your real motive

martinez

I often wonder why people go to India. For the last 35 years i have had my own reasons. Now, i don´t really want to go to India but i confess i still love my time on the mainland. However, i do crave the Andaman Islands (not Port Blair )..My question is :-
What is it that draws you to the Andaman Islands?

Noreen

I've only been to the Andamans (Port Blair and Havelock)once. Spent 8 days and did 13 dives. Amazing beaches and awesome underwater life...I'm already planning my trip back!

life_is_journey

hey when was you went to Andaman? and which route you have followed? by sea or by air?if by sea from madras or from kolkatta?

please tell me what is the accommodation facilities and its prices?as its one of my long plans to visit that island.

Himalayanone

Hi Noreen,
Welcome to Indiamike

Barkha

I was at Andamans in 2006 Nov..just a year after the Tsunami and simply fell in love with the place. It was so safe that we (i was with 2 female friends) did not fear even for a moment while we walked back to our hotel at 11pm.

What would take me back there? Hmm..the pristine beaches, Havelock islands (could not go there last time)and yes Chirya Tapu. It is heaven.

Himalayanone

What is sea route to approach Andamans?

Barkha

I flew from Delhi / port Blair..I was on the inaugural flight by Sahara Airlines which isn't operating now I think. For sea routes you could Google. I assume sea routes are available from Kolkata, Vishakapatnam & Chennai.

Noreen

I was there end of Feb to March 2008 last year. Flew down from Chennai to Port Blair. It was a dive package organized by DIVEindia with accommodation at their resort Island Vinnie's. There is a lot of accommodation options on Havelock ranging from really cheap beach shacks for Rs. 500 or less a night (basically tents) with shared facilities(toilets and bath) to better cottages or tented cabanas priced anywhere from Rs.1,400 and above a night. It's better to book in advance though cos the good resorts like Vinnie's fill up pretty quickly.

Noreen

thanks

life_is_journey

thanks Noreen for your information.welcome to india mike.
hope you will enjoy this forum.cheers
ashis

trailblazer

I was in the Havelock for 3 weeks in Jan this year.I went there as an alternative to the more pricey lakshadeep islands.
I fell in love with it I wish i had seen more of the other islands I also vistied Neil island which is a perfect getaway from the more popular haveock.I know i will return one day and will take that oportunity to visit the more northern islands.
In havelock we stayed at pristine and in Neil we were at Tango.
But at havelock there are numerous places to stay you dont need to book in advance.

kalbarri

i have done large murals of underwater scenes and i started to learn more and more about the marine life until i have become obsessed with this realm. so i have been to some special diving areas, such as pulau sipadan, fiji, coral bay (australia) and the great barrier reef. the andamans was on the list of "places to see"for the marine life.
the fact that it is probably the cheapest resort islands to go to, in the world was a bonus.
i love to see new things and the amount and variety of anemone fish at neil and havelock was fantastic. so many types of fish i have never seen before. i didn't even get to the places recommended as the best snorkelling spots but i still had an amazing time.
the main problem for me was not enjoying the food there. for tropical islands i was stunned at the lack of diversity of fruit and vegetables available.

tavarish

You can find smaller huts (with electricity and fan but shared bathrooms) from Rs 100 at Barefoot Scuba, and it goes up to over Rs 10.000 at Barefoot Resort. In between there are a number of resorts with good offers, like Eldorado, Pristine and many others.

You can basically live and eat really cheap or very expensive on Havelock, depends on your preferences.

karmaman

I first went to the Andamans by boat some 12 years ago, that was an experience in itself! The islands are beautiful..I stayed on Neil Island in a hammock with about 10 other people (they all had their own hammocks!) ..we all met on the boat..a great experience, Im going there for christmas this year, and I will check out Havelock this time..which I avoided due to the usual sandfly stories..I think I'll chance it tho! any recommendations for budget places to stay welcome...although barefoot scuba looks good..cant wait )

martinez

Twelve years ago,that must have been something. Prepare yourself for Havelock,ott and not a pretty sight as you first arrive,but that being said ,lots of virtues nontheless. Neil,i´ve been there 2008 and 2007,still quite laid back but getting worse by the minute. See www.indiascubaexplorers.com if you fancy some cool diving.