Best Indian Andaman & Nicobar Travel Guide: Havelock, Port Blair, Cellular Jail, Radhanagar Beach & Deep-Island Heritage Tour Destinations

Best Indian Andaman & Nicobar Travel Guide: Havelock, Port Blair, Cellular Jail, Radhanagar Beach & Deep-Island Heritage Tour Destinations

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Best Indian Andaman & Nicobar Travel Guide: Port Blair, Cellular Jail (1906), Havelock Island, Radhanagar Beach (Time 2004 Asia's Best), Neil Island & North Andaman Heritage Tour

I spent twelve days last February ferrying between the granite jetties of Port Blair, the white-sand crescent of Radhanagar, and the limestone caves of Baratang. By the end of the trip my notebook had three currencies penciled into the margins, two ferry receipts taped to the back cover, and a damp page where a wave had caught me on the Makruzz between Havelock and Neil. This guide is the long-form version of that notebook, written for travelers who want exact prices, exact distances, and the historical context that the average resort brochure skips. I have kept the language plain, the math honest, and the recommendations grounded in what I paid, what I saw, and what the dive masters and ferry crews told me on the record.

TL;DR

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a Union Territory of India made up of 572 islands, of which only 38 are permanently inhabited. The territory covers 8,249 square kilometers in the Bay of Bengal and sits roughly 850 kilometers east of Kolkata, geographically closer to Myanmar and Thailand than to mainland India. Tourists are allowed only on a portion of the Andaman group. The Nicobar Islands are closed to all non-Indian visitors and largely closed to domestic tourists as well, and North Sentinel Island is a prohibited contact zone protected under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956. Plan your trip around Port Blair (the capital, population around 100,000), Havelock Island (officially renamed Swaraj Dweep in 2018), and Neil Island (renamed Shaheed Dweep in 2018), with optional add-ons to Baratang, Diglipur, and Little Andaman.

Headline costs at May 2026 rates with INR 1 USD around 84 INR. A return flight from Chennai, Kolkata, or Delhi to Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) costs USD 100 to USD 250 (INR 8,400 to INR 21,000) depending on season. Mid-range hotels run USD 50 to USD 150 per night (INR 4,200 to INR 12,600); a Taj Exotica villa on Havelock can hit USD 500 (INR 42,000). Government Makruzz and Green Ocean ferries between Port Blair and Havelock cost USD 15 to USD 40 (INR 1,260 to INR 3,360) one way and run the 70-kilometer route in 2 to 2.5 hours. A PADI Open Water certification on Havelock is USD 350 to USD 400 (INR 29,400 to INR 33,600). The Cellular Jail Sound and Light Show in Port Blair is USD 5 (INR 420).

The Cellular Jail, built by the British between 1896 and 1906, has 698 solitary-confinement cells across seven wings and held more than 90,000 Indian political prisoners across its operational years, including Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar and Trilokyanath Chakravarty. Radhanagar Beach on Havelock, officially called Beach No. 7, was named Asia's Best Beach by Time magazine in 2004 and ranked seventh-best in the world that same year. The reefs around Havelock and Neil host roughly 270 fish species and 110 coral species, and manta-ray sightings peak between April and May.

Peak season runs December through March with temperatures between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius and low humidity. June through September is the southwest monsoon and ferry cancellations are common. April and May carry cyclone risk but reward divers with the best plankton blooms. Foreign visitors need an Indian e-Visa (USD 25 to USD 80, INR 2,100 to INR 6,720) and a Restricted Area Permit (RAP), which is issued automatically on arrival at Port Blair for 30 days. Plan a 7-9 day Andaman trip.

Why Andaman matters

The Andaman & Nicobar archipelago is the only place in India where you can walk a former British penal colony in the morning, snorkel over an Acropora reef at noon, and watch saltwater crocodiles glide past mangrove roots at dusk. It is administratively Indian but geographically Southeast Asian, sitting on the same submerged ridge that forms western Sumatra. Port Blair, the capital, lies 1,255 kilometers from Chennai and only 547 kilometers from Phuket. That position explains everything: the Burmese-Karen settlers in Mayabunder, the Tamil and Bengali migrant populations brought in after 1947, the Indonesian-style outrigger fishing boats around Diglipur, and the Andamanese tribes whose mitochondrial DNA traces back roughly 60,000 years to the first coastal migration out of Africa.

