How to Plan Andaman Trip on Your Own?

Is it your first time to visit the Andaman Islands? You will be bombarded with a lot of details about what to do and where to go to Andaman on the web. When it comes to Andaman, the pictures of white sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters strike our mind. But before flying there just now, you should know what you need to do to plan your own Andaman tour itinerary for the first time.  

You need to follow these steps 

So, how would you like to visit Andaman?

• In a group – Some people prefer to travel on a guided group tour. When you book Andaman tour packages, someone else will be responsible to take care of every aspect of the tour. In addition, you will be part of a group of like-minded individuals and planned experience. You can also approach a tour agency for planning a customized package for you. 

• A regular tour – You can get this package customized for your friends, family, and coworkers by calling a local tour operator. Everyone approaches it with the best local knowledge. 

• Self-planned itinerary – With all the details available online, you can easily book your trip you like. You can get personalized quotes from several operators and pick the package you like for the best deal. 

You may already have planned the whole itinerary which is planned if you choose the first one. If you go with the second or third option, you can customize a lot. Here are the next things to do. 

Booking flight tickets 

Flight tickets are usually the costly part of the Andaman trip. So, it is recommended to book a ticket as soon as possible, especially when there is a discount or sale available. You can save a lot if you plan in advance. 

Plan how many days you want to stay

If it’s your first time, it is recommended to stay on the island for up to 5 days. Take another two days and make it a week-long vacation. It is ideal for a honeymoon and regular packages. 

Budget

You can easily find the budget Andaman packages at around Rs. 5000 per head and it goes even up to a lakh and a half, depending upon the places and activities you want to cover. It is also up to the type of stay and level of service. It is recommended not to go for “cheap” only as you may not get a good experience.  

Planning the Andaman Itinerary (The Best Part)

There are lots of beaches in Andaman and some of the popular beaches have the most number of itineraries and some are even tucked off the sight. Everyone likes the best of both worlds. At the same time, you need to look for popular sites and take some time alone while enjoying and relaxing. You may want some adventure with snorkeling or scuba diving. You can get back in time at cellular jail or explore limestone caves for some great magnificence. Obviously, your vacation cannot complete without shopping for some souvenirs. Here is the recommended itinerary for your first visit – 

Visiting Port Blair for a Day

Cellular Jail is the top attraction in this city and the iconic light and sound show. You can also plan your itinerary to visit the jail in a day, take some time out for shopping and across a regular beach, Corbyn’s Cove, and enjoy the light and sound show by the evening. 

Plan a day in Neil Island 

Neil has some of the beautiful beaches, such as Bharatpur, Sitapur, and Laxmanpur. You can definitely have a day to have an amazing sunset and relax at the legendary Howrah Bridge. You can soak in the serene Andaman experience by staying at Neil Island.  

Spend a day at Havelock Island 

Radhanagar Beach or Beach No. 7 at Havelock is ranked the best beach in Asia and eighth in the world. You can find it quite crowded but it is still worth visiting. You can enjoy a glass-bottom boat ride and/or snorkel during the second or third day. 

A day for scuba diving 

If you want a bit of adventure (even though you don’t know how to swim), a Try Dive is a great experience. You can take half a day to have a dive along with a short briefing by an instructor. It can be everything you desire. Get back to Port Blair to spend a night. 

Day trip in mud volcano/limestone caves

You need to leave your hotel by 3 AM for this trip, go to the dense forests of Andamans and canoe along the mangroves to explore the natural wonders. Return by 5 PM to have a relaxing stay at Port Blair. 

It is a nice itinerary which includes something of everything. You can plan another day to explore some other beaches or just relax or plan scuba diving. 

Notes 

• You can keep the honeymoon packages simple with few extras like bed decoration or candlelit dinner or with few extra sessions of adventure activities. 
• If you are going with a huge group of 15 to 20 people, you can bargain to get better rates on most services. 

Getting There

You may want to fly to Port Blair from Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bangalore, which can be the best mode for transport. You can also travel by ship from Chennai and Kolkata but airfares are affordable now and they are also not the best option. 

Mostly the early tourists came from Chennai and Kolkata and sailing ship from harbors and riding along the choppy waters for up to 3 days as airfare was not that affordable on national flights. These days, private airlines conducted operations and fares have been competitive for advance ticket bookings. Hence, the Andaman trip has just got affordable with the rise of the tourism sector.