Island Vibes: A splashing Adventure in Andaman
Issue #3: Beachy vacation podcast with Praloy
This blog has been written by the hosts of the Misadventures of a Sneaker podcast - Ms. Godly Banerjee and Ms. Revati Sukumar. However, the experiences, anecdotes and itinerary is our host, Mr. Praloy Sinha’s (coz how much ever we try, we cannot describe Andaman islands in a better way than Praloy!). Read through the blog to know about his Andaman trip with his family, about the islands he visited, the hotels and restaurants he recommended (& some recommendations from Godly too from her trip to Andaman). So go ahead, read on I say..
When it comes to beach vacations, my idea of one is to pretty much toss planning out the window and leave for the destination immediately - like NOW! Forget detailed itineraries, just follow the "Beach, please! Let's ride the waves of spontaneity” motto. Well that’s how I saw boys from my college head to Goa once and so that’s how I wished my beach vacations would be.. 🤣 Psst, isn’t that how the Dil Chahta Hai movie also panned out 🎥
Cut to this vacation - a colourful blend of ages and stages! Two senior citizens, two small kiddos, my wife and me (very young, atleast at heart) - strategizing how to survive this vacation in peace while, at times, losing a suitcase and sometimes even a kid in between 🤫 Juggling a formidable 124 kgs of luggage between us (6 large suitcases and 5 large bags) as we embarked on our journey to the enchanting Andamans. Oh, the beach gods must have been having a laugh! 🤣🤣🤣
& how did we zero-in on Andaman you’d wonder right? So I got thinking, where do most Americans head out for a fancy beach vacation - Hawaii right? & where do the Indians head to? I know you’d say Maldives.. but ahem, let’s think more middle class please.. & there I got the answer - sandy paradise of Andaman. Do you know, the Radhanagar beach in Havelock islands has the coveted title of being one of the “best beaches in Asia”.. 🤸🏻🕺🏻
My wife knew well about this spontaneous-beach-vacation idea I had. & so early on, in the planning stage itself gave up on me and did took upon the entire trip planning responsibility. (She rocks!) & ensured it was elderly-friendly, kid-friendly, and temperature-friendly – because hey, an ideal vacation means top-notch planning! (I did realise this after the trip 🫣🤪)
After landing in Port Blair, we took the first ferry out to Havelock Islands. The ferry1 experience itself was fab! It is a plush ferry with large windows and comfortable seats that offer breath-taking views of the sea. Everyone had a whale of a time on the ferry itself - a WOW start to the vacation.
It was a 2 hour long ride and as we reached Havelock, we were stunned. The white sandy beaches and emerald colour water looked unreal to be true. We quickly checked into our awesome beach resort23, but couldn’t wait to start exploring the beaches of Havelock and headed to the Kalapathar beach. It’s a rocky beach, however, there is a swimming section carved out and we totally enjoyed our first vacation evening chilling at the beach here.
The second day, however, was, the real action packed day - the day, full of all the fun activities at the Elephant Beach. One very interesting rule that we found out about the Elephant beach was that no cooking is allowed here. That means, no resorts or restaurants or even food-stalls are allowed to function, just tender coconuts and fruits to keep us energized through the day.
Elephant beach is just full of so much fun! We started first with snorkelling and this was my 1st ever snorkelling experience (so yes, I was a little scared). The instructors there are the most wonderful people, holding our hands through the entire swim so that we never felt afraid. But OMG, you won't believe the sights you encounter while snorkeling there! Surrounded by a vibrant parade of colorful fishes swarming all around, they practically cover your entire field of vision, making it hard to see the corals below. 😄 And finally when you take your eyes off the fishes and see the corals you realise that they are the true underwater show-stoppers. The corals come in so many fantastic shapes and colours. It's like some underwater artist decided to sculpt corals in the most bizarre yet awe-inspiring forms and shades – purple, yellow, green, and every hue in between. I loved the experience, it’s like being in an alternate universe – you might start wondering if you've stepped into an underwater dream world or what.