The Cellular Jail, locally called Kala Pani (Black Water), is the moral center of any visit. Construction began in 1896 and finished in 1906. The British shipped Indian freedom fighters here precisely because the islands felt unreachable: no family visits, no easy escape, and the psychological weight of the open ocean. Veer Savarkar served two life sentences here between 1911 and 1921 in cell 52 of the third floor, third wing. Batukeshwar Dutt, who threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly alongside Bhagat Singh in 1929, served his sentence here too. The Indian National Army under Subhas Chandra Bose hoisted the first free Indian tricolor on Indian soil at Port Blair on 30 December 1943, three years and eight months before independence.

A few facts I keep coming back to:

  • 572 islands total, 38 permanently inhabited, only around 12 open to general tourism.
  • 8,249 square kilometers of land area spread across roughly 800 kilometers of ocean.
  • Four protected indigenous groups in the Andaman group: Sentinelese, Jarawa, Onge, and Great Andamanese. The Nicobari and Shompen live further south.
  • The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed roughly 3,500 people across the territory and is still visible in the half-submerged ruins of Ross Island.
  • Single-use plastic has been banned territory-wide since 2018, and reef-safe sunscreen is now mandatory at most dive sites.
  • IST is the only time zone, but the sun rises around 4:45 am in summer because the territory sits 1,300 kilometers east of the meridian.

Background

The archaeological record in the Andamans is shallow because the porous limestone soil destroys organic material quickly, but coastal middens at Chauldari and Hathi Tapu near Port Blair have been dated to roughly 2,200 years ago. Genetic and linguistic evidence pushes the human story back much further. The Andamanese tribes share a mitochondrial haplogroup (M31) that diverged from mainland populations approximately 60,000 years ago, making them one of the oldest continuous human lineages on earth. Neolithic shell tools dated to roughly 8,000 BCE have been recovered from Chauldari. The Sentinelese on North Sentinel Island remain in voluntary isolation and the Indian government enforces a three-nautical-mile exclusion zone. In November 2018, an American missionary named John Allen Chau ignored that exclusion and was killed on the beach. The case is the clearest contemporary reminder that the contact prohibition is not a tourist gimmick.

The colonial chapter begins in 1789, when the British East India Company set up a short-lived settlement under Lieutenant Archibald Blair at Port Cornwallis. Malaria and supply problems closed the post in 1796. The serious penal colony opened in 1858, immediately after the failed First War of Independence, and the British shipped in roughly 200 prisoners initially. By the time the Cellular Jail itself was completed in 1906, more than 90,000 Indian convicts (political and otherwise) had been processed through the islands. Japanese forces occupied the territory from 23 March 1942 to 1945. Subhas Chandra Bose visited on 29 December 1943, renamed the Andamans "Shaheed" and Nicobars "Swaraj" (the names have since rotated between islands), and hoisted the Azad Hind flag on 30 December 1943. The Andamans became part of independent India on 15 August 1947 and a Union Territory in 1956.

Key background points to keep straight:

  • Indigenous Andamanese presence: roughly 60,000 years continuous.
  • First British settlement: 1789-1796, then 1858 permanent.
  • Cellular Jail construction: 1896-1906.
  • Japanese occupation: 23 March 1942 to mid-1945.
  • INA flag hoisted at Port Blair: 30 December 1943.
  • Union Territory status: 1 November 1956.
  • 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: 26 December 2004, around 3,500 dead in territory.
  • 2018 island renaming: Havelock to Swaraj Dweep, Neil to Shaheed Dweep, Ross to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island.

Tier 1 Destinations

1. Port Blair and the Cellular Jail

I flew into Veer Savarkar International Airport (IATA code IXZ) on a 2-hour 45-minute IndiGo run from Chennai. The runway sits 4 kilometers south of central Port Blair and the prepaid taxi counter charges a flat USD 4 to USD 6 (INR 336 to INR 504) into town. Port Blair itself is a working capital city of roughly 100,000 people on South Andaman Island, with a deep natural harbor that the British engineers correctly identified in 1789 as one of the finest in the Bay of Bengal. The skyline is low, the streets climb steep coral-rag hills, and the entire city smells faintly of diesel from the inter-island ferry fleet.

