India, Andaman islands, India

Andaman Islands stretched between the seas of the Indian Ocean - Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. AT Andaman archipelago includes 550 islands, of which only 26 are inhabited, only 9 islands are open to tourists.

How to get to the Andaman Islands

The archipelago is located 1000 kilometers from east coast India and refers to South-East Asia. You can get to the Andaman Islands by plane from Kolkata. The only way to get to the islands from Delhi is through Kolkata. Airplanes are nailed to the capital of Andaman - Port Blair. From Kolkata, Chennai and Visakhapatnam, Port Blair can be reached by ship (about 60 hours, which takes 4 days).

Since the territory of the archipelago is a protected area, a permit is required to visit it. Those who arrive on the islands by plane will be able to obtain such a permit at Port Blair Airport. If you decide to sail to the islands by ship, you will have to take care of permission at the embassy (when obtaining a visa) or at the port of departure. The permit is issued for a period of 30 days. Your permission will be checked when visiting all the islands, when checking into a hotel - handle an important document carefully.

Attractions Andaman Islands

Andaman Islands - divine nature, exotic flora and fauna, coral reefs, jungles, in the thickets of which the native islanders hide - peoples who have not been touched by civilization.

In 1789 on Indian islands inhabited by ancient peoples, the British colonialists landed. They built a prison on this land, which functioned until the middle of the 20th century. The buildings and premises of the prison are today declared a historical monument. It is located in the capital Port Blair.

The islands have many luxurious sandy beaches and scuba diving spots. Popular places recreation in the archipelago - Corbin Bay, islands: Chirya-Tapu, Viper Island, Havelock, Karmatang, Diglipur, Ramnagar Beach, Corbin Beach, Sea beach named after Mahamta Gandhi.

The best time to visit the Andaman Islands is from October to May, and the best time for divers is from mid-January to mid-May. The worst time for such a trip - with strong winds, rain and poor visibility - is from the end of May to the end of June.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a unique island state of India, located in the Bay of Bengal, 1400 km from the mainland. There are not so many resorts here, but those that are are above all praise. The islands are famous for their wonderful climate, amazing rich vegetation, privacy and "environmental friendliness". In addition, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a closed zone, the territory of national reserves, to visit which you need to obtain a separate permit.

The total number of islands is about 570, of which 550 are in the Andaman Islands. There are only about 40 inhabited in the territory, including 26 in the Andaman part; about 10 islands are open for tourists.

The capital and largest city is Port Blair. Big cities- Diglipur, Rangat and Mayabunder.

visa, permission

To visit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, you need a special permit, which is issued upon arrival at Port Blair, at the immigration office at the Haddo Jetty pier. However, when traveling to the islands by sea, it is necessary to obtain this permission in advance, on the mainland (Foreigners’ Registration Office in Chennai - tel.: 044-28278210, in Kolkata - tel.: 033-22473300), or when applying for a standard Indian visa. The permit is usually issued for up to 30 days; travelers who do not have return tickets or an invitation from the hotel can only get a "permit" for 15 days.

In addition, the permit can be extended in Port Blair, but only for a maximum of 15 days.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a closed zone, the territory of national reserves, to visit which you need to obtain a separate permit.

The permit is usually checked by hotels, island administrations, ferries and at departure, so it is not worth losing it.

With permission, you can visit the following islands: South Andaman, Middle Andaman, Little Andaman (not including the territories inhabited by indigenous people), Neil, Havelock, Long Andaman, Diglipur, Baratang, the islands that are part of the National Park. Mahatma Gandhi (except Boat Hobday, Twin, Tarmugli, Malay and Pluto; overnight in marine park possible only after notification to the administration) and North Passage Island.

Daytime visits to Jolly Buoy, South Sinque, Red Skin, Ross and Smith, Narcondam, Interview, Brothers, Sisters, Mount Harriet, Madubana and volcanic island Barren (by boat only, no landings allowed).

