Racing against time and a sky on fire, Ravi brought his motorbike to a screeching halt at Butler Bay when I made a frantic run towards the beach. I was hoping to catch the day's last light from the shores of Little Andaman, the southernmost tip of Andaman archipelago. At the behest of an acquaintance, Ravi, a native school teacher graciously agreed to play host to a fraught solo traveller who was hell bent on exploring this island with nonexistent tourist infrastructure but wasn't brave enough to venture that far without knowing a single person. He took the pain to drive me across the vast island and brought me to what was decidedly the best I had seen in Andaman yet. For starters, measuring over 22kms, it is the longest beach of the whole archipelago!

Think Andaman and the first thing that pops into mind is probably Havelock. So as any offbeat traveller worth her salt, I did what I had to do – skip Havelock entirely to find more about the emerald isle's little known charms. Not only was I able to evade disappointment about my decision to skip the well known, I was also generously rewarded with long stretches of pristine beaches all to myself. Now that I've seen a teensy bit of all that Andaman keeps hidden, I'm surprised when most visitors dedicate a little less than a week to explore these islands. And I'm also told they get bored by the end of those paltry few days. Well I wouldn't blame them for getting bored if all they ever did was stay in Havelock the whole time (and not dive!).

But if your purview can go beyond Havelock, here are few beaches you could happily spend your precious time at. And the best part about these places is that, as with anything that's worth something, it isn't going to be offered to you on a silver platter. You've got to work for it; in Andaman's case that means putting up with long journeys and getting used to the island pace of life first! ;)

If you do, this is the spectacle that awaits you!

A sliver of white sand coast neatly curving along turquoise blue waters is the gift Long Island grants worthy hikers who do not mind getting their feet dirty either in the muck of the jungle or in the grave of corals. Far away from Port Blair and the crowds of Havelock, Long Island is a little speck of a land in the central region of Andaman. On one end of the island is the civilization, all of 2000 people and zero vehicles. On the other end, separated by an impenetrable tract of forest exuding a primeval quality, is a secluded beach called Lallaji Bay. Fringed by coconut groves and mangroves, this beach feels as far away from reality as it is from civilization. If escaping people was your intention, you’ve reached your corner!

Also read: Off the grid in Andaman (My story from Long Island published with NatGeo Traveller India)

How to reach: From the jetty/village, follow the red arrow marks to hike through the jungle or hike along the coast for 2 hours to reach Lalaji Bay. The coastal walk is along a narrow strip of sandbar that gets submerged as the tide rises and the other side is a mud wall created by eroded forestland.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Despite being overshadowed by Havelock’s towering presence, Neil Island gracefully manages to hold its own with its smattering of wilderness and abundance of pastoral lands. Flat and devoid of dense forest, Neil feels much less claustrophobic which in turns is conducive to exploring the island without the fear of getting lost or risky encounters. Situated near the northernmost tip of the island, Laxmanpur beach is quite the spot for gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. At walking distance from two of the resorts at the best thing about Laxmanpur beach is that you can see both sunrise and sunset from here, it being the tip of the island with clear views on both sides, towards east and west.

How to reach: The beach is at a walking distance from Laxmanpur Beach if you’re coming from the beach side. But you’ll have to keep the tidal cycle in mind. Or you can ride on a scooter till Pearl Beach Resort near the tip of the island and proceed further on the small pathway through the jungle that leads all the way till the beach.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

For when you get tired of watching the same old gorgeous white sand beaches, Lamiya Bay’s stunning volcanic sand beach situated in the northern reaches of Andaman offers a great alternative. Named after a small colony of villagers inside the forest with the same name near Diglipur, the coast here is awash with dark colored sand that sets quite a contrast to the blue waters of the ocean. Situated at the base of Andaman and Nicobar’s highest point, Saddle Peak, the beach is also a known turtle-nesting site.

How to reach: From Kalipur beach, where the Pristine Beach Resort and Turtle Bay Resort are located, Lamiya Bay is a 30 minute walk along the shore. There’s also an approach via the road.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Saving the best for the last, let me tell you that Little Andaman’s beaches are the stuff of legends. For decades, this island that lies well off the beaten path has gained cult status among surfers for it’s great surf. But it’s not just the surf that’s attractive, with the longest beach in the archipelago and blues that only seem unreal, the coast here is secluded, deserted and all for you to enjoy if you manage to make it that far. While the entire coast is stunning, Kalapathar beach gets a special mention because of the volcanic rock formations that form a curved barrier into the sea forming a great lagoon that fills up and drains as per the tide. A small opening in the jagged rocks opens into a view of the ocean and if you want to forget rest of the world exists; this is the place to be!

