Crystal clear water, white sand, beautiful corals and marine life. To experience these you don’t need to travel to an exotic place far away, just pay a visit to the incredible Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Port Blair, the largest town in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is also its capital and a union territory of India. People from all walks of life, languages, religions and ethnic groups live in this town.One can reach the islands by passenger ships or by flight from Delhi, Kolkata or Chennai. The only airport here is the Veer Savarkar International Airport.
Here are some of the places of interest:
Cellular Jail– Cellular jail (also called Kaalapani) located at Port Blair stands as a witness to the tortures faced by the freedom fighters who were imprisoned in this jail. There is a jail museum established by the Govt of India in the memory of those martyrs who gave their lives in the freedom fight. There is a sound and light show in the evening, which narrates the story of Kaalapani, about the freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar, Sher Ali, which would leave you speechless.
Ross Island– The Ross Island is about 2 km east of Port Blair and can be reached by a short boat ride. The island presently houses the ruins of old buildings like ballroom, Chief Commissioner’s House, Govt. House, church, hospital, bakery and troop barracks, a reminder of the old British rule. During British occupation, this island was the seat of power of the British.
Barren Island– The only active volcano in India is located on this island. The island can be visited by chartered boats only with the permission of Forest Department.
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park – It is situated in Wandoor, which is 29 Kms. from Port Blair. This marine park comprises of the sea, creeks and15 islands. One can enjoy the rare corals and underwater marine life through glass bottom boats,scuba diving and snorkeling. Jolly Buoy Island and the Red Skin Island are the snorkeling sites inside the park.
Cuisine: Andaman and Nicobar Islands cuisine mainly comprises of sea food, which is available in most of the hotels and restaurants on the island. The people there are mainly non vegetarians, whose diet comprises primarily of sea food.Due to the huge inflow of tourists to this place, many restaurants have cropped up, serving Indian, Chinese and Continental food.
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