 When to visit
The traditional peak dive season in the Andamans has been from December to May - the sun is (usually!) shining, the seas are flat and visibility is at its best during this period.
June and July are monsoons - this means that some days, the seas are very rough and we cannot go very far. Other days, it is calm and sunny, and the diving is surprisingly good.
Over the past couple of years, we've been doing some diving in the August to November period and have been amazed by what we've found - the visibility is maybe a few meters less than what it would be in March or April, and there are occasional-to-frequent rains, but the fishlife is mindboggling - enormous schools of fish occupy your entire vision, turtle and manta sightings are common and the reefs buzz with excitement and action. All our dive staff agrees that the diving during this period is the best that they've ever done in their years in the Andamans!
Permits and Visas
All foreign visitors to India need a visa. This must be obtained prior to your departure, as India does NOT issue visas on arrival.
In addition, foreign visitors to the Andamans also need a special Restricted Area Permit, which can be obtained upon arrival (flight or ship). You can also apply for the permit through your embassy while getting the Indian visa; however, we recommend getting it on arrival as it is a lot faster this way. This Restricted Area Permit, which is issued free of charge, is valid for 30 days and can be extended to 45 days.
Indian passport holders do not need any permits to visit the Andamans.
Getting to the Andamans
The quickest and most convenient way to get to the Andamans is to fly. Kingfisher Red, Indian Airlines and Jet Lite have daily regular flights to Port Blair from Calcutta and/or Chennai.
Do note -a few of our guests have reported problems with international credit cards and the online payment gateways of the airlines. If that is the case, you can buy from Make My Trip - they do accept international credit cards and are a reliable online agent. If you are not able to buy online, try giving them a call.
Alternatively, you can choose to travel by ship – which takes 60-72 hours and is only for the tough. Bookings are through the Shipping Corporation of India, and can be made in Calcutta or Chennai, and typically open a few days before the scheduled departure date. Do note that given the lengthy duration of the boat trip and mixed reports about food and amenities, we no longer recommend taking the ship as an option.
 Getting to our dive center in Havelock
To get to Havelock from Port Blair, you have to take the ferry departing from the Phoenix Bay jetty. There are 3 departures daily - 0600 hrs, 1130 hrs (either direct or via Neil) and 1400 hrs. The afternoon ferry means that you can get to Havelock on the same day as your arrival into Port Blair.
The return boats from Havelock leave at 1400 hrs, 1600 hrs (the private ferry) and 1630 hrs in the afternoon, getting into Port Blair in the evening after sunset - so it is possible to do 2-tank dives on the day of your departure. And you get enough of a surface interval to fly the next day as well.
There is also a private ferry (a very comfortable catamaran) that has started service between Port Blair and Havelock. This ferry departs at 0900 for Havelock and returns at 1600 - trip time is approx 1:30. If you are arriving by 8:00am into Port Blair, this is a very convenient boat to take, as you no longer have to waste most of the day sitting around in Port Blair. This ferry is more expensive than the regular government ferry, however.
In theory, tickets (Rs 200-350 for the government ferry, Rs 750-1000 for the private ferry) have to be purchased in advance. In the off-season, they are quite easy to purchase if you get to the jetty half an hour before departure. However, during the peak season, especially between October and April, the government tickets sell out well in advance - tickets for the catamaran are usually readily available, as of now.
We offer (and strongly recommend that you avail of) a Meet and Greet facility which includes airport pickup, transfer to the jetty (including round trip ferry tickets), transfers in Havelock, return transfer to the hotel in Port Blair and then to the airport on your departure. Price for this is Rs 1,500 for one person, Rs 2200 for 2 people and Rs 1000 per person for 3 or more people - in addition, if you want the catamaran, a surcharge of Rs 450 per person each way also applies. Please contact us to arrange the same.
Getting to our soon-to-open dive center in Neil
As of now, there is a morning ferry to Neil and it leaves early in the morning (0630-0700), returning from Neil at 0900. There is also a second 1130 departure that goes to Neil and then onwards to Havelock (or the other way around, on some days).