How to get there

By air

The capital of the islands, Port Blair, receives flights from Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. Tickets should be booked in advance, as during the season their cost increases significantly, moreover, it becomes possible to stay without them at all. Soon it is planned to open international flights (in particular, from Bangkok).

Indian Airlines flies every day from Chennai (travel time 2 hours 5 minutes) and Kolkata (travel time 2 hours). In addition, JetLite airlines fly from Chennai and Delhi (via Calcutta, about 4 hours on the way) and Kingfisher Red from Chennai (one of the most budgetary companies).

On water

From Calcutta, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) to Andaman, there are regular boats that take several days to travel, and is an adventure in itself. As a rule, 4 to 6 flights a month arrive in Port Blair from Kolkata (on the way 56 hours, ship MV Akbar), and in season - one more flight a week from Chennai (60 hours, ships MV Nanchowry and MV Swarajdweep) . MV Harshavardhana operates from both ports. Once a month there is a flight from Visakhapatnam (Vizaga).

Search for flights to the city of Delhi (the nearest airport to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands)

Weather in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The climate is tropical, the minimum temperature is +23 °C, the maximum temperature is +31 °C. humidity - 70-90%. The best time for a visit - October-May. From May to mid-September, as well as from November to mid-December - the rainy season. In late summer, strong storms are frequent, causing serious destruction.

Tourist safety

The locals got acquainted with civilization not so long ago, so the complete absence of clothes, or loincloths and bright beads, is an absolute routine for the islands.

Aboriginal settlements are most often closed to tourists, in addition, video and photography are prohibited there.

Transport

There is a ferry service between the islands, as well as helicopters. Flights are highly dependent on the weather, in severe storms they can be canceled altogether. Tickets are inexpensive, from Port Blair to Havelock ~150-250 INR.

Tourist ferries are quite comfortable, designed for 100 people, there is air conditioning, which, however, does not always cope. Regular ferries are much larger and less comfortable, designed for 400 people, located on two levels.

At Highlock and in Port Blair, there is incredible excitement in front of the box office. You can buy tickets in relative calm in (!) the women's queue, where tickets are sold for everyone, regardless of gender.

The fare depends on the class of service: 600, 700 or 1000 INR (leather seats and own TV). In high season it is worth booking tickets at least a day in advance.

You can move directly on the islands by auto-rickshaws (in Port Blair and Havelock Island), taxis (only in the capital) or scooters, which can also be rented only in the capital and on Havelock Island. Rental price 350-400 INR per day, deposit ~ 800-900 INR.

Prices on the page are for April 2019.

Travel to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Beaches in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• Corbin Bay is the best beach near Port Blair. This is a small area of ​​soft white sand, hidden from prying eyes by a green palm canopy. There is a good restaurant, guesthouse and resort hotel Peerless Resort. 30 km south is the "Bird Island" of Chirya-Tapu, which can be reached by a single road through the jungle and swamps from a small fishing village to a wide bay with shell beaches.
• Viper Island is a tiny quiet island located inside the Port Blair harbor. The beaches of the island are sandy, the rest of the territory is covered with greenery.
• Havelock Island is famous for its beautiful white sand beaches, the most popular of which are Vijayanagar and Radhanagar. Crystal clear waters and stunning coral reefs, as well as numerous marine life, including dolphins, turtles and large fish, invariably attract many tourists to the island. There is a diving center on Vijayanagar beach - perfect place for the study of life marine life. In addition, you can even see elephants in the forests of the island.
• Karmatang is located in the northern part of the Middle Andaman, 136 km from Port Blair. It's cute quiet beach, place, where big turtles lay eggs.
• Diglipur Island (136 km from Port Blair) is famous for sandy beach Ramnagar: fragrant oranges grow here, and under the water you can see hundreds of amazing fish and others like them. The island is crossed by the only river in the archipelago - Kaplong.
• Rutland Island is an ideal place for eco-tourism. You can stay in the small cottages of Totani Resort, from where you can start exploring the beautiful mangroves and coral reefs of the island.
• Neil Island is quieter than Havelock, famous for good beaches and snorkelling opportunities.

