Andaman Places of attractions

Andaman Places of attractions Tourist attractions of Andaman and Nicobar Islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were covered with mystery for centuries because of its inaccessibility. These are the epitome of beauty and present a terrain with scenic and delightful display. These islands sparkle like emeralds in the Bay of Bengal. The dense forest which cover the islands and the countless exotic flowers and birds create a really expressive and romantic ambience. Here the white beaches on the fringe of a twisting coastline full with palm trees that sway to the song of the Sea. The Andaman & Nicobar are a variety of beautiful Islands, big and small, inhabited and uninhabited. A total number of islands are 572 full of islets and rocks lying in the South Eastern Part of the Bay of Bengal. The History A clear history of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands can be had only from a British Survey of these islands conducted in 1777. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands remained the abode of the Negritos and the Mongoloids respectively, who occupied the Islands for centuries. These islands remained secluded from the mainland till the end of the 18th Century when people from the outside world first arrived. In the Second Century, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were located in the maps prepared by the great Greek astronomer, mathematician and geographer, Claudius Ptolemaeus, which possibly is the earliest reference to these islands. The early history of Nicobar is not well

known although these islands were familiar to traders in ancient times, the islands being situated close to the trade route to the Far East. Though little is known about Portuguese activities in these islands, it is evident that the Portuguese missionaries started preaching Christianity among the islanders. The Nicobarese language also reflects a few Portuguese words. The British Regime The history of the British in the Andaman and Nicobar islands began in 1788 when Lord Cornwallis, the then Governor General of India, thought of colonizing the islands and instructed Lt. Archibald Blair and Lt. R.H.Colebrook of the Royal Navy to Survey the islands and submit a report on their suitability for a British Colony. According to the recommendation of these two officers the first British settlement was founded in 1789 on Chatham Island, near Port Cornwallis (Now Port Blair). After the First War of Independence in 1857, the British Government thought of establishing a penal settlement here. In March 1858, the first penal settlement was established, with 200 prisoners, mostly rebels from the Indian Army. Initially the convicts were kept in a jail at Viper island, which is about 15 minutes boat ride from Port Blair. The island had a jail, gallows, Kutcheri, Doctors residence, etc. Subsequently, this Jail was abandoned and the Cellular Jail at Port Blair was constructed. During the time of successive Superintendents, E.H.Man, General Steward, and Col. Cadell, the number of convicts increased and they were subjected to inhuman tortures at the hands of the British jailors. The foundation of the famous Cellular Jail was laid in 1896. The building was completed in 1906. Many changes, both in policy and practice, took place during Colonel Ferrars time, which, inter alia, included concession to the convicts, mainland visit, etc. The Japanese Regime World War II brought another series of changes in the life of the Andamans. During the War, the Japanese occupied Andamans on March 21, 1942 and kept the region under their effective control till October 8,1945. Initially the Japanese behaved cordially towards the locals, but became harsh and suspicious after instances came to their notice of some locals maintaining contacts with the British. As a result a large number of innocent people were killed. One such place where the massacre occured is Humfreygunj. But one good result of the Japanese occupation was making the Andamans self-sufficient, at least in food production. The naval blockade created an acute food crisis and the Japanese compelled the local people to bring more land under cultivation. They also constructed roads. Netaji Subash Chandra Bose arrived in Port Blair on December 29, 1943 and was given a ceremonial welcome. He hoisted the National Flag at Port Blair on 30th Dec. 1943 for the first time during the British regime in India. On October 8, 1945, the Japanese surrendered to the South East Asia Command at Port Blair. The Government quickly restored normalcy in the area and started rehabilitation work. Port Blair, the capital City of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Port Blair is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India. It lies on the east coast of South Andaman Island and is the main access to every part of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Port Blair is a Headquarter of Andaman & Nicobar Andaman and Nicobar Administration. Port Blair is the ideal destination. With white beaches set in picturesque backgrounds, verdant green coconut palms, and the fresh Sea, there s nothing better than Port Blair to give you a muchy needed solace from everyday life. Places of Interest in Andaman Jolly Buoy Island One among the most popular excursion from Port Blair is to Jolly Buoy Island from WANDOOR, 30km southwest to Port Blair. The long white sand beach here is littered with the dry, twisted trunks of trees torn up and flung down by annual cyclones. It is fringed not with palms but by dense forest. You should only snorkel here at high tide, as the corals are easily damaged when the water is shallow. Chidiyatapu Andamans is abundant with places that give you awesome views of the sunrise and the sunset. But Chidiyatapu is still different. While in many islands, you can view sunsets across the vast ocean, in Chidiyatapu, the sun actually sinks inside the sea but behind a small hill, and that is what makes the view unique. Chatham Saw Mill

