Travel Destinations - Andaman & Nicobar islands

About Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andaman & Nicobars, a group of 572 Islands & islets spread over like a broken pearl chain in Bay of Bengal covering an area of 8249 sq.km. Over a distance of 780kms of ocean from North to South. The Island , although an Union Territory of India, is very close to Rangoon(Burma), Phuket(Thailand) Malaysia & Sumatra. However to reach these islands irrespective Indians or Foreigners have to undertake journey from Chennai/ Calcutta / Vizag. Andaman is graded as one of the ideal destination for availing leave travel concession to cover a long distance journey.
HISTORY
There is a reference in the Hindu epic Ramayana, to the monkey-god Hanuman making a stopover in the Andaman while he was en route to Lanka in search of Sita. Aboriginals have inhabited the Islands for thousands of years ? but their xenophobia and their belligerence resulted in the area remaining unexplored. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of ?Sherlock Holmes? fame described the islanders in his book, ?The Sign of Four?, as ?perhaps the smallest race upon this earth ? fierce, morose and intractable?. Lying on the ancient trade route between Burma and India, the islands were delineated on Ptolemy?s second century a.d. map. The Chinese traveller, I-Tsing who visited India in the seventh century gave a rivetting account of these isles, as did the Venetian explorer Marco Polo (1254-1324).
The place became the naval base of the great Maratha admiral, Kanhoji Angre in the early 18th century. He frequently crossed swords with the Europeans ? the British, the Dutch and the Portugese. In 1713, he captured the yacht of the British governor of Bombay, releasing it only after obtaining a hefty ransom. Though attacked later by a combined British/Portugese naval task force, Angre remained undefeated until his death in 1729. The first westerners to set foot on these isles were the Danes in the mid-18th century.

How to Reach
By Air
Five weekly flights between Calcutta and Port Blair and four flights between Chennai and Vishakhapattnam connect the islands to the mainland.
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 day

Important placess to visit:

Neil Island (36 kms. from Port Blair)
This beautiful island with lush green forest and sandy beaches is the vegetable bowl of Andamans. Connected by boat from Port Blair four days a week, it provides an ideal holiday for eco-friendly tourists. Hawabill Nest guesthouse of the Directorate of Tourism is situated here (Tel: 82630). One can feel the sincerity and serenity of village life here. Beautiful beaches at Laxmanpur, Bharatpur, Sitapur and the bridge formation on the sea-shore (Howra bridge) are the attractions.
Jolly Buoy Island
An island in Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, it offers a breath taking underwater view of coral and marine life. It is an ideal place for snorkeling , sea bathing and basking on the sun kissed beach.

Havelock Island
About 38 Kms. from Port Blair, this island provides idyllic resort in the lap of virgin beach and unpolluted environment. Camping facility is available near Radhanagar beach. A guesthouse of Tourism Department "Dolphin Resort" is available for the tourists

Cellular Jail
Cellular Jail, located at Port Blair, stood 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-coloured building with central tower acting as its fulcrum and a massive structure comprising honeycomb like corridors. The building was subsequently damaged and presently three out of the seven prongs are intact. The Jail, now a place of pilgrimage for all freedom loving people, has been declared a National Memorial.
National Memorial
This three-storeyed prison, constructed by Britishers in 1906, is a pilgrimage destination for freedom fighters. This colossal edifice has mutely witnessed the most treacherous of inhumane atrocities borne by the convicts, who were mostly freedom fighters. Now dedicated to the nation as a National Memorial.