Making the Most of Your One Week in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (2024)

Who would not dream of having a fantastic vacation on islands or a beach? The islands that are surrounded by pristine and clear blue water? A holiday or travel to any of the islands in Andaman and Nicobar Islands gives you exactly that.

I have been to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands twice, and I am still craving to go back and spend more days exploring the islands and the underwater world. The second time around, I spent one week there.

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Short on time? Here are Andaman and Nicobar Islands Travel Resources
For the Best Hotel Deals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, use Booking.com or Goibibo
For Hostels in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, use HostelWorld
Use Skyscanner or Trip.com to get affordable flight tickets to Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Viator and GetYourGuide are your best tour operators
Rentalcars and Discover Cars are the best agencies to rent out cars at the lowest prices
For comprehensive travel insurance, use SafetyWing or WorldNomads

Travel Blogs:
One Week in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Travel Guide to Havelock Island
Scuba Diving in Havelock Island
Travel Guide to Neil Island
Scuba Diving in Neil Island
Plan Your Visit to Chidiya Tapu
One-Day Trip to Baratang Island
One-Day Trip to Ross Island from Port Blair
Never Forgotten Tales of Cellular Jail
One-Day Trip to Jolly Buoy Island from Port Blair
Reasons To Skip North Bay Island

Where are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory divided into two groups of islands in India. It consists of 572 islands, only 38 of which are inhabited. The islands are located at the intersection of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Port Blair is the capital city of the islands. As it is part of India, Indians can freely visit the Andaman Islands.

The islands are also home to many tribes, including the Sentinelese people, an untouched tribe in the world. It is believed that the Sentinelese people are the only people who have not reached beyond the Old Stone Age level of technology. Documental evidence shows that the earliest inhabitants lived on the island some 2200 years ago.

You cannot visit Nicobar Islands as most of the islands are isolated and not habited. Special permits need to be obtained and getting permits from the Indian government to visit Nicobar islands is very difficult.

Best Time to Visit Andaman Islands

The best time to visit the Andaman Islands is during the winter season (between the months of October and February) as the weather is pleasant and cool. I highly recommend not visiting the islands during the summer season as it is extremely hot and dry and you will not enjoy your vacation or time on the islands.

Number of Days Required for the Andaman Islands

The Andaman Islands have many islands and things to do. Even though it requires a lot of days, I suggest 7 to 10 days of vacation to unwind and relax. As I mentioned earlier, I have been to the Andaman Islands twice, and both times, it was for seven days each.

How do you get to Port Blair?

Port Blair is the gateway to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Direct flights to Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Vishakhapatnam connect the capital city well.

Air India, Go Air, Indigo, and Spice Jet are a few of the flight providers. The journey takes about 2 to 3 hours. The cost of return flights from Bangalore is around INR 11,000 per person.

There are also ferries operated by The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. that run between Chennai, Kolkata, Vishakapatnam, and Port Blair. The ferry takes about 3 to 4 days.

Transportation on the islands

The islands have buses that go between places, and bus travel is very cheap. But the best way to travel around the islands is either by hiring a car or a motorbike. A motorbike costs about INR 500 per day, which does not include fuel and needs to be returned with full fuel.

There are very few taxis on the islands and there are no Uber or Ola cab services yet. Port Blair also have auto rickshaws to travel around.

The Andaman Islands to Consider Visiting

The Andaman Islands have many more islands than the ones listed below. However, these are some of the beautiful islands that can be accommodated in a one-week itinerary.

Havelock Island

Officially known as Swaraj Dweep, Havelock Island is in the South Andaman district. It is named after British General Sir Henry Havelock. This island is surely my favourite of all the places I have visited.

Also Read – Travel Guide to Havelock Island.

Neil Island

Officially known as Shaheed Dweep, Neil Island is also in the South Andaman district. It is known for its spectacular beaches and coral reefs. The island was named after British Brigadier General James Neil. After Havelock Island, Neil Island is my next favourite island to visit.

Further read – Travel Guide to Neil Island.

Ross Island

Officially known as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island, Ross Island is an abandoned British settlement in the South Andaman district. It is just around 3 kilometres from Port Blair and has historical ruins.

Further read – One day trip to Ross island from Port Blair.

Jolly Buoy Island

Part of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Jolly Buoy Island, is famous for its coral reefs. The water is very clear, and the corals and marine life can be easily seen from the boat. One must get a permit from the Andaman government to visit Jolly Buoy Island. Also, this island is open for visitors for only six months, and the other nearby island, Red Skin Island, is open for tourism for the remaining six months.

Further read – One day trip to Jolly Buoy Island from Port Blair.

North Bay Island

North Bay Island and Ross Island are visited on a single trip. North Bay is a very popular tourist destination, as there are many activities to be done on the island. Because of its popularity, the island is overcrowded with people. Of all the islands, North Bay is my least favourite.

