by Midhun S Madhu
PureTravel Writing Competition 2023
As habitual India trotters, we were all pumped up to hit the road to the relatively unexplored archipelago of this vast country. Our destination was supposed to have been filled with an assortment of locales and activities for tourists of all types. With its pristine and turquoise green seas, rich flora and fauna to historical monuments and museums, these group of Islands had in it all to mesmerize one and all. With God’s grace, we were able to complete our 3-day trip to Andaman & Nicobar Islands just before the covid-19 outbreak of 2019.
Landing at Vir Savarkar International Airport (Port Blair Airport) was an experience in itself, as the views of the islets and atolls through the aircraft window was truly amazing. Our first day was planned for Port Blair, capital city of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Exceeding expectations, the episode turned out to be one of the most memorable ones in my travel life.
We commenced the sightseeing with a visit to the Anthropological Museum within the city. It showcased a brilliant set of pictorial and still model representations of the evolution of life in these islands. (Select group of islands in Andaman & Nicobar are inhabited by the aboriginal tribes of Jarawa, Sentinelese and Onges) The chronological arrangement of pictures was such perfect that we were getting immersed in the story of the islands right from prehistoric times to British era.
We followed up this with a visit to the nearby Naval Museum, before leaving for the Cellular jail. This I would say is a must visit to every Indian national, as every brick of the historic jail tells the story of a nation’s colonial struggle. There is a never-dying flame preserved inside a massive glass chamber at the entrance of the prison, a symbolic representation of the true spirit of the oppressed. It felt, the giant prison once considered a place in exile for the most eminent political prisoners still massively echoes the sentiments of the bygone era. The 7-block massive structure has multiple cells inside, with high windows. The eerie silence of the cells was occasionally broken by the periodic tides from the nearby sea.
Though the popular response on the impact of colonialism in the country is mixed, the torment imposed by colonial masters on people, represented in the ground floor museum, would definitely send shivers down one’s spines. Post the jail visit, we witnessed a half an hour light and sound show at the premises, a dramatic audio presentation of life in the cellular jail during the times of imperialism.
Havelock Island was next in the list for us, a trip to be undertaken in a ferry from Phoenix Bay jetty pretty early in the day itself. Havelock presented before adventure travelers an assortment of activities which include snorkeling, scuba diving etc. In a rented two-wheeler we took a quick ride to Radhanagar beach, before going for the fun activities in Elephant beach, Havelock Island.
Mind blowing could be an understatement to describe the elegance of Radhanagar beach. White sand spread through, neatly spaced green vegetation and sapphire green ocean waters were a visual treat for ages. No wonder that this beach was chosen as 7th best in Asia by Tripadvisors traveler ratings. Visit to Elephant beach was also way too cool, we had to walk for a few kilometers in a forest with a local guide to reach the beach.
On the way, one could observe the terrain slowly changing its form from dense forest to sandy beach soils & rocks, with crabs and scorpions closing in for company. Beach was totally commercialized & we too opted for a few fun activities like water scooter ride & scuba diving. Latter was truly delightful, the view of various forms of life in the ocean at such a short distance was happening for the first time. As the ferry service to Phoenix Bay jetty closes by dusk, we left the beach vicinities immediately post a sumptuous lobster meal at a restaurant in Havelock
Our next pitstop in the beautiful archipelago was Baratang Island, famous for its limestone caves and a mud volcano. The early morning travel to Baratang is an escapade of a lifetime, which involves a road trip through the heavily guarded Jarawa forests followed by a junkar ride to Baratang Island jetty and finally a brief boat ride to the sandstone caves.
A strange sense of neophobia was pervading in me, maybe due to the thick mangrove forests and the unusual boat ride in the middle of Andaman Sea. But the sights at the cave made it doubly sure that the fears of the salt drenched mangrove vegetation were worth ignoring. Caves had multiple structures and shapes of limestone formation wonderfully akin to human figures. Though we couldn’t visit mud volcano due to paucity of time, it was more than made up by a visit to Chidiyatapu beach. The corrugated sand formations on the shore and the picturesque sunset provided the perfect setting for a nice family snap to savor for years. But unfortunately, the trip was also coming to a close.
The final pang in a journey was slowly starting to set in, for us this was the most painful over many trips and years. With hopes of coming back to these wonderful islands once again, we packed our bags to board the flight back to Bangalore.
Photo by tatonomusic on Unsplash
