A friend of mine proposed a quick getaway to Andaman, and soon we planned a detailed itinerary for the trip. Considering our leave shortage, we planned a mini trip for just 3 days. We tried to cover the places based on our choice and interests. We started our trip from Visakhapatnam. Direct flights are available from Visakhapatnam to Port Blair. Alternatively, a cruise also runs from Visakhapatnam. We choose to travel by air.

Day 1:

We had our flight from Visakhapatnam at around 8:30 in the morning. We were to reach Port Blair at around 10:30. So, we thought that we had an entire day to cover the place. But due to flight delays, we reached Port Blair at around 12:30 in the noon. After getting down, we quickly collected our luggage and proceeded to our place of stay. One of our friends was working in Andaman and she arranged a guest house for our stay. However, plenty of stay options are available in Port Blair. We checked into the room and dumped our luggage. Without wasting much time, we proceeded to our first destination, i.e. the Cellular Jail. We grabbed a quick lunch en-route.

Cellular Jail:

The colonial prison is also known as Kala Pani. The prison was used by the colonial British government to imprison political activists. During the Indian Independence movement, many notable personalities spent their time at Cellular Jail as prisoners. Today, the jail stands as a national memorial monument. The construction of the prison began in 1896 and was completed in 1906. The British started using the prison in the aftermath of the Rebellion of 1857. Initially, the jail had seven wings, nevertheless today only 3 wings exist. The earthquake in 1941 caused major damage to the wings. Further dismantling happened during World War-2 when the Japanese occupied the area. After India gained independence, two more wings were demolished. The Govind Ballabh Pant hospital now occupies this place. It has 500 beds and functions under the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences.

The jail is notorious for its harsh punishments and the inhuman conditions to which the inmates were subjected. There are many exhibits at the jail, depicting punishments like floggings and oil grinding. These punishments were imposed on the inmates during the British era.

Every evening, a light and sound show takes place at the jail. The show gives a detailed account of the history of the jail. It is essential to watch the show to learn about the struggles of our ancestors. Their bravery and endurance are remarkable. Guided tours are available at the jail and should definitely be taken. Rather than considering the jail as a tourist spot to visit, it should be appreciated for its history. Guided tours will help you understand these historical details. They also offer accounts of the lives of our freedom fighters. The tickets to the shows get sold out quickly and thus, should be booked beforehand. They can be booked online via Andaman Tourism e-Tourist portal.

We got the tickets for the last available show of the evening. The show brought alive the horrors of colonial rule and made everyone emotional.

Pro tip: The famous Aberdeen Bazaar is just a 10-15 min walk from the Cellular jail. It’s a lively street market selling handcrafts, clothing and food items.

After witnessing the show, we returned to our place and rested for the night.

Day 2:

We started our second day early. We had our ferry to Havelock Island that day at 07 in the morning. So, we quickly got ready and proceeded to the Haddo jetty, from where we were to board the ferry. After the security checks, we got into the ferry. Popular operators are Makruzz, Green Ocean and Nautika. The tickets in these ferries can be booked online from their individual websites. Alternatively, government operated ferries are also available. We booked the window seats in Makruzz and enjoyed scenic views. The ferry had a counter which sold beverages and snacks. Still, the ride was quite rocky at first. None of us moved around the ferry because of it. Few even faced an upset stomach and were handed over with sickness bags. But after some time, we got accustomed to the rocking of the boat. We disembarked from the ferry at the Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) Island after about two hours. The weather there was quite pleasant. We walked out of the jetty and looked for the operators for water activities. Against the popular opinion and suggestion by the operators there, we listened to our hearts and went for Scuba diving.

Scuba diving experience:

As soon as we reached the spot, we were made to sit down and feel comfortable. They asked us a few questions about our health. This was after discussing the price and other rules. We were given a form which had a declaration. We signed it and changed into the wet suits given to us. Then we were taken to the sea area. We received basic training on how to use the scuba diving equipment. The training was quick. Then we sat on a boat, and they took us to the spot where we were to scuba dive. We were pushed from the boat and taken into deep waters for diving. The experience was phenomenal. We got to see a lot of corals and fish. After 20 min of diving, we were again transported back to the shore. There were washrooms and changing rooms in the area, where we changed our clothes. The entire experience lasted for about 3 hrs. By the time we reached the activities area near the beach, it was around 11:30.

Elephant beach is the place where all the major sea activities are done. Tourists are usually carried to Elephant beach in boats. They are left there for 3 hrs to enjoy all the water activities and relax. After three hours, they are brought back to Havelock via the same boat. So, we had to go to Elephant beach for doing the other water activities. Nonetheless, the time was already 11:30. We had a return ferry to Port Blair at about 4 in the evening. There was not enough time, so we were not allowed to go to Elephant beach. After a lot of discussion with the locals and tour operators, a plan was chalked out. We decided to travel to Elephant beach by boat and planned to return to Havelock by trekking. We paid for the activities before hand and were given a slip with our boat name on it. Then we got onto the boat and proceeded to the Elephant beach.

Snorkeling is a popular activity in Andaman. All the tourists to Elephant beach get it as a complimentary add-on. However, we were interested only in doing the sea walk activity. So, we directly proceeded to the counter and kept our bags in the lockers assigned to us. Then, we went for the sea walk.

Sea walk experience:

The sea walk experience is a unique activity available only at Andaman Islands. It is a must try for everyone who wants to experience the fun of walking on the sea floor. We were first given a form to sign. Then, we were briefed about the rules to follow while going under water. We waited for our turn and when our turn came, we were fitted with a helmet. As the helmet is pressurized, one does not need any extra equipment for assisted breathing. In this case, it is different from scuba diving. The water will not enter into the helmet and one can normally breathe inside the helmet. A diver helped us reach a depth of about 12 ft. Then, another diver took over. With the help of the diver, we explored under the sea. We saw the sea life in its entirety. It was a unique experience and we got to witness colorful fishes and corals. The photos are included in the fee. One should avoid touching corals as it can damage them.

