Words are not enough and pages needed are endless to write about this trip.. The much awaited, dreamt of and anticipated vacation was finally here.. For reasons galore, only Mom & I ended up going..
I cannot make justice, but will sum up the entire trip with as less words as possible.. “White sand, Blue sea, crystal clear waters, lashing waves, spotting the flying fishes, sunset from the ship’s deck, diverse deep sea, ever mesmerising beaches, if ever I had a choice to choose my death, I’d love to get washed away by the waves right there.. @ the Andaman sea.”
This should be an easy guide to anyone who wants to visit the Andamans.. I would say: please don’t plan your trip if it is not atleast a week’s holiday you are aiming at..
Day 1:
10.20.a.m- Depart from Chennai; 12.45.p.m- Check-in @ Port Blair
2.45.p.m- Quick walk through the Science Centre and proceed to Corbyn’s Cove beach
4.00.p.m- Leave for the Cellular jail. Walk around the historic memorial of brave martyrs- the backbone for Indian freedom movement
6.00.p.m- Sound & music show at the Cellular jail
07.30.p.m – A brisk walk through the Gandhi park
08.00.p.m- Water scooter ride @ Rajiv Gandhi sports complex, a speedy walk through the Traffic police park in the same premises
Day 2:
8.30.a.m- Board the ferry @Rajiv Gandhi sports complex jetty for 3 island tour with a seven harbour view
10.30.a.m- Alight for delight @ Ross island– the place of erstwhile British settlement which is now a live museum.
11.30.a.m- Off to Viper island with the gallows of imprisonment established before the cellular jail.
12.30.p.m- Arrive at North Bay island– go snorkelling, walk upto the light house and go SEA WALKING..!!
05.00.p.m- Reach Port Blair
06.00.p.m- Freshen up and leave for shopping at Aberdeen bazaar– the local market.
Day 3:
08.30.a.m- Arrive at Phoenix bay jetty
09.00.a.m- Aboard Makruzz(a Catamaran) to Havelock islands
11.00.a.m- Off to Radhanagar beach– Asia’s no.7 best beach.
12.00.p.m- Catch the ferry to Elephanta beach: one of the best dive sites in Andamans and home to world’s only snorkeling elephant- Rajan 🙂
02.00.p.m- Begin the explorations deep in the beds of the sea- SCUBA DIVING
04.00.p.m- Onboard Baratang- the government ferry from Havelock
Day 4:
07.30.a.m- Leave the confines of our nest for the day’s work- We’ve got lots to explore
09.00.a.m- Registration for the convoy at the forest checkpost. This is a must for anyone travelling on the Grand Trunk road through the Jarawa tribal reserve. Jarawas are one of the aboriginal tribal group out of the 6 tribes inhabiting in the island groups.
11.30.a.m- Aboard the govt. ferry at Middle Strait
11.45.a.m- Alight at Baratang island
12.00.p.m- Cruising on a motor boat through one of the best mangrove creeks I have ever been to.
12.30.p.m- End of the jungle trek- reaching the destiny. One of the 46 limestone caves in the Islands. A spellbinding experience..!!
1.00.p.m- An 8kms flight(read it jeep ride) to see the mud volcano
02.00.p.m- Back at Baratang jetty, ferry ride back to Middle strait.
06.00.p.m- Walk around Port Blair.
Day 5:
07.30.a.m- Sippighat horticultural farm visit.
08.00.am.- A quick turn-up at Wandoor beach
08.30.a.m- Walk around the Mahatma Gandhi museum
09.00.a.m- Off for a ride- An un-expressible journey to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
11.00.a.m.- Glass bottom boat ride, sun-bathing & SNORKELING in the crystal clear waters of Jolly Buoy island
01.00.p.m- A spicy walk through the Mongluton rubber & spices plantation. ‘Coconut Malai Sharbat’ is a must try drink there.
03.30.p.m- A super drive through a very different part of the Andamans- took us to ChidiyaTapu. We were the last people for the day to get entry into the mini zoo there.
04.00.p.m- I’m on one of the best beaches hitherto- backwaters of the tsunami affected area.. We did not even realise that we had walked over a kilometer deep into the sea- and the water level had not risen beyond our ankles.
