What is famous in Andaman?

Imagine fishes hovering over your head and floating alongside when you are walking.

The experience of a completely different ecosystem altogether.  It’s truly an experience of a lifetime.

Birdwatching
Andaman’s bird island or Chidiya Tapu is a verdant spot with forests, mangroves and numerous species of birds.

The constant chirruping of birds all through the day, birds in all colour, shapes and sizes flying from one tree to another finding food or just lazing around.

Yes, birdwatching is one of the most amazing things you can do when you are in Andamans for a holiday if you are a true nature lover.

Look out for parakeets, drongos, doves, eagles and much more birds that have made this island their home.

Trekking

You wouldn’t normally associate Andaman with trekking but Madhuban (20 kilometres from Port Blair by ferry) is the perfect spot for it.

Lush green forests, several indigenous flora and fauna and breathtaking natural beauty make Madhuban an adventure seeker’s delight.

The route from Madhuban to Mount Harriet (the highest peak in the archipelago) is the most popular.

The name Andaman is presumed to be derived from Hanuman, who was known to the Malays as Handuman. The name Nicobar seems to be a corruption of the South Indian term ‘Nakkavaram’ (Land of the Naked) as indicated in the great Tanjore inscription of AD 1050.

The most widely spoken language on the islands is Bengali followed by Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Andaman Creole Hindi is also widely used as a trade language in the Andaman islands.

Katchal, a tiny island near Nicobar was virtually unknown till the Royal Greenwich Laboratory declared that it would be the first inhabited place on earth to catch the rays of the first sunrise of the millennium. In the first postal issue of the year 2000, India Post issued a commemorative stamp depicting the first sunrise of the millennium at Katchal.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands have India’s best nesting beaches for three species of marine turtles – Hawksbill, Green turtle  and world’s largest sea turtle, the Leatherback (Dermocheleys Coriacea).  The nesting population of Leatherback turtles in Nicobar is one of the few colonies that exceeds 1,000 individuals in the Indo-Pacific, and is hence of global importance.

North Sentinel Island is home to one of the most isolated human populations in the world. The Sentinelese, thought to number around 300, have rebuffed all contact with the modern world and fire their arrows at anyone who comes within range. They are thought to have directly descended from the first human populations to emerge from Africa, and have probably lived in the Andaman Islands for up to 60,000 years.

Large, plump marine vegetarians with short, paddle-like front flippers, the gentle Dugongs can be found grazing peacefully on sea grass in the warm coastal waters of the Andaman and Nicobar Island. These languid creatures, also called the ‘angel of the sea’, can be spotted at Ritchie’s archipelago, North Reef, Little Andaman and parts of Nicobar.

Pandanus is a densely arranged, wedge-shaped fruit that has an immensely hard, woody and fibrous body in which several narrow, edible seeds are embedded. Each section has a fleshy base that contains an aromatic pulp that, after cooking, is a staple food in Nicobar. An economically important plant in the islands, the stem branches of Pandanus are used in construction, the leaves used for weaving mats and the hard exterior of the fruit is used as a bathing brush.

Commercial fishing has been banned around the Andaman Islands for more than 4 decades. It is believed that in these waters, fish now die of old age. The turquoise waters surrounding these emerald island teem with an abundance of dolphins, whales, dugongs, sea turtles, sailfish, sea anemones, and other marine life.

Barren Island is the only active volcano not just in India but the whole of South Asia. Located approximately 135 km north east of Port Blair, this small 3-km-wide island contains a 1.6-km-wide crater partially filled by a cinder cone that has been the source of eruptions since the first was recorded in 1787.

The Robber crab (Birgus Latro), also called the Coconut Crab, is the largest land-living arthropod in the world. They generally live on land, but at nights climb up the coconut trees and carve a hole into the tender coconuts to eat the soft kernel. In South Asia, the highest numbers of these huge crabs are found in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. They can be spotted on the South Sentinel Island as well as on some islands in Nicobar.

The limestone Alfred Caves of Diglipur change their shape every monsoon due to a chemical process. These extremely narrow caves are home to the Swiftlet birds that make a unique edible nest. This tiny brown bird uses its own saliva and attaches its sticky home as a little cup against the most inaccessible places on the cave walls. Limestone caves with stalactite formations can also be seen at Baratang.

Ever noticed the scenery on a 20 Rupee note? The image of a picturesque bay lined with lush greenery captured on the red-coloured note is the North Bay Island and the same view can be see on the way to Mount Harriet. Mount Harriet is the second highest peak in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

the revolt of 1857 cellular Andaman and Nicobar Islands were so remote that they became the dreaded Kala Pani penal colony for Indian freedom fighters under the British. The Cellular Jail was built to disconnect the prisoners from the outer world – the prisoners were kept in solitary cells and made to work for long hours on a hand driven oil extractor made of iron. Today, the jail is open to tourists, and has a light and sound show in evening.

As per available records, the first observed mud volcano explosion was observed in March 1983 in Nilambur Village in Baratang Island. A mud volcano is formed by emission of depressurized pore water and natural gases from decaying organic matter underground, accompanied by loud explosions and fire flares. This gradually forms a miniature volcano with rich, creamy mud crater at the top.

Sea planes are amphibious aircrafts that can take off and land on water and as well as on land. Calling it the Jal Hans, government-owned Pawan Hans launched India’s first seaplane operation in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2013. Jal Hans is an eight seater Cessna 208 A that is fitted with modern navigation features, can travel up to 250 km in an hour and can also land on ground.

Sea planes are amphibious aircrafts that can take off and land on water and as well as on land. Calling it the Jal Hans, government-owned Pawan Hans launched India’s first seaplane operation in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2013. Jal Hans is an eight seater Cessna 208 A that is fitted with modern navigation features, can travel up to 250 km in an hour and can also land on ground.