Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• 🌍 Port Blair — the laid-back capital of the archipelago and the only entry and exit point. Spend a day or two here walking around and enjoying fresh seafood and seeing a couple of the nearby sites like Ross Island, Viper Island & Bambooflat Island leading to Mount Harriet.
• 🌍 Diglipur — the largest town in the far north of the archipelago, it is a base for trips to the nearby Smith and Ross Islands – but check legality and rules of visits.
• 🌍 Rangat — It is around 210 km from Port Blair, connected by boat and Andaman Trunk Road.
• 🌍 Wandoor — a relaxed destination, but known more as the gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
• 🌍 Mayabunder — headquarters of the district, well connected to Port Blair via 240 km of Andaman Trunk Road (ATR). The distance is 136 km by ferry.

In 2018, many islands were officially renamed. The new names have not been widely adopted, but are listed below in parentheses.

• 🌍 Baratang Island — mud volcano, limestone caves and mangrove creeks in backwaters
• 🌍 Barren Island — the island with the only active volcano in the whole of India. It is a restricted area within the Andaman Islands.
• 🌍 Cinque Islands — great reefs for diving
• 🌍 Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) — the most visited of the islands, with the most (although still limited) infrastructure. Famous for its beautiful beaches, especially Radhanagar, Elephant Beach and Kalapatthar, and great for snorkelling, scuba diving, jet skiing, parasailing, kayaking, etc.
• 🌍 Jarwa Reserve (on the Andaman Trunk Road, between Jarkatang and Mangroove Creek) — visits are illegal and highly inadvisable, as there is a severe risk of outsiders bringing infections to which the locals are not immune, and which thus can be deadly
• Jolly Buoy Island — a beautiful island where you can see underwater coral reefs, by snorkelling, or riding on glass-bottomed boats. This island requires prior permission to visit and does not have any food outlets, so pack your own food. Also, plastics are banned in this island. Typically 3–4 ferries from Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, leave daily morning around 9AM and return by 2–2:30PM. Private arrangements are also possible.
• 🌍 Little Andaman — badly damaged from the 2004 tsunami, the island has recovered but is still among the less visited.
• 🌍 Long Island — great if you're looking for Robinson Crusoe-style camping; no facilities, so you must bring all of your own gear and food – except that camping is illegal on public land and on beaches.
• 🌍 Narcondam Island — a volcanic island that is home to the narcondam hornbill. Normally restricted for tourists by the Indian Coast Guard.
• 🌍 Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) — A small, beautiful island with amazing beaches like Bharatpur Beach, Laxmanpur Beach and Sitapur Beach and a natural bridge. Snorkelling, jet skiing, scuba diving, glass-bottom boat rides, etc.
• 🌍 Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island) — the former headquarters of the Indian Penal Settlement
• 🌍 Rutland Island — beautiful mangrove forest and coral reefs welcome you to this little visited and pristine island
• 🌍 Smith and Ross Islands — legality of visits unclear.

1,400 km from mainland India and 1,000 km from Thailand, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are one of the most remote spots on the planet. The original inhabitants are various aboriginal tribes, ethnically Melanesian, who exist more or less out of the mainstream. There are some tribes, most notably the Sentinelese, who have had almost no contact with the rest of the world. Of nearly 600 islands, only 9 are open to foreign tourists, and all of these are in the Andamans.

The islands exist in India's popular consciousness mainly because they were used as a penal colony during British rule to imprison rebels and freedom fighters, in addition to hardened criminals. The majority of people living on the islands are descendants of migrants from the mainland. Some of them descended from the prisoners.

During World War II, the Andamans were the only part of India that was, briefly, occupied by the Japanese. While notionally handed over to Subhash Chandra Bose's 'Free India", in practice the Japanese held the reins of power. The territory was run brutally — suspected resistance members were tortured and executed, and when food started to run out towards the end of the war, people were deported to uninhabited islands to fend for themselves.

The main spoken languages are Hindi, Tamil and Bengali. Telugu and English are widely understood by the inhabitants of the islands that are open to tourism. Nicobarese is the mother tongue of the Nicobar Islands and is understood by the tribes.

Foreigners can hire a guide to communicate with local people. Most of the guides work as volunteers and have been serving tourists for many years.

Non-Indians need a Restricted Area Permit to visit the islands, but these are now issued on arrival at the Port Blair airport. If you plan to arrive by sea, you'll need to arrange your permit before arrival, either in Chennai or when applying for your Indian visa. Visitors usually receive a 30-day permit, although some travellers arriving without a confirmed flight back have only received a 15-day permit. Ask for 30 days on your application; if you write in your return flight date, your permit will be issued to end on that date, which will cause unnecessary pain if you choose to extend your stay or, worse yet, get unexpectedly delayed by weather.

Permits can be extended by 15 days in Port Blair, for a maximum single stay of 45 days, although this extension is granted only in, to quote the local police guidelines, "deserving cases". You must then leave the islands and can return after 72 hours. The permit is checked when arriving at most islands, checking into hotels and booking ferries, and must be surrendered when you leave the islands, so don't lose it.

The permit allows overnight stays in the following locations: South Andaman Island, Middle Andaman Island and Little Andaman Island (except tribal reserves), Neil Island, Havelock Island, Long Island, Diglipur, Baratang, North Passage and islands in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (excluding Boat Hobday Island, Twin Island, Tarmugli Island, Malay Island and Pluto Island). Overnight stays in the park are with permission only.