The Cellular Jail is non-negotiable. The complex sits on Atlanta Point above the harbor and opens daily from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 4:45 pm. Entry is USD 0.40 (INR 30) for the daytime visit. The Sound and Light Show runs at 6:00 pm in English (Tuesday and Friday) and Hindi on other nights, and costs USD 5 (INR 420). The architecture is a seven-wing radial design with a central watchtower; only three wings still stand because the Japanese damaged the others in 1942 and a 1943 earthquake finished the job. Each of the 698 cells measures 4.5 by 2.7 meters with a single 3-by-1-meter ventilator three meters above the floor. Walk slowly. Cell 52, third floor, third wing, is where Savarkar served from 1911 to 1921. The gallows building still stands at the western end. I spent two and a half hours and felt I had rushed.

Two more anchors in town. The Anthropological Museum on Phoenix Bay Road is free and holds the most comprehensive collection of Andamanese tribal artifacts on earth, including Jarawa bows, Onge resin-bonded arrow tips, and Sentinelese basketry recovered from drift. The Samudrika Naval Marine Museum near Haddo Wharf charges USD 0.60 (INR 50) and explains the coral and reef-fish taxonomy you will see underwater. For Ross Island (now Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island), catch the government ferry from Aberdeen Jetty at 8:30 am, 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, or 2:00 pm. The crossing is 15 minutes and the return ticket is USD 5 (INR 420). The 2004 tsunami flooded the lower bungalow ruins and the British presbytery now stands roofless among banyans.

Accommodation runs USD 60 to USD 300 per night (INR 5,040 to INR 25,200). I stayed at Sinclairs Bayview for USD 110 (INR 9,240) with a sea-facing room and a breakfast that included idli, dosa, and a respectable filter coffee. Budget options near Aberdeen Bazaar start at USD 25 (INR 2,100). Eat seafood at Annapurna near the clock tower (USD 8 to USD 15 per person, INR 672 to INR 1,260) and order the grilled red snapper.

2. Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) and Radhanagar Beach

Havelock is the headline destination. The island lies 57 kilometers northeast of Port Blair and the official Makruzz Gold ferry covers the distance in 90 minutes for USD 22 (INR 1,848). The slower Green Ocean catamaran takes 2.5 hours and costs USD 15 (INR 1,260). The government SHIPS service is cheapest at USD 4 (INR 336) but seats are released only a few days out and the ride is 4 hours. Book Makruzz online at least 48 hours ahead in December and January.

Radhanagar Beach, officially Beach No. 7, is the reason most travelers come. Time magazine named it Asia's Best Beach in 2004 and ranked it seventh in the world that same year. The arc runs 2 kilometers of white sand at the western end of the island, backed by tall mahua and red dhup trees. The sand is fine enough to squeak underfoot at the high-water line. Entry is free; deck-chair rentals are USD 2 (INR 168). Sunset between 5:15 pm and 5:45 pm in winter is the most photographed moment in the islands. The water is shallow for 30 meters out, then drops sharply, and a lifeguard whistle marks the safe swim limit. There are no jet skis here and the area is a protected marine zone.

Elephant Beach on the northwest coast is the snorkel hub. Boat transfer from Havelock Jetty is USD 4 (INR 336) one way and reef entry is USD 5 (INR 420). The fringing reef sits in 1.5 to 3 meters of water and I counted parrotfish, blue tang, two giant clams, and a juvenile blacktip reef shark in 40 minutes. Kalapathar Beach on the eastern shore is named for the black volcanic boulders at its southern end; sunrise here at 5:10 am is worth the alarm. Vijaynagar Beach (Beach No. 5) is the quieter option for evening walks, with shallow water and casuarina shade.

Stay at Taj Exotica Resort and Spa on Radhanagar (USD 400 to USD 600 per night, INR 33,600 to INR 50,400) for the splurge, or Symphony Palms Beach Resort (USD 180, INR 15,120), or Wild Orchid (USD 90, INR 7,560). Budget travelers find rooms inland from USD 30 (INR 2,520). Eat at Full Moon Cafe near Beach No. 5 (USD 6 to USD 12 per person, INR 504 to INR 1,008) and try the tandoori kingfish.

3. Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) and Bharatpur Beach

Neil Island sits 39 kilometers south of Havelock and 36 kilometers northeast of Port Blair. Ferries from Port Blair take 90 minutes (USD 15 to USD 25, INR 1,260 to INR 2,100) and the Havelock-Neil crossing is 60 minutes (USD 10 to USD 20, INR 840 to INR 1,680). I treat Neil as the quieter sister of Havelock; the island is only 13.7 square kilometers and you can rent a scooter for USD 5 per day (INR 420) and circle it in two hours.

