This winter we went from Mangalore to Andaman Islands. We visited Port Blair, Havelock, and Ross islands. Here are some tips and notes about it for future travelers. Thanks to my friend Deepu Vijayasenan for some of these tips.
Port Blair
- Sun rises at 5 am and sets by 5 pm approximately... one needs to be an early bird... Shops and restaurants are open by 7.
- Andaman is not a flat terrain.. (was my biggest surprise) .. it is a hilly terrain...
- Pretty warm there, so have hats/umbrellas/sunscreen if u want. (December)
- Public transportation is very good in Port Blair and Havelock. In fact, I would say, ditch the taxi service and rely on public transport. There are regular AC buses, and tourist specific Go-Go buses. Most places in Port Blair are covered by them. Autos often run on meter, and if you try to bargain with them before the trip, the price goes up considerably. Even then it is relatively cheap. I think there is a clear instruction to autos and taxis not to overcharge tourists. If you engage someone for your entire stay, they have a tendency to micromanage your visit.
- Barak Tang is really worth visiting, especially the boat ride through mangroves. (Sarat Chandra's srikanta has a beautiful description of his adventures in the mangrove forests of Sundarban. Having read that, this has been an unforgettable experience to me). But it is a tiring trip for sure. The breakfast on the roadside was also good and fun.
- Apart from Barak Tang, cellular jail, Wandoor beach (very good visit, spend as much time as possible here)., and Chidiya Tapu- nothing much in Port Blair. In Chidiya Tapu they will not allow you to stay beyond 4.30 PM. In many beaches the guards will not allow you to play in water, telling some crocodile attack a few years ago. There is a small zoo in Chidiya Tapu, you can skip it. If your destination is beaches, go to Havelock and spend as much time as possible there. But Havelock is much more expensive.
- Ross Island is another possible visit from Port Blair. But this visit is tightly controlled by boat operators. They will give you limited time there (about 3 hrs or less) and take you to North Bay. North Bay is a tourist trap. There are many water activities which are better to do in Havelock.
- It is good to take a guided tour in Ross Island (buggies are there, else you need to walk steep up ), Chidia tapu (zoo ) and Cellular Jail (no clear directions otherwise) ... It saves a lot of time, unless you want to really walk around.. .
- Don't take what they call a semi-submarine (just a glass bottom boat) in Northern bay... IMHO, don't go there if you are not planning for any water activity.. only Sea walk is good there... But I think they don't take people with hypertension..
Havelock
- Please go early for the Ferry to Havelock ... There is a proper check in and baggage screening like in flights.. .. Sometimes there will be a rush...
- Ferry to Havelock was very rough due to the cyclone... But it was okay while coming back... Check for cyclones before you travel and it may be better to take some anti-motion sickness medicines if there are one...
- Our guide told us, don't drink local water... Carry water everywhere... Also the coconuts are very good... keep drinking some of them to avoid dehydration. This is serious, as I got a UTI during the trip. Not very pleasant. So drink plenty of water.
- If you are planning to snorkel, better do it in Havelock ... close to the main island, the water is less clear...
- BSNL sim is not working everywhere.. airtel SIM was working very well...
- we didn't explore much about local food... I think what is special is Tuna (really big)/ Lobsters / Anjal/Crabs/ prawns etc... same warning as here, they can be very expensive ... ask for the price before you buy ... I found the fish good, but only as good as we get here in Mangalore.
