Andaman
On the far west of Bay of Bengal, lies a group of 572 islands visiting which are any travelers delight. These archipelagos are known for their emerald green waters, unique marine ecosystem and a variety of adrenaline charging water sports which cannot be found anywhere in India. Here is a list of things I absolutely enjoyed during my visit to this wonderful place
1. Neil Island And Boat Dive
Neil island is a Ferry ride away from Havelock or Port Blair. We had taken the Makruzz service (3500 INR per person) from Havelock and it took almost an hour to reach our destination. Neil is 3.7 km in length so it is preferable to hire a scooty for commute. Scootys are available throughout the island for a mere rent of 500-600 INR per day. There are four main beaches namely Sitapur beach (sunrise point), Bharatpur beach (outdoor activities), Laxmanpur II (coral beach) and Laxmanpur I (sunset point). Our stay was for two days with our base beside Sitapur beach. So, the first day we decided to visit the Laxmanpur beaches.
Laxmanpur II beach also known as the coral beach is unlike any sandy or rocky beach. It's landscape is dotted with remains of finger corals which crashed on the beach during the 2005 Tsunami. Not only dead corals this beach houses living corals probably closest to the land. There are brain corals, sea cucumbers, star fish, mushroom coral and many marine wonders scattered all over the place. One can also feed biscuits to a school of tiger fish. The most attractive natural wonder on this beach are two rock bridges handcrafted by nature. We left the beach around 3 PM in search for lunch. Little did we know that all lunch places in Neil island close down by 2.30 PM . The only place serving lunch at that hour was Symphony resort which stays open till 3.30 PM. We visited Laxmunpur I beach post lunch and retired for the day. The next day we woke up to the turquoise water of Sitapur beach. The destination for the day was Bharatpur beach. This place is perfect for an adventurous day out. The beach offers a plethora of water activities including jet ski, glass boat ride, snorkeling and scuba diving. The scuba dive offered here is a boat dive costing only 3500 INR. One has to change at the shore and then the boat takes you 1 km deep into the sea from where one has to do a back dive into the water. The scenery below is beyond words. The dive point is around the remains of a broken lighthouse. Thousands of yellow luminous fish greeted my way. I also spotted two octopus, turtle and numerous unknown corals and colorful fish. It was truly one of my Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara moment.
2. Havelock: DSD, Kayaking, Trek with two Dogs and FAT Martin
Havelock or Swaraj Deep is a must visit for anybody visiting the Andaman islands. There is regular ferry service from Port Blair taking about 2 hours to reach. If lucky one can spot flying fish on the way.