Andaman trip.....Advise please October 2011

Hello friends.... We are planning a trip to the Andamans during the period 4-10-2011 to 11-10-2011. will be reaching port blair by flight from chennai and leave on 11th. we are a family of 4 (couple + 2 boys aged 6 & 13). we will be based at port blair (at our company guest house (Rs.120/- per day A/C Room) ). Kindly let me know how best to make use of our time and draw up an itinery. I read from the website of State that SEAPLANE service has started in october 2010. If anybody used this service...please let me know if it is worth 4100/- per head per trip from port blair to havelock. I am looking at low budget trip. Is it ok to stay put at port blair and do all day trips ? or i need to keep moving ?.... any suggestions are welcome and thanks to all in advance.....Praveen Hyderabad

Praveen,

A few important information is missing, before a feasible itinerary could be suggested to you. We know the dates you would be traveling and that you would be staying for about 7 days. Since your traveling with your family and this includes your kids, what do they like to do when traveling with you. Are they scared to travel over water, then a few places would need to be trimmed from your itinerary. Also, how much do you plan to spend, what places have you reviewed/searched and would like to visit in those 7 days. Is Nicobar in your travel plans (and I would strongly suggest this, which most people overlook or do not take up)?

A better picture would help the IM members to draw up an tentative itinerary for you which you can then polish according to your needs. In the meantime, I would suggest you check the Andaman's sub forum to have a better understanding of the place.

Thanks aarosh....that was pretty quick. I am looking at spending say 40 to 60,000/- for the trip (air tickets excluded). Though i am used to water it is a new world to my children especially my younger one as this will be the first time he would seeing a SEA. We enjoyed thoroughly our trip to Kashmir in october 2010 and this is totally a different scene. So i guess so long it is a holiday trip everything is fine for them. Nicobar well i do not know....(very weak in geography sorry) well with my budget and the dates fixed can i make it ? We intend to do one or two scuba dives (my elder son and Me only) and take a trip by ship to some place from Port blair so that the thrill of travelling by ship is covered too. I did not draw any itinery till now and since you mentioned NICOBAR tooo i shall be happy if you put some light on that aswell. Thanks once again for the suggestion and reply. thanks you......

Hi Praveen,
4th-- you stay at portblair..If you reach there by 8-9 am then you can cover ross island in the first half and cellular jail in the second half.
5th--You just go to Neil Island ..enjoy the coral
6th--you go to havelock ..spend some quality time
7th--havelock..go to elaphant beach in the morning and enjoy..
8th--havelock..go to radhanagar beach in the morning..come back to hotel..have your lunch then.. Come back to port blair by Maccruz.You will reach portbalir in the evening.
9th --Go to Jolly Buoy Island..you will return back in approx 4 pm.
10th --you can go to Chidiya Tapu ...or you can visit ross island now instead of the first day...

Enjoy...

Praveen,

You have a flexi budget, which should help you experience Andaman's the way it should be, along with your family. The itinerary suggested above is a good one, which you can tailor once again according to your needs. Given the fact that your going with your family and a few members might be, initially, in awe of the sea around andamans, I would suggest that you gradually move to visiting the surrounding beaches. Here's what you could tentively do:

1 - On the day that you arrive, move to your place of accomodation, freshen up and they see if you can leave for Chidiyatapu, which is about 10 kliks from P. Blair and the road winds besides the shoreline and gives you a panoramic view of the sea. Your kids would have a good time during this journey. Chidiyatapu is one place where you will be able to view different types of birds. One word of caution. Mosquitoes and crabs on the beaches will be a constant, so be prepared for it. You can return the same day and see a few other places in P.Blair (if you feel the need to.)
2 - On day two, leave for Wandoor jetty, which is about 30 kliks from P.Blair and you can check the Marine park there. Alternately, you can go to Jolly Buoy island from here. The normal time leaving to Jolly buoy island at Wandoor beach is 9.00am. Make sure to reach Wandoor beach before 9.00am. All the ships leave at the same time and come back together.Remember, Jolly buoy is a No Plastic zone and nothing is available on the beach.You can enjoy the under water coral view through snorkeling, Scuba diving or from the glass bottom boat. As a standard trip, while getting down from the ship and transferring to the island through small boats, visitors will be taken through a ride and will be shown these under water corals through glass bottom. This is for only a very short duration (5 to 10 minutes). You can opt for a private boat (recommend it).
3 - On day three, when your kids are more used to the sea, try to head for Bartang Island, and you can include parrot in this trip. Probably do the Mangrove canopy walk and the lime stone caves in this trip.
4 - On day four, head for Havelock. Remember, it takes time traveling over the sea, so be prepared for sometime spent traveling. I would recommend that you stay a night at Havelock. The beach and the surrounding areas are an experience in itself and can be better enjoyed, if taken at a slow pace.
Day 6 and 7 - I would recommend you to see if a trip to Nicobar can be done, if not, check other surrounding areas in Andaman's. Nicobar is some distance from P.Blair, but both flights and boats leave from P.Blair. If you know someone form the Indian Navy, you could also make trips to the restricted islands in and around Andaman's.

To Aarosh,

We spent a great time in Andaman in December 2009 while we visited P. Blair, Neil, Havlock and Diglipur. We were informed at that time, Nicobor travel is not possible due to some restrictions from Government (only native Nicoboris and govt. employees are allowed). Has there been a change in the sitution right now?
Thanks in Advance for your reply.

Well Soham, things have not changed. As an Indian, you still need a permit to visit the Nicobar Islands (and this has become more stringent after the Tsunami and the recent earthquakes). What you can do, is apply to the Dept Commissioner P.Blair and get a permit. Do it in advance and if you have someone working in the Indian Navy or with the govt of India, then give their reference so that your permit is processed sooner. Nicobar is worth a visit, and as an Indian national, more so.

Aarosh, thanks for your quick reply. Although I am very much interested to visit Nicobar, hardly found any information available regarding places worth a visit in Nicobar. It will be of great help if you can provide some insight.

Soham,

Not much information is available on Nicobar, and whatever is there, you can probably find out by googling. I know a little more, since one of my classmates is in the Indian Navy. If you plan on visiting Nicobar, I suggest you write to the deputy commissioner P. Blair and get a permit. Even with a permit, only a few places are allowed to be visited in Car Nicobar.

Thanks for all the information Aarosh, Soham and Grupai. That was really wonderful of you guys to pump in info at that speed. thanks once again and yes i work for Government of India (CPWD) and we have a full fledged office stationed in the Islands and we are in the construction of the pucca houses for the Tsunami Relief. We work in very close proximity with the Government of Andaman and Nicobar and the Big boss at The ISlands is a very good friend of my Boss here in hyderabad. So i think the Government thing can be settled for the permit. So made up ... will be visiting Nicobar. I will consider the itinery given to me and will post my point of view once i do my flight bookings. Thanks once again and if any new info please post. LOVE REGARDS AND CHEERS......from Happy Hyderabad

Hi All,

I am thinking to go to Andamans in 15th -21st Oct'2011. Just had one question, Is this the correct time to Visit Anadaman? Like will it be too couldy or rainy??

Expect rains during this time.

Ronak.

Thanks for the quick reply