Changing room and washrooms are available on the shore. After our activity, which lasted for about 15 min, we returned to the shore and quickly changed our clothes. There are many options available there to grab some food. But, since we had our trek ahead, we quickly bought the instant noodles, and started our journey.

The trek back to the road passes through a reserved forest. For nature lovers, the place is a heaven. At some places, the route is marshy. It is advised to wear proper footwear to traverse through the area. Also, it is advised to not throw any plastic covers or waste there and ruin the surroundings. A guide accompanied us along the trek as it is compulsory from safety point of view. The help center at the counter (at the beach) provides one. The guide made us understand about different species of trees en-route and their importance. It took us around an hour to trek through the route and reach the road. From there, many vehicles were available to reach the ferry boarding point.

We boarded the return ferry, which was great. For the rerun, we went with the Green Ocean ferry. We rested for some time on our designated seats. We enjoyed the beautiful sunset views from onboard. The top deck had music, and it was a great journey overall. We reached back at Port Blair at around 6 in the evening and quickly drove back to our rest house. We had a cruise to catch on the same night. So, we quickly finished our dinner. We freshened up and packed the necessary items for the day-long cruise. Then, we headed back to the same jetty for boarding our cruise to Barren Island.

Cruise to Barren Island:

While exploring the places to visit in Andaman, we discovered a government cruise to the barren island. This island is home to the only active volcano in India. The cruise was recently started and is being run fortnightly. We were lucky enough to be traveling on the date when the cruise was available. The tickets to the cruise can be booked online and we did the same. The cruise starts at around 22 hrs from Port Blair. After a 5-6 hrs journey, it reaches the barren island volcano. Thus, one can see the volcano in the dark in its entire beauty. The ship stays there for around 1-2 hrs. It moves around the volcano, providing the sunrise views with the backdrop of the volcano. Due to safety reasons, disembarkment is not permitted there. The ship stops at a safe distance away from the volcano.

After boarding the ship, we proceeded to our beds and kept our luggage. Different types of rooms are available on the ship and the class we booked had bunk beds. Lockers were available but one must carry their own locks. We quickly went for a tour around the ship. The ship had a dining hall and a kitchen. Tokens for breakfast and lunch were provided at an extra cost at a designated counter. Other eatables were also being sold. There was also an entertainment hall where live singing performance was held. We listened to the songs for some time. As we were completely exhausted after the travel, we quickly went to our beds to get a proper sleep.

An alarm rang in the early hours as we reached the barren island. An announcement was made, and everyone quickly assembled on the top deck to enjoy the views. We stayed there for the longest time. We clicked some photos. We experienced one of the most beautiful Sunrises ever. It was a surreal experience. Then, we freshened up, had our breakfast and rested for some time. The cruise is mainly intended for the visit to Barren Island and there is no disembarkment anywhere else. With nothing much to do, we again joined the live music performance and enjoyed it. We went around the ship and made new friends. Overall, the journey gave us the much-needed digital detox. We reached Port Blair at around 4 in the evening.

After getting down at the jetty, we rented a bike since we wanted to visit the flag point. Before driving to flag point, we visited the Samudrika museum.

Naval Samudrika museum:

The museum is run by the Navy. As it focuses on the ocean environment, it is known as the Naval Samudrika Museum. The museum features sections showcasing fish, corals, and other sea creatures, as well as the tribes of Andaman. It is a great place to learn about ocean life through its specimens. Within the compound, there is also a souvenir shop for buying some Andaman collectibles.

We went around the museum and gained a lot of information about the rich ocean life of Andaman. From there, we proceeded next to the flag point.

Flag point:

Also known as the Tiranga memorial park, it is renowned for its flagpole, which stands at 150m. It was exactly this spot where Netaji Subash Chandra Bose conducted the flag hoisting on 30th December,1943. This was the first flag hoisting on Indian soil. The area around the flag point is beautiful with gardens, walkways and benches.

After spending some time at the spot, we drove to the nearby Corbyn cove beach.

Corbyn cove beach:

The beach is ideal for swimming, and a few adventure water activities are done here. It is famous for its coconut palms and beautiful sunsets. It is popular among both locals and tourists and is usually crowded. One can also see the abandoned Japanese bunkers there. We winded down for some time at the beach.

We drove back to our rest house from there. We had some coffee to recharge ourselves. Then we had dinner with our friends there and rested for the night.

The next day, we left early for the airport since we had a flight back to Visakhapatnam.

Our trip was very short. We tried to cover as many important locations as possible. We didn’t want to miss out on fun and made full use of our time available at Andaman. Still, we missed out on a lot of places as well. I suggest planning a longer trip to Andamans. This way, one can cover all the places without rushing. Andaman is a place to wind up, sit back and relax.

We had a roller coaster of a trip and returned with a piece of these islands in our heart.

Points to note:

• Cruise to Barren Island: Bookable through Official website of Directorate of Shipping Services.
• Entry Ticket to Cellular Jail: Rs 30 per person
• Ticket to Sound and Light show at Cellular Jail: Rs 300 per person. Shows are available in Hindi and English.
• Cellular Jail is closed on Mondays
• Cellular Jail timings: 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM
• Littering in Reserve Forest: Strictly prohibited.
• Cost of Barren Island Cruise: Depends on the type of Suite (2,4 or 6 berth), Lagoon Dormitory (Bunk beds): Rs 3,180 per person