Located at the 13km mark (from the jetty at Hutbay. In Little Andaman, places are named after their distance from the jetty), just before the famous Butler Bay, Kalapathar beach is accessed by a road though the rehabilitated housing colony after the 2004 Tsunami.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

Situated between the 8-kilometer mark and the 14-kilometer mark, Netaji Nagar beach extends into Butler Bay beach that is one of the prime surf spots. Unlike the other island beaches, the coast here faces open waters of Andaman Sea and naturally the waves here are quite rough and strong currents run underneath. Unless you are an expert at swimming in open waters, wouldn’t recommend getting into waters here but these beaches are excellent places to sit by the shore and wonder if the blue is indeed real! Of course, please take ample protection against sandflies that will bite you to death and the occasional crocodile that unfortunately kills locals often.

Follow the single road that runs across the length of the island and you’ll find exits to these beaches towards the coast. You can hire bikes at the island and drive to these. Otherwise, share autos ply on this route frequently and you get around for few bucks.

How to reach the island? Look here - Guide to Island hopping in Andaman

It was an unusual moment for many of us but it was in fact common for the queen to be this generous. Not one, not two but three gorgeous Royal Bengal Tigers were ambling through the sun-dappled forests of Madhya Pradesh that morning, completely oblivious to the rarity of such a precious sight. Led by the legendary Collarwali, the undisputed queen of Pench, a tigress that has now gained cult status among wildlife enthusiasts for her record-setting offspring count, proficiency in seeing cubs through to adulthood and her audacious appearances with her litter, I gaped in complete disbelief as the shy cubs timidly followed their mother.

It was the summer of 2016 and Kipling’s Jungle Book had just gotten one of its most illustrious silver screen adaptations yet. Images of Mowgli running through the jungles of Seoni flashed in my mind as we drove through the parched landscape of Pench National Park, which is part of the larger landscape where the story was originally set. As a casual wildlife enthusiast whose precious wildlife sightings have always been more dependent on incidental luck rather than devoted planning, I wasn’t expecting to win the lottery. But it was only fair that I call the sightings of that summer in Seoni, a jackpot by any standard.

I was ecstatic already thanks to the previous moonlit night when I slept to the view of a single firefly glowing against the glass walls of my room in a treehouse. It was sheltered under the branches of a towering solitary Mahua tree set in a field of open grasslands. But the next afternoon was to bring more joy, of the incidental kind. Lazily meandering from the completely uncrowded Karmajhiri forest gate, we arrived at Alikatta fire line where a bunch of jackals were devouring a recent kill. Sensing something in the air, the jackals scurried quickly leaving us in a tizzy of eager anticipation balanced with tempered expectations. Riding a green Hero Splendor with the words Forest Patrol emblazoned on to its side, a forest officer with a towel wrapped around his head, stopped by the side of our safari vehicle and confirmed the movement of a tiger in the vicinity.

The marks of an unfortunate encounter with a tiger clearly visible on his right hand, Mr. Patel seemed a cheerful person with a treasure trove of wicked stories. I always wonder what gives these men the strength to work in such an unpredictable and wild territory. Many do it for a living and very few do it for the thrills perhaps, but there’s no denying that there are more dangers than there are thrills in this line of work (Read: Living with the Tiger). As expected, he was the first one to notice yellow stripes in the bushes to our left.

Camouflaged deftly in the brown grass till then, a tiger soon emerged into the open space between the tall trees. In a sequence of stunning beauty, the 14 month old female cub identified as one of Collarwali’s litter, sauntered through the gap in the trunk of a sprawling banyan tree to settle in the murky waters of a small pool next to the striking red bark of a drying Amaltas tree. For more than 20 twenty minutes we were privy to this spectacle during which time the initial frenzy of incessant clicking gradually transitioned into pure joy of simply observing a magnificent creature.