The Natural Bridge, also called Howrah Bridge, is a low-tide rock arch on the western coast. Check the tide chart at the jetty kiosk; the formation is exposed only when the tide drops below 0.6 meters, which usually happens between 6:00 am and 9:30 am in winter. Entry is USD 0.30 (INR 25) and a guide is mandatory at USD 2 (INR 168). Bharatpur Beach is the main snorkel reef on the island, with hard coral starting 15 meters offshore and a glass-bottom boat option for USD 5 (INR 420). Sitapur Beach at the eastern tip is the sunrise spot. Laxmanpur Beach on the west is the sunset spot and the most photogenic of the three.

Accommodation runs USD 30 to USD 150 per night (INR 2,520 to INR 12,600). Sea Shell Neil is the mid-range pick at USD 90 (INR 7,560). Pearl Park Beach Resort runs USD 60 (INR 5,040). Budget rooms at Tango Beach Resort start at USD 25 (INR 2,100). Food is simple: thalis at Garden View Restaurant cost USD 3 (INR 252) and the fish curry at Blue Sea is honest at USD 5 (INR 420). I recommend two nights on Neil, no more, no less.

4. North Andaman, Diglipur, and Saddle Peak

Diglipur is the largest town in North Andaman, 200 kilometers north of Port Blair by the Andaman Trunk Road, and the trip takes 10 to 12 hours by bus with two ferry crossings (Jirkatang and Kadamtala). A faster option is the Makruzz Gold ferry to Mayabunder (4 hours, USD 30, INR 2,520) and then a 2-hour shared taxi onward. Domestic flights between Port Blair and Diglipur on the new ATR service cost USD 60 to USD 100 (INR 5,040 to INR 8,400) and take 45 minutes.

Saddle Peak is the highest point in the territory at 732 meters above sea level. The trailhead at Lamiya Bay is reachable by taxi from Diglipur (USD 6, INR 504) and the moderate trek is 8 kilometers one way with a 700-meter elevation gain. Allow 3 to 4 hours up and 2 hours down. Entry is USD 5 (INR 420) at the Forest Department checkpost. The summit clears the canopy and on a January morning I could see Coco Channel and the southern tip of Myanmar's Coco Islands 50 kilometers north. Carry 2 liters of water and start before 6:30 am.

Ross and Smith Islands, twin islands joined by a 200-meter sandbar at low tide, sit 30 kilometers off the Diglipur coast. A round-trip boat from Aerial Bay Jetty is USD 15 (INR 1,260) plus an entry permit of USD 2 (INR 168). The Mud Volcanoes at Shyamnagar are 18 kilometers from Diglipur and are free to visit; the bubbling cones rise only a meter or two but the geology is rare. Limestone caves at Alfred Caves require a guide (USD 4, INR 336) and a 30-minute walk through a Pandanus thicket. Accommodation in Diglipur is basic, USD 30 to USD 100 (INR 2,520 to INR 8,400); Pristine Beach Resort at Kalipur is the most reliable at USD 75 (INR 6,300).

5. Diving, Snorkeling, and Marine Life

The Andaman reefs are top-tier and the certification market is mature. SSI and PADI Open Water courses run USD 350 to USD 400 (INR 29,400 to INR 33,600) over 3 to 4 days, including 4 to 5 dives and the manual. Advanced Open Water adds USD 300 (INR 25,200). Fun dives for certified divers cost USD 50 to USD 70 (INR 4,200 to INR 5,880) per tank. I dove with Barefoot Scuba on Havelock and the boat-handling and safety briefing matched anything I have done in the Red Sea.

Key dive sites:

  • Dixon's Pinnacle off Havelock: a submerged seamount topping out at 12 meters, dropping to 38 meters. Schooling barracuda, giant trevally, and the occasional manta in season.
  • Johnny's Gorge: 22 meters average depth, large pelagics, a personal favorite for ray sightings.
  • Barracuda City: a sloping reef at 18 to 25 meters, named for the resident schools of chevron barracuda.
  • Inchekt Beach reef off Neil: shallow 6 to 14 meters, ideal for second-day Open Water students.
  • The Wall off Long Island: a dramatic vertical face from 15 to 40 meters.

Manta ray season runs April to early May, when plankton blooms draw them to cleaning stations off Havelock. Dugongs (the territory's state animal) are critically endangered with fewer than 50 individuals remaining; sightings are rare but documented around Little Andaman and the Ritchie's Archipelago seagrass beds. The reefs support roughly 270 fish species and 110 hard-coral species, with the Andaman & Nicobar Marine National Park (Wandoor) protecting 281 square kilometers including the Jolly Buoy and Red Skin reefs. Reef-safe sunscreen is mandatory and oxybenzone-based products are confiscated at most dive shops.

