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    Our trip to the Andamans

    Amidst the dense rain forests to

    swampy coastline infested with

    crocodiles, across the mighty

    architecture of the Cellular Jail whose

    plan resembles a spokes of a bicycle

    to the relaxing sea beaches of Havlock

    island. From the never ending fury of

    the smoky covered skyline of the

    Barren Island to the lush coconut

    beaches of the Corbyns Cove Beach.

    Our Incredible Indian Tourism has

    some of its finest port folio to be

    offered in a package known as the

    Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

    Day1(1/9/14)

    Our trip contained our family members and my inlaws

    with three children making the trip extremely delightful.

    We planned our flight from Silchar to Port Blair via

    Kolkata which included an overnight stay at Kolkata in

    order to catch the flight to Port Blair in the early morning.

    Our flight left Silchar Airport on September 1, 2014 on

    Air India Flight Airbus A319 AI754 14:45 hrs which

    landed on Kolkata airport on time within its estimated

    arrival by 15:50Hrs. It was a nice flight and our only

    grudge was the lunch which consisted of only a packet of

    peanuts and a small pack of Frooti. We had no other

    choice but to settle with whatever

    we have. Finally after an hour

    and some five minutes our

    aircraft landed at the newly

    improved Kolkata Airport. The

    aerobridge was connected to the

    aircraft for easy movement of the

    passenger to the airport terminal.

    It was my first introduction to

    the new airport terminal in

    Kolkata and I was definitely

    impressed. The walk to the

    luggage conveyor was shortened

    by electric flat belt conveyors and

    finally descending to the

    escalator to the desired luggage

    conveyor system. The luggage

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    conveyors also had a new upgrade from its rubber belt to stainless steel which is

    an innovative upgrade. At the gateway I was received by my uncle Mr Poddar who

    lives in Kolkata who took the pain to receive us at the Kolkata airport and arrange

    our transportation to a nearby hotel right next to the airport gate. The cab drove us

    to a nearby hotel named Hotel Swagatam Inn at jessore Road right next to gate no

    2 at Kolkata Airport for our overnight trip.

    Day2 (2/9/14)

    We barely slept the night as we had to check in our luggage by 3:45AM. So we

    immediately left the hotel boarded a taxi which offered two trips for 11 passengers

    with a total of 9 luggage. The hustle and bustle continued till the taxi did two

    round trips from the hotel to the airport departure terminal. After we got our

    luggage screened we settled down with our boarding cards with us and waited for

    the Air India flight Airbus A319 no AI787 which would depart for Port Blair at

    5:50AM. Now being a father of two baby girls I was

    not only faced questions not only from my kids but

    also from other fellow passengers with a common

    enquiry weather they are twins or not?. A simple

    nod was the only way to answer the incoming

    query. Finally the boarding call was announced

    and we were glad to find our seats. Thanks to the

    courtesy of the flight mode on android mobile

    phones which allowed taking pictures from on

    board flights. We were served a good breakfast

    which included of Purees, Choley, cakes and buns

    with extra butter and jam at your disposal.

    Everyone was glad to munch on the scrumptious

    breakfast and it was good enough to fill the gap of

    disappointment in the earlier flight. Now another

    interesting part is I found several passengers hiding the stainless steel spoons in

    their hand baggage with the Air India Logo in it. Now if you ever see a stainless

    steel spoon with the Air India Logo in somebodys house you will figure where it

    came from. Nevertheless our flight descended at the famous Veer Savarkar Airport

    at Port Blair which is regarded as the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar

    Islands. We were greeted at the Airport by Mr Dinesh who happened to be the

    logistic incharge for Andaman Island Travels Ltd. We were on board an AC

    Chevrolet Tavera which was driven by Mr Ibrahim who was very kind enough to

    answer our queries regarding every question regarding the majestic islands. As we

    were travelling towards our designated hotel appointed by our tour operator we

    were impressed with the citys super clean roads, gentle traffic unlike any metros in

    India. Everything seemed so unreal. 24Hrs electricity, Thanks to the continuous

    DG gensets which fulfills the power requirement for 80MW everyday throughout the

    islands. A mini hydroelectric project has been set in Diglipur to reduce its

    dependence on diesel. Being surrounded by ocean waters all around there is strong

    wind across the coastline and thereby raising possibilities to generate electricity

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    from wind. I hope their administration is doing necessary studies on its feasibility.

    Being an union territory its taxes on diesel and petrol is also less compared to

    other states in India. Well our cab driver was kind enough to drop us to our hotel

    which is in Phoenix Bay close to the popular Aberdeen Bazaar. The hotel comes

    with a restaurent in the ground floor which is good enough to accommodate around

    10-15 people for a single batch.