The permit allows for day-trips to: South Cinque Island, Ross Island, Narcondam Island, Interview Island, Brother Island, Sister Island and Barren Island which can be visited on board vessels only with landing possible.

Indian nationals do not require a permit to visit the Andamans. However, permits are required to visit the Nicobar Islands and other tribal areas, which are rarely given. Application on an official form should be addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman District, Port Blair.

Most people come here for the beaches and scuba diving, especially on Havelock Island and Neil Island.

The only place with historical attractions of note is Port Blair, which houses British-era colonial buildings, including the notorious Cellular Jail, and a few World War II bunkers dating from the brief Japanese occupation.

• 🌍 Indira Point. The southernmost point of India. (updated Nov 2022)

• Scan corals reefs in glass bottom boats off Jolly Buoy Island, at the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor, 29 km from Port Blair.
• See the only active volcano in India on Barren Island, but make sure it's smoking before you start on the overnight boat journey. The island is protected by the Indian Navy, and it is not possible to visit the Barren Islands.
• Don't take the Andaman Trunk Road. The ride is long, and the journey that takes you through some gorgeous reserve forests and up to Maya Bunder and beyond.
• Spot some sea cows and moon-bathe with plankton in a phosphorescent sea.
• Sea walking is a popular activity that allows visitors to explore the beautiful coral reefs and marine life of the Andaman Islands. The activity involves walking on the sea floor while wearing a special helmet that supplies air. This allows visitors to see the coral reefs and marine life up close without the need for diving or snorkelling.

In Port Blair, you will find main shopping centre offering variety of seashell and coral souvenirs. Aberdeen Bazaar is considered as a prime commercial centre which houses various government approved shops such as Khadi Udyog outlets and Cottage Industries Emporium.

Apart from the main shopping centre, some other shopping places to explore include Prem Nagar, Machi Lane, Delanipur, Goalghar, Phoenix Bay and Junglighat. All these spots are within the range of 3-4 km from Aberdeen Bazar.

The local furniture, made from local wood and mother of pearl jewellery, is well-known. Handicrafts made from cane, ashtrays walking sticks and some eye catching lamp shades created from coconut shell are ideal best souvenirs. Other popular souvenirs are:

• Nicobarese mats
• Straw hats
• Palm crafts
• Dried coral crafts
• Bamboo crafts
• Wood crafts made of paduk
• Beaded jewellery
• Mother of pearl artefacts like key chains and some other decorative items

There are a plethora of cafés and restaurants, private and government shops.

Seafood is the order of the day. From upscale restaurants in Port Blair to local dhabas on Havelock, fish abounds. Be prepared to pay a little more for good fish and seafood dishes than for standard Indian food, but it's well worth it. Basic Indian food is also available, and as cheap as on the mainland in most of the small dhabas. Resort restaurants on Havelock can also whip up a limited set of more or less Western dishes, but the resort restaurants are pretty expensive by Indian standards.

• Fresh coconuts are popular and widely available.
• Alcohol is available in some restaurants and at 'English Beer & Wine Shops' in Port Blair and on Havelock Island. The beers will not be cold except in local bars.
• Local bars are dingy and poorly lit, giving them a very eerie feel.
• There is no pub culture or nightclubs.

The Andamans are a fairly safe destination. Tourism is still in its early stages which makes it almost hassle free. That said, you should keep your wits about you as you would anywhere.

The Andaman Islands are, however, the home of some of the last uncontacted tribes of Eurasia. These tribes have resisted becoming a part of the globally connected world for a long time. The most famous example is the Sentinelese tribe, whose home is North Sentinel Island. They maintain their sovereignty over the island, and reject contact with the outside world. They have killed people who tried to contact them, and may shoot arrows at approaching boats.

Saltwater crocodiles are found throughout the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and frequently attack people. While saltwater crocodiles generally remain within the rivers and coastal mangrove swamps, they do occasionally travel within the open ocean where most human encounters occur. The main crocodile populations are around Little Andaman Island (Northern and Western sides), Interview Island and in the narrow straits that separate the main islands MacPhearson Strait, Andaman Strait, Homfrey Strait and Austen Strait. Crocodiles also inhabit many of the Nicobar Islands.

Andaman and Nicobar are malarial, although generally not more than mainland India.

The Indian country code (91) applies, and the area code for the entire Andamans is (3192). So, from outside India, you dial +91 3192xxxxxx. Within India, you dial 03192xxxxxx (by mobile phone you can use the international format also locally).

Mobile phone coverage used to be poor on many islands but is now much improved. State-owned BSNL, and private operators Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) are the operators providing mobile services there. Landlines are frequent in Port Blair but more erratic as you move around the islands.

Internet access is slow but tolerable in Port Blair. BSNL EVDO sticks on CDMA technology works best with speed up to 1 Mbit/s. BSNL 3G gives a speed of around 100 kbit/s and ADSL is un-serviceable most of the time. Private players like Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vi offer internet access through GPRS & EDGE which is pathetically slow. A project for the interconnectivity of the islands with an underwater international Chennai-Singapore marine cable is under construction.

The mobile data network is weak whichever provider you choose to use. Free Wi-Fi is available in big hotels and restaurants.

Tourism is still relatively new in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and as such the visitor has a special responsibility in guiding its development. Remember that this is India — local women are very conservative in their attire, and if you'd like to show sensitivity to their feelings, consider dressing conservatively yourself.

Alcohol should be consumed on the premises of your hotel only. The quiet and peacefulness of the islands are one of their best assets; help to maintain these.