Andaman & Nicobar

'The Emerald Enigma' or 'The Emerald islands' are the labels often associated with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Emeralds in the Bay of Bengal, these islands are located between India and Myanmar. Extending over 750 kms. north to south, the islands are home to some of the world's best beaches, tropical forests and mangroves. To this day, many of the islands remain unexplored, lending a mystical quality to these islands. Virginal beaches and crystal clear water have proved an instant allure to tourists.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were shrouded in mystery for centuries primarily because of their inaccessibility. It was in the 13th century that Marco Polo visited these islands, and about 600 years down the line, the British used these islands as a penal colony. Criminals were deported from the mainland to the Cellular Jail, the Indian Bastille, situated on the sea coast of Atlanta Point in the North-Eastern part of Port Blair. Thus these islands were known as the 'Black Water Prison' or 'Kala Pani'. Today, with tourists having a 'been there done that' attitude, the islands are a breath of fresh air in the well-worn travel arena.

A meandering coastline, colourful marine life, pristine beaches, and richly forested areas, the scenic beauty of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, undoubtedly leaves an indelible impression on the visitor. The Andaman and Nicobar are a group of 572 islands, islets and rocks lying in the south-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal. They lie along an arc in a long and narrow broken chain, approximately north-south, over a distance of nearly 800 kms. The pristine beaches and coral beds of Andaman Islands continue to fascinate tourists with their unsullied beauty.

Leading The Eco-Trail

Topographically the islands are hilly in places, fringed with coconut palm, covered with tropical jungles and interspersed with flat stretches of crescent shaped beaches. In essence, eco-tourism is the mainstay of these islands, which are blessed with the best of nature's bounty. The government has also developed and cashed in on the immense potential of adventure sports.

Adventure tourism and it's related activities like trekking, island camping, snorkelling, scuba diving and other water sports allow a destination such as Andaman and Nicobar to cash in on their rich and varied natural reserves. The island's unique and unequalled plethora of the different faces of mother nature, have been strategically used by the tourism authority to give tourists a once in a lifetime holiday experience.

Natural Bounty

The region also has a canopy of evergreen tropical rainforest, offering exotic Indian, Myanmarese, Malaysian and endemic flora. So far, about 2200, varieties of plants have been recorded out of which 200 are endemic and 1300 do not occur in mainland India. While the south Andaman forests have a profuse growth of mostly ferns and orchids, the middle Andamans harbour mostly moist deciduous forests and north Andamans are characterised by the wet evergreen forests. About 50 varieties of forest mammals, now considered to be endemic, are found to occur in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Middle Andaman has a fairly large population of Feral Elephants. The islands are also known for their wealth of shells like Turbo, Trochus, Murex and Nautilus are being used as novelties supporting many cottage industries, producing a wide range of decorative items and ornaments. The coral reefs that are found off the islands have also proved to be a tourist attraction, with many visitors to the island slipping into wetsuits to explore the unknown mysteries of the deep waters. With the unusual mix of flora and fauna complemented by the beauty of shells and coral reef, the islands are a veritable paradise for nature lovers. Camps are just the perfect choice for the nature-lovers who wish to enjoy the sun, sea and the pristine beauty of nature by spending quiet holidays right on the beach. Tents are available on hire at all the Guest Houses at moderate rates. One can also go trekking through the nature trail from Mount Harriet to Madhuban and enjoy the rare forest life, flora and fauna.

Eco-Tourism And Water Sports

For those tourists who want more than to be one with nature, the Andaman Water Sports Complex is the place to go. This is a unique facility that offers all possible aqua-sport activities like water-skiing, sailing, wind surfing, speed boats rides and so on, as well as safe water sports like paddle boat, row boats etc. Snorkelling is another underwater activity that tourists enjoy. One can see the under-water marine life and view the rarest varieties of corals by snorkelling in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Corbyn's Cove Tourism Complex, Havelock and other islands on all days from dawn to dusk, depending on the weather.

Diving in Andaman waters offers a fascinating world of under-water marine life, varieties of colourful fishes, rarest of the coral reefs in the world, mysterious remains of sunken ships etc. A Water Sports Complex at Diglipur is another hotspot for tourism, with activities like water scooters and speedboats. When it comes to exploiting its water-based eco tourism resources, the Andaman government is right on target. Private enterprises like the Island Water Sports operator provides speedboats, jet skies, tube rides, and several other rides, have repeatedly lured tourists hooked onto water sports, making them come back for more.

National Parks

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park: The tourism department has combined the natural beauty of the destination with attractive, modern facilities at several parks around the islands. The destination offers a melting pot of eco-tourism, fun and adventure activities. Amongst the more known national parks is the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor. This park is made up of open sea, creeks and fifteen small and large islands. One can see mangrove forests along the creeks, as well as observe the fascinating marine life and coral reefs. The Andaman tourism authorities have introduced innovative glass bottom boat rides, whereby tourists can take a closer look at the coral colonies. This park is also the perfect location from where tourists can indulge in adventure activities like scuba diving and snorkelling.

Marina Park: This is another significant eco-tourism destination, as it is located right on the sea. To enhance the inflow of tourists to the park, amusement rides and toy trains are the added attractions. This destination also offers water sports and nature trails around the lake and gardens.

