Reaching Andaman by sea

BY SEA

Regular passenger ship services are available to Port Blair from Chennai, Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam and back. There are three to four sailings every month from Kolkata and Chennai to Port Blair and vice-versa. There is one sailing from Vishakhapatnam in a month. The voyage takes about 50 to 60 hours and the ship normally berths at Port Blair for about two to four days. Further information on schedules and tariffs can be obtained from:
1. Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.
Apeejay House, 4th Floor, Dinsa Wacha Road, Mumbai – 400 020
Tel: 2822101/2823316 Fax: (022) 2022438
2. Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.,
Shipping House, No. 13, Strand Road, Kolkata – 700 001
Tel: 2482354, 2488013 Fax: (033) 2482035, 2480377
3. Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.,
Jawahar Building, Rajaji Salai, Chennai – 600 001
Tel: (044) 5231401, Fax: (044) 5231218
4. The Deputy Director of Shipping Services,
A&N Administration, 6, Rajaji Salai, Chennai – 600 001
Tel: (044) 5220841/5226873
5. The Directorate of Shipping Services,
A&N Administration, Phoniex Bay Jetty,
Port Blair (For MV Nancowry and MV Swarajdweep)
Tel: (03192) 232528/232742 Fax: (03192) 230480
6. Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.,
Aberdeen Bazar, Port Blair – 744 101
Tel: (03192) 233347, 233590 Fax: (03192) 233778
7. M/s A.V. Bhanojirao and Garuda Pattabhiramayya & Co.,
Post Box No. 17, Vishakapatnam
(Agent – Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.)
Tel: (0891) 565597/562661, Fax: 566507/549224

Reaching Andaman by air

BY AIR

Port Blair is connected with Chennai and Kolkata by air. Presently flights are operated by Alliance Air/Indian Airlines and Jet Airways.
Alliance Air: City Office: Middle Point, Port Blair, Tel: 233108
Airport: 232983
Air Fare

Journey originating from Port Blair
Journey originating from Kolkata/Chennai
Port Blair - Chennai
Rs. 10460/-
Rs. 11540/-
Port Blair - Kolkata
Rs. 11315/-
Rs. 12510/-

Jet Airways flights are operating every day on Chennai - Port Blair - Chennai sector.
Jet Airways: City Office: Junglighat, Port Blair, Tel: 236922/236933 Fax: 236944,
Airport: 235911, 235944,
Web Site: www.jetairways.com

Air Fare

Journey originating from Port Blair
Journey originating from Kolkata/Chennai
Port Blair - Chennai
Rs. 11540/-
Rs. 11540/-




Foreign tourist charter flights are also permitted to land at Port Blair subject to the fulfillment of guidelines of the Director General of Civil Aviation.

RESTAURANTS/BAR

RESTAURANTS/BAR

Telephone No.
Mandalay Restaurant and Nico Bar: Hotel Bay Island
234101
Corbyn’s Delight Restaurant and Bar: Peerless Resort
233462/233464
Bacchus Bar & Nicobar Resturant, Palm Grove Eco Resort, Prothrapur
260306/260282
Roof Top Restaurant and Zebra Bar: Hotel Shompen
232644
Restaurant & Bar: Hotel N. K. International
233066
Restaurant & Bar: Sinclairs Bay View
232973/233159
Restaurant & Bar: Hotel Shalimar
239316
Dawat Restaurant & Bar, Delanipur
230509
Restaurant & Bar: Hotel Abhishek
233565
Waves Restaurant & Bar: Corbyn’s Cove
231032
Restaurant at Hotel Dhanalakshmi
233952
Gem Continental, Goalghar
234534

Foreigners (Foreigners Stay)

All foreign nationals can stay in the islands for 30 days. This can be extended by another 15 days with permission. They require a permit to stay from the immigration authorities. In addition, permits can also be obtained from: Indian Missions Overseas, Foreigner’s Registration Offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Calcutta and the immigration authorities at the airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.
The places covered by this permit for night halt are: South Andaman Island, Middle Andaman Island and Little Andaman Island (except tribal reserve), Neil Island, Havelock Island, Long Island, Diglipur, Baratang, North Passage and islands in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (excluding islands – Boat Hobday, Twin, Tarmugli, Malay and Pluto) Night halt in the Park is with permission only.
For Day Halt South Cinque Island, Ross Island, Narcondum Island, Interview Island, Brother Island, Sister Island and Barren Island ( Barren Island can be visited on board vessels only).

ANDAMAN WATER SPORTS COMPLEX

This is a unique sports complex in India in its own kind. There are facilities for safe Water Sports such as Rowing Boats, Paddle Boats, Kayaks, Aqua-cycle, Aqua-glide, Bumper boats, etc., and Adventure water sports such as Water-skiing, Water scooters, Gemini boats, Para-sailing, Sail boats, Wind-surfers, Speed boats, Glass-bottom boats, etc., There are Saline Water Swimming Pool, Nature-walk, Change Room, Food Plaza, also. There is a Memorial built to commemorate the Battle of Aberdeen, fought between the British and Andamane aborigines in May, 1859, in which many Andamanese died. There is an artificial water-fall nearby.