In the meantime I was apprised of Collarwali’s legendary status. Originally monikered as Mata ram, which I felt was more reverential than the unoriginal Collarwali, this tigress was part of the family that gained much popularity in BBC’s path breaking documentary called "Tiger: Spy of the Jungle". Using elephants carrying logs and trunks fitted with camouflaged cameras for over two years (Read: Trunk-cam reveals jungle secrets), unseen footage of life of a tigress and growth of her three tiger cubs was captured for the first time ever from close quarters, catapulting both Pench and the family to worldwide recognition. Collarwali’s mother, Badi Mata was known as queen of Pench for her indomitable spirit and the fact that she birthed 19 tigers in her lifespan. Collarwali later took on that mantle and upended Badi Mata's feat by successfully giving birth to a record-setting 22 cubs so far, singlehandedly helping the tiger numbers rise in Pench Tiger Reserve. She was radio collared at first to track her movements but the collar is now defunct. But the collar seems to have stayed on as an unofficial crown to the reigning queen of Pench.

It was only then that I pieced together the draw these famous tigers have and the part they play in bringing big money and recognition to national parks. Countless visitors arrive in droves to witness the tigers they’ve come to admire through these documentaries. The opinion is divided on glamorising particular tigers but the allure of knowing a tiger by name and following its story like you would of your favorite star is intangible. It is this exact anthropomorphism that has become the bone of contention between biologists, conservationists and casual enthusiasts. I am not sure how I feel about that but I sure was eager to get a glimpse of Collarwali after having known her fabled tenacity.

As if on cue, she made an appearance and crossed the mud track with a regal air, the collar firmly held in place around her neck. She walked over to the wandering cub on the other side and towed her back to their safe territory. Turns out the jackals we saw earlier had indeed been eating into the tigress’s stash. Aren’t neat endings incredibly satisfying? I loved how this whole story came together in the end.

Kipling's Shere Khan gets all the bad rep but he was only trying to protect the forest and himself from humans. More than a century later, the rock star tigers of these jungles are still fighting the same battle. However, if you don't arrive at Pench with prior knowledge of Jungle Book, there's little that'll remind you of Kipling's fictional world. But the tigers that roam these forests are busy leaving behind a rich legacy, more than Mowgli ever could in Seoni.

The next morning I woke up with a smile plastered on my face and without the burden of expectations. But once inside the jungle, three tigers leisurely walked past our safari vehicle in the glint of the morning sun. It seems my lucky stars decided it was my turn to be offered gifts I did not even dare ask. Or was it the queen’s magnanimity all along?

Pugdundee has mastered the art of effortlessly combining luxury with wilderness, but seems they have outdone themselves here at Pench. Six treehouses are spread far apart around a central dining & common area in a large forested area at the edge of Pench National Park. Each treehouse , tastefully decorated in earthy tones, offers uninhibited view of the grasslands below and the starry skies above, from the comforts of a luxurious hideaway perched 18 feet above the ground, nestled in the branches of individual Mahua trees.

Featuring large glass doors and windows, wilderness is practically only a wall apart, which is the best feature of the tree house according to me. Next best thing is the spacious sit out deck from where bird watching was an absolute pleasure, emulating the treetop views Mowgli perhaps had. I remember spending a lot of time watching golden orioles flitting about, drongos chasing crows around and Indian roller flashing it’s many colors. Apart from the many birds, I also spotted a resident jungle cat and wild boars from the deck.

In theory it is a luxury suite, but it would be prudent to think of the treehouse as an extremely well appointed tent set in the heart of wilderness in terms of precautions – which means no food in the treehouse as it could invite unwanted attention, keeping the doors closed at all times, being prepared to deal with bugs and no wandering alone after dark. The atmosphere is kept as natural as possible, so you won’t find bright lights lining the trails leading to the treehouses or a crowd if you’re looking to swap daily updates with fellow travellers. True to its form, the treehouse even sways when the winds pick up and you might even find a Civet Cat waiting for you at the doorsteps as it happened to Mridula, my roommate during the stay. It can get scary if you’re alone and not used to jungle sounds or silence for that matter. If not, this is a perfect place for a digital detox considering there's no one else around and no network that reaches here.

Situated in the underdeveloped zone of Karmajhiri, Pench Tree Lodge is the only property in the vicinity amidst a small scattering of mud houses spread apart in the far distance. Out of the three forest gates that provide access and safari vehicles into Pench, Turia is the most common gate where whopping 68 vehicles per day are allowed. Compare that to the 6 vehicles per day allowed from Karmajhiri gate, which is at a distance of 6 kms from the Pench Tree Lodge, and you’ll see how exclusive this property is.

For more information and reservations, head over to Pench Tree Lodge's website.