Vandour Beach - Gateway to national park named after Mahatma Gandhi.

• Vandur is the gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi National Park.
• Baratang Island is attractive for its atmosphere, preserved from ancient times in its original form.
• Barren Island is volcanic, the only one in all of India.
• Long Andaman is perfect for a Robinson Crusoe-style getaway. There is nothing on the island, you need to bring all the equipment and food with you.
• Little Andaman will appeal to fans of surfing.

Entertainment and attractions

Port Blair is the capital of the state, famous for its proximity to the city center white sand beaches, as well as a large dive center, anthropological, forest and maritime museum, historic building"Cellular prison", now turned into a National Memorial.

More than 3,000 species of plants can be seen on the islands, including 150 species of ferns, 100 species of orchids, a variety of palms and fruit trees.

Countless colorful fish swarm in the underwater coral forests. In addition, there are 96 reserves and 9 National Parks on the islands.

Diving and Snorkeling in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The best diving is on Havelock Island, in national park them. Gandhi and South Sinque.

Snorkeling - North Bay, MuaTerra Beach and Havelock Island. Equipment is inexpensive and can be bought or rented.

On the island of Jolly Buoy you can take a ride on a glass bottom boat.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a protected area carefully protected by the Indian government. This state of affairs has its pros and cons. Undoubtedly, there are more pluses and they are much more significant: the status of the reserve made it possible to preserve this paradise wildlife virtually untouched by civilization. The absence of large ports and shipyards allows coastal waters to remain as clear as they were thousands of years ago, and the ban on commercial fishing has firmly established the glory of the islands as the only place on earth where underwater inhabitants die a natural death, and not in the holds of fishing boats. .

The complexity of the protected area is that in order to visit, in addition to the Indian visa, additional permission is required. As a rule, such a permit is issued for 30 days of stay, but it is possible to extend it for a few more weeks. Please note that for tourists who do not have return tickets or an invitation from the hotel, the permit is issued only for 15 days. Violating the strict visa regime of the islands is fraught with unpleasant consequences - a fine of $ 600.

Tourists and travelers arriving in the Andaman Islands by air receive this permit right at the airport. For those who preferred boat trip from the mainland, it is necessary to obtain such a permit in advance in Chennai (Foreigners’ Registration Office - tel.: 044-28278210) or Calcutta (tel.: 033-22473300).

Getting a travel permit to the Andaman Islands is as easy as getting an Indian visa. This is not affected by the presence of a large bank account, family or permanent work. This document has rather a formal appearance and is not any serious bureaucratic obstacle. However, it should be noted that permission will be needed not only to enter the Andamans, but also when moving from island to island, as well as when checking into a hotel.

This document also indicates the list of islands allowed to visit. On the this moment it looks like this:

How to apply for an Indian visa

There is nothing complicated in applying for an Indian visa on your own. Step-by-step instruction Indian Tourist Visa:

• First of all, prepare one color photograph 3 * 4 cm.
• On the official website of the visa center, fill out an online application form. It can be done - . The questionnaire is filled in English language. During filling, refrain from using punctuation marks and the Enter button. Only letters, numbers and spaces are allowed. This application must be printed in two copies.
• We make a copy of the passport photo page.
• We copy round-trip air tickets and a certificate of hotel reservation.
• We make a copy of the Russian passport. The embassy is interested in pages with a photo and registration.
• If you are bringing a child with you, you will need to make a copy of his birth certificate.
• If the child travels with only one of the parents, then a notarized permission from the second parent will be required for his departure.
• All these documents, copies and photographs should now be submitted to the Consulate General or the visa center.
• When applying, pay a visa fee of about 1600 rubles.

That's all, no additional documents are required. Moreover, if you cannot submit the documents yourself, someone else can do it for you. All he needs is the package of documents listed above and your power of attorney with a signature. It does not need to be notarized.

