In close proximity with Nature

Besides the usual beaches, forest and tribes, the Andaman and Nicobar islands have more in store for the tourists, discovers - By B V Prakash

The excitement beings the moments the ship bound for Port Blair, M V Nancowry, sets off from Chennai. The large size of the vessel carrying nearly 1200 passengers and cargo with many decks housing the canteen, the library, dining room, recreation room and swimming pool makes the orientation a little complicated initially. In the next two days of sailing, one gets used to the ship and the only pastime would be to sit on a deck looking at the blue sky and the deep azure sea or take a stroll. Andaman and Nicobar are an archipelago of over 570 is lands spreading north to south for about 700 km in the Bay of Bengal. At around 1200 km from the mainland, the northern group of Andaman comprise mainly north, middle, south and little Andaman’s. While some of the islands are uninhabited, some others are inhabited by tribes that shoot poison- tipped arrows. Never the less, these islands are being exposed to the outside world and have grown to be a popular tourist destination during the last five decades. It took us three days to go around the capital Port Blair and visit places meant for sightseeing. The Corbyn’s Cove Beach, Chatham Saw Mill, the water sports complex and the many museums are the usual fare. The mini zoo with rare fauna like the salt water crocodile and giant robber crab (that steals coconuts and hence the name ) is quite interesting. But a must see for every visitor here is the cellular jail. This three storeyed six pronged structure was specially constructed during the Colonial Rule to house our freedom fighter from the main land as a punishment known infamously as the ‘Kalapani’. The sound and light show narrates in a tone of agony the story of how the heroes struggling for the freedom of the country were tortured by the British. It is no surprise if the eyes are wet at the end of the narration. We felt every Indian should visit this national monument at least once to achieving our present day independence. The next two days were even more fun-filled as we visited the coral islands in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. This 281 sq km sanctuary has 15 uninhabited islands, which are a treasure trove of exotic marine life. Wandoor, 27 km from Port Blair, is the starting point and can be reached by a bus. The first day’s journey took us to Jolly Buoy, the most popular is land. Sailing past Crab Island, the tiny landmark in the vast sea, we could see long stretches of some of the finest mangrove forests, with their bayonet like prop roots piercing the water Hiring the snorkeling equipment, we were soon into the sea to discover a totally out of the world experience of watching hundreds of richly coloured swarms of fish that dipped and swam in unison. The variety of blue green and red corals, sea fans and red polyps with intricate designs and cute shapes were equally mind blowing. The second day’s visit to Redskin Island, a less visited one, was all the more exciting. Once more we had the experience of viewing the colorful fish and corals to our heart’s fill.

The one island around Port Blair not to be missed is the Havelock, known for its cool pleasant sea and a virgin beach of white sands. The ship takes almost half a day to reach hare with a brief stopover at Neil Island. The Dolphin Yatri Nivas is set in a scenic location surrounded by the sea, but staying overnight in the tents on the beach was more exciting. The Radhanagar beach stands still and is totally isolated. A walk along this beach on a moonlit night was heavenly! Not many who visit the Andaman Islands make it to the Nicobars, the southern group of islands. The main reason probably is the infrequency of ships and uncertainty of their schedules. The administrative hassle of obtaining the necessary permits to visit Nicobars is another factor. We disembarked at Campbell Bay when there was a light drizzle. The guest house is well maintained and close to the sea. The quaint town has a few tea shops and fortunately there were few visitors. There is ample scope for scuba diving too. Indira point, the southern corner of India, is an Important place to visit. One must take official permission to visit the place. It was a pleasant surprise to learn about the site of nesting for the giant leather back turtles which come here from far off places. We waited in the squeaky bamboo guest house fingers crossed looking forward to the rare sight of nesting by the turtles. The exciting moment came, when at 3 am a large leatherback turtly arrived from the sea. This large reptile inched its way up on the beach to a vantage point and began removing heaps of sand with its fins. Making a two ft deep burrow, the animal laid about 100 to 120 eggs in quick succession. Covering the nest with sand dexterously it made its way back slowly into the sea by dawn. Close to the Cellular Jail is the Andaman water sports complex, which comes alive every afternoon between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. You can rent either a speedboat or a water-scooter and ride on the waves towards Ross Island. Or you can parasail for a fantastic aerial view of the harbour. Speaking of fantastic views, the harbour cruise from Phoenix jetty is worth taking for the splendid views of the surrounding areas, especially Viper Island where the cruise makes a brief halt. In earlier times, this island was used to intern convicts and you can still see the remnants of gallows on the hilltop.

Courtesy : Deccan Herald