©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Andaman Islands Why Go? Port Blair . 1067 On old maps, the Andamans and Nicobars were the kind of Around Port Blair & islands whose inhabitants were depicted with dog’s heads South Andaman . 1071 or faces in their chests, surrounded by sea serpents in a tempest-lashed sea known to Indians as Kalapani: the Black Havelock Island . 1072 Waters. These were the islands that someone labelled, with Neil Island . 1074 a shaky hand, ‘Here be Monsters’ – probably an early travel- Middle & North ler who didn’t want to share this delightful place with the Andaman . 1075 rest of us. Little Andaman . 1077 Lovely opaque emerald waters are surrounded by pri- meval jungle and mangrove forest; snow-white beaches melt under fl ame-and-purple sunsets; and the population is Best Places to a friendly masala of South and Southeast Asian settlers, as well as Negrito ethnic groups whose arrival here still has an- Stay thropologists baffl ed. And geographically, the Andamans are » Eco Villa (p 1073 ) more Southeast Asia – 150km from Indonesia and 190km from Myanmar – making them all the more intriguing. » Aashiaanaa Rest Home The Nicobars are off -limits to tourists, but that still leaves (p 1068 ) hundreds of islands to explore. » Pristine Beach Resort (p 1077 ) When to Go » Blue View (p 1077 ) Port Blair » Blue Planet (p 1076 ) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 32/800 Best Beaches 24/600 20/68 » Radha Nagar (p 1072 ) 16/400 » Merk Bay (p 1076 ) 0/32 8/200 » Ross & Smith Islands (p 1076 ) -20/-4 0 J FDNOSAJJMAM » Beach 5 (p 1072 ) » Butler Bay (p 1077 ) Dec–Apr High Oct–Dec & Apr– Dec–Mar Best tourist season: mid-May Weath- time to see perfect sunny er’s a mixed bag, turtles nesting days, optimal div- but fewer tourists ing conditions. and lower costs 0 20 km White Cliff Island To East Island (10km); Andaman 0 10 miles Reef Island Landfall Island (10km) 1062 Paget Island Islands To Narcondam Highlights Shyamnagar Smith Island (90km) Island 1 Regress to Lakshmipur Ross Island Phaiapong infantile laziness and West Diglipur happiness on Neil Coral Ramkrishnagram Reef North Nabagram Kalipur Island (p 1074 ) Andaman Saddle Peak (732m) 2 Dive, snorkel and North Reef socialise on Havelock Island Ramnagar Island (p 1072 ) Austen Stewart Island 3 Glimpse Port Bay of Sound Mayabunder Blair’s colonial history Bengal Interview Island Island at Ross Island Pahlagaon (p 1071 ) Tugapur Anderson ANDAMAN ISLANDS ISLANDS ANDAMAN 4 Travel through Cuthbert Island the jungle heart of the Bay Andamans around Middle Santipur Mayabunder (p 1076 ) Coral Reef Middle Andaman Dharmapur and Kalipur (p 1076 ) Rangat Amkunj 5 Find Butler Bay and paradise on Little Andaman Long Island (p 1077 ) To Barren North Island (65km) Spike Island Passage Uttara Island Outram Island Kadamtala Strait South Island Henry Coral Reef Bharatang Lawrence Rd Island Island South Peel Island John Lawrence Andaman Trunk Port Havelock Island an Meadows Defence Island am Ritchie's Havelock Archipelago And Island Checkpoint Madhuban Neil Island Sandy Island Wrightmyo Mt Harriet (365m) Herbertahad Sir Hugh Viper Island Rose Island Bamboo Flat Mahatma Gandhi Ross Island Marine Port Blair National Park Sippighat Red Skin Wandoor Island Chiriya Tapu Jolly Buoy Island Rutland Island Twins Islands To North Sentinel Cinque Island (10km) Island A N D A M A N S E A Bay of The Sisters Bengal The Brothers To Nicobar Islands (260km); Little Great Nicobar Andaman (500km) Butler Bay Netaji Nagar Hut Bay.