    The hotel has only one major drawback. It does not have a lift which makes it

    tough for elderly people who are often reluctant to climb stairs all the time. Besides

    it is also not an easy task for to climb up stairs with all heavy luggage to your room

    when your dealing with jet lag and sleep deprivation. Even though the hotel staff

    were always there to help us with our luggage whenever the situation demanded.

    Overall we have a good impression of the hotel. Its neat and tidy and the staff is

    extremely helpful. This was our adress for the next 5 days.Now based on our

    itinerary we had to board our cab by 3PM in the evening for our visit to the Science

    Museam and the famous Corbyn Cove beach which is a good relaxing destination

    also popular among tourists to sun bathe and enjoy the beach.

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    The beach is well equipped with life guards and other water sports entertainment

    like speed boatride, jetski ride. You can also swim in the beach in safe areas andalways abide by the lifeguards advice not to swim too far. The beach also comes

    with changing and shower room for people. I would say its a fun place to be with

    your family and have a good time. We also visited the science center which is a

    good place to understand several principles of science experiments. The facility

    comes well equipped with various information kiosks related to Andaman and

    Nicobar Islands and also comes with a 3D digital theatre room. If anyone wishes he

    or she can try out for Rs 20/- per head. Well that was the end of our first days tour

    itinerary. We got back to our hotel on completion of our days tour.

    Day3(3/9/14)

    The next day I woke up early morning and I decided to explore the city on my own.

    I walked across the road and walked up to Aberdeen Bazaar and then reached

    Mahatma Gandhi Water Sports Complex. I was impressed not only with the thick

    bitumen on the roads but also good width which made vehicles easy to drive and

    park across the road. I never saw anyone without a seat belt in the front seat or a

    motorcyclist without a helmet. Traffic laws are indeed respected in the islands

    which gained in me a sense of confidence that I am in a safe place. And

    surprisingly I never saw any rash driving in the city. No one is above the law and

    Port Blair is a strong example of that. I wished other cities, towns and villages

    followed even half the discipline of Port Blair traffic police department. The roads

    are neat and clean always well maintained by Port Blair Municipality Corporation.

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    Just in the middle of the Aberdeen Bazaar stays tall the Clock Tower which has

    stood through time. I have given a picture clicked both in the morning and during

    the evening. It was a rainy morning which made the fun of exploring the city even

    more.

    So we were about to get started with the second days itinerary and it included a

    city tour, followed by the famous Cellular Jail and visit to the famous Chatam saw

    Mill, Anthropological Museam, Samudrika Marine Museam, and Sagarika

    Emporium which is a registered government emporium. Among all of them my

    personal favorite has been the Cellular Jail which has stood through the passage of

    time as a mute witness to the inhuman torture given to our freedom fighters who

    fought for our independence. The strong fortified walls were made of bricks all

    imported from Burma by the British and the entire plan of the building resembles

    the spokes of a bicycle. The entrance to all the individual cells shared one common

    point the central tower. The main objective to build such a jail was to demoralize

    the Indian struggle for independence. The Cellular jail or the Kaalapani had all

    possible evil tortures a person could never imagine. For a living mortal it was an

    ideal example of what hell would actually look like. The prisoners were chained to

    oil mills and job was entrusted upon them to extract oil from mustard seeds. They

    were whipped to death if they failed. There are also stories where a british officer

    punctured a prisoners tongue fearing he could complain a delegation led by higher

    British officials about the brutal torture which the prisoners had to undergo

    through. It was never ending saga of endless deaths and violence throughout

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    several decades.

    Many notable dissidents such as Batukeshwar Dutt andVeer

    Savarkar, among others, were imprisoned here during thestruggle for India's

    independence.

    This travelogue would actually fill up major parts of the tour if the entire stories of

    the Cellular Jail are written. Our visit further followed by visiting the Samudrika

    Naval Marine Museum which is maintained by the Indian Navy. It contains a good

    collection of several species of Corals and other marine creatures. The

    Anthropological Museum contains a history of the indigenous tribals of the

    Andaman and Nicobar Islands like the Jarawa, Onge , Shompen and many more.

    The Jarawa tribes are protected with great care by Indian Government and several

    medical facilities are given to them for their protection and care. We also visited the

    Chatam Saw Mill which is regarded as one of the oldest and largest saw mills in

    Asia. It was built by the British but now its been run by the Andaman and Nicobar

    Administration to meet the requirements of the timber industry. An office of the

    Principal Chief Conservator of Forests is also situated in the island. The island is

    connected to Port Blair island by the Chatam Bridge built ages ago by the British.

