Even though this blog came to life after this incredible journey, I might as well add it to harness the momentum from initiative!
It was one fine Monday, the 1st of June,on which my mother and I were discussing how we needed a break! It had been a tiring year and we just wanted to find some breathing space. 2 days later, and quite a few hours of debating on where to go, we zeroed in on where and when we could go: where my brother, my mother and I had the least conflict of interest: Andamans, only if we were to leave the next week. I had been tracking the flight prices for Andamans for a little while, and yes, buying tickets on such a short notice gets almost twice as expensive!
Pro(Amateur? ) Tip: To follow the ticket prices, set up an alert system on KAYAK or Fare Compare , both of which allow you to receive alerts without signing up. I did signup on KAYAK though, I found it extremely helpful and accurate.
So, there are mainly two hotspots so to say, with the greatest experience quotient. Port Blair and Havelock Island. Contrary to how most visitors like to do it, after landing in Port Blair, we decided to not stay there and carry on with a ferry to Havelock Island.
Word of Caution: There are two ferries running from Port Blair to Havelock, a government ferry,called Phoenix Bay Jetty, which leaves at 6 AM,11 AM and 2 PM, and a private “cruise” called Makruzz, leaving at 8:15 AM. Book flights/hotels accordingly!
We went by the Phoenix Bay Jetty, costing us about 400 pax. However, that was one of the worst ferry rides I’ve ever been on! We had no clue they were that bad! The seating is on a lower deck, so you can’t see anything except through a window (Hello, Nausea?) and the ACs are disfunctional with the outside temperature being 30-40 degrees Celsius. Thankfully, we were allowed to get on deck, in the scorching sun, which was still better than the inside.
Yes.
Although, it did pave the way for some pretty decent pictures. This was the first time I could actually see rainfall, from a distance! Do you see it in this picture?
Is this post getting too long? Damn it, we haven’t even reached Havelock Islands yet! I will post this as it is, and continue in a new post!
-Neil
Indian with a backpack 
One thought on “Andaman and Nicobar Islands, June 2015”