ANDAMAN TRIP

Day 1 – 

Landed in Verr Savarkar Airport at 9.22am. Fort Holidays representatives Sanjay – Manager and Driver – Sannat) with a Van were waiting forus. Reached Chaukhat in 5 minutes time. The small building was beautifullylocated in a very serene green and calm locality. Room was in First floor.
Started from Chaukhat at 11.00am for Mount Harriet – the highest pointin Andamans from where you can see Ross, North Bay, Neil and Havelock Island.We reached Saw Mill Chatam after 30 minutes drive and took the Ferry tothe other side BambooFlat Jetty in Hope Island from where we have to drivefor 20 minutes to reach the entry point for Mount Harriet. There is anentry ticket for vehicle and visitors. After the entry gate, drive about250meters to reach the Parking bay and then walk for 5 minutes to reachthe view point towers. From the towers you can see Toss Island and NorthBay very clearly but the Neil and Havelock were not visible. Then we walkedinside jungle track towards Kala Pathar. Walked about half distance andcame back to the car at about 1.30pm. Saw a snake on our way. a baby KingCobra. Started towards BambooFlat Jettey and returned to Chatam Saw MillJetty by 2.50pm. Drove to New Light House Restaurant for sea food. Thehotel is supposed to be very good for the Surmai and pomfret fish. Fishwas boneless and fried well for taste. Enjoyed our food of fried rice -vegetableand chicken with Surmai fry and prawn curry. Bill was 770 and tips 30.Finished at about 4.00pm. Sea shore Road is very neat and clean and beautifullymaintained. Drove to Cornby Sea Beach which is about 6km from the Restaurant.Drove through Marina and Sea front road very well maintained. The cityis really clean. Beach is a clean sand beach with couple of sports activitylike speed boat ride and jet scooter ride for tourists. Walked for halfa mile till end. Snake island is visible from beach which looks completelybarren with no vegetation. Ricky tiny island. Tender Coconut is sold inthe beach for 25 per piece. Enjoyed our trip to the beach. Took few snapsfor memory purpose. Sunset was at about 5.15pm and left the beach at about6pm. Reached Hotel at 6.30pm. Hotel is located in a secluded place andwe got confined to our room to watch TV. Day was well spent. In the eveningour Tour Operator Mr. Ankit came to visit us and explained our tour plan.Dinner was served at 9pm. Chicken meal with rice and chapati. Supplementedwith milk.

Day 2 – 

Breakfast at 6.45am started for Makruzz at 7.15am. Our vehicle droppedus at the pick up point for Makruzz vehicle to take us to the boardingport which is managed by CISF. After checking out ticket and identificationcard we were allowed entry to the port area. After checkin at the BoardingCounter, we got into the Catamaran. It started at 8.15am. Our seats wereat upper deck. Ride was very sMoth as sea was pleasant and peaceful. ReachedHavelock Jetty after 1.5hours. Met our trip guide contact Mr. Khan andhe arranged for our transfer to Radhanagar Beach. The beach is a pristinewhite sand beach and water was a mix of blue and green. It was an amazingsite to see the sheer colour of water and clean water front. The drivefrom Jetty was 20 minutes to reach Radhanagar Beach. The weather was fantasticfor a day out. We walked in the beach for some time and saw a big livecrab running on the beach. Thousands of small white crabs all around. Weventured into the sea and spent about 2 hours. Walked till the end of thesand beach. Returned to have our lunch at Maya Restaurant. Had plenty ofcoconut water for 30 per piece. After lunch we again went towards the seashore and spent some time there. Started at 3pm from Radhanagar to takeMarkruzz at 4pm to reach Port Blair at 5.30pm. Reached Jetty by 3.30pm.Hovercraft started at 4.00pm and reached Port Blair at 5.20pm. Shoppingat Shagarekha for few mementos. Returned to hotel and had early dinneras we need to start tomorrow at 4.15am for Rangat.

