Port Blair, North Bay, Havelock & Neil Island

Overview

Seven days and six nights in the Andamans, split as three nights at Port Blair, two on Havelock and one on Neil Island. The extra Port Blair night buys a full day afloat: a ferry to North Bay, the archipelago's foremost snorkelling point, and to Ross Island, capital under the British and once nicknamed "the Paris of the East". On Havelock, the Kalapathar day extends to Elephanta Beach with five minutes of complimentary snorkelling. Otherwise the shape matches the shorter tour — Cellular Jail and the Light and Sound Show, Radhanagar, and Neil Island's Laxmanpur, Bharatpur and coral bridge. Cruise tickets, permits and AC transfers are included; airfare is not.

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. 1

   Port Blair Arrival – City Tour

   On arrival at Port Blair airport, our representative will receive you and escort you to the hotel. After check-in and a little rest, drive out to Corbyn's Cove Beach and the Cellular Jail. In the evening, enjoy the enthralling Light and Sound Show at the jail, where the saga of the freedom struggle is brought alive. Overnight stay at Port Blair. Corbyn's Cove is a coconut-palm fringed beach three kilometres from town, ideal for swimming and sun-basking, with a hotel, restaurant, bar, changing rooms and water sports. Japanese bunkers can still be seen on the way, and Snake Island just across the water is popular for scuba diving. The Cellular Jail, now a National Memorial, stood witness to the treatment of the freedom fighters imprisoned here. Completed in 1906, it took its name from the individual cells built for solitary confinement — originally seven blocks of three storeys radiating from a central tower like a honeycomb. The Jail Museum is open 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and 1:30 pm to 4:45 pm.

2. 2

   Port Blair – North Bay & Ross Island

   After breakfast you will be escorted to the Andaman Water Sports Complex to catch the ferry for a full-day excursion to North Bay and Ross Island. Overnight stay at Port Blair. North Bay, called "the gateway to Port Blair", is known for its coral reefs, ornamental fish and water sports, and is the foremost snorkelling point in the Andamans. Besides snorkelling and the glass-bottom boat ride, scuba diving and an underwater sea walk are available here. Ross Island was the capital of Port Blair under the British and Japanese, before India's independence. Named after the marine surveyor Sir Daniel Ross and nicknamed "the Paris of the East", it is now supervised by the Indian Navy and makes an ideal spot for a nature walk among deer, peacocks and exotic birds.

3. 3

   Port Blair – Havelock – Radhanagar Beach

   Transfer to Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island) by cruise. On arrival, our representative will meet you at the Havelock jetty and escort you to your hotel. After a little rest, head for Radhanagar Beach, one of the world's most renowned beaches. Overnight stay at Havelock. Havelock is the largest and one of the most beautiful islands of Ritchie's Archipelago, 57 kilometres north-east of South Andaman and 92 square kilometres in area, settled largely by Bengali families. Its white sand and forest have it rated the seventh most beautiful island in the world, and it holds the biggest concentration of diving and snorkelling sites in the Andamans. Please note: collect a packed breakfast from the hotel reception if you are travelling by an early-morning cruise. Ferry timings are printed on the tickets provided to you; report 45 minutes before departure with valid photo ID. Ferry operation is subject to government clearance and weather, and the class and timing of the ferry depend on availability at the time of confirmation.

4. 4

   Havelock – Kalapathar & Elephanta Beach

   After breakfast, head for Kalapathar Beach and on to Elephanta Beach, with five minutes of complimentary snorkelling. Overnight stay at Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island). Kalapathar sits in one corner of Havelock, ringed by thick forest, and suits anyone after solitude or a little bird photography — emerald sea, tropical forest on one side of the road, the kala pathar (black rocks) along the shoreline and silken silver sand. Elephanta Beach is one of the loveliest spots on Havelock, known for clear water, live coral and colourful fish. Glass-bottom boat rides, snorkelling, banana rides and sofa rides are all available here.

5. 5

   Havelock – Neil Island

   After breakfast at the hotel, our representative will help you board the boat sailing to Shaheed Dweep (Neil Island). On arrival you will be met and escorted to your resort to check in, then set out to see Laxmanpur, Bharatpur and the Howrah Bridge. Overnight stay at Neil Island. Bharatpur Beach lies half a kilometre from the jetty and is considered the best on the island — calm, shallow water good for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. Laxmanpur Beach is a long, picturesque stretch along Laxmanpur village, shallow and calm, and at its best as the sun sets over the horizon. Neil Island is also known for a naturally formed rock arch of two living corals, which the island's early Bengali settlers named the Rabindra Setu and later the Howrah Bridge. It is best seen at low tide.

6. 6

   Neil Island – Port Blair

   After breakfast, board the Green Ocean Cruise or Makruzz and return to Port Blair. Evening free for shopping in the local market. Overnight stay at Port Blair.

7. 7

   Port Blair – Airport Drop

   Transfer to the airport, with memories of a terrific holiday in the Andaman Islands. Please note: if your departure flight is delayed, any additional touring will be arranged on a direct-payment basis.

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