CHILDREN'S TRAFFIC PARK

This park near Aberdeen Water Sports Complex, is set up by the Traffic Police to educate young children about the traffic rules. There is a Toy Train nearby.

GANDHI PARK

This beautiful Park at Port Blair has facilities like children's park, amusement park, entertainment park, deer and bird park, water sports, nature trail,, lake, garden, restaurant and Japanese temple, as well as a bunker. The erstwhile Dilthaman Tank, which was the only source of drinking water to Port Blair has been developed into Gandhi Park in an unbelievably short time of 13 days.

Corbyn's CoveCorbyn's Cove

7 Kms., from the town, is the coconut-palm fringed beach, ideal for swimming, surfing and sun-basking. Facilities like water sports, restaurant and bar, change room, etc., are also available.

The Chatham Saw Mill

The Chatham Saw Mill, one of the oldest and largest mills in Asia, built on a tiny island, is connected to Port Blair by a bridge. It is a store-house of timber like Padauk, Gurjan, Marble, Satin Wood, etc. The island has the second largest wharf of these islands, where island-mainland ships can berth.

Ross Island

A short boat ride from Phoenix Bay Jetty, Ross Island, was the seat of the British Administration. Important ruins include a Church, Cemetery, Swimming Pool and Chief Commissioner's residence. A small museum of Indian Navy, Smritika, has a good collection of old records. Boats are available from Phoenix Bay Jetty, Port Blair daily except Wednesday.

Viper Island

Viper Island is very near to Port Blair and was the old Jail were British's used to harbor convicts. It has ruins of gallows atop a hillock. The Jail was abandoned when the Cellular Jail was constructed in 1906.

MOUNT HARRIET

(55 km, by road/15 km by ferry from Port Blair)The summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner during British Raj, it is an ideal place for a nice and fascinating view of the sun, sea and sand. It is 365 meters high, the highest peak in the South Andamans. One can trek upto Madhuban through a nature trail and can find rare flora and fauna, endemic birds, animals and butterflies. Conducted tours to Mt. Harriet are available from Andaman Teal House.

Sippighat Farm

Sprawling over an area of 80 acres is a Government farm. Research & development programs for cultivation of spices like cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut and Ruins in Ross Island pepper are conducted.


MINI ZOO

Situated in Haddo, Port Blair, it houses some of the rare species of endemic birds and animals found in these islands.

Madhuban

(75 kms. by road/20 kms. by ferry and road from Port Blair)This place is a trekking area, north east of South Andaman. Exotic endemic birds, animals, butterflies, and elephant lumbering are the most interesting part of the trek.

Chidiya Tapu

(25 kms. from Port Blair)Chidiya Tapu is the southern most tip of South Andaman. The lush green mangroves, forest cover with numerous chirping birds and the Sylvan Sands and Munda pahar beaches make it an ideal picnic site. The forest guesthouse situated on top of a hillock provides a fabulous view of isolated islands, submerged corals and the breath-taking sunset. Conducted tours are available from Andaman Teal House, Port Blair.

SIGHT SEEING(Andaman)

SCUBA DIVING

Andaman waters offer a fascinating world of under-water marine life, varieties of colorful fishes, rarest of the coral reefs in the the world, mysterious remains of sunken ships, etc. All these can be explored through Scuba diving. Andaman & Nicobar Scuba Diving Society situated at Wandoor provides Scuba Diving opportunities. Private divers are also available.

SNORKELING

One can enjoy the under-water marine life and view the rarest varieties of corals by snorkeling near the Andaman Water Sports Complex, Corbyn's Cove Tourism Complex, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Havelock and other islands on all days from dawn to dusk depending on weather.

TREKKING

One can go trekking through the nature trail from Mt. Harriet to Madhuban and enjoy the rare forest life, flora and fauna. There are other trekking routes also. Trekking equipment and tents are available on hire from Andaman Teal House.

ISLAND CAMPING

Island camps are just the right choice for the nature lovers, who wish to enjoy sun, sea and pristine beauty of nature by spending quiet holidays right on the beach. Tents are available locally on hire from October to May.