Chatham Saw Mill is one such great example. Asia s biggest and oldest saw mill, Chatham Saw Mill, is situated at Chatham Island and is a popular tourist destination. The mill dates back to 1883 and was set up by the British. The mill cuts huge, lofty logs of woods into usable wooden sticks. As soon as you land in Chatham, it is all wood around. Large piles of woods can be seen being loaded, unloaded, sorted, cut and moulded. Wandoor beach It is about 30 kms from Port Blair. A small village with very few shops to cater the visitors, Wandoor is the gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. It is connected to Port Blair with a very scenic, well-paved road. State-owned STS buses as well as the private public buses are available at frequent intervals from Aberdeen Market Bus Stand (at every 30 minutes, normally). They take about 1.5 hours to reach Wandoor and fare is about Rs. 15 per person. In Port Blair, the buses don t have the bus number/route number, but they have a sign-board on the front stating their destinations. Anthropological Museum It' is situated at the Phoenix Bay that's best accessed via the Phoenix Bay jetty. You can reach the jetty from the Foreshore Road, either by hailing a cab or driving down the road from the city centre. For all

those interested in knowing about the life and times of the tribes of the Islands, the Anthropological Museum is the place to visit. The Islands are inhabited by six native tribes- four Negroid viz, Onges, Sentinelese, Jarawas and Andamanese; and two Mongloid viz, Shompens and Nicobarese. Even today, these tribes maintain very little contact with the rest of the world and visitors are not allowed inside tribal areas without special permission, making this Museum one of the few windows of opportunity to understand tribal life on the island. Corbyn s cove This beach is very nearer to the main city Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Most of the water sport facilities are available here. All kind of arrangements for visitors are also available. It is ideal for sea bathing and sun-basking. Ross and Smith Islands Ross and Smith Islands are known as the Twin Islands of Andaman and Nicobar group of islands. Ross and Smith islands are actually two islands Ross and Smith joined together to make a single group of islands. These are one of the must watch places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. North Bay Island North Bay island is a popular destination in Port Blair. The beach and the snorkeling opportunities in its fringing coral reefs are the closest ones you will find at Port Blair. A ferry (9 am and 2 pm; 30mins) will take you across Aberdeen Jetty and bring you back after 3 hour. The corals at North Bay are rather good and spread over large area. You're very likely to spot many fish, a lobster, or even clams on the coral reef. Snacks and basic meals are available in some shacks on the beach.

Samudrika Marine Museum Samudrika Marine Museum located opposite Andaman Teal House, Delanipur, PortBlair presents a perfect blend of the old and the new ages. This museum create awareness on various aspects of oceanic environment and houses a vast collection of cells, corals and a few species of colourful fishes of the sea around the islands. Cellular Jail It served as the colonial prison for the Indian revolutionaries during the fight for independence and was reputed to be one of the most inhuman and torturous places on earth. It is also known as Kala Pani, it served as the colonial prison for the Indian revolutionaries during the fight for independence The construction of the jail was started in the year 1893 and completed by the year 1906.. It was taken over by Japanese troops in 1942 during 2nd world war, and in a surprise turn, saw many British troops as inmates. The building was declared a national monument in the year 1979 by Govt. of India and now it is the most important tourist attractions of Port Blair. M.V Makruzz M.V Makruzz is the first high speed luxury air condition catamaran ferry in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands owned by MAK LOGISTICS Pvt. Ltd. Honourable Lt. general Bhopinder Singh dedicated this ship