Further read – 3 reasons why North Bay Island is not worth visiting.

Baratang Island

The Baratang island has natural wonders in the North and Middle Andaman districts. It makes a great one-day trip from Port Blair and allows one to see a different side of the Andaman Islands.

Further read – One day trip to Baratang island.

One week in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

A few things to note before visiting Andaman and Nicobar islands:

• Only some of the islands in the Andaman Islands can be visited.
• The Internet is intermittent to non-existent. Even though some hotels and resorts provide Wi-Fi connections, they are either extremely slow or do not work.
• The Airtel and Vodafone networks work on the islands. I had Jio, but it was completely useless, as the network did not work at all.
• There are supermarkets on the islands where water and basic things can be purchased.

Day 1 – Port Blair and Havelock Island

• After landing in Port Blair, take a ferry to Havelock Island immediately. Havelock Island is just around 40 kilometres from Port Blair, and the ferry journey takes about 2 hours.
• On the same day, be sure to hire a motorbike and explore the main streets of Havelock Island.
• For the night, I suggest staying at one of the beach resorts. We stayed at White Coral Beach Resort.

Day 2 – Havelock Island

• In the morning, explore the underwater world by scuba diving. Havelock island has been one of the best places where I have dived in the world. The water was warm, and the visibility was amazing. We dived with Havelock divers, also known as Nemo divers. The dive was a shore dive at Nemo Reef. Diving with Havelock divers was amazing and I highly recommend them.
• In the evening, head to Radhanagar beach for the mesmerising sunset. The Radhanagar beach is also one of Asia’s cleanest beaches.

Day 3 – Havelock Island and Neil Island

• In the morning, see the sunrise from Kala Pathar beach. I assure you that you will not forget this amazing sunrise ever in your life!
• Head to Neil island by taking a ferry. Neil island is around 30 kilometres and the ferry journey takes about one hour.
• In the evening, explore the local streets of Neil Island.
• Again, the island has many pretty resorts. We stayed at Silver Sand beach resort, which was the best stay on Andaman islands.

Day 4 – Neil Island

• Start your day really early and head to Sitapur beach for sunrise.
• After sunrise, make sure to explore the blue waters by scuba diving or snorkelling. Scuba diving at Neil Island was breathtaking, and I saw so much marine life. I dived with India Scuba Explorers. The staff were friendly and a cool bunch. I really enjoyed diving with them.
• In the evening, watch the sunset at Lakshmanpur beach.

Day 5 – Neil Island

• If you love diving on this island, I suggest going for another dive. If you wish to do something else, there are other water sports and a glass-bottom boat ride at Bharatpur Beach. There are many things to do in Neil Island.
• In the evening, watch the sunset at Natural Bridge. Be careful of the sea snakes at the beach.

Day 6 – Neil Island and Port Blair

• In the morning, take a ferry back to Port Blair. Port Blair is around 35 kilometres from Neil Island, and the ferry journey takes about 2 hours.

If you plan to visit Jolly Buoy Island, you must get the permit on this day from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands tourism office.

• Visit the Anthropological Museum in Port Blair. Established in 1975, the museum has an amazing collection of handicrafts, arts, local crafts, and tribal stories. The entrance fee is INR 20 per person, and the ticket can be purchased at the entrance.
• A must do in Port Blair is to visit the Cellular Jail and learn about our nation’s history. Make sure to visit the light and sound show in the jail.
• Alternatively, you can visit Chidiya Tapu to catch the pretty sunset.
• Port Blair has many hotels for all kinds of travellers. We stayed at Hotel Shompen Port Blair.

Day 7 – Port Blair

• On this day, there are several options. Take a day trip to Jolly Buoy Island, Ross, and North Bay islands. Alternatively, you could also visit Baratang Island.
• I am biased towards Jolly Buoy Island as the island is untouched and protected.
• Take the flight back to the mainland the next day.

Expenses

All prices are in Indian rupees (INR) and are per person.

Category	Amount (per person in INR)
Bike hire	1100
Cab charges	350
Ferry charges	5671
Flight tickets	11149.5
Food	3895
Miscellaneous	4000
Scuba dive	7000
Sightseeing, day tours and entrance tickets	1785
Stay	23988
Grand Total	INR 58938.5

Safety for solo female travellers

One of the safest places for solo female travel in India is the Andaman Islands. People are very friendly and usually mind their own business. However, be careful at night as the places get very isolated quickly after dark. Also, the Andaman Islands are known for sea snakes and crocodiles, so know where you go and step, especially after sunset.

Closing Notes

I am in love with the Andaman Islands and hope to return someday to stay there for a longer period of time. When visiting India, I highly suggest visiting the Andaman Islands to enjoy an exotic location.

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