Exploring the Andaman and Nicobar Islands!

At the beginning of 2024, I visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with my family. These islands are far from the hustle and bustle of mainland India, and are uniquely beautiful. I found the islands to be among my favorite places in India, and their natural beauty was only rivaled by what I saw in Ladakh.

The Andaman Islands have a rich and intriguing history, with traces of early human settlements dating back thousands of years. The islands served as a penal colony during the British colonial period, and the infamous Cellular Jail in Port Blair, also known as 'Kala Pani,' witnessed the incarceration of many Indian freedom fighters.

We arrived in Port Blair from Chennai and got to see amazing aerial views of the islands, especially North Sentinel Island. For those who don't know, North Sentinel is the only island untouched by the rest of civilization and populated by tribal people. I had read about the islands previously, and it felt cool to see the remote island from the airplane.

North Sentinel Island seen from flight

I liked Port Blair. It didn't feel overly crowded, and the weather was nice in January. My favorite memory from Port Blair would be seeing amazing sunrises and sunsets. I was lucky to be staying at a place that gave a great view of the sunrise every morning. For sunset, I went to Chidya Tapu and Wandoor Beach. The other thing that I thoroughly enjoyed while in Port Blair was visiting Ross Island, which is nearby. I tried Parasailing and it was super fun!

After Port Blair, I went to Havelock and Neil Islands. I think I have never seen better beaches elsewhere in India or maybe in the rest of the world too. They are clean, the water is amazing, and the crowd is relatively small by Indian standards. One of my favorite memories is when I first went to my hotel in Havelock and saw the beach next to our hotel in Havelock. I was blindsided by how good the water looked because I had never really seen something like that before. I really felt happy at that moment. I also tried scuba diving at Havelock, and it was a nice first-time experience. It motivated me to go get certified and dive more often.