Tier 2 Destinations (Short List)

  • Baratang Island: 100 kilometers north of Port Blair via the Andaman Trunk Road. Famous for limestone caves at Nilambur Jetty (USD 4 entry, INR 336), mud volcanoes at Jalki, and a 20-minute mangrove-creek boat ride. Day trips from Port Blair leave at 3:30 am and return by 8:00 pm; expect a 6-hour total transit. Permit checkpoints close the convoy road from 9:00 am.
  • Jolly Buoy Marine National Park: an uninhabited islet in the Wandoor group accessible only between November and May (closed half the year to allow reef recovery). Glass-bottom-boat snorkel trips from Wandoor Jetty cost USD 12 (INR 1,008) including the park fee.
  • Cinque Island: uninhabited and considered one of the finest reef walls in Indian waters. Day trips from Wandoor or Chidiyatapu cost USD 50 to USD 80 (INR 4,200 to INR 6,720) and the boat ride is 90 minutes each way.
  • Long Island: 82 kilometers north of Port Blair, reachable by government ferry (USD 5, INR 420, 6 hours) or speedboat from Rangat. The island has 2,000 residents and a single restaurant; come for The Wall dive site and beach 4 hours of solitude on Lalaji Bay.
  • Little Andaman (Hut Bay): 120 kilometers south of Port Blair, a 6-hour government ferry ride (USD 10, INR 840). White Surf Waterfall, Whisper Wave Waterfall, and the territory's only legitimate surf break at Butler Bay. Onge tribal reserve covers most of the southern half and is off-limits.

Cost Comparison Table

Item Budget (USD / INR) Mid-range (USD / INR) High-end (USD / INR)
Flight to Port Blair (return, domestic) 100 / 8,400 160 / 13,440 250 / 21,000
Hotel Port Blair, per night 25 / 2,100 80 / 6,720 250 / 21,000
Hotel Havelock, per night 30 / 2,520 130 / 10,920 500 / 42,000
Hotel Neil Island, per night 25 / 2,100 70 / 5,880 150 / 12,600
Hotel Diglipur, per night 30 / 2,520 75 / 6,300 100 / 8,400
Makruzz Port Blair to Havelock, one way 15 / 1,260 22 / 1,848 40 / 3,360
PADI Open Water certification 350 / 29,400 380 / 31,920 400 / 33,600
Fun dive (certified), per tank 50 / 4,200 60 / 5,040 70 / 5,880
Scooter rental, per day 5 / 420 7 / 588 10 / 840
Restaurant meal, per person 3 / 252 8 / 672 25 / 2,100
Cellular Jail Sound & Light Show 5 / 420 5 / 420 5 / 420
Ross Island ferry return 5 / 420 5 / 420 5 / 420
Saddle Peak trek entry 5 / 420 5 / 420 5 / 420
Daily total (excluding flight) 80 / 6,720 200 / 16,800 600 / 50,400

How to Plan It

Getting there. Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) at Port Blair is the only commercial airport open to non-Indian passengers. IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India Express, and Vistara fly daily from Chennai (2h 45m), Kolkata (2h 15m), Delhi (5h with one stop), Bengaluru (3h 30m), and Hyderabad (3h). Return economy fares run USD 100 to USD 250 (INR 8,400 to INR 21,000). Avoid layovers in monsoon months because Port Blair is a daylight-only airport and afternoon thunderstorms regularly delay arrivals.

Internal flights. Port Blair to Diglipur on the new ATR-72 service costs USD 60 to USD 100 (INR 5,040 to INR 8,400) and the schedule is morning-only. There is no commercial service to Havelock or Neil; ferries are the only option.

When to go. October through March is the peak window with temperatures between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius and seas calm enough for the Makruzz catamaran to run on time. The southwest monsoon runs June through September with ferry cancellations on 30 percent of days; the city of Port Blair receives roughly 3,000 millimeters of rainfall annually with the bulk in those four months. April and May carry pre-monsoon cyclone risk but are the best window for manta sightings and plankton-rich diving. The Northeast monsoon, October to early December, brings short heavy showers that clear quickly.

