Smart Travels: Andaman Islands

Showing posts with label Andaman Islands. Show all posts

Saturday, 31 March 2018

Andaman Islands

After spending a week in southern India we flew 1,000 km east from Chennai to the Andaman Islands. This archipelago in the Bay of Bengal is actually closer to Thailand and Burma/Myanmar than India, but nevertheless belongs to the latter. There are roughly 300 islands but indigenous Andaman Islanders inhabit some of the more remote ones, and so many are off limits to visitors. After arriving at Port Blair (the islands' capital) we then took a two-hour ferry ride north-east to Havelock Island, where we spent the first four nights. Our main interest was diving, so we dived in the mornings and explored or relaxed in the afternoon.

off Radhanagar Beach, Havelock

Located on the north-west of Havelock, Radhanagar is an attractive beach and a good place to swim and watch the sunset, but at dusk everyone has to get out of the sea because of the risk of a saltwater crocodile attack at that time of day!

at Havelock

We walked through forest to Elephant Beach, which used to be famous for Rajan, its swimming elephant. (Rajan died in 2016, aged sixty-six).

Rajan, the swimming elephant (source)

trekking through the forest to Elephant Beach, Havelock

lizard in the forest on the way to Elephant Beach

We then took another, shorter, ferry ride to neighbouring Neil Island, which is smaller than Havelock. We were also able to fit in some diving there, despite having been told it wouldn't be possible on the island.

Beach at Neil Island

Neil Island

Neil Island's beaches are numbered one to five, and the Natural Arch in the photos below, at Beach 2, is only accessible at low tide.

Natural Arch, Neil Island

sunset, Neil Island

After one night on Neil Island we then headed back to Port Blair, for our final night and some visiting. It's not a particularly attractive town, but there are a few things to see and visit. We started with the Cellular Jail, a former British prison that is now a shrine to the political dissidents it once gaoled. It was built 1896-1906 and used to have seven wings, containing 698 cells, which radiated from a central tower (some wings were later destroyed by the Japanese during WWII).

at Cellular Jail

Next we visited Chatham Saw Mill, set up by the British in 1836 and still operational. It provides an interesting insight into the island's history and economy, but would give any western Health & Safety authorities a heart attack. Visitors are free to wander everywhere, inches away from saws cutting through timber, no closed shoes or hardhats are required, workers are both barefoot and gloveless, and there are plenty of female workers and visitors in saris with long plaits of hair and flowing scarves!

shrine in the middle of Chatham Saw Mill

this Chatham Saw Mill worker was very unrepresentative of
most of the other workers as he had a hardhat and footwear!

Chatham Saw Mill

temple in Port Blair dedicated to Hanuman, the monkey god

Then it was time to return to Chennai, where we arrived late at night and set off early next morning to fly back to Reunion.

Andaman Islands diving

After spending a week in southern India we flew 1,000 km east from Chennai to the Andaman Islands. After arriving at Port Blair (the islands' capital) we then took a two-hour ferry ride north-east to Havelock Island, where we spent the first four nights. Our main interest there was diving, so we dived in the mornings and explored or relaxed in the afternoon. We dived with Barefoot Scuba, and altogether did six dives off Havelock: Red Lighthouse, The Wall, Dixon's Pinnacle (twice), Sebastien Hill and Parridge.

curious squid, Havelock

Frustratingly we forgot our camera the day we dived Dixon's Pinnacle, which was the day with the best visibility and most interesting underwater life spotted (Napoleon wrasses, school of barracudas, giant trevallies, barramundi, peacock mantis shrimp, pick-handle barracuda)!

one of many large barrel sponges, Havelock

Havelock

feather star, Havelock

Other things that we saw on Havelock but don't have (good enough) photos of are humpheaded parrotfish, blue-spotted stingrays, lobster and cleaner shrimp, pufferfish, boxfish, moray eels, octopus, bearded scorpionfish, ornate ghost pipefish, cuttlefish and tiger cowries.

Havelock dive sites.
The islands to the north (Peel, Wilson etc.) are uninhabited.

After four nights at Havelock we travelled to neighbouring Neil Island to spend a night. We were also able to fit in two dives there, with India Scuba Explorers, despite having been told it wouldn't be possible on the island.

Neil Island

Trevallies, Neil Island

Banded sea krait, Neil Island

Butterflyfish, Neil Island

Fan coral, Neil island

Then it was time to head back to Reunion via Port Blair and Chennai.