Tourist Attractions

The most obvious reason to travel to the Andamans is to let oneself go completely, to recharge the body and collect new ideas. The Andaman Islands, despite lying more than 1,000 km east of the Indian mainland and only about 300 km west of Bangkok, run the same time as Delhi i.e. the Indian Standard Time. On a trip to these islands, one should make sure to bring a lot of good books, some strong sun lotion, a hammock and snorkeling equipment. Port Blair, the only sizable town on the islands, serves as the administrative capital. In the center of the town is the lively Aberdeen Bazaar. It is constructed entirely of wood. Port Blair is the only place to do some sightseeing. The major attraction here is the Cellular Jail. Today, the jail is a memorial to the freedom fighters, who laid down their lives to make the country independent. The museum displays some tools, dresses and photos of the indigenous tribes. An interesting place is the Marine Museum, which covers the history and geography of the islands and the Fisheries Museum which displays the rich marine life of the Andaman Sea. One can either take a boat to Ross Island which was the early administrative center of the British, or hike up Mount Harriet. Scuba diving can be done in Wandoor, 30 km southwest of Port Blair. The easiest accessible islands from the capital are Neil and Havelock. Dolphins, giant sea tortoise and flying fish can be spotted at Neil. Only the northern part of Havelock is populated. Havelock lies north of Neil and is one of the islands which the government has turned into a luxurious tourist destination. The coral reef here is still intact which makes snorkeling a great pleasure. To make it easy to remember locations, they are numbered from one to seven.

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