    In the evening we all joined in the Cellular jail and enjoyed the light and sound

    show which is spectacular event organized by the officials every evening.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veer_Savarkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veer_Savarkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_independence_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_independence_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_independence_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_independence_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veer_Savarkarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veer_Savarkar
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    Day 4 (4/9/14)

    Our next days itinerary was

    Havlock Island which is

    57kms away by sea and had

    to be reached bygovernment ferry which

    would depart from Phoenix

    Bay Jetty by 6:30AM. So

    accordingly we reached the

    Phoenix Bay jetty and

    boarded our 73

    seater passenger ship

    named MV North Passage. It

    was my first exposure to theopen marine ambience. I climbed the deck and found a nice wooden tool box to sit

    and enjoy the fresh sea breeze. We reached Havlock in around 2 and half Hours. It

    was a delightful journey and most importantly my first experience on open waters.

    If anyone visits Andaman Islands I firmly recommend a cruise to Havlock.

    On reaching the Havlock

    Jetty we were received by

    our tour operator drivers

    who drove us to our resort

    known as Holiday Inn which

    boasted of a beautiful quiet

    beach right next door.

    The kids made themselves

    at home and we found

    favorite spot to relax and

    enjoy the sun and have a

    good time. We were already

    tired of the cruise and we

    decided to call it a day till

    the tour operator told us wehad to cover up the famous Radhanagar Beach which is rated as the second most

    beautiful beach in Asia. At first I thought it to be overrated till I finally experienced

    it for real. The beauty of the forest covered mangrove coastline meeting the sea.

    Its such scenery which is only to be found in Radhanagar and nowhere else. Also

    this spot is a famous spot for sunset but sadly the sun was all covered with clouds

    wasting all efforts to wait till sunset. But it was still a breath taking experience.

    Radha Nagar beach has its best to offer during its peak season time which followed

    from October but nevertheless we got to get a glimpse of the beauty of Radhanagar

    beach at its best.

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    An interesting chemistry which I found in Havlock island was Havlock being an

    English name had some amazing beaches like Radhanagar. Govindnagar whichwere Indian names. The same chemistry can also be seen in Neil Island which

    being an English name has beaches with Indian names like the Sitapur Beach. But

    Neil Island wasnt a part of our itinerary which didnt allow us to visit that place for

    now.

    I took a long walk across the sea beach and found an isolated place and decided to

    spend a few moments with Mother Nature. With the super quick sand crabs across

    the shore digging sand and sea gulls flying merrily and the sound of the waves

    further adding to the heavenly orchestra. Yes indeed its heaven. I would love to visit

    this place time and again and yet never feel tired of visiting. Nature has its own way

    to recharge a persons soul. Mother nature is always ready to give you a hug no

    matter how much tired you are and Radhanagar beach is an ideal destination for

    all weary hearts to recharge themselves. The beach also has a nice place to rest on

    carved Padauk(A special type of wood found in the andamans) timber seats.

    Speaking of lunch we had a delicious homely meal right next to the gate of the

    Radhanagar beach. I havent had a homely Bengali meal for a long time and I was

    delighted to get a taste of home at Radhanagar Beach. Coconut water is available

    for Rs20/- and this is some of the best coconut water ever to be found anywhere in

    India.

    In the evening we had a glimpse of the gorgeous sunset which was unfortunately

    blocked by clouds.

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    Day 6 (6/9/14)

    We have spent quite sometime in the islands for now and we are very much used to

    the sea water and its sickness. Well say hello to more of it. Today we are are do

    NorthBay and Ross Island which are fairly close to the Port Blair Island. We had to

    reach Aberdeen Jetty by 10AM and board the ferry to North Bay which is a 20minute boat ride by sea. We were given life jackets for safety and waited for the

    diesel engine to fire up. The engine fired and we finally departed for North Bay

    Island which happens to be bordered by Coral Reefs. Now being a coral reef island

    a proper jetty cant be built across its shore, so the most practical way to reach the

    island was on a glass boat which offered a brilliant view of the corals down below

    the floor of the glass boat which is made of 1 inch thick glass specially tampered for

    the desired strength. The glass happens to be the only surface which connects with

    the water and there is always a risk of any sharp rock breaking the glass and giving

    way allowing the boat to sink. So its quite a risky affair in my opinion. But North

    Bay being a private island is maintained by its owners allowing the tourists only toclimb up to the Light House which is helpful in navigating ships. Also the island

    happens to be a great place for scuba diving and snorkeling.

    After spending around an hour in North Bay Island our final point of call for the

    day was the iconic Ross Island which was the British Capital of Andaman and

    Nicobar Islands during pre independence era. Ross Island has a history of its own.