Language. Hindi and English are the working languages of officialdom. Bengali is the most common mother tongue in Port Blair due to post-1947 migration from East Bengal. Tamil and Telugu are also widespread. Nicobari and the various tribal languages are not encountered in tourist circles. English is taught in schools and even ferry crews and dive masters speak workable English; you will not be linguistically stranded.

Currency and payments. The Indian rupee (INR) is the only legal tender. At May 2026 rates USD 1 buys roughly INR 84. ATMs in Port Blair on Aberdeen Bazaar (SBI, ICICI, HDFC) are reliable; Havelock has 4 ATMs and Neil has 1, all of which run out of cash periodically in peak season. Carry INR 10,000 to INR 20,000 (USD 120 to USD 240) in cash when moving to outer islands. UPI works in Port Blair and on most of Havelock; cards are accepted at mid-range and high-end resorts only.

Permits and visas. Foreigners need an Indian e-Visa (USD 25 to USD 80, INR 2,100 to INR 6,720) obtained online before arrival, valid for 30 to 365 days depending on category. The Restricted Area Permit (RAP) for the Andamans is issued automatically and free of charge on arrival at Port Blair airport, valid for 30 days and extendable by 15. Indian nationals do not need a permit for the Andaman group but cannot visit tribal reserves without a separate government endorsement. The Nicobar Islands are closed to all tourists. North Sentinel Island is a prohibited contact zone and approaching it is a federal offense.

Connectivity. BSNL has the widest coverage including parts of North Andaman. Jio and Airtel work in Port Blair, most of Havelock, and Neil. Vi (Vodafone Idea) is patchy. There is no roaming for foreign SIMs to the outer islands as of early 2026. Buy an Indian prepaid SIM in Chennai or Kolkata before flying out; activation in Port Blair can take 24 to 48 hours.

FAQ

Is North Sentinel Island ever open to visitors? Is contact really illegal?
No. North Sentinel is closed under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956, and a three-nautical-mile exclusion zone is enforced by the Indian Coast Guard. Contact is a criminal offense punishable by up to seven years in prison. The Sentinelese have no immunity to common diseases and even a respiratory virus could be catastrophic for the population, estimated at 50 to 150 individuals. The case of John Allen Chau, an American missionary killed on the beach in November 2018, is the most recent reminder. He was warned by local fishermen, paid them to take him within range, and was shot with arrows on arrival. His body was never recovered because the government refused to risk an extraction. Do not attempt contact and do not hire boats that offer "Sentinel viewing." Such trips are illegal and the operators lose their licenses.

Do I need to apply for the Restricted Area Permit before I arrive?
No. The RAP for the Andaman group is issued free of charge to foreigners on arrival at Veer Savarkar International Airport, on production of a valid Indian e-Visa and passport. The standard duration is 30 days with a 15-day extension available at the Foreigners Registration Office on Atlanta Point in Port Blair. Indian nationals do not require a RAP. The permit covers most tourist zones (Port Blair, Havelock, Neil, Long Island, Diglipur, Mayabunder, Rangat, Baratang) but not tribal reserves or the Nicobar group. Keep the paper permit with you; ferry counters and hotels will ask for it. A digital photograph of the permit is generally accepted but the original is required for North Andaman travel.

Should I take the ferry or fly between Port Blair and Havelock?
Take the ferry. There is no commercial flight to Havelock; the airstrip on the island is for emergency military use only. The Makruzz Gold catamaran is the fastest civilian option at 90 minutes for USD 22 (INR 1,848), with departures at 6:30 am and 2:00 pm from Phoenix Bay Jetty. Green Ocean takes 2.5 hours for USD 15 (INR 1,260). The government-operated SHIPS service is the cheapest at USD 4 (INR 336) but takes 4 hours and tickets sell out fast. In rough weather the catamarans are cancelled while the larger government ferries still run, so always carry a buffer day in your schedule. Book Makruzz online 48 to 72 hours in advance during December and January.

How much does PADI Open Water certification cost in Andaman?
USD 350 to USD 400 (INR 29,400 to INR 33,600) all-in. The course runs 3 to 4 days and includes 5 confined-water sessions, 4 open-water dives, the e-learning module, manual, and certification card. Reputable operators on Havelock include Barefoot Scuba, Dive India, Andaman Bubbles, and Doongi Dives. SSI courses are USD 30 to USD 50 cheaper because the agency fee is lower but the certification is functionally equivalent. Bring your passport, two passport photos, and your RAP. Anyone over 10 years old can certify; under-18s need parental consent. Advanced Open Water adds USD 300 (INR 25,200) and 2 more days. The reefs around Havelock are forgiving teaching environments with good visibility (20 to 30 meters in winter) and easy current.

