volcanic origin – Narcondum Island and Barren Island. The latter hosts India’s only active volcano.

HOW TO REACH: There are daily flights to Port Blair from mainland cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar. Alternatively, regular passenger ship services are available to Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam. There are three to four sailings every month from Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair. There is one sailing for Visakhapatnam in a month. The voyage takes about 50 to 60 hours and the ship normally berths at Port Blair for about two to four days.

WHAT IT OFFERS: Andaman offers activities like beach-combing, sunbathing, scuba diving, sea-walking, snorkelling, surf-riding, swimming, game-fishing, beautiful sunset and sunrise, elephant ride, bird-watching, trekking, sailing, kayaking and whole lot of watersports. It is the best place for adrenalin junkies.

FOODIES’ DELIGHT: Andaman serves the best food for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. However, for non-vegetarians, especially seafood lovers, it is definitely one of the best places in India.

ACCOMMODATION: Starting from Premium, Delux and Standard Hotels to shacks, Andaman group of islands offer accommodation to suit every budget.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Between October and May.