Andaman Islands - part of the archipelago, which also includes the Nicobar Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal. They are separated from the mainland by 1400 km. The capital of the islands is Port Blair with a population of about 100 thousand people, through which tourists usually go.

In total, there are about 570 islands, of which 40 are inhabited, and 10 are accessible to tourists, moreover, this ten belongs to the Andaman Islands, while the Nicobar Islands are generally closed to the public. The total population is about 350 thousand people, of which only 500 are aborigines (by the way, no anthropologists have yet been able to find out which groups the native population belongs to). You will not be able to see the natives, because the government of India is worried about preserving these primitive tribes in their original form, and communication with tourists, as you understand, does little to contribute to this.

Few Russian tourists can boast of their holidays in the Andaman Islands, because, firstly, the islands are a closed area, to visit which you need to take permission, and secondly, getting to them is far and expensive.

This is what concerns disadvantages. But the benefits, more than enough.

• A wonderful tropical climate, the temperature ranges from +23 °C to +31 °C. The best time to visit is from October to May. There are often severe storms in late summer.
• Amazing and rich flora and fauna. In tourist brochures, the islands are often (and deservedly) referred to as the “Emerald tropical paradise". Mysterious jungle, the singing of exotic birds, no less exotic flowers, white beaches surrounded by palm trees, fish of various colors, sometimes you can hear the beat of native drums - no fantasy can create a more romantic vacation.
• The cleanest ecology, and this is natural. Hundreds of kilometers separate the islands from the mainland, there is practically no industry, and probably will not be, because here - national reserves. Cleaner, probably, only in Antarctica, but it is problematic to sunbathe there.
• Great hotels

Permission to visitAndaman Islands

Tourists arriving by air need to apply for a permit, the so-called permit, at the immigration office in the capital of the islands, Port Blair. The office is located on the Haddo Jetty. Tourists reaching the islands by sea must obtain permission in advance: at the Foreigners' Registration Office either in Chennai (phone 044-28278210), or in Kolkata (phone 033-22473300), or when applying for a standard visa. Usually no one is denied permission.

Permission is usually given for 30 days, if any. return tickets. If not, then only for 15 days. If desired, the permit is extended in Port Blair itself for only 15 days.

It must be borne in mind that this permit may be required at the hotel, on the ferry, the authorities of the islands, so losing it is fraught.

How to get to the Andaman Islands

Since this direction of tourism is not massive, a tourist should not go to travel agencies for a trip to Andamans, prices will be unreasonably bent. In fact, getting to these islands is no more difficult than, say, Koh Samui, and in terms of money it will also be cheaper.

Airplane

So far, Port Blair, the only gate of the islands, can only be reached from the territory of India; flights from are planned over time.

JetLite planes fly to Andaman from Delhi through (about 4 hours), from Chennai - Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Red (fly 2 hours 5 minutes), and Calcutta - Indian Airlines - fly 2 hours.

Tourists vacationing in Goa, the easiest way to get to the Andaman Islands is through Mumbai. A train ticket to Mumbai in a reserved seat (Sleeper Class) will cost 400 rupees, and Mumbai and Port Blair are already connected by regular flights.

It is usually difficult to buy tickets before a flight, so it is recommended to book them in advance. Airplane tickets to the Andaman Islands can be picked up using this SEARCH ENGINE. Drive in Delhi, then Port Blair, city of departure, and see the desired flights for the desired dates.

Ship .

There are regular ferries to the Andaman Islands from Kolkata, Chennai and Visakhapatnam. In addition, 4-6 times a month the MV Akbar ship departs from Kolkata (the flight lasts 56 hours), from Chennai once a week during the season the MV Nanchowry and MV Swarajdweep ships (60 hours on the way).