You have a bunch of other activities here like the glass bottom yacht ride (specially kid and elderly friendly), scuba, jet-skiing, banana boat, sofa boat etc. Go ahead and listen to the podcast episode to get the deets (& get my recos on the thrill rides). I also share some special info on how to get the tickets, the refund & all that too.
On the third day we were still high from the Elephant beach adventure activities, so thought of starting the day aaram se. We went for a walk on the beach adjacent to our resort & I tell you, this walk on the beach was just so calming, no tourists, gorgeous shaded beach (not shady, mind you😉), soft white sand and emerald blue water.. with colourful corals washed ashore. 💯% recommended.
But beware, a word of caution: you can't take any coral out of Andamans! They have their coral-loving spies ready to catch you, even at the airports.
& came the time for heading to one of Asia’s best beaches - the magical Radhanagar Beach. Honestly, when I read about this ‘Asia’s best beach’ title I thought it must have been rigged. When you reach the beach, it is like entering a majestic semicircle of lush greenery, stretching all the way to the edge of the sea, and then the emerald green sea merging with these forests. A feast for the eyes and the perfect spot for photography - a living postcard, and guess what? Not a single trace of trash in sight!
We spent the best 3-4 hours here, soaking up the beach vibes! Lots of swimming, making sand castles, rolling in the beach sand and just relaxing. Time sure flies when you're having beachy fun! But as the sun sets early on this side of the world, everything was wrapped up by 5’ish PM.
That kinda wrapped up our time at Havelock and we readied ourselves for the ferry out the next morning. But there are a few Pro-Tips 😎 that I want to highlight:
Definitely have a meal at this restaurant called 'Something Different4'. Every dish we had here was mouth-watering! & yum cocktails too🍹
Plan to spend at least 3 three nights at Havelock Island. Lots to see, lots to do, and lots to eat (yes, foodies, I’m talking to you!) that you won't want to rush through this beachy wonderland.
Try and choose a resort/hotel in the Kalapathar road stretch
Havelock ko bye bye bolte hue, on the fourth day we took a morning ferry to Neil Island. We were staying here overnight and so had the entire day planned out - headed out first to the natural rock bridge formation (called the Howrah bridge). I have never seen anything like this place before.
This place can only be visited between 2-4 PM during low tides ‘coz at any other time, and the formation disappears into the underwater depths. One has to walk on black prickly corals to reach this point. Mind you, these corals demand respect and flimsy flip flop slippers don't stand a chance here.
Once you reach there, it's like a treasure hunt for sea creatures that get trapped here from the high-tides. I saw starfishes and sea horses too! It's a unique experience for everyone, especially the coral and sea creature lovers out there, so do pack good shoes for this tour.
We spent a while here and then as the evening neared, we left for the sunset paradise - the Bharatpur Beach. Check out the picture below - clear, transparent, bluish-green waters colliding from two different sides & an epic sunset over there - the best!
Note from the podcasting team: We really wish Praloy did the 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai' dance with his wife here.. but Nah! 🤦🏻♀️
Tips for Neil island:
Try and spend a night here. Lots to explore and some nice hotels here too5
Wear solid shoes while exploring the Howrah bridge - the pricky corals hurt!
Experience the sunset at Bharatpur beach, it’s magical
The next day (5th day), we chilled a little at the resort in Neil island and then by mid morning headed to Port Blair and from there, we sailed off to Ross Island. I’m a real history buff, so I was really looking forward to this visit. Ross Island was the Britishers' first island love, and they went all out here. In fact the island was once called the "Paris of the East"! Of course you have the famous jail here too.