Day 3 –

Got up early and started from hotel at 4.15am. Our driver was Lukose andwe reached the Jirkatang entry gate for Jarwa Reserve at 5.25am. We werebehind about 50 cars or so to be part of the convoy. The vehicles startedat 6.00 with a Police escort vehicle at the beginning and one at the end.The journey of 45km through the Jarwa Reserve Forest is an experience toremember and fascinating. The forest is full of tall trees and thick anddense cover of green. Road is full of ups and downs and serpentine fullof turns. There is absolute photography restriction on the reserve. Youshould be lucky to see a Jarwa on the drive. We were lucky to first seeone Jarwa young lad dressed in a trouser and kurta walking with his bowsand arrow. Our driver told us that he is on a hunting. After few kilometersdriver we saw a group of Jarwa people (about 8) few with closes while othersincluding a baby in arm with no clothes on their body. A police patrolvehicle and a forest guard was standing with the Jarwas. We reached BaratangJetty after 1.5hours. Our vehicle could cross the ferry in 5Th trip andafter about 45 minutes. Then we drove towards Rangat. In between, we passedthrough another Jarwa Reserve Forest which started at Camp No.3 and endsin Camp No.15. We saw another Jarwa group of 3 – two young women with nightgowns and one young kid without any cloth on him. One Police patrol vehiclewas waiting with Jarwa group. After crossing Uttara Jetty, we drove 43kmto Rangat and this is the small town where you can buy few provisions likewater and biscuits. We drove to Dhani Nala Mangrove Trail which is oneof the Most fascinating places of our trip. The place is full of wild Palmmangrove. Tall mangrove trees. The place is famous for turtle breedingground but we did not see any turtle. It is about 1 km walk on a woodenbridge constructed over mangrove forest to reach the sea shore and thebeach. The beach has no facilities. However the place had seating arrangementswith shades to protect from sun. Walked in beach for some time. We werethe only people on this beautiful beach. Then we drove back towards Moricederabeach. The beach is unique as on a rocky platform, a view point has beenconstructed to see the emerald colour of see. Huge waves were smashingon the rock. Took few snaps and returned to move towards the next destination.There were no tourists except us there. We drove towards Amkunj sea beachto see the emerald and blue colour of sea from a tall platform made ona tree. It was an amazing site to see the colour of see. We saw one fishingboat coming back. The beach had no facilities and a small shop serves forselling few provisions. We were the only tourists to visit the beach. Afterseeing the beach we drove towards the city Rangat. Had our lunch in Tejapalace. Fried Rice and fish fry. Enjoyed. Drove towards Uttara Jetty forbiding Parrot Island. Reached there by 4.10pm perfect for visiting PartitIsland. We were the inky tori at for the trip and the boatman asked for2500 to take there. We rejected the offer and drive back to Dew Dale Resort.The Resort is beautifully located in a secluded place called South Creekand we were the only guest in the Resort. The rooms were spacious and wecan choose any room. We stayed on a room at the front side facing the AndamanTrunk Road. Night was totally peaceful with tranquility and calm all around.

Day 4 –

Started from Resort at 8.00am after breakfast of Puri Bhaji and tea. Reachedthe Nilambur Jetty to go to Limestone Cave. The charges are 450 per personwith some formalities for entry permit. The speed post can carry max of12 tourists in a vehicle and drive is for about 20 minutes in Backwaterssurrounded by mangroves. The walk from the boat stop temporary jetty isabout 1.5km to reach the cave. There is some up and down pathways createdfor tourists to walk after completing a small walk over wooden pathwayover mangrove forest. The cave is a very small one about 100 meters ordo and had no lights. The boatman cum guide carries his torch to show thelimestone formation inside cave. The rush of tourists and small cave makesdifficult to properly view each and every formation.  Typically youget 15 minutes to see the cave. It was overall a great experience. Returnedto Jetty at about 11.10am. Drove to mud volcano which is about 8km drive.You hVe to hire a jeep to go there. Walk is about 400meters inside forestarea to reach the mud volcano. 4-5 mud volcanoes were forming bubbles.Something unique to see. Returned to jetty to take 12.30pm convoy throughJarwa Reserve Forest. Started from Middle Strait entry point at 12.35pmand reached the end of Jarwa Reserve after 2.00pm. No Jarwas on our way.Soon After the reserve territory, while driving towards Port Blair, wesaw two Jarwa men with Red lion cloth on their body working on the road.They are tamed ones. Reached Port Blair at about 3.30 and our Hotel “TheShelter” on the sea front. Our room was sea facing and from balconywe could see the view of North Bay and mount Harriet Islands.