Is the Cellular Jail really worth two visits, day and evening?
Yes, and I would argue three if you read the source material in advance. The day visit lets you walk the wings, see the surviving cells, the gallows building, and the Savarkar exhibition. The Sound and Light Show at 6:00 pm uses recorded narration in Hindi or English to walk you through the colony's history while the central watchtower is lit; it is dramatic and effective if not historically exhaustive. A third visit on the way out, after you have read Savarkar's "My Transportation for Life" or the Indian Council of Historical Research monographs, gives you the full weight of what the building represents. Entry for the day visit is USD 0.40 (INR 30) and the Sound and Light Show is USD 5 (INR 420). Closed on national holidays.

What about saltwater crocodiles? Is swimming safe?
The Andamans have a healthy Crocodylus porosus population, particularly in the mangrove creeks around Baratang, the Wandoor coast, and the Mayabunder estuaries. There have been documented attacks, including a fatal incident at Neil Island in 2010 and another at Havelock in 2018. The Forest Department now posts warning signs at affected beaches. Radhanagar, Kalapathar, and Bharatpur are considered safe because the open ocean and lack of estuarine input make them unsuitable habitat. Do not swim in mangrove creeks, at river mouths, or at dawn and dusk in any unfamiliar body of water. Follow local signage; if a beach is closed for crocodile activity, the closure is genuine.

What is the dress code? Are there religious or cultural sensitivities?
The Andamans are religiously plural (Hindu majority, with significant Christian, Muslim, and Sikh minorities) and the dress norm on beaches is more conservative than Thailand or the Maldives. Bikinis are acceptable on Radhanagar, Elephant, and Bharatpur but you will see local women swimming fully clothed. Topless sunbathing is not legal anywhere in India and will draw police attention. For visits to villages, the Cellular Jail, and the Anthropological Museum, cover shoulders and knees. Photographing the Jarawa along the Andaman Trunk Road is illegal under the 2012 Supreme Court order and the road convoy is subject to police checks. Do not photograph any tribal individual or settlement.

Can I bring back coral, shells, or sand as souvenirs?
No. All coral species are protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and possession or export is a criminal offense. Shells of certain species (Trochus, Turbo, giant clam) are also protected. Customs at Port Blair airport and on arrival in mainland India screen for these items and the penalty is up to three years in prison plus a fine. Buy ethical souvenirs instead: coconut-husk crafts from Neil cooperatives, Karen-Burmese textiles from Mayabunder, or hand-pressed coconut oil from the Diglipur producers' collective. Take photographs, leave the reef intact.

Language and Cultural Notes

The working languages are Hindi and English, but the Andamans are one of the most linguistically diverse small territories in Asia. Bengali is the de facto lingua franca in Port Blair because the post-Partition resettlement programs of 1949 to 1971 brought roughly 50,000 East Bengali refugees to the islands. Tamil and Telugu communities arrived later in the 1960s and 1970s as labor migrants. The Karen, a Burmese ethnic group, were resettled in Mayabunder in the 1920s by the British and still maintain Baptist churches and Karen-language services. The four protected Andamanese tribes (Sentinelese, Jarawa, Onge, Great Andamanese) speak unrelated language families and contact is restricted by law.

A handful of phrases that helped me:

  • Hello / greetings: Namaste (Hindi), Nomoshkar (Bengali), Vanakkam (Tamil).
  • Thank you: Dhanyavaad (Hindi), Dhonyobaad (Bengali), Nandri (Tamil).
  • How much: Kitna hai? (Hindi), Koto? (Bengali).
  • Water: Paani (Hindi), Jol (Bengali), Thanni (Tamil).
  • Fish: Machhli (Hindi), Maach (Bengali), Meen (Tamil).

Cultural points to remember. Reef-safe sunscreen is mandatory at all dive sites and most beaches; oxybenzone and octinoxate products are confiscated. Single-use plastic is banned territory-wide since 2018; carry a refillable bottle. Do not approach, photograph, or feed Jarawa individuals along the Andaman Trunk Road convoy; the 2012 Supreme Court ruling makes this a criminal offense. Remove footwear before entering homes, temples, and the inner sanctum of mosques. Tipping is appreciated at roughly 10 percent in restaurants and INR 100 to INR 200 (USD 1.20 to USD 2.40) per day for dive boat crews.