    The ruins of the Commisioners Bungalow, The Presbyterian Church, Junior

    Commisioned Officers Mess, and even a Water Distillery unit. It was also known as

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    the Paris of the East. But

    Sadly a part of Ross

    Island was destroyed

    during the Second world

    War by the Japanese.

    The ruins of the

    buildings only speak of

    its glorified past. There

    are many peacocks,

    Deers in the island and

    its maintained with a lot

    of love by Indian Navy.

    During the Tsunamis Ross Island stood as a primary barrier between the tsunami

    waves and Port Blair Island which took major part of the damage. A visit to Ross

    Island can only speak of the wonderful times which it was for the British Officers

    who were commissioned during pre independence era. Quite irony of the tale is

    Indians who were fighting for their independence were chained and tortured in

    Cellular Jail in Port Blair and the Mighty British were enjoying in great pomp and

    glory just in Ross Island which happened to be only 300-400 meters away from

    Port Blair Island. Time has taken its toll and justice has been served.

    While returningback to Port

    Blair we came

    across a coast

    guard ship

    which was

    guarding the

    islands with

    great dedication.

    The size of the

    ship developedpowerful waves

    which was

    strong enough to

    capsize a small

    ferry. We were

    alarmed by a

    coast guard

    patrol speed boat to change the direction of our ferry accordingly and take us safely

    to Port Blair.

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    Day 7 ( 7/9/14)

    After spending

    around 5 days in

    the Andamans and

    getting used to thetropical

    rainforests, sea

    breeze we decided

    to do something

    different. Formally

    our tour was over.

    We kept a day off

    allowing us to

    choose anything

    from whatever thetour operator

    suggested us. So

    our closest bet was the Chidiatapu Beach which is 30kms from Port Blair and

    needed to be reached by car. Chidiatapu is also a forest reserve and dense forest

    areas can be spotted everywhere. The road from Port Blair to Chidiatapu is an open

    invitation for nature lovers to try an affair with the open blue sky, dense green

    forestry and off course the deep blue sea all in a single package. We spent a few

    moments walking on the sand, sitting on the large trunks of trees which parked

    themselves on the sandy beaches. Even though its safe for swimming but after

    having spent almost 5 days in the andamans we decided to sit and relax and talkabout our tour and experience on the majestic islands of Andaman.

    After sitting for an an hour we decided to get back to our car and get back to our

    hotel and pack our bags we had to depart to Kolkata from Port Blair next Morning.

    After this itinerary our trip came to an end and we were almost ready to bid good

    bye to the beautiful Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

    Day 8(8/9/14)

    Our tour was all over and we reached the airport by 7AM. We had a fairly largeamount of luggage which needed some time to check in. Our departure time was at

    8AM which departed on time and we reached Kolkata Airport.

    We spent a day in Assam House at 8,Russel Street Kolkata engaged ourselves in

    some shopping and finally arrived in Silchar by 10.9.14 which concludes our entire

    journey.

    Conclusion

    Since we were a family oriented group so we didnt opt for other adventure oriented

    spots like the Barren Island which is the only live volcano in South Asia and itbeing 139kms away by sea. The Baratang Islands which is almost 100km road/sea

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    trip. It also included the Limestone caves, Mangrove boat rides, mud volcano and

    not to mention if you are lucky you can even see the Jarawa tribal people. Also

    other places like the Cinque Island,Neil Island,Rangat, Little Andaman, Mount

    Harriet and several other places are there to experience the beauty of mother

    nature. In short Andaman is a never ending mystery and it always has lots to offer

    to a thirsty traveler. Andaman is a place which always tells you to come back again

    and unfold more mysteries of Mother Nature.

    As a citizen of India I feel there are many things which people from other parts of

    India can always learn from people of Andaman. Like the importance of traffic laws

    and respect for your fellow car driver. I have never seen a single motorcyclist

    without a helmet. Car drivers always passed one another with a smile even if they

    were on the verge of collision. I also noticed a lady from Andaman who was our

    fellow flight passenger warning a gentleman who was taking pictures of aircrafts

    and airport areas despite the warning given for a no photography zone. The Port

    Blair Airport shares its similarity with Silchar Airport being defence cum civilianairport and hence the restrictions on photography.

    Andaman also shares a good environment and its pollution levels are much less

    than other places in India. It is also covered by 24 hrs electricity and most of its

    electricity comes from diesel gensets. However I think wind energy could have a

    good potential in the Andaman and I urge the central government to carry on

    necessary studies on its feasibility.

    Hope you all enjoyed reading my travelogue. Thank you very much

    Warm RegardsAnirban DeySilchar