Between the islands themselves, you can travel either by helicopter or by ferry. Ferries are tourist - for a hundred people, more or less comfortable, and scheduled - for 400 people. The cost of a ticket for a ferry between Port Blair and Havelock is up to two hundred rupees, but it is very difficult to buy tickets, there are just a cloud of people at the box office. Oddly enough, there is a women's queue here, which is much calmer, however, men are also in the queue.

Beaches and hotels in the Andaman Islands

See beautiful beaches possible, without even moving away from the capital of the islands. Not far from Port Blair there is a beach in Corbin Bay - in the style of "bounty". Here you can stay at the Peerless Resort hotel or in a guesthouse, and dine in a quite decent restaurant.

Right in the harbor of Port Blair there is a small island of Viper Island, the shores of which are a continuous beautiful beach.

by the most the best beaches(although much better) Havelock Island is famous, however, as well as the richest underwater world. Tourists have chosen mainly 2 beaches: Vijayanagar, where the diving center is located, and Radhanagar. Water transparency - from 10 to 30 meters, very rich coral reefs, white sand and palm trees, palm trees, palm trees ...

Many tourists come to try themselves in the role of Robinson Crusoe. They are usually shipped to desert island with a supply of food and everything necessary for a few days, and they come by agreement. Choose good hotel in the Andaman Islands you can. Choose the number of stars, price, dates and choose what you like.

Diving and snorkelling.

The underwater world of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands deserves a separate discussion, as it is one of the best on Earth. Local corals and underwater formations are practically untouched by man. Coral walls, hills and towers create ideal conditions for tropical wildlife.

Only on one reef, sometimes there are up to 750 species of different fish, scarfish, triggerfish, manta rays, numerous species of sharks, turtles, including unique ones that are unique to this region.

Due to the inaccessibility of the islands, there used to be no more than fifty divers a year here. Now the popularity of the islands is growing, but, thank God, they have not yet become a mass destination.

There are currently three diving centers in the Andaman Islands. The first is quite expensive and well organized - Samundra, the second is slightly cheaper - Port Blair Underwater, and the third - more accessible to the mass tourist - Andaman Adventure Sports. The most interesting diving is famous for the island of South Sink, not far from Havelock, in the National Park. Gandhi.

The most interesting snorkeling is on the same Havelock, in the North Bay.

Tourist restrictions.

Since the islands, although paradise, are still not paradise, some restrictions are introduced here, however, they are quite reasonable.

Forbidden:

• Litter, both on land and at sea
• Collect corals and shells on land, and even more so in the sea
• Take any drugs
• Get involved in nudism, i.e., relax on the beach, in which the mother gave birth
• Sailing anywhere from the island on your own is not at all safe.
• Harvest coconuts (here it is private property)
• Hunt, make fires, spend the night on the beaches or in the forest

Youtube, India, Andaman Islands

The forbidden is always the most desired. And if you can get to Egyptian territories or Turkey without making any special efforts, and resting there is the same as leaving the city, then the Andaman Islands, due to their inaccessibility and primitiveness, are gaining popularity points among tourists.

Let's start with geography

The islands are in places a flooded archipelago with an area of ​​​​about six and a half thousand squares. They remain practically untouched, because getting here is not an easy task. Andaman Islands on the world map, an attentive traveler will find in Indian Ocean, more precisely somewhere between Myanmar and India.

For the first time these territories were inhabited, according to historians, more than seventy thousand years ago. Our oldest ancestors still live here. How they got to the islands is still unknown to science, but the beginning of their route was, most likely, Africa. Now the islands have a population of about three hundred thousand inhabitants. Of these, five hundred are hiding from civilization in tropical thickets. Negritos, as they are called, are alien to communication with residents mainland, have retained their dialects, and the indigenous islanders have several of them, and continue to survive by getting food and using only the services of Mother Nature.

They are small in stature, some do not grow even up to one and a half meters. The rest of the population of the islands are Indians. Rumor has it that some of them are the children of fighters for freedom and equality, revolutionaries, who at one time were taken by the Andaman Islands as prisoners.

