Andaman Tour Packages

Andaman Tour Packages — India's Last Island Frontier

Holiday Vibez curates Andaman and Nicobar tour packages across the full archipelago — from the colonial history of Port Blair to the white-sand seclusion of Havelock's northwest coast. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an archipelago of 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal, roughly the size of Goa, sitting 1,200km from the Indian mainland — closer to Myanmar than to Chennai. Only 37 islands are open to tourists, and only about 10 are commonly visited. The result is an island experience unlike anywhere else in India: undeveloped beaches, crystal-clear water with visibility to 30 metres, and one of the healthiest coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean. Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram) is the gateway — the historic Cellular Jail (1906), known as Kala Pani or Black Waters, is the most important memorial in the Andamans: the seven-wing solitary-confinement prison where thousands of Indian independence fighters were sent by the British; the evening Sound and Light Show narrating the freedom struggle is the best in India. Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) is the centrepiece: Radhanagar Beach (Beach No. 7) was ranked the best beach in Asia by TIME magazine in 2004 — 2km of white sand backed by dense forest, with no buildings or development visible from the waterline. Elephant Beach, 3km by boat from the Havelock jetty, sits above one of the healthiest coral reefs accessible from India — you can snorkel directly from the beach over brain coral, staghorn coral and colonies of clownfish, parrotfish and triggerfish. Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) is the quieter, more laid-back alternative: the Natural Bridge rock formation, the peaceful Laxmanpur Beach sunset and the uncrowded Bharatpur Beach snorkel site.

Best Andaman season: October–May (dry season, calm seas, ideal visibility for snorkeling and diving). June–September (monsoon — rough seas, most water sports suspended, ferries sometimes cancelled). Getting there: Fly to Port Blair (IXZ) from Chennai (2 hrs), Kolkata (2 hrs), Delhi (3 hrs) or Bengaluru (2.5 hrs). No visa or permit required for Indian citizens. For foreign nationals, a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) is required but granted automatically on arrival. Inter-island transport: Government ferries (daily, affordable) and private speedboats (faster, more convenient) between Port Blair, Havelock and Neil.