ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS: THE MAGIC AND MYSTIQUE OF A RARE PARADISE

Home to some of India’s oldest people, a crabby volcano and some of the most expensive timbers, and unique avifaunal wealth, apart from the allure of their underwater adventures the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, are a big mystery still for a large portion of India’s populace. It might surprise you that many don’t even know where they are, or that they are part of the Indian subcontinent.

This is a good place to start with some of the basics and progress from there.

The serene islands are located in the Bay of Bengal. It might interest you to know that they were once part of the mountainous terrain running from Myanmar to the outer reaches of Indonesia; for some strange reason, they did not fall along the busy seaways of the trading ships that plied these waters for centuries. The isolation and inaccessibility of this archipelago of 572 islands played a vital role in protecting their environs, and the tribal communities which had made some of the more habitable ones their home. Often known as the Bay Islands, both groups of islands have characteristics that distinguish them from each other.

There are 836 Islands/Islets/Rocky Outcrops in the territory, of which only some 31 are permanently inhabited. The smaller Nicobars comprise around 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andamans and Nicobars are separated by a channel (the Ten Degree Channel) around 150 km in width. The territory is divided into three districts: the Nicobar District with Car Nicobar as its capital, the South Andaman District with Port Blair as its capital, and the North and Middle Andaman District with Mayabunder as its capital.

The Andaman group comprising 204 islands is split up as the North, Middle, and South Andamans by a series of forested hills and narrow valleys.  A mesh of tiny straits and islets separates them from each other. The nucleus of tourist activity stems from Port Blair, the capital of Andaman & Nicobar, in a ripple-like effect to the neighbouring tourism-dedicated islands. Also known as the Greater Andamans, the group is separated by the Duncan Passage from another group of islands known as Little Andamans. The Andamans are more densely populated with Port Blair serving as an able gateway to the region, with planes and shiploads of travellers arriving and departing from and to the mainland. Saddle Peak (732m), the highest elevation in the Greater Andamans, offers you uninterrupted views of this scenic setting.

It’s unlikely that you’ll set foot on the deeply protected Nicobar group comprising 19 islands that are largely inaccessible and uninhabited. The Ten Degree Channel separates it from the Andamans. The Greater Nicobar is the largest island in the group. Car Nicobar serves as the group’s administrative hub.

Close to the North Andaman silence envelopes the twin Narcondam Island and Barren Island which are of volcanic origin.  The emergent summit of a volcano that rises from a depth of about 2250 m Barren Island in the Andaman Sea about 135 km NE of Port Blair, is the only historically active volcano along the N-S volcanic arc extending between Sumatra and Myanmar.

The densely forested and pristine environs of this group of islands have long been protected because of the paucity of people movement from mainland India. If anything, it gained public attention as the “Kala Pani’ where the British exiled criminals and political prisoners in its remote confines almost immediately after the Indian Mutiny of 1865. Originally the British had tasked Lieutenant Archibald Blair, to set up a small settlement in 1789 here to come to the rescue of ships in distress. Six decades on a jail was set up to receive hardened criminals and dissident Indians revolting against British rule.  The islands came into the hands of the Japanese during World War II and were handed back to India post-independence.

      The cellular jail here summons up those volatile days of India’s Freedom Movement. The penal colony was over time witness to confining luminaries such as those royals related to the Mughals. It also served as a penal settlement for prisoners from Burma by the British. The inhabitants of this penal colony were put to task by involving them in establishing basic infrastructure such as more prisons, buildings, and even harbour facilities.

And so, the colony mushroomed into a colonial preserve but left behind a bitter taste amongst the locals with the influx of hitherto unknown diseases, alcoholism, opium, and environment degradation with the abuse of natural resources and invasive elements in their culture.  Little wonder this not only reduced the numbers of the natives, it also forced them to retreat deeper into the jungles and react with great hostility to outsiders. Contact with these protected people, Sentinels, Jarawas, and Onges, is forbidden. Nicobar Islands are home to the Shompens and Nicobarese. The oldest peoples here are the Great Andamanese, the shyest are the Shompen, and the hostile ones are the Sentinel and Jarawas.

