Beach No. 7 in the Andaman Islands

Samsara

I watched a travel documentary on T V about two weeks ago. I can't remember the name though, some series about trekking the world but it wasn't Pilot Guides. But similar. This one cover Andaman Islands and Arunachal Pradesh in one documentary.

The bit about the Andaman Islands was really interesting. Beach No. 7 looked great. I forget which island it's on but you go across on a ferry (?) from the main town (I am forgetting all the place names but the beach itself IS actually called Beach No. 7!). You need a permit I think to go across to this island from the main port though so don't forget the permit. They had these great thatched individual huts (with no doors!) with a basic bed and a hammock for US$5 a day (at the time of the documentary). Usual basic share elemental loos. It was more like a camping site.

sillylilly

The main port in the Andaman is Port Blair.

dreamsyndicate

Beach no 7 is on Havelock Island, on the other side that the jetty lands.
It's real name is Radhanagar Beach , but it's known as Beach No. 7 .
(haven't been there, but it's got , besides being a very beautifull place, a reputation for sandflies)

picklepak

Oh wow, the Andaman islands are what dreams are made of... Samsara if you find out the name of that show (or what network it was on) let us know, and I'll watch for it. Jeez I am such a beach person.

Samsara

I hate sandflies. I once went to an island in the Australian Whitsundays where there was absolutely nothing to do, except drink a beer on the verandah and watch the sunset or ask to be rowed across to a deserted beach so you could be even more alone. I'm sure you would like it there, Picklepak. They had a backpacker hut too so it was very cheap. It was Hook Island I think. But there were some sandflies. Not too bad though. I didn't feel it much at all. Or maybe I have a thick skin.

It's a travel series just like Pilot Guides. I'll see if I can find the name. You can probably get it on video. But it looked like it was a year or two old. Not a new series. The bit on Arunchal Pradesh was good. She went to Dibrugarh and from there by 4 wheel drive and ended up finally in a remote village that could only be accessed by a very suss looking shaky rope and wooden slates bridge that had been built 15 years before over a high rocky gorge.

cyberhippie

Hi samsara! long time no hear!
Just a quickie, I reckon if you or any one else doesn't like sandflies pick your beach on the Andamans very carefully!
Many of the beaches I hear are really infested with the little pitbulls. Though I hear some beaches are better than others!!
It's not so much the sting of the bite but the infections that come with the bites. Mrs cyberhippie suffers rather badly from this and it can get pretty messy when the scratching starts!!

Samsara

That's good to hear, cyberhippie. It all looked so idyllic and tons of snorkelling which I enjoy. But I really don't like sandflies though...Is there some insect repellent 100% effective against it or is there even a part of the year which is sandfly free maybe? Something to look into.

cyberhippie

Perhaps someone who has been there can give you this info, as mine is second hand, though from a traveller I have a lot of respect for.
Apparently if they like you, your in trouble!!
However as I said there are some beaches better than others, anyone been to the Andamans lately??????

albaruni

in 2001.

avoid the monsoon season, which for the andaman islands is right about now(may-june) and november -december.

Sep/oct is about ideal.

These Look like sandals beaches, but really they are just unspoilt desert islands / island beaches. even the boating is not motorized (may have changed) you go in catmarans amid the silence.

There's PLENTY of them on Kar nicobar(the developed island), and as far down south as you can manage to go from there. tourism facilities are very elementary

you need to like the wild beach kind of a vacation if you want to do the andamans. you should go to mauritius if you like the beach resort kind..

picklepak

Having grown up in desert-like conditions on the plains of Western Canada, there were tonnnnes of sandflies... I'm not sure if any repellant will work against them too well [sigh].

I'm going to do a search for pictures of the Andamans today... ahhh...

Bryan

Baby oil does the trick ...Johnsons baby oil is particulalry good
Unfortunatly you'll fry in the sun and the sand will stick to the oil ...
However it does work against sand flies

SAndflies are fickle beasties
You'll find one beach will be infested whereas another beach along the road will be free of them
Listen to local advice and ask other travellers

I once got savaged by them in Greece
Was bumming around Greece and slept on a beach one night
Big mistake
Woke up to face looking like a swollen acne ridden nightmare and my hands (the only uncovered parts) covered in bites

I remember counting 146 bites on one hand
Had to go to the doctor and get anti histimes cream and tablets
Safe to say I never slept on a Greek beach again

Bryan

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