Day 5 –

 Started for Jolly Bhoy at 7.45am after breakfast. 33km to wandoor and reachedMahatma Gandhi Nationsl Marine Park at about 8.45am. First saw the informationcenter which explains about each and every marine species found in Andaman.Then stood in the queue to take the motor boat ride to Jolly Bhoy for coralreef tour. The trips takes one hour by motor boat. The drive is throughthe sea seeing many small islands on both sides. The jolly Bhoy is famousfor marine life and coral viewing. The free ride is useless as you seea small glimpses of the coral life. We took a special 3 zone viewing tripfor 400 per person to see the coral reef properly. Saw good amount of uniquecorals and various types of sea creatures like various types of fishes,sea cucumber, Andaman Anemone, etc. it is a marvelous view to see throughthe glass bottom boat. Must see place. After finishing coral viewing, wentfor bath at sea beach and enjoyed the tranquil slow waves splashing ourbodies. At about 1.30pm out boat ML Rashmeet announced departure and aftera drive of 1 hour we returned to Wandoor. Lunch at some roadside JollyBoy Hotel with rice dal and fish curry. Not hygiene atmosphere but no otherchoice. Drove to Chidiyatapu (about 66km) to see sunset. Reached after1.5hours but there was cloud cover and very little chance of seeing sunset.However very close to Sunset time cloud cover was gone for some time andsetting sun with red colour came out for a very brief period before gettingengulfed in the cloud again. We started to move out at about 5.30pm andstopped in a nearby place to have tea at a roadside stall. Picked up fewmementos from a meant souvenir shop. Stove to the Port Blair and reachedthe Indian National Memorial at about 6.45pm to know that our show in Englishscheduled for 7pm has been cancelled. Waited got done and at about 7.30pmthey announced that the show in Hindi which was scheduled for 6pm has tobe reloaded as it stopped in between because of temporary technical problem.They allowed all people who were available (as most people who have paidfor the show have left) to witness the show. So we entered the Hindi showwithout paying for it. The light and sound show was marvelous and explainedis our freedom fighters’ resolve to get independence. The show ended atabout 8.30pm and we returned to the Hotel after a hectic day.

Day 6 –

Checked out from Hotel 9am and took tickets for Ross Island ferry for 9.30amdeparture to return to Port Blair at 11.45am. We took a guide (only guideavailable). The Ross Island is full of ruins and last Tsunami has destroyedthe island in many ways. Originally it used to serve as the capital forAndaman and it had a huge English settlement with all facilities like Church,Tennis Court, Swimming Pool, Water  purification and heating System,Market, Clubs, bakery of Farzand Ali for supplying provisions to Englishpeople. Indians were not allowed to buy from the shops which served English.Earthquake earlier destroyed about 140sqmiles of the island out of 200sq miles. The cemetery has some historic significance as it was meant forchildren and young women who have died. All of them have died of Malariaand other waterborne disease. The youngest one was 22 days old Lawrencewho died of Malaria. There is a Japanese Bunket at the entrance as theytook over the island from 1941 to 1945. We returned by 11.45sm BathrakaliAmman boat to the city and went to see the cellular jail which had witnessedour struggle for independence. The jail took 13 years to build and had7 blocks to hold 693 prisoners out of which 3 are remaining now. Each blockwad builds in such a way that prisoner of one block was kept away fromcontacting prisoners of other block. Front side of one block was facingthe backside of Another block. There was the gallows at the entrance andfour cells were earmarked for prisoners who were facing death sentence.They can see the gallows. The oil mill used the services of prisoners tocrush out oil at inhuman speed. We visited the cell if the most famousprisoner Veer Savarkar on2nd floor of the Block 7. Finished seeing theJail at about 1.45pm. Proceeded to have lunch at New Light House Cafe Restaurant.After lunch. Visited Aquarium to see some unique sea creatures of Andaman.Drove to airport to take our flight at 3.55pm. End of our Trip to Andaman.