Britain in the middle of the last century used local territories, expelling politically unreliable members of society. In terrible conditions, few of them survived until the end of their term. And untouched nature raged around, and transparent waters spilled ...

Nature

For those who dreamed of visiting God himself, he writes out a ticket to the Andaman archipelago. There are places where, in fact, a human foot has never set foot. Due to this, all the delights of the tropics have been preserved in their original form. Fertile lands give a rich harvest of coconut, tea, mango. The climate on the islands is humid. Who has been, he says that there are three hundred days of summer. The average temperature is +30 degrees regardless of the season. It will not overwhelm tourists with snow, but it will irrigate with rain, and torrential ones. Storm rampage is seen from late summer to mid-autumn.

One of the most attractive sides for visitors are the beaches that the islands boast in White clean sand, clear water visibility up to 30 meters in places. Flocks of exotic fish, triggerfish, stingrays, sea bream curl underfoot. Every year, the largest leatherback turtles weighing up to 600 kg and two and a half meters tall nest on the islands. Coral reefs, like many aquatic inhabitants, are strictly protected by law. And how many sharks are there!

Grey, leopard, reef. They are extremely peaceful, probably due to the fact that they are not "spoiled" by the presence and participation of a noisy crowd of tourists.

How to get to the Andaman Islands?

Even if you have an Indian visa, only a special permit will bring you closer to your arrival on the islands. It can be obtained without much difficulty upon arrival at the airport of the local capital Port Blair. By the way, it is by air that the fastest way to get to this fabulous corner. True, direct flights have not yet been launched from Russia, so dear compatriots are waiting for transplants. It is possible to come from the mainland to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and by water. It will take more time than all flights, but it will add romance to the trip. Approximately once a week ships sail from Calcutta and a few on a long journey to the islands.

Rest

Before you go to the Andaman Islands, it is worth reading the reviews of tourists who have already been here. If you expect luxurious service from your vacation, then experienced travelers will disappoint you. There are hotels here, of course. And the number of stars is available, however, in the maximum number - three pieces. Noisy parties, round-the-clock dancing - these are also not the most popular entertainments on the islands. Divers will have a paradise vacation.

Rich undersea world, unexplored depths attract thousands of divers from all over the world. water during the year reaches 28 degrees. Storm restrictions for divers may be in August. And the most comfortable time for underwater travel is the period from November to March. Considering the needs of tourists, numerous diving equipment rentals are open here, special schools and professional centers operate. Diving is inexpensive, especially if you know how to bargain.

Entertainment

By the way, in India it is customary to enter into financial disputes with sellers, this is rather a tradition that the local population actively welcomes. The diving tourism center is located in the capital of the island territories, the city of Port Blair. Vacationers are offered diving in the most remote corners of the archipelago, where no one has been except for exotic marine inhabitants.

Ayurveda will help to distract from the whole world, to correct the body exhausted by civilization. On the islands you will be able to comprehend this famous system of knowledge, which has been developing in India for more than five thousand years. In the SPA centers, local folk healers will cleanse your body, perform procedures, and treat you with healing infusions.

For everyone who is going to the Andaman Islands, experienced reviews will help you find out some of the features of your stay.

To feel always "with the money", it is recommended to stock up on cash. Outside the capital, the system of card payments is practically not developed here, and it will take a long time to look for an ATM.

local dishes

Indian cuisine is peculiar and for an unprepared stomach is fraught with many unpleasant "surprises". Small eateries are not a tourist option. Better to eat in the hotel restaurant. It is not recommended to drink water from direct sources. You can buy bottled for mere pennies, thereby protecting the stomach from a negative reaction and not spoiling your whole vacation.

rules

There are hotel rules that must be observed on the islands without fail. It is strictly forbidden to tear or break corals - both living and dead, this is punishable by law. The same goes for shells. They are not allowed to be brought to the surface. A taboo has been imposed on spearfishing and catching any fish near the islands. You can cast a fishing rod in specially designated places by renting a boat.