The Complete Andaman Islands Guide: Beaches, Diving, and India's Tropical Paradise

Fair TravelsMarch 16, 2026Travel Guides5 min read

The Complete Andaman Islands Guide: Beaches, Diving, and India's Tropical Paradise

The Andaman Islands are 1,200 km from mainland India, sitting in the Bay of Bengal closer to Myanmar than to Chennai. Pristine coral reefs, white-sand beaches, colonial history, and some of India's best diving — all in a union territory that most Indians haven't visited.

Overview

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprise 572 islands, of which about 37 are open to tourists. The main tourist triangle is Port Blair (capital), Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep), and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep). Nicobar Islands are off-limits to tourists.

Route	Government Ferry	Private Catamaran
Port Blair → Havelock	INR 400-600, 2.5h	INR 1,000-1,800, 1.5h
Havelock → Neil	INR 400, 1h	INR 700-1,200, 45min
Neil → Port Blair	INR 400-600, 2h	INR 1,000-1,500, 1.5h

Category	Budget/Day	Mid-Range/Day
Stay	INR 1,000-2,000	INR 3,000-6,000
Food	INR 300-600	INR 600-1,200
Transport	INR 200-500	INR 500-1,500
Activities	INR 300-1,000	INR 2,000-6,000
Total	INR 1,800-4,100	INR 6,100-14,700

The Complete Andaman Islands Guide: Beaches, Diving, and India's Tropical Paradise

The Complete Andaman Islands Guide: Beaches, Diving, and India's Tropical Paradise

Overview

Best Time to Visit

Getting There

Permits

Where to Stay

Port Blair

Havelock Island

Neil Island

What to Do

Port Blair

Havelock Island

Neil Island

Inter-Island Transport

Food

Budget Breakdown

Safety

Packing Essentials

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Andaman Islands