Only 6 of its original tribes have survived the onslaught of colonization. These are the Sentinels, Jarawas, Onges, the Shompens, the Nicobarese, and the Great Andamanese. Fearing the extinction of the declining numbers of those who were not able to be absorbed into the mainstream of the populace, the Indian government moved them to exclusive reserves where they now live as they had for centuries.

Nature has its way of healing and the magic and mystique of the islands still prevail for the itinerant holidaymaker.

Tourists have access to only a few of the islands, but even those are enough to provide fabulous experiences such as snorkelling and diving, coral and shipwreck viewing, beach combing and swimming, trekking and sunbathing.

The Island Tourism Festival (ITF) is one of the most awaited annual cultural events organized for the residents and tourists of Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the Directorate of IP&T. This festival was celebrated as Dweep Mahotsav in 1988 and since 1995, it has been organized as ITF. The main events are held at ITF ground, Port Blair, and several programs are also organized all over the Islands.

The various events at the ITF showcase traditional music, dance, art, local cuisine, and activities that highlight the island’s charm. Apart from showcasing the talent of locals, renowned artists from Mainland India also come to the Islands to perform. Visitors can immerse themselves in India’s culture, enjoying performances, exhibitions, food fairs, and various merchandise and games.

Island Updates

Small changes are sweeping through the region with tourism at its core. Earlier, non-islanders were required to travel only with a tribal pass to access the Great Nicobar area, including Campbell Bay, according to the Director of Shipping Services, which administers transportation services across the island. In January 2023, the imposition was relaxed for tourists to explore the pristine environs of Campbell Bay.

                                                                                          Ross Island was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep in 2018. Neil Island and Havelock Island were also renamed as Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep. To further enhance the islands’ appeal, the administration has prepared a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) titled ‘Development of Eco-Tourism Projects in the Andaman Islands – 2023,’ outlining plans for the holistic development of 14 additional tourist places, including Lalaji Bay Beach at Long Island, Ross-Smith Island, and Shaheed Dweep across North Andaman, Middle Andaman, and South Andaman.

Plans are afoot to open up Aves Island which shelters between the North and Middle Andaman’s Mayabunder tehsil, for tourism. It is also known as Coconut Island. This scenic spot is awash with live and dead coral beds, lush coconut plantations, dense forests, and a pristine 2 km long shoreline. The island is a gem of a find for adventure buffs who can get to explore its natural splendour and uncrowded vistas. Plans are afoot to transform this uninhabited island into a five-star eco-tourism resort. It will feature a wellness centre, scuba diving, game fishing, hiking through the forest, nature camping, and a shopping area featuring locally made souvenirs.

As indicated by the Ferrybooking.in, an online ferry ticketing service ferry most places in Andaman Islands are open throughout the year and you can take a flight to Port Blair practically all year round. Andaman is the most scenic during the monsoons between June through September. The rains during monsoon can be heavy to violent and travelling across Port Blair to Havelock Island and Havelock Island to Neil Island can be unpredictable and difficult although Port Blair can be easily explored on land.

Indians need to keep a Valid photo ID card such as an Aadhar Card, Driving License, Voter ID, or Passport handy. Foreigners need to carry the RAP (Restricted Area Pass) to explore the islands.

 ACCOMMODATION

A slew of accommodation options is available in Port Blair, Havelock Island

ACCESS

Air: Flights are available To Port Blair’s Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair from major Indian cities.

Sea:     Sailings are available from Chennai, Kolkata, and Visakhapatnam. Book a passage with the Shipping Corporation of India

Local Ferry: Inter-island ferries are available, but do check schedules and weather conditions to book tickets ahead.