Andamans Holiday - Part III : The most beautiful beach in Asia

I just realized that I have not completed the Andaman story. Reminds me of the state of stupor that the Barefoot resort induced us into … no TV, no mobile connection, no internet. Lounge in the sitout area of the wooden cottage with tiled roof and listen to the myriad birds. Laze at the Radhanagar beach which was a hop, step and jump away from the resort. Build sandcastles out of pristine white sand. Not see another human being for long stretches of time. Watch the different shades of blue of the water. Play board games at the resort’s restaurant, with its floor seating. Trek through the mini forest that separates the resort from the beach. Gawk at the sight of the resort elephant – Rajan swimming majestically in the sea. Climb the hillock behind the resort and get an ayurvedic massage for the recently exercised limbs. Pure Bliss !

Attentive & helpful staff, some good food and interesting co-vacationers all added to the overall holiday experience.

The resort organized a trip to Elephant Beach, which is a good place for beginners to go snorkeling. Expert swimmers guided us to the sections that offered the best underwater displays and even a non-swimmer like me was able to enjoy the colourful coral reefs and underwater life. Snorkeling is easy after the first 10 minutes and once you get used to the idea of breathing with your mouth.



Another place that offered good value entertainment on the island was the Elephant Training Camp. They had these 4 feral elephants (2 adults and 2 calves) that were brought to the camp every morning, trained to pull logs and carry out related activity and then released back to the forest in the evening. We were offered rides which we took up eagerly – but riding on an almost bareback elephant was a little uncomfortable as you could feel every muscle in the elephants back as it made its way around the camp.


After 4 restful days at the resort, we headed back to Port Blair to catch the sights there. Some very interesting museums and a watersports centre – but the place to visit remains the Cellular Jail, now a National Memorial. We went once in the morning to look through the jail and its exhibits and returned in the evening for the sound and light show – where the old tree in the jail recounts the stories of the cruelty of the British Jailer in the gravelly voice of Om Puri.

The unique starfish shaped architecture of the prison, cleverly designed to keep prisoners isolated and preventing them from being able to communicate with each other, reinforced the feeling of patriotism that I am sure strikes every Indian who visits Kaalapani, the ominous name by which the prison was known.

After some handicraft shopping, we ended our holiday and returned to Mainland India. Could not go to Barren Island, which is the only active volcano in South Asia. The Nicobar Islands remain out of bounds as a special permit is required to visit these islands. The Resort Manager at Barefoot was mentioning that these Islands offered even better sights and when they do open to tourism, I intend to go back to A & N.