Pre-Trip Preparation

  • Visa: Indian e-Visa, USD 25 to USD 80 (INR 2,100 to INR 6,720), apply at indianvisaonline.gov.in at least 4 days before departure. Valid for 30 to 365 days depending on category.
  • Permit: RAP issued free on arrival at IXZ. Carry original passport and printed e-Visa to the immigration counter.
  • Power: 230V at 50Hz, plug types C, D, and M. Bring a universal adapter; Type M (three large round pins) is the most common at older hotels.
  • SIM: Buy a Jio or Airtel prepaid SIM in Chennai or Kolkata before flying. Activation takes 24 to 48 hours. BSNL has the widest coverage in North Andaman.
  • Health: No mandatory vaccinations for entry. Recommended: typhoid, hepatitis A, tetanus booster. Dengue is the main mosquito-borne risk year-round; use 25% DEET. Malaria is reported but rare in tourist zones. Drink only bottled or boiled water.
  • Insurance: Travel insurance with diving coverage to 30 meters and emergency evacuation is essential. Air ambulance to Chennai costs USD 15,000 (INR 1,260,000) if uninsured.
  • Reef-safe sunscreen: Mandatory. Stream2Sea, Thinksport, and Badger are accepted; check the bottle for "oxybenzone-free."
  • Cash: Carry INR 15,000 to INR 25,000 (USD 180 to USD 300) in cash for outer-island travel. ATMs are unreliable beyond Havelock.

Three Recommended Trips

7-Day Port Blair, Havelock, and Neil (the classic).
Day 1: Arrive Port Blair, afternoon at Cellular Jail and 6:00 pm Sound and Light Show. Day 2: Ross Island morning, Corbyn's Cove afternoon, evening Makruzz to Havelock. Day 3: Radhanagar Beach full day, sunset on the sand. Day 4: Elephant Beach snorkel and scuba try-dive. Day 5: Ferry to Neil, Natural Bridge at low tide, Laxmanpur sunset. Day 6: Bharatpur Beach snorkel and Sitapur sunrise; afternoon ferry back to Port Blair. Day 7: Anthropological Museum, last shopping at Aberdeen Bazaar, evening flight out. Budget: USD 1,200 to USD 1,800 (INR 100,800 to INR 151,200) per person excluding international flights.

9-Day Grand Andaman with Baratang and partial North.
Days 1 to 2: Port Blair anchors as above. Day 3: Pre-dawn road trip to Baratang for limestone caves and mud volcanoes, return Port Blair by 8:00 pm. Day 4: Makruzz to Havelock. Days 5 to 6: Havelock with one full dive day (2 fun dives at Dixon's and Johnny's Gorge). Day 7: Ferry to Neil for one night. Day 8: Ferry back to Port Blair, evening flight or ferry to Long Island. Day 9: Long Island morning, return Port Blair, evening flight out. Budget: USD 1,700 to USD 2,500 (INR 142,800 to INR 210,000) per person.

12-Day All-Andaman with PADI Open Water and Diglipur.
Days 1 to 2: Port Blair, Cellular Jail, Ross Island, Wandoor and Jolly Buoy snorkel day trip. Days 3 to 6: Havelock with full PADI Open Water course (4 days). Day 7: Havelock rest day, Kalapathar sunrise, Radhanagar sunset. Day 8: Ferry to Neil for one night. Day 9: Ferry to Port Blair, evening flight to Diglipur (or overnight road if you want the Andaman Trunk Road experience). Day 10: Saddle Peak trek pre-dawn start. Day 11: Ross and Smith Islands sandbar, mud volcanoes, limestone caves. Day 12: Fly back to Port Blair, evening international/domestic departure. Budget: USD 2,400 to USD 3,500 (INR 201,600 to INR 294,000) per person including the dive certification.

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External References

  1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration official tourism portal (andamantourism.gov.in) for permits, ferry schedules, and protected area rules.
  2. Directorate of Shipping Services, A&N Administration (dssabhi.and.nic.in) for government inter-island ferry timetables and SHIPS bookings.
  3. Anthropological Survey of India publications on the Andamanese tribes, particularly the 1989 monograph "The Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island."
  4. UNESCO Tentative List entry for the Cellular Jail National Memorial (submitted 2014) for the historical and architectural assessment.
  5. Indian Council of Historical Research, "The Andaman Penal Settlement: A Cultural History" (2018), for primary-source documentation of the 1858 to 1947 period.

Last updated 2026-05-11.

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