Location :
Bay Of Bengal
Capital :
Port Blair
Main
Attractions : Water
Sports, Marine Life
Best Time
To Visit : October To May |
Tourism in
Andaman and Nicobar Island
The Emerald Islands - Andaman and Nicobar
Islands
Floating in splendid isolation, east of the
Indian mainland is the archipelago of 572
emerald islands, islets and rocks known as
Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This union
territory stretches over a length of more
than 700-kms. From north to south with 36
inhabited islands. Once a hill range
extending from Burma to Indonesia, these
undulating islands are covered with dense
forests and endless variety of exotic flora
and fauna.
The topography of the islands is hilly and
abounds in evergreen forests. The sandy
beaches on the edge of meandering coastline
are fringed with coconut palms that sway to
the rhythm of the sea. The sea around the
islands offers excellent scope for adventure
water sports. The rare flora and fauna,
underwater marine life and corals, crystal
clear water and mangrove lined creeks, offer
a dream view of the rare gifts of nature.
The clean roads as well as unpolluted fresh
air attract any nature lover, who seeks
absolute peace and tranquility in the lap of
Mother Nature. Adventure tourism like
trekking, island camping, snorkeling, scuba
diving, etc., are the major attractions
here. A visit to these islands is a
memorable lifetime experience.
The History
Mythologically, the name Andaman is presumed
to be derived from Hanuman, the Monkey God,
who was known to the Malays as "Handuman".
Since pre-historic times, these islands were
the home of aboriginal tribes. The tribes of
the Andaman group of islands are the great
Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas and Sentinalese;
all of Negrito origin, while the tribes of
Nicobars, the Nicobarese and Shompens, both
of Mongoloid stock.
The first settlement by the British took
place in 1789, which was later abandoned in
1796. The second settlement was basically a
penal settlement, taken up in 1858, after
the first war of independence, followed by
the settlement of convicts, "Moplas", some
tribes from central and united provinces,
refugees from erstwhile east Pakistan, Burma
and Sri Lanka as well as ex servicemen.
People & Culture
In these islands people of all faiths
Hindus, Muslim, Christians, Sikhs etc., and
of all languages like Hindi, Bengali,
Malayalam, Tamil, Telegu, Punjabi, Nicobari
etc., live together in complete peace and
harmony. Inter religion and inter regional
marriages are common. This amazing racial
and cultural mix is aptly described as
'mini-India'.
The Green Paradise
Forests are the green gold of the islands.
The reserved and protected forests extend
over 86% area of the territory and the
forest cover is more than 92%. About 50% of
the forests have been set aside as tribal
reserves, national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries, which are inviolate. Luxuriant
mangroves, perhaps the richest in the world,
occupy nearly 11.5% of the territory. More
than 150 plant and animal species are
endemic to these islands. The Andaman
Nicobar Islands hold over 110 species of
wild orchids, which is about 10% of the
known Indian orchids.
Marine Life
The surrounding seas are equally rich in
marine bio-diversity. They harbour more than
1,200 species of fish, 350 species of
echinoderms, 1,000 species of Molluscs and
many more other forms of life. Among
Vertebrates dugong, dolphin and whale are
common. Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park
is rich in Corals, varieties of colourful
Fishes, Sea Turtles, etc., besides other
marine life.
Andaman is also a bird's paradise. More than
246 varieties of birds inhabit the idyllic
landscape, out of which 39 are endemic.
Birds Megapode, Seiftlet, Hornbill and
Nicobar Pigeon are mention worthy. The Avi
faunal diversity has always attracted
ornithologists and bird watchers to these
islands.
Sandy beaches of these islands are famous
for turtles nesting. Important species of
turtles that are present on these islands
include Leather Back Turtle, Green Sea
Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle and Olive Ridley
Turtle. Water Monitor Lizard, Salt-Water
Crocodiles, Reticulate Python etc. are also
seen here.
Corals and coral reefs are the most
fascinating part of marine ecosystem here.
So far 179 species of corals belonging to 61
genera have been reported. Reefs are mostly
of the fringing type on the western coast.
Coral reefs are important breeding and
nursery ground for fish and many other
organisms.
A New Haven For The
Tourists
Andaman and Nicobar islands have recently
been recognized as a world-class
Eco-friendly tourist destination and these
islands have something very special to offer
to the tourists. Cellular Jail, Ross Island
and Viper Island create real interest in
those, who love Indian history. The Andaman
tropical rainforests, beautiful silver sandy
beaches, serpentine mangrove-lined creeks,
marine life abounding in rare species of
plants, animals, corals, etc., provide a
splendid experience to the tourists.
The environment lover finds absolute ease
and tranquility in the lap of Mother Nature.
There is tremendous scope for enjoying the
green nature, the virgin beaches, the
marvels of underwater, adventure water
sports ad other activities like Elephant
Safari, Trekking, Lagoon Cruise, Island
Camping etc.
Andaman is a popular destination for Scuba
Dive Tourists, Cruise Liners and Sailing
Yachts. The administration has formulated
guidelines/procedures for operating Scuba
Dive Centers and Yachts.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands has become
the centre of worldwide attention thanks to
the first sunrise of the millennium at
Katchal, an island in the Nicobar group. Now
these islands are emerging as one of the
most sought after Eco-friendly tourist
destinations of the 21st Century.
GENERAL INFORMATION
ANDAMAN NICOBAR ISLAND
Area: Andamans
District: 6,408-sq-kms
Nicobars District: 1,841-sq-kms
Total Area: 8,249-sq-kms
Distance: 1,255-kms From Calcutta (Kolkata)
1,190-kms From Chennai
1,200-kms From Vishakhapatnam
Languages Spoken: English, Hindi,
Bengali, Tamil.
Altitude: Varies from sea Level to
732m
Tropical - Between 23°C (75-85 F) To
28°C (78-95 F)
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India
Travel Guide / States / Andaman and Nicobar Travel Guide
