Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a group Island that stands a little apart from the Indian mainland and is one among the union territories of India. With 572 small groups of lands forming together to become this Island facing the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, it is no doubt that you could have tried to guess a virtual picture of this place in your mind. There is nothing to worry about if you want to travel to this Island from any part of India or even the world. With its pristine beaches and the untrodden lands, Andaman is beckoning out to all the travel enthusiasts. There are many exploration passages at Andaman and travelling to this place has become easier with the tour packages that are available at the cheapest rates for the month. Sign up with Andaman Tour Travel if you have your bags packed and have a budget plan with you. Contact the best travel operators providing cheaper and attractive deals if you want to know the rates beforehand so that you can plan accordingly. Port Blair is the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and plays the major part in the travel and tourism sector as the ship port and airport are situated here.

• The Tamil Nadu-Andaman link

One of the easiest and most important ports connecting India with Andaman is Chennai apart from Kolkata and Vizag. There are many travel deals focusing on travelling from Chennai to Andaman as there are some closer links to both of these places. About 16.78% of the Andaman population has got immigrants from Tamil Nadu according to the 2001 survey settled at the Andaman Islands as the place is nearby and has easier access via sea. With the group of people known as the Andaman Tamils settled at Andaman and called Madrasis, there is no need to go far to explore the links with Chennai.

• The Two Options to Reach at Andaman at Cheaper Rates

This peaceful part of India that is abundant when it comes to greenery, seashores, and marine life has got only two channels of transport to reach its land. Andaman is not connected by trains with the major cities in India. Travelling by ship in style or flying faster with the flights available from some of the major Indian cities are the only feasible options to reach Andaman to explore the experiences and places that this archipelago of Islands flaunts.  Ships are cheaper than flights but will consume more hours of your trip to Andaman. It will extend from 3 to 4 days in the place where you can reach in just 2 to 3 hour from Chennai.

• Ships from the land of Tamilians to Sea Port at Andaman Islands

1190 Kilometres is the distance you will cover on a ship voyage from Chennai to the Andaman Islands.  There are many ships from Chennai which takes you to Andaman and Nicobar Islands by travelling for about 60 hours namely M. V. Swaraj Dweep, M. V. Nancowry, M.V. Nicobar, M.V. Campbell Bay, M. V. Harshavardhana and M. V. Akbar. There are tickets available at four classes ranging from bunks, first-class, second class and deluxe cabins at different rates. If you want your ship tour to be taken at the cheapest rate, get a bunk class ticket which costs at a 2,180 Rs to 2,500 Rs range. For a second class ticket, the rates are around Rs 4,190 Rs to 6,420 Rs and for the deluxe tickets, the cost is 9,750 Rs. The rates may change depending on the months you choose for your visit to Andaman.

There are no options to book online for a ship from Chennai to Andaman and the travellers will have to reach the respective offices to get their bookings done. Only three or four ships will sail in a month from Chennai to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

To book tickets at the ships with the M.V. Nancowry and M. V. Swarajdweep, reach this location –  Gate No.1 of Chennai Port, Opposite Customs Office, Rajaji Salai, Chennai-1.

To book tickets for a trip in M. V. Nicobar, M. V. Akbar or M. V. Harshavardhana, reach the Port Trust, Rajaji Salai, Opposite Customs Office, Chennai 1 at Madras.

Get the free official forms from the counters and fill it with the relevant details, two passport size photos and the needed documents if you want to be eligible for the concessions available. Get the help of your travel partner to help you fasten the booking process. The travellers should reach at the earliest to collect the tickets. Winters are the best times for a ship cruise to avoid seasickness.

The details of the infants should be provided for record too, even though they can travel free of cost.

• Flying Options from the Gateway of South India to the Capital of Andaman

There are flights from Chennai daily provided by the companies like Air India, Indigo, Vistara, Spice Jet, Go Air and so on. There are planes from the Chennai International Airport. This is the easiest and fastest way to reach the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as it takes only 2 to 2.30 hour to reach at the Veer Savarkar International Airport (IXZ) by covering an aerial distance of 1367 Kilometers. Cheaper air tickets can be availed from 3,000 Rs by contacting your travel partner as they will provide you with discounts for your customized package.

