Blog by Nidhi Khurana

No matter how different we humans are from each other, there is one thing that is common in us and that is our wish to travel overseas at least once in a lifetime. Talking about me, yes I too have a long list of foreign lands where I wish to hoist my flag. But being a student and travelling on a shoestring budget makes it a far cry. Hence, Andaman came to my rescue. Situated far off from the lands, in the laps of Bay of Bengal, is this archipelago which is no less than a dreamy international destination. A culmination of nature in its best form and essential historical linkages made it my next travel destination. I was really excited to head on to this new journey. Now that I had a place to go to, I prepared my Andaman tour itinerary all by myself and finally I was all set to conquer the islands.

You must be wondering we started off with visiting a place across Indian borders then why all of a sudden I chose Andaman over any foreign destination apart from budget being one constraint? Don’t scratch your head, you’ll find all your answers. Go ahead!

Talking about Bali vs Andaman, I would say the latter is more peaceful. Away from the honking cars, traffic jams, noisy parties, and bustling city life, Andaman is a place you must visit if you are searching for deep tranquillity. When here, lay down on some of the cleanest beaches of the Indian continent, enjoy the seafood, catch some breathtaking sunrises, scuba dive, snorkel, and do anything you wish to with least possible commotion. I am a lover of serene surroundings so I had nowhere but Andaman to go to. Sitting in the backyard of my resort which opened its arms straight into the ocean and witnessing the sun going down while I was in Havelock was my favourite thing to do. No unnecessary loud music and quarrelling aunties but the soothing melodies of waves splashing on to my feet, yes these were my evenings in Andaman.

To be honest, I am a person who would choose the least publicized places and knowing that Andaman would soon become a hub of tourist activities, I made this decision of flying to this paradise. Just in case you have a question on how to travel to Andaman, then presently the easiest way is to catch a flight. Yup! I booked my tickets with Air India, flew here in October which is considered to be the best time to visit the King of Islands, Andaman. As soon as I stepped out of the airport I can say this was the first time that I had seen a peanut sized crowd in my life. So, it was my time to rejoice! Fewer people are directly proportional to the least disturbance and more fun! Had I been travelled to the Maldives, I am sure I would have seen an eye soaring crowd. So in the race of Maldives vs Andaman, who wins? Of course, my love for Andaman!

Believe it or not, Andaman has zero crime rates as suggested by several newspapers. Literally, while I was roaming on the roads, I had no fear of being eve teased or whatsoever. I found no beggars or idiotic minds but only helpful people. Some people even left their vehicles unlocked. Woah! I was in a place where locals didn’t judge me by what I was wearing. I could breathe freely which otherwise has become difficult for women today.

Andaman would give you a taste of both the international and national destination. National, because of the currency, cuisine and people; International because of the time it takes to reach here, the cleanliness it has managed to maintain and last but not the least the heavenly beaches. Trust me, you won’t find more beautiful beaches than of Andaman in the entire Indian continent. I myself have been to many but couldn’t find more charismatic beaches than Kalapathar, Radhanagar, Wandoor and a few unnamed ones.

Just for your information, most people in Andaman make money only through the wave of tourism that the archipelago experiences throughout the year. So now you know why I chose Andaman.With every person making their way to this group of around 300 islands, some amount fills the local pockets whereas the remaining goes into the administration that works towards creating Andaman a better place. Also, instead of vacationing internationally, I wanted to explore my nation first. And, this Indian island destination I tell you will blow your mind with the charm it beholds!

A thick vegetation cover, blue skies, refreshing air, golden-white beaches, and turquoise waters, what else do you expect? Andaman fits best into the idea of a haven for nature lovers. It also has some nature trails which might excite you more, one being in the Mt. Harriet National Park. I walked along with my brother and our driver through this trail and ended up visiting another lesser known beach. Look, that’s the fun of going into the wild. You end up finding gems which nature has kept hidden from the outside world.

I might go overboard, but that’s the beauty of this place, you get attached to it. At least I got! I can list 100 reasons for why I chose to visit Andaman over any international vacation but for now, these should suffice. I experienced the true essence of this place and would wish if you do it yourself too.