But, beyond the jail and the tales of tortured inmates, the Britishers built themselves a paradise. Fancy tennis courts, massive bungalows, and the island’s crown jewel, the head officer's bungalow, perched atop the island's highest point, offered a jaw-dropping 360-degree view of the sea. Ross island has stories of the Brit times, the Japanese invasion and then the 1941 earthquake. The island is just like a museum of well-maintained ruins now!
Do listen in to the podcast to get lots of information on Ross island - the chequered but rich history, the mind blowing light & sound show and deets regarding the ferry to the island.
We headed back to Port Blair after the Ross island light and sound show, but our day was not over. It was my elder son's birthday 🎂 He was so over the moon ‘coz he was cutting a birthday cake on a vacation in an island and that he visited not one but two islands on that day 😄
Next day was a history-class kinda day (Yayyy!). We started with visiting the iconic Cellular Jail. Pro-tip: taking a guide here is highly recommended to truly understand the history and stories of this place. The guide shared the chilling tales of the atrocities and pain inflicted upon the brave freedom fighters who once resided there, including the legendary Veer Savarkar.
What I was so amazed with was the structure of the jail. It had a central cylindrical building and seven lines radiating from it - each surrounding the central building, and the authorities would disconnect the central building from the seven to prevent any escape attempts. Phenomenal! While only two buildings remain standing today, the rest have either been bombed or not properly maintained. & in fact, one of these buildings has been converted into Andaman's largest hospital.
The highlight of my day was the evening Light and Sound show at the Cellular jail. Amazingly well managed and the impressive lights, surround speakers, the stories narrated, the Indian national anthem - everything invoked a high sense of patriotism - a real feel good show.
Baas, that was the end of our vacation in Andaman. I’d definitely call it ‘perfect’ and give huge credit to my wife for planning it our so impeccably. Couldn’t have done it in the Dil Chahta Hai spontaneous style surely 🤪
Tips for Port Blair:
It is ok to skip the beaches of Port Blair. It is in no comparison to the beaches of Havelock/Neil islands.
Take a guide when you visit the Cellular jail in the morning
Check the Port Blair airport closure dates - every year the airport closes for a few days for maintenance
I honestly believe that the value of money spent on holidays and adventures far exceeds any object money can buy. I enjoy travelling and now with my kids a little grown up, I wish to explore new places, meet new people, eat new cuisines and cherish these memories made with them. In a span of six months, I travelled to Kashmir, Andamans, Kolkata and the bustling city of Mumbai, which ideally is east-west-north-south of India! & going forward, I hope I can continue tripping like this #vacationGoals
So podcast listeners and blog readers, keep exploring, connecting, and writing your stories of adventure and gratitude. Happy travels, go on adventures (& experience lots of misadventures too 😆).. Toodles!
The last ferry to Havelock is at 2.30 PM. So plan your flight accordingly
Ocean Tree beach resort Havelock: https://www.oceantreebeachresort.com/
Tilar Siro resort (higher budget) - https://www.cghearth.com/tilar-siro-havelock-island-andamans/
Something Different restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/something.different.andamans
SeaShells Samssara: https://seashellhotels.net/seashell-samssara/
Praloy’s itinerary:
Day 1: Fly into Port Blair and take the first ferry to Havelock islands.
Explore Kalapathar beach
Day 2: Spend the day in Elephant beach (Havelock island). All water activities day.
Day 3: Spend the morning in the beach near the resort. Go for sunset at Radhanagar beach - spend 3-4 hours swimming there
Day 4: Take the ferry to Neil Island
Explore rock bridge formation (Howrah bridge)
Sunset at Bharatpur beach
Day 5: Take the ferry to Port Blair and then the afternoon ferry to Ross island
Explore Ross island - on foot or take the electric golf cart
attend evening light and sound show
return to Port Blair and spend the evening
Day 6: Explore Port Blair
Guided tour of Cellular jail
Wooden museum (see the WW-2 crater)
Explore the beaches (can skip if you have less time)
Evening light and sound show at the Cellular jail
Day 7: Departure from Port Blair