04.30.p.m- Exploring the Chidiyatapu hills. An AMAZING place for the landscape photographers
05.00.p.m.- Sunset point – by far the BEST sunset I have witnessed on a seashore.
06.30.p.m- We are at Sagarika– the govt. emporium for shopping for souvenirs
Day 6:
09.00.a.m- Chawtham island– Asia’s biggest timber saw mill and forest museum
10.15.a.m- Samudrika– A museum maintained by the Indian Navy
11.00.a.m- Anthropological museum visit
12.00.p.m- Check out and arrive at Veer Savarkar airport.
Andamans from the air
This is the maximum number of places anyone could squeeze into the list for a Sunday to Sunday trip.. The islands has so much to explore that only a month long vacation can do justice 🙂 I’d suggest you take a 2hr motor boat ride from Havelock to South button island- the smallest national park in India for scuba diving known for its shallow waters Tropical coral reefs. You could add Mt. Harriet, Niel island, Cinque island, Barren island, Diglipur, Mayabunder, Rangat, Ross & smith island, Saddle peak etc. among the important places of Andamans. However, a trip to Nicobar islands has to be planned separately as it is special in its own way.
Words of caution:
Please adhere to your time schedule strictly because every ferry ride, every museum, every zoo runs/remains open only on a specified time frame.
The city remains awake only between 8.00.a.m and 08.00.p.m. Plan your entertainment well to keep yourself occupied.
If you are planning to eat out or take a coffee walk, it has to be before 7.00.p.m. All shops shut down after that.
India.. one of the fastest growing economies of the world.
We boast of being the land of ultra-mod skyscrapers, world’s top billionaires, multi-storeyed residences, luxurious amenities, so on and so forth.
What we have been ignoring, are the little things that are just within our vicinity. We think it is something usual and there is nothing to break our heads about. We spend more time following our celebrity idols- where they go, what they do etc. An actors’ progeny is bound to be a talented actor and so with a politician.
One evening, while I was walking back home from college, I came across a man pushing his cycle which was loaded with goods. He was walking in the direction towards me. From the front view, his cycle had a 4-5 ruck sacks tied on either sides of the handles, filled with goods. Two plastic pots were tied onto either sides of the carrier at the rear. My eyes fell on something that looked like a random bundle of clothes placed at the rear end of the cycle. As I walked closer, I noticed something unusual. What I thought was a bundle of rags was infact a baby…!!
Roughly 4-5 months old, sleeping peacefully on a tin trunk box covered with just a piece of rugged bedspread. I walked closer and made sure what my eyes just saw and what my mind just thought it to be, was right. The Little baby boy was having a peaceful nap without ever knowing the reality of this cruel world. He had no idea about the kind of hardship his fragile parents were going through just to bring him up.
Theatre on wheels
This cycle was his home. This cycle was his office. This cycle was his mode of transport. Oh.. Did I say “His”? He does not live alone in this makeshift home. He lives with his wife and 3 kids. He also carries his makeshift “Drama Company” on these wheels. He stops where he thinks it is right, performs a few acts and earns a few pennies, enough to feed his family with a one time meal per day.
I was confused how to react on hearing this story. I did not understand whether I had to feel bad because he was poor or whether to feel happy that he was content with his life (or at least for what he seemed like). But all I can do is, speak about it in a little more elaborate context but can never think of getting into that man’s shoes and exploring his world.
towards facing the drama of life
When asked for, he gladly posed for a picture with a warm smile. The only gesture I could show was to offer him the fifty rupee note that I had in my wallet which he received with a bigger smile.
This “Small and Happy home” kept my thoughts disturbed at least for a week. Maybe I can try to get him a job in some theater, movie or make a documentary which could earn him enough money to support his family’s needs.. A lot of ideas came popping in my mind. But I felt like a helpless little creature in this evil wide world where the scope for growth is meant only for the rich. The rich is getting richer and there is no scope for improvement for the lesser privileged. The others who fall in between these two categories are just mute spectators.
I can see India growing… Yes, India is really on a go.!!
The Lost Lander 