On the way back, you have to spend your last night in Port Blair - in theory, if you have a 1220 departure out of Port Blair, the morning ferry from Neil will get you back in time, but this is cutting it quite fine and we recommend leaving a day earlier.
Where to sleep - last night in Port Blair
Port Blair has a number of hotel options to suit all budgets.
Azad Lodge (+91-3192-242646) is a budget hotel with rooms for Rs 400-650, with attached bathrooms and cable TV.
The Citi King Hotel (+91-3192-233320) doesn't have a very impressive entrance, but the rooms are nice (Rs 950 and Rs 1500) and they go out of their way to try to provide good service (and they are very good at retaining your reservation, unlike a lot of other mid-range hotels).
Hotel Marine View (www.hotelmarineview.com, hotelmarineview@aol.com, +91-3192-243500/231200 or +91-97344-88899) is another nice mid-end hotel in the Rs 1500 range. Nice, new rooms, good service and internet in the lobby, it is excellent bang-for-the-buck.
TSG Emerald View, at Rs 3000, is a little more expensive but also nice - and has one of the best restaurants in Port Blair, to boot.
There are many other options in the Rs 1000-2000 price range as well - mostly unremarkable but fairly functional when it comes to sleeping for one night.
One hotel we do NOT recommend is Sun Sea - while the hotel itself is quite nice, we have heard too many horror stories from our guests about lost bookings, blatant falsehoods about "never having confirmed anything", etc. for our liking.
In season, finding a hotel room at the last minute can be quite hard, so we encourage you to book your rooms in advance. If you are staying with us and have a week or so to spare, we can generally help you book a hotel once here.
Do note that due to past problems with guests not showing up and/or bookings getting lost, we no longer directly book hotels in Port Blair. However, if you are in Havelock, we can provide you with a phone (we'll even dial it for you) and the number, and you can make the booking directly.
 Health
The Andamans are quite safe when it comes to malaria and other tropical diseases, but do consult your doctor about shots, vaccines and preventive medication. Otherwise, the general rules of traveling apply: do not eat uncooked veggies or food cooked in unsanitary conditions; drink bottled water; use bug repellant, etc.
There is a good hospital in Port Blair, but medical facilities in the other islands are minimal. It is recommended that you bring preferred or prescription medication with you. Otherwise, we keep a fairly well-stocked first aid box as well, with a full complement of disinfectants, bandages, etc. - just drop in, ask for Igor (or Dr Frankenstein) and we'll patch you up.
What to Bring/Bits'n'Bobs
Most of the Andamans operate on cash, with a few of the bigger hotels (and us) taking credit cards and traveler's checks. A lot of places may take dollars and euros (especially for large purchases), but you are better off using rupees for your small purchases. Money-exchange facilities and an international ATM are available in Port Blair and now, there is an ATM in Havelock as well.
Some recommendations, in no particular order: long trousers for the evenings, bug repellant, high SPF sunblock, a hat, a small flashlight, sunglasses, towel, swimwear, anti-diarrheal medication (incl oral rehydration tablets), prescription medication, memory cards, spare batteries & reading materials.
Port Blair & Havelock are both on the GSM network, so your mobile phone should offer roaming there. Indian residents please note - Airtel, BSNL and now Vodafone work in Havelock. They even offer data, but that connectivity is really slow and intermittent.
Certified divers should bring their C-card and logbook. Divers insurance is a good idea to have as well – we strongly recommend coverage sold by Divers Alert Network (DAN).
And if you have the baggage space and can bring us spare parts, we'd greatly appreciate it (and pay you for it when you get here, as well).
Safety
As long as you take the basic precautions – i.e., don't leave your valuables lying around, don't entrust your cash to strangers, etc., you should be fine. There is virtually no violent crime in the Andamans, especially against tourists, but avoid walking alone in dark, secluded areas nonetheless.
And While in India
If you are coming to India from another country, why not combine your dive trip with a week-long excursion that includes the Taj as well as a trip to see and photograph tigers? Our sister company, Photo Safari India, runs high-quality, specialized tours for photographers and serious wildlife/nature enthusiasts. Let us know and we'll work out an interesting itinerary for you.
Do also check our Frequently Asked Questions list for more info! |
