For me, the Andaman Islands have always been linked to India’s freedom struggle. The names “Kalapani” and “Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose” immediately come to mind whenever I hear of Andaman.
I clearly remember watching Kaalapani, a popular Malayalam movie based on the life of Veer Savarkar, on its first day in theaters. It was a powerful film that showed the inhuman treatment of freedom fighters in Andaman. I also recall the lovely beach scenes from an old Tamil movie, Andaman Kadhali. While I don’t remember the film itself, some of its songs and beach scenes are still fresh in my memory.
Andaman wasn’t on my travel list until last December. I received an email about a program in Port Blair in early January, with the option to bring my family. I jumped at the opportunity and quickly made our travel plans. I was surprised to find so many flights available from various Indian cities, including a direct flight from Hyderabad, which made our journey comfortable.
Our Stays and Experiences
We stayed at the Peerless Resort at Corbyn’s Cove in Port Blair, where our program was also held. It’s a nice property with direct access to the popular Corbyn’s beach. I’d rate it 4 out of 5. All our meals were part of a package, so we didn’t eat out much, except for a visit to Annapurna Cafeteria on our last day. The food there was good, but the service was average.
For a couple of days, we stayed at the White Coral Resort on Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island). I would rate this property 3 out of 5. Although the location is great, it wasn’t managed very professionally. If I had known about the nearby Silver Sands Beach Resort, I would have booked it instead. While on Swaraj Dweep, we ate at Tealogy Cafe and Silver Sand, both of which were excellent. I’d rate them 4.5 out of 5.
We took the Makruzz Ferry from Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep. The cruise itself was great, but the luggage check-in and collection process was inconvenient, so I’d rate the overall experience 3.5 out of 5.
One day on Swaraj Dweep, I rented a bike to explore the island. It was a great, affordable experience. I’d recommend renting a bike for getting around Swaraj Dweep, as the distances are short and the routes are simple. In Port Blair, however, a cab is more useful because the city is larger and has more traffic.
Over the week, we visited North Bay, Ross Island, and Swaraj Dweep, in addition to exploring Port Blair. The only thing we missed was a visit to Baratang Island. We were in Andaman for a week, but I had other commitments that prevented us from joining the group heading there, which requires a very early 4 a.m. start. The team that went had wonderful things to say about it.
I have written three separate blogs about our trip: one on the history, a second on the beautiful beaches, and a third on the adventure activities we did
Interesting Things I Learned About Andaman
- Because there are so many beaches, each one is used for specific activities. For example, Radhanagar Beach has no water sports, while Elephant Beach has them all.
- To reduce waste, only 2-litre water bottles are sold. This has significantly reduced plastic pollution.
- Tourist spots have only basic shops, nothing fancy.
- The local people we met were all very warm and supportive.
- All the activities we tried—Snorkeling, Sea Walk, Parasailing, and Jet Skiing—were professional and safe.
- Besides coconuts, almost everything is brought from the mainland. This makes items a bit pricey, but still affordable.
If you are planning a trip, I suggest a 5 to 7-day visit. You could spend three days in Port Blair (including Baratang) and two days on Swaraj Dweep. With seven days, you can also visit Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island) without feeling rushed.
I hope you find this useful for planning your own visit to the Andamans. Do share your experiences and feedback.
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