A bird's eye view shows this cluster of 350 small and large
islands as small, green specks staggered on the vast blue waters.
Situated midway between India and Burma, in the Bay of Bengal,
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were at one time inhabited by
various tribes which strongly resisted any efforts at civilization.
Indian legend traces the name Andaman to a derivation of Handuman
or Hanuman the Monkey God of the epic Ramayana, who is said
to have used these islands as stepping stones on his way to
Sri Lanka, to save Goddess Sita, consort of Lord Rama.
The Islands are a living museum of planet earth. Dense rain
forests, and canopies of luxuriant green branches host a variety
of birds, insects, and all kinds of life. There are beautiful
tropical flowers and orchids. The jungles shelter about 242
species of birds, 46 species of mammals and 78 species of reptiles
comprising the wild cat, iguana, green lizards, deer, wild pig,
goats, and a wide variety of snakes. The Underwater World of
the Andamans is absolutely fascinating. The clear blue-green
waters of these islands house some of the world's most beautiful
corals, shells and a fantastic variety of fish.
The Nicobar Islands are a chain of nineteen islands with Car
Nicobar as the headquarters of the Nicobar District.
Port Blair
Port Blair is the capital and the gateway to the Andamans by
sea and by air. It is a small town with a leisurely lifestyle,
and a pleasant holiday destination. But, there is more beauty
lying in wait beyond, and the place can be used as a base camp
to explore the rest of the islands.
Day trips can also be organised to some other uninhabited islands
like Jolly Buoy, Redskin, and Cinque which are excellent for
swimming.
ACCESS
Port Blair is connected by air from Chennai and Calcutta and
by sea from Vishakapatnam Chennai and Calcutta. Time taken by
sea is appoximately 2 to 2 1/2 days.
Andaman IslandsTravel Reservation Form
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