to the island on 5th December 2009. This catamaran has 2 decks with 280 capacities. It is connecting Port Blair and Havelock by waterways. Ross Island Ross Island is one of the beautiful Islands near Port Blair. You can see the island from the Marine Park, Port Blair. Regular ferries connect the island with Port Blair Marine Park. The island was the head quarter of the British colony in A&N. This Island was the erstwhile capital for the most of Andaman Islands from 1858 until an earthquake in 1941. There is also a small museum in this island. Red Skin Island Red Skin Island is another gem in the crown of the Andaman Islands, boasting of beautiful corals, serene beaches and unspoiled beauty. This is also a great place for dolphin sightings. Though much of the island is off limits for tourists, whatever is open to public is lovely nonetheless. Regular tours begin from the Wandoor Village and make stopovers at Jolly Buoy Island and Red Skin Island. The glass bottom boats and snorkelling are part of the package deal. The beauty around the shore line surely looks straight out of some picture postcard. Havelock Island Famous for its beautiful sandy beaches and tropical green canopy of the rain forest, Havelock Island is one place which beckons everyone to enjoy the fun of the azure sea.

Radhanagar beach Radhanagar beach is the most famous beach in the Havelock Islands. Crowned as Asia s best beach and 7th best beach in the world by Time Magazine, this place sees a lot of tourists. It really is an unforgettable curve of white sand with perfectly coloured blue waters, all lined by lush forest and palm trees. It is easy to enjoy this postcard perfect beach lie down and marvel at the sunset, or go in for a quick swim. Elephant Beach Elephant Beach is approximately 20 minutes by boat from the Havelock Island. The white sand beach and the blue green water at the Elephant beach is enticing for almost every traveller. The boat ride to Elephant beach passing through the light house is amazing. Kala Pathar beach Kala Pathar beach is a beautiful small beach with silvery sand and aqua green waters. This beach is very close to Radhanagar beach. Laxmanpur beach

Laxmanpur beach is very wonderful with white sandy beach that is full of shells, dead corals and has a beach that is very wide and long and provides an awesome view for an evening walk. The beach also gives an memorable sunset view. Bharatpur Beach Bharatpur Beach is one of the pictorial beaches in the Neil Island. The major attraction of the place is the beautiful lush green vegetation and fishes. This destination is very famous place for activities like coral watching and swimming and an apt destination to enjoy the vacations with family. Limstone cave in Baratang Limstone cave in Baratang Island is about 90 km away from Port Blair. At the beginning of the journey need to start from Port Blair to Jirkatang, then from Jirkatang to Nilambur Jetty and take a ferry to reach

Baratang Island to see Limstone cave. Limestone is a sedentary rock that was originally formed at the bottom of the sea. Limestone is formed by compression over millions of year of the gradual deposits of many ingredients such as marine life, shells, skeletons and coral. These limestone deposits have many different hues, textures and degrees of purity. Little Andaman Island Little Andaman Island is a beautiful tourist destination which is located south of the South Andaman Island, is at a distance of 120 km. by sea from Port Blair. Hut Bay in Little Andaman is the entry and exit point and also the island headquarter. Little Andaman island offers a perfect mix of white sandy beaches bewitching Waterfalls, Boating through the Creeks, exciting Elephant Safari, Elephant lumbering, Elephant calves training, Surfing etc. All the places of tourist interest are approachable by the road, leading northwards from the Hutbay Jetty. Famous Water sports in Andaman Snorkeling is an activity that has no barriers when it comes to age or fitness level. All you need is a mask & a snorkel: exploring the underwater world just couldn't be easier or more rewarding. For water enthusiasts who can't swim very well and hence can't do the diving courses, snorkeling is a great way to enjoy the wonderful marine life that the Emerald Isles have to offer. Divers too like to snorkel and free diving can be just as thrilling and amazing.