Island Destinations

The various islands and islets echo with a rich history, sometimes chilling, always fascinating. They are a rich reminder that tourism in the emerald islands is purely based on nature and the scenic beauty of the locale. Some of the islands that tourists flock to are:

Neil Island: This beautiful island with lush green forests and sandy beaches is the vegetable bowl of the Andamans. Connected by boat from Port Blair, it provides an ideal holiday for eco-friendly tourists. Beautiful beaches at Lakshmanpur, Bharatpur, Sitapur and the natural bridge formations on the sea-shore are the main attractions.

Havelock Island: This island offers sandy beaches, and lush green forests. The Radhanagar beach is one of the most sought after beach destinations of the island. Island camping is organised by the directorate of tourism. Scuba diving and snorkelling are the other activities here.

North Passage Island: This is an undisputed eco-tourism hub. Famous for Merk Bay coral, sandy, shallow beaches, this island is a great place for tourists to revel in nature's precious gifts. The sea around the island is famous for playful dolphins.

Long Island: Connected by boat four times a week from the Phoenix Bay Jetty, this island offers an excellent sandy beach at Lalaji Bay, unpolluted environment and evergreen forests. Dolphins frequent the sea around the island. Lalaji Bay, located six kms. from the boat jetty, is accessible by dinghies or trekking through the forest. The directorate of tourism offers island camping during season.

Diglipur: This destination provides a rare treat for tourist with an eco bent of mind. It is famous for its oranges, rice and marine life. Saddle Peak (732 meters), the highest point in the islands, is nearby. Kalpong, the only river of the Andamans also flows here. Ram Nagar beach close to Diglipur is famous for turtle nesting.

Ross and Smith: The twin islands joined by a bewitching sand bar, is 30 minutes away from Aerial bay jetty or Kalipur water sports centre. The directorate of tourism offers island camping at Smith island during the tourist season. One can feel the innocent beauty of village life everywhere in Diglipur. Those tourists who prefer to be away from the hustle and humdrum of urban life come here to enjoy unhurried holidays. Saddle peak is popular for trekking/nature trail through the evergreen rain forest. Kalighat is connected by daily two boat services from Mayabunder. The Port Blair-Diglipur (Aerial bay jetty) boat services are available twice a week.

Little Andaman Island: This island has a beautiful beach at Butler Bay, a waterfall and plantation of oil palms. Apart from this there are several sandy beaches all along the coastline of the island. The break water at Hut Bay offers an excellent view to the tourists. Little Andaman is the vegetable bowl for the Nicobar group of islands. The Onge tribals live in this island, so do Nicobarese apart from settlers from erstwhile East Pakistan and other places. However entry to tribal areas is restricted.
Rangat: One can enjoy the quiet village life and solitude of virgin nature here. You can also breathe unpolluted air, a rare commodity for the city dweller. Cutbert Bay beach (20 kms. away from Rangat bazar/jetty) is a turtle nesting ground. One can view the nesting of turtles during December - February season. Hawksbill Nest, guest house of the Directorate of Tourism, is near to the Cutbert bay beach and Turtle sanctuary. Panchavati waterfall and Amkunj beach are on the way to Cutbert bay.

India's Only Active Volcano

This is undoubtedly a bewitching eco tourism destination. It is also an unconventional attraction, as its lure lies in its lurking, dormant danger. Barren Islands, 139 kms by sea from Port Blair, erupted twice in the recent past - once in 1991, and again in 1994-95, after remaining dormant for about 177 years. This island, about 3 kms in diameter, has a big crater of a volcano, about half a kilometre away from the shore. This island can be visited by special boats and landing ashore is not allowed.

Eco-Destinations in Nicobar

Comprising 28 islands, with an area of 1841 sq km, the Nicobar group of islands is separated from Andamans by a ten degree channel. These islands abound in coconut palms, casuarinas, and pandanus. Great and Little Nicobar have crab-eating monkeys with long tails. Magapode, a rare bird, is also found here. The southernmost tip of India, 'Indira Point', is in Great Nicobar Islands. Car Nicobar is the headquarters of the district. It is a flat fertile land, and still has Nicobari huts on stilts. Katchal is a tiny island in the Nicobar group. It was this island that heralded the new millennium with the first sunrise on January 1, 2000. The Indira Point in the Great Nicobar is the nesting ground for giant, leather back turtles. This island also has a biosphere reserve area. Having recognised the eco-tourism potential of the union territory, the administration is encouraging private participation in tourism initiatives. The government will play the role of facilitator, with a policy is to promote ``high value low volume eco-friendly tourism''. As part of the efforts to involve the private sector, land has been identified to develop resorts at Goodwill Estate, North Passage Island and Little Andaman.

The government is also being cautious in its approach, not wanting to tamper with nature's precious resources. However, it is keen on developing infrastructure - work on extending the runway at Port Blair from 6,000 feet to 11,000 feet to handle bigger aircraft is on Flights from Singapore can also have a stopover here. Andman and Nicobar Islands have emphatically proved that tourism can almost entirely be sustained by the ecology. It is in its natural resources that the wealth of the emerald islands lies. A wealth that remains, to a large extent, an undiscovered treasure - ensuring that the allure of the islands is unsurpassable.

By Susan George