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You’ve decided on a trip to the Andamans, it’s locked and final; but you want to know about all the many things to take into consideration to make for the Ultimate trip. We get ya, nobody wants to be taking any chances with their precious and numbered vacation days! This is exactly why we’re going to give you the full scoop on every little detail to keep in mind while you plan & book your trip to the Andamans.
Read on to know more!
What your trip looks like often boils down to the intent behind your trip and the type of traveller you are. Your intent could be adventure, a honeymoon, an anniversary with your partner, some quality family time or plain ole alone time. A lot of your vacation decisions rest on this intent.
Here are some bite-sized takeaways for different types of travellers:
More Havelock + Neil, less Port Blair should be your go-to mantra. If you’re looking at about a week, the ratio can be 6:1. Nothing says romantic like a beach-side resort with swaying coconut trees and an open-aired bar. Look for an upper-category room to ramp up the oomph factor.
Read more about how you can plan the most romantic trip here.
Do not miss out on the breath-taking scuba-diving experiences you can have in the Andamans. The best places to dive are: Havelock, Neil & Chidiya Tapu, Port Blair. If you’re an experienced diver, looking to organise a dive trip to more remote locations like Barren Island, seasoned dive shops like Lacadives will be happy to help you with it. You’ll have to call at-least 1-2 months in advance and book it, since it’ll require special permits that could take time to come through. Look up & book other activities before you go, these could include: kayaking, sea karting, jet skiing, para sailing, sea walking, snorkelling & trekking.
Click here for the Complete Guide to Scuba Diving in the Andamans.
Mix it up with some culture and adventure. You can split your time equally between Port Blair, Havelock and Neil. Do look for properties with pools, because no family vacation is complete without pool games. If you’re a large family, you can approach hotels for a group rate and even book a private party space in advance!
The nicest part about going solo is the freedom to set your own pace and to explore off-beat places. So, if you’re keen on something like this, look up lesser-known islands like: Long Island, Ross & Smith, Little Andaman and Rutland. You’ll find yourself transported backwards in time to idyllic little towns and villages that will allow you a sort of mental re-awakening. But hey, if it’s Havelock + Neil you’re craving, then by all means, go for it! They are sure to give you equally enriching experiences.
Your budget range will probably determine the resort or hotel that you choose to stay at. If you’re looking at a luxury or a mid-range group of hotels, it could mean that you’re not looking to cut corners in most places and can comfortably accommodate a range of island activities, restaurant hopping and bar hopping in your budget. So, this one’s mostly for people looking to travel on a tighter budget.
There are some things we recommend you skimp on and some things that you absolutely don’t, if you’re not looking to splurge and go all-out. Here it goes:
While the “perfect number” may sound far-fetched, there is a number at which just about any traveller will be happy. That sweet number, lovelies, is 7 days aka. a week. Anything less than that and you’re sure to be feeling like you’re hurrying along. You’re dreading the end of your vacation even before it has started. We’ve done it and it’s the worst! More than a week is, of course, ideal but some may say that we’re being over-optimistic. So, we’ll leave it at 7 days minimum. That’s the sweet spot, if you will.
Do you want to be here when it’s pouring cats, dogs and whales? Maybe. Maybe you’re the rare breed of traveller that relies only on your hearty spirit to make the best of your holiday. However, that’s not been our experience with most holiday-makers. Weather can be a deal-breaker for most people. Pick your dates smartly and in all probability, you may end up having a sunny time.
So, for the weather-cautious, the break-down of tourist seasons in the Andamans looks more or less like this:
Booking of flights is a great starting point for travellers to the Andamans. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:
Book your inter-island ferry tickets (from Port Blair to Havelock or Neil islands) before you book your hotels, even if you’re someone that loves to take it as it comes. There are a limited number of ferries on the islands and thereby, there are a limited number of tickets. We’d recommend booking it at-least a month in advance. At worst, you can do 3 weeks in advance. Through the years, we’ve seen some travellers come to the islands without ferry tickets and struggling with it after they’ve arrived. It can make for a bitter experience if you only have a few days in hand and are not pleased to be stuck in Port Blair.
Booking hotels and resorts is a vast field to cover, but we’ll give you the most important things to keep in mind while booking them.
Booking your activities well in advance may be to your advantage if you have very few days of vacation time and don’t have the luxury of flexibility.
Do a maximum of 2 Activities/day: Don’t book yourself for more than 2 activities in a day. You probably don’t want to feel like you have a time-table to follow. Don’t try and cram in too much, without giving yourself any breathing space.
We’re not going to bore you with every little thing but we’ll give you a list of island-relevant things that shouldn’t be missing in your packing list.
Sunglasses | Sunscreen | Flip-Flops |
Hat | 2-3 Swimwear + Cover-up | Light Cotton Clothes |
Beach Bag | Beach Towel | Wet Bag for wet clothes |
A light cardigan: for slightly chilly weather | Camera | Insect Repellent: for mosquitoes |
A pack of cards | Light make-up kit | A Book |
High Heels | Laptop | Warm Clothes |
Heavy Jewellery |
Sim Card
A lot of people wonder if their Indian sim cards will work on the Andamans and the answer is: yes, it will! We have three main service providers here: Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL. So, if you’re with any one of them, you don’t have to worry about getting a new sim card when you land or getting an international sim card before you depart. BSNL and Airtel are your best bet. If you’re not with any of them, you could get one before you arrive and it’ll work just fine.
Cash or Card?
Although we do have ATMs everywhere in Port Blair and we have a couple in Havelock & Neil and most places do accept card payments, it’ll still be prudent to carry some amount in cash. You may need it for smaller eateries, roadside vendors, to pay for some activities and such. An all-card approach is definitely not advisable. At all times, keep at-least Rs. 5000 in hand which can be replenished at an ATM when it runs out.
We’ve covered lots of little bits to get you going and this blog should serve as a gentle guidance for your Andaman Vacation Plan.
And with that we’re going to sign-off. Here’s hoping that all of these pointers help you in building the ultimate plan for an unforgettable holiday!