Places at Andaman that can Lure the People of Chennai

Once the travellers from Chennai have reached the Islands of Andaman, they need to find out the best places that will make them feel at home. Your travel operators would have added the places that are quite famous at Andaman, you can add certain places too if a location feels like home or is providing the things that you were planning this trip for.

Cellular Jail aka Kala Pani: This is a famous destination that gives goosebumps to everyone who listens to the haunting and dark colonial stories behind it. This is a forbidden fort-like prison which held many political prisoners whose hands, blood and sweat worked behind the independence from the invaders that we should be thankful for. These jails were built around the 1890s to isolate the prisoners from the mainland and they had to do some severe works and punishments.

Chennai has got its first colonial building, Fort St. George built by the British East India Company in the 1640s for trading purpose, but the story behind the dark fort jail in Andaman is what brings the difference between these two places. There are a sound and light show too to show the life of the prisoners.

Open from: 9. 30 am to 12.30 pm

1.30 pm to 4.45 pm

Light and Sound Show: 5.15 pm to 9.10 pm

Ticket Cost:  30 Rs

Light and Sound Show Ticket Cost: 50 Rs to 150 Rs

Barren Island: A visit to this Island means you get to see the only active volcano in India. Chennai is that place that is usually hot and it gets even hotter as times pass.

The last time this volcano erupted was in 2017. From Port Blair, Barren Island is situated at a distance of 138 Kilometre away. From the places Sumatra to Myanmar too at the South Asian side, you won’t be able to spot any other volcano in the vicinity. A trip to Barren Island with a package with various basic and luxury facilities cost around 20,000 Rs for about 10 hours.

It is better to visit this place during the months November to February. The place is best for sightseeing at Andaman and can be visited by taking a ferry or a flight from Port Blair city. Scuba diving is a prominent water sport that is done at this uninhabited sland of Andaman.

Anthropological Museum: Andaman and Nicobar Island is that place that cannot be compared with any other tourist location in India. This extension of India houses many tribal lives in its Island, namely Onges, Sentinelese, Jarawas and Andamanese in the Negrito category and the Shopmen and Nicobarese belong to the Mongoloid tribe.

These tribes are living in the denser areas of the forests in Andaman and avoid any contact with the outer world or other humans. Many tourists come in here to see the tribe of Jarawas. Here comes an opportunity to know more about the tribes in Andaman as this Anthropological Museum is dedicated to the indigenous life of Andaman Islands.

The lifes of various tribal clans, the tools, clothes, leaf baskets and so on made by them are the attractions of this place. The prime attractions of this place include the chest guard of the Jarawa tribe, the Nicobarese shamanic sculptures, a skull from the Sentilenese region and more. This place is best for those who are interested in the study of the lifestyle and history of the Andaman tribes. There is a Government Museum in Chennai which has got a great collection of Roman antiquities and is also the second oldest museum in India. A visit to the Anthropological Museum in Andaman means experiences that feel closer to the ancient tribal life of India.

Open From: 9 am to 1 pm

1.30 pm to 4.30 pm

Ticket Cost:  20 Rs for Indians

150 Rs for foreigners

Dugong Creek at Little Island: The herbivorous mammals known as dugongs or sea cows are something that is under the threat of endangerment in India. Their basic diet includes the grass under the sea and so are they known as sea cows.

They were hunted down for meat and oil and now there are only very few dugongs left at Andaman. The place is rich with marine diversity with many coral reefs, fishes, molluscs and so on. The dugongs can also be spotted at North Reef and Ritchie’s Archipelago. There are also places like Mac Point from where you can swim with the dugongs. Still, it is known that they are found mainly at the Little Island area which is the fourth largest Island in the collection of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There is a VGP marine kingdom at Chennai with varieties of sharks and stingrays, but to see a dugong they will have to come to Andaman.

There is more to this land that is part of India and the tourism in this area is known for water sports like scuba diving, boating, parasailing and so on with other adventures on land like trekking, paragliding and hiking. The options to explore Andaman is plenty and wait no more and start exploring now.