PLACES OF INTEREST- IN AN AROUND PORT BLAIR

CELLULAR JAIL (National Memorial)

Cellular Jail, located at Port Blair, is a mute witness to the tortures meted out to the freedom fighters, who were incarcerated in this Jail. The Jail, completed in the year 1906 acquired the name, 'cellular' because it is entirely made up of individual cells for the solitary confinement of the prisoners. It originally was a seven pronged, puce colored building with a Central Tower acting as its fulcrum and a massive structure comprising honey-comb like corridors. The building was subsequently damaged and presently three out of seven prongs are intact. The Jail now a place of pilgrimage for all freedom loving people, has been declared a National Memorial.
The penal settlement established here by the British after the First War of Independence-e in 1857 was the beginning of the agonizing story of the massive and awful Jail at Viper Island followed by the Cellular Jail. The patriots who raised their voice against the British Raj were sent to this Jail, where many perished.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose hoisted the first Tri-Color on 30th December, 1943 at a place near this Jail. During the 50th year of India's Independence, the living freedom fighters and widows of the freedom fighters, who were incarcerated in the Cellular Jail were honored by the President of India on 30th December, 1997. A commemorative coin and a postal stamp on Cellular Jail were also released on this occasion.
The saga of the heroic freedom struggle is brought alive in a moving Son-et-Lumiere' shown daily at 6.00 PM (Hindi) and 7.15 PM (English). Also there is a Museum and an Art Gallery which is open on all days except Monday from 9.00 AM to 12 Noon and 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM.

GENERAL INFORMATION (ANDAMAN NICOBAR ISLAND)

GENERAL INFORMATION

LOCATION: Bay of Bengal
92 deg. to 94 deg. Longitude
6 deg. to 14 deg. North Latitude
AREA:
Andamans District : 6,408 Sq.Kms.
Nicobars District : 1,841 Sq. Kms.
Total Area : 8,249 Sq. Kms.
CAPITAL : Port Blair
DISTANCE :1255 Kms. from Calcutta
1190 Kms. from Chennai
1200 Kms. from Vishakhapatnam
ALTITUDE :Varies from sea level to 732 meters
HIGHEST PEAK :Saddle Peak - 732 metros

CLIMATE :Tropical throughout the year with mean minimum temperature at 23 deg. C and maximum at 31 deg.C. Humidity is relatively high - 70 to 90% with a gentle breeze blowing all the time. The weather is generally pleasant with average annual rainfall at 3,000 mm at Port Blair (May to mid-Sept. & Nov. to Jan.)
FOREST COVER : 92 %, Forest area 86%
BEST SEASON : October to May
CLOTHING : Cottons throughout the year
IDD CODE : ++91-3192 (STD 03192)

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS

Floating in splendid isolation, cast of the Indian mainland is the archipelago of 572 emerald islands, islets and rocks known as Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This Union Territory is stretched over an area of more than 700 Km. from north to south with 36 inhabited islands. Once a hill range extending from Burma (Myanmar) to Indonesia, these undulating islands are covered with dense forests and endless variety of exotic flowers and birds. The topography of the islands is hilly and abounds in evergreen forests. The sandy beaches on the edge of meandering coastline are fringed with coconut-palms that sway to the rhythm of the sea. The sea around the islands offer excellent scope for water sports. The rare flora and fauna, underwater marine life and corals, with crystal clear water and mangrove-lined creeks, offer a dream-view of the rare gifts of nature. The clean and wide roads, free of filth as well as unpolluted fresh air attract any nature-lover, who seek absolute peace and tranquility in the lap of mother nature. Adventure tourism like trekking, island camping, snorkeling, scuba diving etc., are the real attractions. A visit to these islands is a memorable lifetime experience.
Mythologicaly, the name Andaman was presumed to be derived from Hanuman, who was known to the Malays as Handuman. Since Prehistoric times, these islands were the home of aboriginal tribes. The tribes of, the Andaman group of islands are the Great Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas, and Sentinatese, all of Negrito origin, while the tribes of Nicobars are the Nicobarese and Shompens, both of Mongoloid stock. The first settlement by the British took place in 1789, which was later abandoned in 1796. The second settlement was basically a penal settlement, taken up in 1858, after the First War of Independence, followed by the settlement of convicts, Moplas, some criminal tribes from Central and United Provinces, refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka as well as ex-servicemen.
In these islands people of all faiths - Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs etc., and of all languages like Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Nicobari etc., live together in complete peace and harmony. Inter-religion and inter-regional marriages are common. This amazing racial and cultural mix is correctly described as Mini-India.
Forests are the green extend over gold of the islands. The reserved and protected forests extend over 86% area of the territory and the forest cover is more than 92 %. About 50 % of the forests has been set aside as Tribal Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, which are inviolate. Luxuriant mangroves, perhaps the richest in the world, occupy nearly II. 5 % of the territory. More than 150 plant and animals species are endemic in nature. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is rich in corals, varieties of colored fishes, sea turtles etc., besides other marine life. It is a birds paradise - more than 271 varieties of birds inhabit the idyllic landscape, out of which 39 are endemic. Megapode, Swiftlet, Hornbill and Nicobar Pigeon are some of the specialties of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands